Does Paul, the author of 13 books of the Bible, the missionary whose travels and words are recorded in the Book of Acts, contradict himself - and in a major way? If you think that upon death the saved will be swept happily into heaven then you must answer "Yes" to this question. Then you must say, "Certainly, Paul contradicts himself in scripture."
Paul says in II Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
In Philippines 1:23 Paul says For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:Does this mean Paul expected to go to heaven immediately upon death? Notice, it does not say that, but it does indicate that Paul expected his next conscious moment, after death, would be with Christ. If these two verses prove that Paul expected to consciously be in heaven after he died then he contradicted himself when he wrote the following:
In I Corinthians 15:1-26 Paul says the dead have fallen asleep (v.18) and that when Christ returns they will be made alive (v.22). In verse 26 he says the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Paul called death an enemy.
In Philippians 2:25-27 Paul says that Epaphroditus was near death and God had mercy on him and cured him. Evidently, as in I Corinthians, Paul considered death an adversary and an enemy and not something to be desired.Paul says he wants to depart and be with Christ (Phil1:23) but will rejoice in the Day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:16) and looks forward to the resurrection (Phil. 3:10-11).
If Paul says in one place that he looks forward to death and going to heaven and in another he calls death an enemy he is being inconsistent.
If Paul says in one place that after death he will be with Christ and in another the dead will be not be made alive until Christ returns he is being inconsistent.
If Paul says he looks forward to death and heaven but will not rejoice until Christ returns and the resurrection he is being inconsistent.In I Thessalonians 2:19 Paul says his hope and joy is to be in the presence of the Lord at His coming. He did not expect to be in the presence of the Lord when he died but only after Christ returns and God raises the dead. This is expanded upon in chapter 4:15-18 where Paul continues,
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.He asks his readers to be comforted by the fact of the resurrection when Christ returns - not in going to heaven when they die. This is a critical point as Paul wrote these verses specifically to comfort his readers who were worried about dying and what happened to the dead. They thought the dead had missed out on Christ's return. He could have easily said the dead were in heaven with Christ if that was the abode of the dead. But it was not and is not. They were dead, asleep, unconscious. They would be brought back to life at the resurrection when Christ returns. This is completely in agreement with Old Testament verses such as Psalm 6:4-5:
Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
In other Psalms death is referred to as a sleep, a sorrow, a terror, a snare, a shadow, darkness, being in dust, as something to be avoided, and other dismal prospects. Yet Paul says he would "rather depart and be with Christ." Does he mean death or the resurrection from the dead?If Paul says in one place that he looks forward to death and going to heaven and in another he says to be comforted by the resurrection when the dead, those asleep, would rise he is being inconsistent.
In Romans 6:5 Paul says, "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."
Paul expected to receive a new body at the return of Christ, not in heaven. See I Cor. 15:42-44 where Paul mentions only two kinds of bodies; a natural body that we now possess and a spiritual body that we will receive at the resurrection. No mention is made of any kind or type of body that the dead may have in heaven. We know it is not a natural or a spiritual body. So when Paul wrote he would "rather depart" what kind of a body did he expect? Paul does not say. All scripture does not say. Only those who conjecture the dead alive in heaven speculate.Paul twice said he "groaned" for this new spiritual body; in Romans 8:23 and II Cor. 5:2,4. Compare this with his statements that he desired to be "absent from the body" or "to be with Christ." One could ask Paul to make up his mind. Did he want to die and go to heaven or did he want to be raised from the dead when Christ returns. If you answer, "He expected both," then you have a few more problems with which to contend.
In Ephesians 4:4 Paul tells us we are called to one hope. One! Not two or three! Evidently Paul does not follow his own advise. He hopes for the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead and he also hopes to go to heaven when he dies. You see the problem here. To what one hope, as a Christian, are you called? Actually Paul leaves little doubt for in Titus 2:3 he tells us, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ."
Do you maintain that Paul still had heaven in mind in II Cor. 5:8 and Phil. 1:23? If so, he didn't expect to receive any reward there (Mat. 16:27). He didn't expect to be judged there (2 Tim. 4:1). He didn't expect to be presented to Christ there (I Thes. 2:19). He didn't expect to receive his crown there (2 Tim 4:8). He didn't expect to spend eternity with Christ there (I Thes. 4:17).
So what did Paul expect? He expected the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns! That is what he wrote about
(Rom. 1:4, Rom. 6:5, I Cor. 15, I Thes. 4:16, Phil. 3:10, 2 Tim. 2:18), that is what he taught (Acts 17:18, Acts 17:32, Acts 23:6, Acts 24:15, Acts 24:21).And where in Scripture does Paul write or teach about the dead 'going to heaven'? NOWHERE!
Today there are millions of Christians looking forward to life after death in heaven and forgetting completely about the blessed hope of Christ's return. Priests, pastors and Bible teachers are propagating this heretical belief in their sermons, songs, and writings and so remove or diminish the hope in Christ's return and place it on a false hope. Indeed, if after-death existence in heaven is so wonderful, why hope for the resurrection?
So, do you believe Paul contradicted himself? That he held two hopes not one, looked forward to death which he called an enemy, expected to be with Christ in heaven when he died but wrote the opposite to those fearing death, groaned for his new spiritual body but wanted to be in heaven with Christ without it, looked forward to receiving his crown (rewards) when Christ returned but desired to be with Christ in heaven before receiving his reward or being judged, went on his journeys and mentioned only the resurrection but ignored his desire to die and be with Christ in heaven?
Either believe that, or change your mind.
Luke 18:8 "...when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"
Check here for additional understanding of II Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1.