Expert: Bruce Gourley - 6/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: Sir,

What is the Baptist conception of Heaven?  As I understand Baptist doctrine, if YOU are a Baptist who has accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, you personally must be anticipating that you WILL be going to Heaven when you die.  What will you be doing in Heaven once you arrive there?  Please give a specific response.  For example, answering me by stating that you will be "living in the presence of God" would not help me.  I desire to know the detail of what Baptists believe (what the doctrine is) they will be "spending their time" doing in Heaven.  (not sure you can apply "time" to Heaven.)

My sincere thanks for your detailed answer.

ANSWER: Jesse,

There is no official Baptist doctrine of heaven, other than a general consensus that there is a heaven, in some form or another. If you were to walk into any given Baptist church, and ask your question, you would probably get dozens of different answers to your questions (in terms of specifics). The reason Baptists don't have an official position on this matter is that Baptist churches are autonomous, meaning that beliefs and church matters are decided at the local church level. There are over a hundred thousand local Baptist churches worldwide, loosely grouped in some 250 different identifiable groups. Collectively, Baptists are extremely diverse.

Bruce Gourley
BaptistLife.Com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Mr. Gourley,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my questions.  If there is no official Baptist doctrine, would you please give me your own personal convictions on the answer to my previous question?  What will it be like in Heaven, or, what will we be doing in Heaven?

Thanks again.

Jess

Answer
Jess,

My own "personal convictions," as one Baptist, on heaven are as follows.

The New Testament concept of "eternal" life, when going back to the original biblical languages, is one of fulfilled existence in this life, not the afterworld (in the English language, it became transformed into an eternal otherworld existence). So, the biblical emphasis, in its originality, was more focused on living godly lives in this world rather than positioning oneself for an otherworldly existence. This is not surprising; Jesus spent much more time teaching and showing us how to live as his followers on earth, than he did discussion the afterlife; the "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" illustrations that he used have to do with this world, not the afterlife - we are instructed to help bring about the kingdom of God (heaven) in this world.

As to heaven in the afterlife, I believe the New Testament biblical imagery is just that ... imagery. Golden streets and pearly gates are not literal, but rather are symbols. As to what we will do in heaven, the Bible is unclear, and where the Bible is unclear, I have no interest in pretending to be able to fill in the blanks with any authoritative answer.

If I faithful to being focused on the Kingdom of God (heaven) here on earth, I believe I can trust God with the details of what the "heaven" afterlife will be like.

These are the opinions of one particular Baptist.

Bruce Gourley
BruceGourley.Com
BaptistLife.Com