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The Catechism in Questions & Answers
- Introduction
- Contents
- 531. Is there a life after death?
- 532. What is death?
- 533. How else does the Bible understand “death”?
- 534. Who has power over death?
- 535. What is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
- 536. Are there any references to life after death in Holy Scripture?
- 537. Where do human beings find themselves after physical death?
- 538. What do we mean when we talk about “the beyond”?
- 539. Is there a reincarnation of the dead?
- 540. Can we connect with the departed?
- 541. What is the condition of the souls in the beyond?
- 542. Who are the “dead in Christ”?
- 543. Can the condition of the souls in the beyond be changed?
- 544. How is it possible for souls in the beyond to change?
- 545. What statements does Holy Scripture make concerning help for the dead?
- 546. Can we help the departed attain salvation?
- 547. In what way do the departed receive salvation?
- 548. How and through whom is salvation imparted to the dead?
531. Is there a life after death?
Yes. Man is both a physical being and a spiritual being. He is an entity consisting of body, soul, and spirit.
The human body is mortal and is thus transitory. It is taken from the earth and will return to the earth (cf. Genesis 3: 19). Soul and spirit, by contrast, live on after physical death, and are thus immortal. The personhood of a human being—that is, his essence, that which comprises him, and that which he has experienced, felt, believed, and thought—thus continues to exist after physical death.
“For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.”
Wisdom of Solomon 2: 23