Is there free will in the afterlife?

@suzianne said
Surely you mean "the Kingdom of God".

I am fine with you calling it what you want.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Not disputing that, but can you link to the passage concerned.

Not to the point I think you are after but here is the idea:

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. (Matthew 22:30 KJV)

So all that is required is for proof that angels are neither male nor female. The bible does not specify. However in the bible angels were always neutral, neither male nor female. Unless you can provide alternative explanation.

@rajk999 said
Not to the point I think you are after but here is the idea:

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. (Matthew 22:30 KJV)

So all that is required is for proof that angels are neither male nor female. The bible does not specify. However in the bible angels were always neutral, neither male nor female. Unless you can provide alternative explanation.

Aren't masculine pronouns used to describe angels?

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Aren't masculine pronouns used to describe angels?

Yes. So there are no female angels and no females at all after Resurrection... I guess

@rajk999 said
Yes. So there are no female angels and no females at all after Resurrection... I guess

Alternatively, there is another reading of Matthew 22:30 KJV:

'For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.'

As the angels in heaven = Unmarried

(There is no reason to believe that 'as the angels in heaven' meant without gender).

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Alternatively, there is another reading of Matthew 22:30 KJV:

'For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.'

As the angels in heaven = Unmarried

(There is no reason to believe that 'as the angels in heaven' meant without gender).

Unmarried men and women ?

@rajk999 said
Unmarried men and women ?

After the resurrection humans will be like the angels, unmarried.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
After the resurrection humans will be like the angels, unmarried.

Yes but we have some more information. Jesus said spirit which he clarified at not flesh and bones. So we have
- unmarried
- spirit
- not flesh and bones

Therefore it may not be wrong to speculate further that
- they do not need to eat
- there a no desire or even the ability to procreate
- genders are meaningless

@rajk999 said
Yes but we have some more information. Jesus said spirit which he clarified at not flesh and bones. So we have
- unmarried
- spirit
- not flesh and bones

Therefore it may not be wrong to speculate further that
- they do not need to eat
- there a no desire or even the ability to procreate
- genders are meaningless

But doesn't Revelation (chapters 21-22) read as God making a new improved Eden? (Where Adam of course needed Eve to complete him).

@suzianne said
There must be because at the end of the millenium, Satan will again be loosed to convince who he can to follow him. If there is any choice, free will must be involved.

Satan is already on the loose.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
But doesn't Revelation (chapters 21-22) read as God making a new improved Eden? (Where Adam of course needed Eve to complete him).

I think you are adding too much in there. Rev 21, 22, has nothing about Adam, Eve, neither Eden. Its about he New Jersualem after Earth is done away with, where the righteous will abide. These are all spirit beings with no flesh and blood.

@the-gravedigger said
Satan is already on the loose.

Yes, but we are told he will be bound for a thousand years, when Jesus returns, then loosed again for a short time.

@rajk999 said
I think you are adding too much in there. Rev 21, 22, has nothing about Adam, Eve, neither Eden. Its about he New Jersualem after Earth is done away with, where the righteous will abide. These are all spirit beings with no flesh and blood.

Then what of the promise of being given new bodies?

@suzianne said
Then what of the promise of being given new bodies?

Spiritual, like the angels, not physical with flesh and bones.

@rajk999 said
Spiritual, like the angels, not physical with flesh and bones.

Yes, physical, but yes, spiritual, like the resurrected body of Jesus.