The theme of NAC India’s 2019 calendar is “Prayer”. The monthly calendar texts are based on a doctrinal article by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider which was published in the community member magazine 04/2018 (starts on page 20). This prayer series explores and elaborates on each month’s topic.
Different Concepts of Afterlife
Our understanding of the departed comprises part of the richness of the New Apostolic faith. Recently I was very surprised to learn that more and more Christians claim to believe in Christ, but not in an afterlife. Still others believe that the act of receiving the sacraments is contingent on being in the body. According to this opinion, a soul that has been separated from its body has no other option but to wait for the resurrection of the dead. Thus it will only be at the Last Judgement that the resurrected dead will finally be able to enter into the kingdom of God, provided they are accepted by Him.
Soul and Spirit do not die
New Apostolic Christians, on the other hand believe that human beings live on even after physical death: soul and spirit do not die, and thus their personhood remains intact. Even in the beyond, human beings can choose for or against God. It is precisely this freedom of decision that gives them access to the sacraments – even if they no longer have a body.
Intercessions for the Departed
God alone knows which souls have the necessary faith to receive these acts of His grace. These souls are then baptized or sealed during a divine service for the departed. We cannot redeem them through our prayers—only Jesus can do this—but we can testify to them of our love. Our prayers are intercessions to God on their behalf—and it is He who invites them.
Careful with Signs and Visions
When it comes to the departed, let us be careful and matter-of-fact. Brothers and sisters sometimes relate dreams or visions pertaining to the beyond. Such events fall squarely into the domain of the personal experiences of the individual concerned, and cannot be generalized. Therefore they should by no means be elevated to the level of an inviolable truth! Here is an example to illustrate this. Recently, two people from different districts told me that they had “seen” the same departed person, someone well-known. The first person told me that this soul had attested to its joy at being redeemed. A few weeks later, the second person said that this soul had come and asked for urgent help … So whom are we supposed to believe in this instance?
Our Task: Soul Care
I can well understand that one or the other might like to find peace in learning the fate of departed souls to whom they were particularly close, however, I am not of the opinion that signs are the best source of comfort. True comfort comes from belief in the love of God and the trust that results from it. Our task is to share in the sufferings of those who have suffered loss, to pray with them, and to strengthen their faith and trust in God.