Thanks to the conversations I had here, I added an "Addendum" to my article and it will appear eventually in my book. Folks here are the first to see it:
ADDENDUM
A theory why most of the Christian Church lost this first century concept of salvation after death.
The Gentile Church became confused about eschatology when Aramaic Palestinian Jews vanished from it. The Roman Empire dispersed that culture, only a remnant of Jews remembered what it was. Many uniquely Jewish concepts became unknown.
We see the change when Christian scholar Clement of Alexandria (150-215), who retired to live with the Bishop of the Jerusalem at the end of his life, says:
So I think it is demonstrated that God (being good) and the Lord (being powerful) both save with a righteousness and equality that extends to all who turn to God, whether here or elsewhere. For it is not here alone that the active power of God is present. Rather, it is everywhere and is always at work.… For it is not right that those persons [who died before Christ] should be condemned without trial, and that those alone who lived after His coming should have the advantage of the divine righteousness. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, EE Eastern), 2.491. Dead, Intermediate State of The. (1998). In D. W. Bercot (Ed.), A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers (p. 192). Hendrickson Publishers.
The Gentile Church couldn’t reconcile “a second chance” with the idea Christ alone is the way to God. The scripture revelation there is a “life review” called a “judgment” that determined if Christ’s sacrifice could be applied to the deceased, was lost. The apostolic concept of hades as a place where repentance is possible for those who died unbelieving was replaced with “purgatory” which applied only to dues paying Catholics. That perversion of the truth is rightly by Christians.
Hades in the first century was seen by both Religious Schools of Shammai and Hillel (who taught the apostle Paul) as a place of purgation where souls could repent (hear the voice of God and obey it) and be raised up to the resurrection of life:
25 “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
26 “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
27 “and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29 “and come forth– those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (Jn. 5:25-29 NKJ)
They “hear” (=obey John 5:25) while “in the graves”, and these will be raised to life. Those who hear and do not obey, rise to the resurrection of condemnation.
It is written:
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness. (Mal. 3:3 NKJ)
Levi’s descendants are God’s first fruits (Num. 3:41), but as they go so do everyone else who obey the gospel preached ALSO to the dead that they may live according to God (1 Pet. 4:6):
For there is no partiality with God (Rom. 2:11 NKJ)
To write the names into the book of life of those who repented in Hades is why the “book of life” is opened on Judgment Day:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:11-15 NKJ)
COMPARE the teaching of the school of Hillel in Christ’s day:
[I.15 A] Said R. Kruspedai said R. Yohanan, “Three books are opened [by God] on the New Year: one for the thoroughly wicked, one for the thoroughly righteous, and one for middling [people].
“The thoroughly righteous immediately are inscribed and sealed for [continued] life.
[C] “The thoroughly wicked immediately are inscribed and sealed for death.
[D] “Middling [people] are left hanging from New Year until the Day of Atonement.
[E] “If they [are found to have] merit, they are inscribed for life.
[F] “If they [are found] not [to have] merit, they are inscribed for death.”
[G] Said R. Abin, “What is the Scriptural [foundation for this]? [Ps. 69:28 states]: ‘Let them be blotted out of the book of the living. Let them not be inscribed among the righteous.’ ‘Let them be blotted out of the book’-this refers to the book of the thoroughly wicked. ‘[… of the] living’-this refers to the book of the righteous. ‘Let them not be inscribed among the righteous’-this refers to the book of middling [people].”-Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 6b, p. 83). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers
Protestants disparage 1st century Jewish Tradition, which Paul the apostle was immersed in and some of which Christ called “treasure”:
Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matt. 13:52 NKJ)
Confirming this, if everything the School of Hillel taught is irrelevant why did Christ command His disciples to obey them:
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do (Matt. 23:1-3 NKJ)
Martin Luther’s antisemitism may have laid the seeds for Nazism.
WE shouldn’t follow his lead and be blind to the “treasure” in 1st century Judaism.
There is a reason why God used Paul to write most of the NT. As an expert in law he saw the treasure in 1st century Judaism, he was raised in it:
6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” (Acts 23:6 NKJ)
4 “So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
5 since they have known about me for a long time previously, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.
6 “And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; (Acts 26:4-6 NAS)
It is that Jewish context that sheds light on why Paul thanked God: “All [obedient] Israel” would be saved, even those who had died “enemies of the Gospel” will find mercy when Christ comes:
26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. (Rom. 11:26-32 NAS)
All who repent and believe, of course.
