To be, or not to be. That is the question.

[brakelite]

We have two choices. Either immortality comes to us as a gift from God, or God made us immortal from the beginning. I put it to you that immortality is a gift, a gift that comes to us on the day of the resurrection, at the second coming of Jesus. I could cite many scriptures to support this, but only one should suffice.
1 Cor. 15:51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Allow me to paraphrase the above texts, and reduce them to just the bolded portions.
We shall all be changed at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Permit me to quote from a sermon by Amos Phelps:
This doctrine (the immortality of the soul) can be traced through the muddy channels of a corrupted Christianity, a perverted Judaism, a pagan philosophy, a superstitious idolatry to the great instigator of mischief in the garden of Eden. The Protestants borrowed it from the Catholics, the Catholics from the Pharisees, the Pharisees from the pagans, and the pagans from the old serpent who first preached the doctrine amid the lowly bowels in paradise to an audience all too willing to hear and heed the new and fascinating theology…“Ye shall not surely die”. (Genesis 3:4)

It is a strange infatuation that the vast majority of Christianity today teaches a doctrine, the immortality of the soul, based on no greater authority than that of the great deceiver.

[Guest]

The Rapture of the Church and the Second coming of Christ are two separate events.

[Ezra]

On 2016-08-11 at 8:06 PM, brakelite said:

It is a strange infatuation that the vast majority of Christianity today teaches a doctrine, the immortality of the soul, based on no greater authority than that of the great deceiver.

The terms "mortality" and "immortality" apply to the body, not the soul and spirit. Souls and spirits exist eternally, but those who have been saved by grace will one day receive immortal -- imperishable and glorious-- bodies.

Those who have not been saved will be resurrected, but that will not mean immortality.  It will mean eternal punishment and torment in the Lake of Fire.

[Guest]

The Bible tells us that all will receive resurrected bodies; some will go to Heaven, some will go to the Lake of Fire for Eternal Torment and separation from GOD.

[missmuffet]

On 8/12/2016 at 7:02 AM, Rick_Parker said:

The Rapture of the Church and the Second coming of Christ are two separate events.

Yes

[brakelite]

On 16/08/2016 at 5:28 AM, Yowm said:

Let's say for argument's sake that immortality of the soul is a gift. That would not preclude the gift of conscious existence under God's wrath for the unbeliever for eternity.

BTW, one of my first poems back long ago in my BC days went..

"To be or not to be is the ego,                                                                  

To ego or not to ego, now that is the question!"

But conscious existence for all eternity is still, however one may word it, immortality. And it is a gift, but always, in every case, without exception, for the redeemed.  Nor is there any way, without some grammatical gymnastics, any way to interpret or equate the word 'death' with life in torment.

I am the resurrection and the Life.”  In Christ is LIFE, original, unborrowed, underived. Only God is truly and in every sense immortal. We can lay claim to immortality, but only in so much as it is a gift. In Christ, it is an integral part of His nature. “He that hath the Son hath LIFE.”  The divinity, and the eternalness or immortality of Christ is the believers assurance of eternity, and his hope of a resurrection. To be separated from Christ as clearly sinners are in death, separated from the only source of life. How then can they be conscious?

[brakelite]

49 minutes ago, Yowm said:

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mat 25:41)

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." 
(Mat 25:46)
 

How can there be eternal punishment without eternal consciousness?

If you hold true to what the Bible actually teaches is the eternal punishment, which is death, (Romans 6:23) then eternal consciousness doesn't become an issue.

[brakelite]

2 minutes ago, Yowm said:

But MT 25:46 says eternal punishment (not just death), so again...

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." 
(Mat 25:46)
 

How can there be eternal punishment without eternal consciousness?

Punishment (Thayers)3018  κόλασις 
κόλασις, κολάσεως, ἡ (κολάζω), correction, punishment, penalty: Matt. 25:46; κόλασιν ἔχει,brings with it or has connected with it the thought of punishment, 1 John 4:18. (Ezek. 14:3f, etc.; 2 Macc. 4:38; 4 Macc. 8:8; Sap. 11:14; 16:24, etc.; Plato, Aristotle, Diodorus 1, 77 (9); 4, 44 (3); Aelian v. h. 7, 15; others.)*

This is much different than death.

Why? Jesus did say that the greater the wickedness that person would incur more 'stripes', but the end of that is death. The second death comes with no promise of resurrection.

There is one resurrection for the wicked and two for the righteous. Two deaths for the wicked, and one for the righteous. In no sense is there any indication that there is any consciousness by those who are 'dead'. Either in heaven today, or in the grave tomorrow. Or at any time after that. Why do you think that it is abomination to talk to the dead? Because its impossible. They're dead! It is demons that channels speak to. Not dead people.

[brakelite]

Like I said previously, anyone saying that death is not really death, but a form of consciousness is really nothing more than an acceptance of Satan's very first lie to Eve..."you shall not surely die". You are still arguing from a point of view which is based on tradition...even Greek pagan tradition.  No man can undergo any form of ongoing punishing for eternity, for that would of necessity mean he/she is immortal...and again, the Bible is clear, adamant, and specific...only God is immortal.

[Flsnookman]

2 Timothy 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

1 Corinthians 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

John 6:50  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

John 8:51  Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.