I was confronted with a question by a lady who was at a cottage meeting where I had to preach. I was baffled when she asked me to explain the death and resurrection that we teach and preach in the Christian faith. We believe that our souls will either go to heaven or hell after death and at the same time we believe that every soul will rise up on the day of judgement. This lady asked me to explain how could we go to heaven or hell before facing the judgement (and if we do not go to heaven or hell immediately after death, then what happens to our souls until the day of judgement?). This is very confusing for me to understand let alone to explain. I hope I made my point clear enough for you to understand. Is there anyone here to explain this to me according to the scriptures. Thanks. Desmond
I believe the straight-to-hell & heaven idea is more of an evangelical concept, than purely Anglican one. From what I understand many Anglican fathers taught the concept of a limbus patrum, a middle place between heaven and hell, where the souls wait final judgment. Purgatory is not the same concept because it is essentially already heaven, just delayed, and also that souls don't wait but undergo extra sanctification there. In the patristic limbus patrum, it is literally just a place of waiting till the final judgment.
Actually the (Church in Waiting) is souls being purified, cause nothing impure can enter Heaven. Purgatory is more a place of temporal punishment and fire, not what the early Church Fathers taught, but we can Indeed and should pray for the dead, it helpeth them much.
Thanks for shedding some light on this point, however, it appears to me that there is not enough evidence to support these according to the bible. In the Anglican church, we do not really say much about the middle position (limbus patrum) much for the fact that some may confuse it with purgatory, however, I have seen the following two places in the Bible. 1) Jesus tells about the rich man who went to hell and wanted go to his brothers to tell them to be good. 2) Then there is this instance when pharisees question Jesus about the marriage at the time of resurrection. First one gives the notion that there is hell and heaven immediately after death, and the second one says that we rise on the day of judgement. I have not heard the Anglican church say much about this, however, I believe this question is vital as this continue to confuse me further. As Sperelink said this lady who asked me this question must have been visiting some Evangelical friends.... Desmond
I would suggest if you can to get the Surprised by Hope, by N.T. Wright. He talks about some of these issues and puts it into perspective from an early church view. Not to mention he explains it really well.