Arise From The Dead!

Jason Brown wrote (see here):

"This same principle is taught by Paul in Ephesians 5:14, "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give thee light." The context of this text is an exhortation for those that serve God to "reprove the unfruitful works of darkness (vs. 11)", to "walk as children of light (vs. 8)", "Be not partakers with them (the unregenerate) (vs. 7)", "let no man deceive you with vain words (vs. 6)", and to "walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise (vs. 15)".

The gospel plainly calls the quickened from among the dead..."

Jason interprets the passage as though the text reads -  "Wherefore he says unto the living, Awake from your sleep, and arise from among the dead, and Christ will give thee light."   But, obviously, the words are not spoken to the living but to the dead.  Such a twisted interpretation is the result of believing that the Lord does not speak to the spiritually dead with the imperative words "arise" and "awake."  Such an interpretation makes the "sleep" to be what the living do, not what the dead do.  It affirms that some living are slumbering among the dead and the call is for them to come out from sleeping in such a place. 

Jason admits that the call is to those who are asleep among the dead.  But, he will not admit that those asleep among the dead are themselves dead.  Also, he will not admit that the call is to life and resurrection, but a call for the living to come out from sleeping among the dead.  Jason sees these living souls, who are asleep among the dead, as descriptive of those spiritually alive souls who are dwelling among the wicked and equates this call with such words as these:

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."  (II Cor. 6: 17)

Since the world is full of spiritually dead souls, then the call to "come out from among them" is a call to come out from among the dead, but not with the implication that the call is to the living. 

In the Scriptures, to be "among the dead" is to be dead.  Only dead people are "among the dead."  Notice these words of the resurrection angels.

"And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?"  (Luke 24: 5)

But, in his interpretation of Eph. 5: 14, Jason is "seeking (and finding) the living among the dead"! 

We can find all kinds of Scripture to support the idea that to be "among the dead" is to be dead.  Living souls are not "among the dead."  To be "among the living" is to be alive, and to be "among the dead" is to be dead. 

There is clearly a prejudice in the mind of Jason and the Hardshells to accept the fact that the Lord, in the Gospel, addresses dead sinners with the command - "awake and rise from the dead."  So, he gives a forced interpretation which shows his stubborn refusal to simply accept what the verse says. 

Was Jesus preaching to the spiritually dead in John 5: 40?  Did he not condemn them for not coming to him for "life"?  Was he not condemning them for not waking and rising from their spiritual death?

The phrase "from the dead" or "out from the dead," never, in any scripture passage, implies that the ones being called forth are NOT themselves dead.

I challenge any Hardshell to show us one passage of scripture, besides the one in question, where the phrase is used to call forth living people from the society and place of the dead.

I wrote on this in my book on "The Hardshell Baptist Cult."  (see here)

Jason thinks that the context shows that Paul is addressing Christians, those already alive, and calling them to "come out from among the dead."  But, clearly the Ephesians were already "out from among the dead" and "among the living."  Paul said to them in verse eight:

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light..." 

Obviously they were no longer in the darkness of death, already had the light shine upon them.  So, the command in verse 15 is not for them to become light, or to be among the living.  Jason's interpretation forces him to affirm that the Ephesian Christians were still "among the dead," and still not shined upon by the Lord.