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Mortality versus Immortality has been a favorite topic of philosophers, religious and non-religious individuals and most other people since the earliest of records. The suppositions are innumerable it seems and a positive resolution of the subject appears to be impossible.

One thing that most agree upon is that, when the body and soul are separated, death is the result. For those who do not believe that humans have souls, then would be almost forced to say that it is a separation of the body and the mind, or intellect...the reasoning portion of man.

Some biblical quotations can add to the confusion if not carefully considered and meditated upon. Below, we will show some of he views of Christians in the early church.

190AD Clement of Alexandria: But we must as much as possible subject the soul to varied preparatory exercise, that it may become susceptible to the reception of knowledge. Do you not see how wax is softened and copper purified, in order to receive the stamp applied to it? Just as death is the separation of the soul from the body, so is knowledge as it were the rational death urging the spirit away, and separating it from the passions, and leading it on to the life of well-doing, that it may then say with confidence to God, "I live as Thou wishest."

200AD Tertullian: Such severance, however, is quite natural between the soul and the body; for when the body is deserted by the soul, it is overcome by death. The soul, therefore, is endued with a body; for if it were not corporeal, it could not desert the body. (chapter 5, A Treatise on the Soul)

200AD Tertullian Chapter XXVII.—Soul and Body Conceived, Formed and Perfected in Element Simultaneously. How, then, is a living being conceived? Is the substance of both body and soul formed together at one and the same time? Or does one of them precede the other in natural formation? We indeed maintain that both are conceived, and formed, and perfectly simultaneously, as well as born together; and that not a moment’s interval occurs in their conception, so that, a prior place can be assigned to either. Judge, in fact, of the incidents of man’s earliest existence by those which occur to him at the very last. As death is defined to be nothing else than the separation of body and soul, life, which is the opposite of death, is susceptible of no other definition than the conjunction of body and soul. If the severance happens at one and the same time to both substances by means of death, so the law of their combination ought to assure us that it occurs simultaneously to the two substances by means of life. Now we allow that life begins with conception, because we contend that the soul also begins from conception; life taking its commencement at the same moment and place that the soul does.

Athenagoras in 177 A.D. "Hereafter, that the Judgment Passed Upon Him May Be Just. For either death is the entire extinction of life, the soul being dissolved and corrupted along with the body, or the soul remains by itself, incapable of dissolution, of dispersion, of corruption, whilst the body is corrupted and dissolved, retaining no longer any remembrance of past actions, nor sense of what it experienced in connection with the soul. (Athenagoras, Chapter 20: Man Must Be Possessed Both of a Body and Soul)

The Bible usage of death simply means a separation. Note the following passages:

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV) This is a physical death, the separation of the body from the soul.

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2 KJV) Here the prophet refers to spiritual death, when man is separated from God.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8 KJV)

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie (Revelation 22:14-15 KJV) In these two passages we see that the second death is once again when, man’s soul is separated from God. But this time, there is no further reconciliation.

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:2, 11 KJV)

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26 KJV) These passages show that we can become dead to sin by our obedience to God and baptism into Jesus Christ. We are then dead to sin as long as we, “Walk in the light as He is in the light” We are “married to Christ”.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:4 KJV) Here we see that those Jews who were raised under the Law of Moses, were then made dead (separated from) to that law in Jesus Christ.

And one more example, showing that death means a separation.

The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39 KJV) When a man is married to a woman, they become one flesh. It is intended, by God, that this be a life long union. Only the death of one is supposed to separate them.