Lucas Banzoli<\/a> is a very active Brazilian anti-Catholic polemicist, who holds to basically a Seventh-Day Adventist theology, whereby there is no such thing as a soul that consciously exists outside of a body, and no hell (soul sleep and annihilationism). This leads him to a Christology which is deficient and heterodox in terms of Christ\u2019s human nature after His death.\u00a0He has a Master\u2019s degree in theology, a degree and postgraduate work in history, a license in letters, and is a history teacher, author of 25 books, as well as blogmaster (but now inactive) for six blogs. He\u2019s<\/span> active on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is my<\/span> 51st refutation<\/a> of Banzoli\u2019s writings. From\u00a0 5-25-22 until 11-12-22 (almost half a year) he didn\u2019t write even one single<\/em> word<\/em> in reply. Since then he has counter-responded three times. Why so few<\/em> and so late<\/em>? Well, he says it\u2019s because my articles are<\/span> \u201cwithout exception poor, superficial and weak . . . <\/span>only a severely cognitively impaired person would be inclined to take\u201d<\/span>\u00a0them<\/span>\u00a0\u201cseriously.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0He didn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0\u201cwaste time reading\u201d<\/span> 37 of my first 40 replies (three articles being his proof of the worthlessness of all<\/em>\u00a0of my 4,000+ articles and 51 books). He also denied that I had a<\/span>\u00a0\u201cjob\u201d<\/span>\u00a0and claimed that I didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>\u201cwork.\u201d<\/span> But he concluded that replying to me is so<\/span> \u201centertaining\u201d<\/span> that he resolved to<\/span> \u201cmake a point of rebutting\u201d<\/span> my articles<\/span> \u201cone by one.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>I disposed of his relentlessly false personal insults in Facebook posts dated<\/span> 11-13-22<\/a> and<\/span> 11-15-22<\/a> and<\/span> 11-23-22<\/a>.<\/p>\n My current effort is a major multi-part response to Banzoli\u2019s 1900-page self-published book,<\/span> The Legend of the Immortality of the Soul<\/em><\/a>\u00a0[A Lenda da Imortalidade da Alma<\/em>], published on 1 August 2022.\u00a0 He claims to have<\/span>\u00a0\u201ccover[ed] in depth all the immortalist arguments\u201d<\/span>\u00a0and to have<\/span>\u00a0\u201cpresent[ed] all the biblical proofs of the death of the soul . . .\u201d<\/span>\u00a0and he confidently asserted:<\/span>\u00a0\u201cthe immortality of the soul is at the root of almost all destructive deception and false religion.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0He himself admits on page 18 of his Introduction that what he is opposing is held by<\/span>\u00a0\u201cnearly all the Christians in the world.\u201d <\/span>A sincere unbiblical error (and I assume his sincerity) is no less dangerous than a deliberate lie, and we apologists will be \u201cjudged with greater strictness\u201d for any false teachings that we spread (Jas 3:1).<\/span><\/p>\n I use RSV for the Bible passages (including ones that Banzoli cites) unless otherwise indicated. Google Translate is utilized to render Lucas\u2019 Portugese into English. Occasionally I slightly modify clearly inadequate translations, so that his words will read more smoothly and meaningfully in English. His words will be in<\/span> blue<\/span>.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n See the other installments:<\/span><\/p>\n See also the related articles:<\/span><\/p>\n Seven Replies Re Interceding Saints (vs. Lucas Banzoli)<\/a>\u00a0[5-25-22]<\/span><\/p>\n Answer to Banzoli\u2019s \u201cChallenge\u201d Re Intercession of Saints<\/a>\u00a0[9-20-22]<\/span><\/p>\n Bible on Praying Straight to God (vs. Lucas Banzoli)<\/a>\u00a0[9-21-22]<\/span><\/p>\n Reply to Banzoli\u2019s \u201cAnalyzing the \u2018evidence\u2019 of saints\u2019 intercession\u201d<\/a>\u00a0[9-22-22]<\/span><\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Hebrews 12:22-23<\/strong>\u00a0But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, [23] and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n [H]e was not talking about spirits outside the body<\/span><\/span> literally assembled in a heavenly temple, . . . <\/span><\/span>but simply alluding to the set of all<\/span><\/span> true Christians who have their names actually written in the book of life.<\/span><\/span> <\/span>(p. 432)<\/p>\n Yes, but that\u2019s neither here nor there. Those in the book of life are saved and will go to heaven. Of course. It doesn\u2019t tell us what the \u201cspirits\u201d in the passage are.<\/p>\n If the<\/span><\/span> purpose was to say that they were already in heaven (which would clash head-on with<\/span><\/span> with what he had said a few verses earlier in 11:13-16 and 39-40), he would not have<\/span><\/span> alluded to the inscription of the saved in the book of life, but to the saved themselves in a<\/span><\/span> <\/span>heavenly condition outside the body.<\/span> (p. 432)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Expositor\u2019s Greek Testament<\/em><\/a> comments:<\/p>\n \u201cand to spirits of just men made perfect,\u201d \u201cspirits,\u201d as in\u00a01 Peter 3:19, of those who have departed this life and not yet been clothed with their resurrection body.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Pulpit Commentary<\/em><\/a> adds:<\/p>\n Their \u201cspirits\u201d only are spoken of, because the \u201cperfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul\u201d is still to come.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Thayer\u2019s Greek Lexicon<\/em> defines pneuma<\/em> (Strong\u2019s Greek word #4151<\/a>): \u201cspirits\u201d in this particular passage, as:<\/p>\n b.<\/span>\u00a0a human soul that has left the body<\/span> . . .\u00a0Hebrews 12:23;\u00a01 Peter 3:19.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Kittel\u2019s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament<\/em> (one-volume edition, p. 893) states: \u201cIn Heb. 12:23 the spirits are the departed.\u201d<\/p>\n W. E. Vine\u2019s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words<\/em> (under \u201cSpirit\u201d) defines pneuma<\/em> as used in this passage as: \u201cthe disembodied . . . man, Luke 24:37, 39; Heb. 12:23; 1 Pet. 4:6).\u201d<\/p>\n I addressed the usage in Luke 24 in my previous installment<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oh, but I momentarily forgot. This is the Grand Conspiracy of the Bible commentators and Bible lexicons, in cahoots with all of the equally pathetic and misguided the Bible translators: all engaged in a massive cover-up of the \u201ctruth\u201d that the Bible denies the existence of immortal souls. Once we understand that, everything comes clearly into focus [heavy sarcasm]. The quickest way to comprehend the \u201cImmortalist Conspiracy\u201d is to realize that everyone is wrong except Lucas Banzoli<\/em>. He\u2019s the Ultimate Wise Man: putting Solomon to shame. He\u2019s got the secret, \u201cgnostic\u201d knowledge: so deep that even Jesus<\/em> and Paul<\/em> didn\u2019t grasp it! Poor fellows . . .<\/p>\n The Jewish apocalyptic book of Enoch<\/a> contains several similar references to immaterial \u201cspirits\u201d and \u201csouls\u201d (each one divided by a line space is a separate citation):<\/p>\n Raphael, one of the holy angels, who presides over the spirits of men.<\/p>\n Sarakiel, one of the holy angels, who presides over the spirits of the children of men . . .<\/p>\n And I saw the spirits of the sons of men who were dead . . .<\/p>\n At that time therefore I inquired respecting him, and respecting the general judgment, saying, \u201cWhy is one separated from another?\u201d He answered, \u201cThree separations have been made between the spirits of the dead, and thus have the spirits of the righteous been separated.\u201d<\/p>\n . . . separating the spirits of men, strengthened the spirits of the righteous in the name of his own righteousness.<\/p>\n I have seen that all goodness, joy, and glory has been prepared for you, and been written down for the spirits of them who die eminently righteous and good.<\/p>\n And now to you, 0 ye holy ones of heaven, the souls of men complain, saying, \u201cObtain Justice for us with the Most High.\u201d Then they said to their Lord, the King, \u201cThou art Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings. The throne of thy glory is for ever and ever, and for ever and ever is thy name sanctified and glorified. Thou art blessed and glorified.\u201d<\/p>\n [compare Revelation 6:9-10, 13<\/em>: \u201cWhen he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne;\u00a0[10] they cried out with a loud voice, \u2018O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?\u2019 \u201d . . . [13] And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, \u201cTo him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!\u201d ]<\/span><\/p>\n And now behold the souls of those who are dead, cry out.<\/p>\n Then Raphael, one of the holy angels who were with me, answered and said, \u201cThese are the delightful places where the spirits, the souls of the dead, will be collected; for them were they formed; and here will be collected all the souls of the sons of men.\u201d<\/p>\n Thus has there existed a separation between the souls of those who utter complaints, and of those who watch for their destruction, to slaughter them in the day of sinners. A receptacle of this sort has been formed for the souls of unrighteous men, and of sinners.<\/p>\n Fear not, ye souls of the righteous ; but wait with patient hope for the day of your death in righteousness.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Enoch 1:9 is directly quoted<\/em> in Jude 1:14-15:<\/p>\n It was of these also that Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied, saying, \u201cBehold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, [15] to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Note that the information is referred to in inspired revelation as having been \u201cprophesied.\u201d Some think that 1 Peter 3:19\u201320<\/span>\u00a0and \u00a02 Peter 2:4\u20135<\/span>\u00a0also make reference to some Enochian material.\u00a0<\/span>In Hebrews 11:5,<\/span> Enoch is referred to directly, as receiving \u201ctestimony\u201d: which may allude to the book by his name.<\/p>\n [T]he \u201cspirit\u201d mentioned in all<\/span><\/span> these verses . . . only appears in relation to<\/span><\/span> <\/span>live people, never dead people. . . . When the word \u201cspirit\u201d is used in relation to human beings, it is always and invariably in relation to people still alive, since the spirit is not a personal being that carries consciousness and personality with it after the death of the individual.<\/span> (p. 433)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Nonsense. In Hebrews 12:22-23 (at the top) it\u2019s referring to the spirits of dead people, since it refers to \u201cthe spirits of just men made perfect<\/strong><\/em>.\u201d This perfection suggests that it is in reference to immaterial spirits or souls in heaven (which of course, the passage is set in), who have been made totally perfect, to which Paul refers elsewhere:<\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 13:9-12<\/strong> For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; [10] but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. [11] When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. [12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Jesus was also a spirit after He was killed on the cross, and went to preach to other spirits in Hades (He was dead and so were they). I dealt with this last time, too<\/a>. All of these biblical and linguistic arguments are devastating, if not fatal, to the heretical soul sleep position.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Practical Matters<\/em><\/strong>: Perhaps some of my 4,000+ free online articles (the most comprehensive \u201cone-stop\u201d Catholic apologetics site) or\u00a0fifty books<\/a>\u00a0have helped you (by God\u2019s grace) to decide to\u00a0become Catholic<\/a>\u00a0or to\u00a0return to the Church<\/a>,\u00a0or better understand some doctrines and\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0we believe them<\/a>.<\/p>\n Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general. If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. I\u2019m always in need of more funds: especially\u00a0monthly<\/em>\u00a0support. \u201cThe laborer is worthy of his wages\u201d (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a\u00a0full-time Catholic apologist<\/a>,\u00a0and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog.<\/p>\n PayPal donations<\/a>\u00a0are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. You\u2019ll see the term \u201cCatholic Used Book Service\u201d, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page:\u00a0About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong \/ Donation Information<\/a>.\u00a0Thanks a million<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0from the bottom of my heart!<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2022\/11\/SoulsHeaven-1.jpg\")
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