Among conditionalists, soul sleep is the position that upon death the human soul enters a state of unconsciousness

• “soul sleep,” the view that death is a state of total unconsciousness, rather than survival in heaven, hell, or purgatory.”¹Rethinking Hell: Readings in Evangelical Conditionalism, Kindle Locations 503-504). Cascade Books, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers. Kindle Edition.
• “soul sleep (Gr. psychopannychia) The view that there is a period between one’s death and the final resurrection in which one’s self (soul) is in an unconscious state.”²McKim, Donald K.. The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, Second Edition: Revised and Expanded (Kindle Locations 13332-13333). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.

The problem with these definitions is that saying that the soul is merely unconscious doesn’t mean anything. We know that the physical body can be unconscious, but how does that apply to the nonphysical soul? we know that unconsciousness is the physical phenomena. When I go to sleep, I become unconscious because my physical body needs rest. This is something God has designed for us. But, how does such a phenomenon of “unconsciousness” occur to our human souls that are not physical? Is it even an applicable analogy?

Some conditionalists will respond by saying that the Scriptures relate death to sleep (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:39; John 11:10) and since sleep is unconsciousness, then death is also unconsciousness. While the conditionalist certainly has a point to some degree, a one-to-one comparison is not warranted. We know this because there are verses in the New Testament that demonstrate people are alive and conscious while physically dead.

1. Matthew 17:2–3, “And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.”
2. Luke 16:22–24, “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’”
3. 2 Corinthians 12:2–4, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”

So, this idea of unconsciousness after physical death doesn’t fit Scripture.

Problems with soul sleep: defining what it is

Following is a list of questions I posted these on the Internet for conditionalists to answer on the Facebook page “Is Annihilationism True?”³I have suspended that Facebook page because the conditionalists were rude, illogical, and couldn’t focus on a topic so as to analyze it. It had become a waste of time to argue with those who could not and would not present logical and biblical arguments. After seven days, I had not received even one clear answer to my questions. Apparently, they don’t know what they actually believe. Now, if you are a conditionalist you will notice that some of my questions may or may not make sense particularly when I relate soul sleep and nonexistence. I know they are different, but I have discovered that by asking questions in different ways and in different forms, I often find out things I could not have discovered otherwise. Nevertheless, here are the questions.

1. What exactly is the soul?
2. Is the soul the same as the spirit?
3. If the soul and the spirit are not the same, can you explain how they are different?
4. What exactly is soul sleep? (Please be as detailed as possible.)
5. Is soul sleep nonexistence?
6. Is soul sleep any different for the saved or the nonsaved?
7. In the case of the non saved, if soul sleep is nonexistence, is the soul recreated by God in order to be judged by Him later so that the person then again becomes nonexistent again?
8. If soul sleep is continuous, unconscious existence, is there any activity at all within the soul during this “unconscious” state such as thought, awareness, movement, etc.? Anything at all?
9. If you believe there is an activity in the soul during soul sleep, which is continuous, unconscious existence, but it is not thought, awareness, or movement, then please list out what activity that is?
10. If you don’t know what activity it is, then how can you hold to soul sleep as unconscious life?
11. If there is no activity at all within the soul during soul sleep, then how can the soul be considered alive?
12. If there is no activity at all within the soul during soul sleep, then how is that any different than nonexistence since both are nonactivity?

You may or may not find these questions important. I do. When people make statements about something, and they can’t define what terms mean, that’s problematic. Furthermore, without proper definitions, it is difficult to ascertain whether or not statements made using those terms are accurate. This relates to soul sleep. If conditionalists cannot define what soul sleep is, then why do they affirm it? Yes, I know that they say it is continued existence with unconsciousness. But, what does that mean in light of the Scriptures mentioned above as well as the activity of the disembodied soul?

The latter issue is why I asked in the questions above, (8-12) about the activity or inactivity of the soul in this supposed unconscious state. I’ve yet to find any adherent to soul sleep who can answer these questions. That is a concern.

Problems with soul sleep:  Scripture

A further problem with soul sleep is the Scriptures themselves which speak of people being alive after their physical death. I mentioned three above; here they are listed among some more.

• The witch of Endor encountered Samuel in a séance, (1 Sam. 28:11-19)
• Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus and spoke with him at his Transfiguration, (Matt.17:1-4)
• Lazarus and the rich man both die in both are conscious and aware after physical death, (Luke 16:19-31)
• On the cross, Jesus told the thief that he would be with Jesus in paradise on that day, (Luke 23:42–43)
• Paul, most probably, was caught up into the third heaven and was not permitted to speak of what he saw when he was out of the body, (2 Cor. 12:2)
• The saints in heaven cry out for the avenging of their blood, (Revelation 6:10)

Jesus and soul sleep

Luke 23:46, “And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.”

Upon Jesus’ physical death did his human spirit go into a state of soul sleep where the human part of him was unconscious? In order to be consistent, the conditionalist who holds the soul sleep would have to say yes. But, is this possible with Jesus?

Jesus is a single person with two distinct natures: divine and human. Related to this is a doctrine called the communicatio idiomatum. This means that the attributes of both natures are ascribed to that single person. In other words, Jesus, the person, claimed the attributes of both humanity and divinity. He spoke of being distressed (Luke 12:50), that he was with the disciples (John 7:33), and that he was thirsty (John 19:28). These are human characteristics. But he also spoke that he had glory with God the Father before the foundation of the world (John 17:5) and that he had descended from heaven (John 3:13). These are divine characteristics. So, we see that the single person of Christ exhibited attributes of both humanity and divinity. If, in conditionalist thought, the human aspect of Jesus was unconscious after his death before his resurrection, then when Jesus was alive in the intermediate state, was he acting as a whole person or not with the attributes of both natures, or not. The conditionalists would have to say no.  This would mean that Jesus was not participating in both sets of attributes in his personhood during his intermediate state. But this risks violating the doctrines of the hypostatic union and the communicatio idiomatum.

That is not good.

Conclusion

The teaching of soul sleep has problems. First of all, there is no consensus or definitive explanation of what soul sleep is among those who hold to it. Adherents offer only an ambiguous explanation to say that the human soul is unconscious between death and resurrection. Second, there are numerous Scriptures which clearly speak against soul sleep when they reveal that people are conscious between death and resurrection (1 Sam. 28:11-19; Matt. 17:1-4; Luke 16:19-31; Luke 23:42-43; 2 Cor. 12:2; Rev. 6:10). Third, soul sleep is a dangerous teaching when we look at the two natures of Christ and it risks violating the hypostatic union and the communicatio idiomatum. Therefore, soul sleep ought to be abandoned as a false teaching.

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