JOSEPH W. TKACH
PASTOR GENERAL

January 1989

Dear Friend:

Thank you for your recent inquiry concerning Christians' praying for the dead. The Bible is very clear on this point.

Prayers on behalf of the dead have no meaning. God's Word shows that those who have died no longer have any physical or mental activity (Ps. 146:4; Eccl. 9:5, 10). Each person who dies sleeps in his grave in unconsciousness until the resurrection (John 5:28-29; Dan. 12:2; Job 19:25-26; 14:12-14). Clearly, prayers should be for the LIVING, not the dead.

Prayers for the dead are based on the false teaching that man possesses an immortal soul. Some believe that at death a wicked person's "immortal" soul is tormented in hell. Friends and relatives then pray that the departed "soul" be spared some of its suffering. But the Bible says that the soul itself can die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20; also, compare the last parts of verses 7 and 17 of Genesis 2). There are absolutely no biblical grounds for the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. (You may wish to write for our booklet titled WHAT IS MAN?)

God promises to resurrect those who have died and offer them salvation. You may be surprised to learn that most of humanity has not yet had any opportunity to be saved. This is clearly explained in our booklet IS GOD TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD NOW? We would be happy to send any of our literature to you free upon your request.

Thank you for your inquiry. It is our pleasure to help you with your study of the Bible.

PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT