The Celestial Kingdom

Irenaeus quotes Papias in Against Heresies talking about 3 distinct habitions in the next life and the gradation of arrangement of those who are saved:

"As the presbyters say, then, those who are deemed worthy of an abode in heaven shall go there, others shall enjoy the delights of Paradise, and others shall possess the splendour of the city; (The new Jerusalem on earth) for everywhere the Saviour will be seen, according as they shall be worthy who see Him. But that there is this distinction between the habitation of those who produce an hundred-fold, and that of those who produce sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold; for the first will be taken up into the heavens, the second class will dwell in Paradise, and the last will inhabit the city; and that on this account the Lord said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions:” for all things belong to God, who supplies all with a suitable dwelling-place, even as His word says, that a share is given to all by the Father, according as each one is or shall be worthy. And this is the couch in which they shall recline who feast, being invited to the wedding. The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, say that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature; and that, moreover, they ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father; and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to the Father."

Paul talks about being rewarded for works but saved by grace and even those who would not be reward and who "suffered loss" would still be saved.

1 Cor 2: 11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Both the just and the unjust will be resurrected

Acts 24: 15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. There will be a differentiation of the glory of those who are ressurected.

Not everyone will be resurrected to the same glory or reward.

1 Cor 15:40-42 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.

Paul sees the third heaven.

2 Cor. 12: 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven.

While justification and salvation by hell by the grace of Christ is automatic, Paul says he only had a hope of eternal life.

Titus 3: 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Christ, Paul and John talk about denying Christ with our works even if we profess Him with our lips.

Titus 1: 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Rev. 3: 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Matt. 15: 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Christ taught that saying Lord Lord is not enough for the reward of eternal life.

Matt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Jesus Christ, Paul, and John differentiated between the wise and the unwise virgin. Christ differentiated between the profitable and unprofitable servant and the sheep and the goats and the hot and the lukewarm, the children of the bondwoman vs. children of the flesh. If our works don't matter for eternal life, what was wrong with the the unprofitable servant?

Matt. 25: 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Matt. 25: 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matt. 25: 32-33 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Gal 4: 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Rev. 3: 15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Paul says, that although works are expected, we should think that we save ourselves, because salvation and eternal life is a gift and reward of God. But that doesnt mean God doesn't expect it. He is just reminding us that our works are only possible through the grace and power of Christ within us. The key here is not not think we can do it alone without Christ. This is not saying that works are not important.

Eph 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Eternal life involves knowing the Father and having fellowship with the Father and not only Jesus Christ.

1 Jn 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

The righteous will inherit the Earth and the righteous and the Earth will be changed. The righteous wil be changed from flesh and blood to purified, glorified flesh and bone as Christ was changed after His resurrection. But we all will not be changed to the same glory in the resurrection.

Ps. 37: 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Matt. 5: 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
1 Cor 15: 50-53 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Cor 15:40-42 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

During the Millennium the Earth will be in a Paradisiacal state. But the Earth will change again when we are prepared to enjoy the presence and fellowship of the Father. The scene that John sees in vision is not in heaven but the Earth in its full Celestial glory.

Rev. 15: 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Rev. 4: 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal:

The Earth and those on it will be blessed to progress through each change and stage of glory to the final Celestial glory when Christ yields up the Earth and the exalted being on it to the Father. However, some will cease to progress with the Earth. This is the definition of damnation. Just like a damn on a river stops its flow. Again, Irenaeus quotes Papias in the "sayings of the Apostles" saying that there are different habitations and a gradation of arrangement of those who are saved and that the righteous will pass through each stage untill they arrive at the Celestial state. Some will not advance to the highest state."that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature; and that, moreover, they ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father; and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to the Father."

Lukewarmers: Resurrected, Saved from Hell, No Eternal Life.

Many Christians have a dichotomous idea of the afterlife. They understand the Bible to teach about heaven and hell. You either go to one place or of the other. However, if you read the Bible in detail, you see that God differentiates the ideas of heaven and hell a little more than that. Jesus Christ and his apostles made distinctions between believers. Now it doesn't matter how long you were working hard and being profitable in the field, those that worked diligently one hour received the same reward as those who worked through the heat of the day.

Matt 20:12-14 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

However, Jesus Christ talked about the sheep vs. the goats, the profitable servants verses unprofitable. But Christ also made a distinction between the wise and the unwise virgins who were all waiting for the marriage but only the wise had extra oil for their lamps. Paul talked about those who would be considered the children of the bondwoman referring to Abraham's son Ishmael by Hagar, vs. his other son Isaac who came by Sarah. Pauls says true Christians will be considered the children of the promise. John in the Book of Revelations doesn't just talk about the wicked and the righteous but those who are hot, lukewarm and cold. So what will happen to the goats, the unprofitable servants, the unwise virgins, children of the bondwoman, and lukewarmers?

Yes, the lukewarmers will be saved. Christ will save them from hell and the unjust will be resurrected.They will go to spirit prison and experience eternal punishment or God's punishment, but eventually the prisoners will go free. This isn't a doctrine of Universalism, but is a doctrine of a loving and merciful Father in Heaven.

Isa. 24: 22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
John 5: 25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
1 Peter 3:18-19; 4:6 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;. . . .For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

The unjust will be resurrected.

Acts 24: 15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Paul says that if you confess Christ even right after the resurrection then you and your saved. This means that you can still confess after your resurrected. You will be saved from hell, but that doesn't include the reward of eternal life.

Rom. 10: 9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Paul says that everyone will confess and accept that Jesus is the Christ. Confession of Christ is all that is needed for salvation from hell. According to Paul it is possible that you can be saved after death but before the final judgement at the end of the Millennium if you confess the Lord Jesus after the ressurrection. That person who procrastinates will be saved but they will not be exalted or receive eternal life. That is a gift of God.


Rom. 14: 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

The only sin that can not be forgiven in this life or the next is the sin against the Holy Ghost. Even blasphemy against God will be forgiven, but not against the Holy Ghost. And this suggests that some degree of forgiveness of sin is possible in the spirit world before the final judgement at the end of the Millennium.

Matt 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Paul teaches that everyone builds a foundation of works upon which his life stands. We either build upon Christ or some other foundation. If we are truely built upon Christ we will be saved and be rewarded with the gift of eternal life. But even those who are built on another foundation which fails when tested, will suffer loss, but eventually will be saved from hell.

1 Cor 2: 11-15 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Those who are cold or lukewarm in Christ, or are unprofitable will be cast into outer darkness as the Bible says and endure endless torment and eternal punishment. But Christ says the punishment really isn't endless. Because God says the Joseph Smith that "Endless" and "Eternal" are His name so "Endless torment" and "Eternal punishment" are Gods punishment. And eventually the prisoners will go free and the unjust will be resurrected. They will not receive the same reward with the children of the promise but they will be saved.

D&C 19:10 For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore— Eternal punishment is God’s punishment. Endless punishment is God’s punishment.

Papias and the Three Degrees of Glory

Papias is respected by LDS, Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical Christians as an Early Christian Father who lived in the 1st-Century AD. He is known to have been a Bishop of Hierapolis, Turkey and a respected doctrinal authority. His most well-known work is entitled "Interpretations of the Sayings of the Lord." The only problem is, we don't have an existing copy of it. We know the work must have existed from several quotations from other later Christian scholars. One brief excerpt is contained in Irenaeus's "Against Heresies."

Papias didn't see or hear Jesus Christ personally. But he knew the Apostles such as John and other Bishops such as Polycarp. But, if the LDS Church believes the original Christian church fell into apostasy after the martyrdom of the Apostles, why would I quote someone after the Apostles? Because apostasy didn't happen overnight. And the LDS General Authorities have stated that the LDS Religion more closely resembles 1st-Century Christianity then 3rd-Century Christianity. This is an example of just what they mean.

In an excerpt believed to be from Papias' "Interpretations of the Saying of the Lord" in "Against Heresies" Papias describes the doctrine of the three degrees of glory in heaven which a unique doctrine to the LDS faith. Here is the exerpt:

As the presbyters say, then, those who are deemed worthy of an abode in heaven shall go there, others shall enjoy the delights of Paradise, and others shall possess the splendour of the city; (The new Jerusalem on earth) for everywhere the Saviour will be seen, according as they shall be worthy who see Him. But that there is this distinction between the habitation of those who produce an hundred-fold, and that of those who produce sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold; for the first will be taken up into the heavens, the second class will dwell in Paradise, and the last will inhabit the city; and that on this account the Lord said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions:” for all things belong to God, who supplies all with a suitable dwelling-place, even as His word says, that a share is given to all by the Father, according as each one is or shall be worthy. And this is the couch in which they shall recline who feast, being invited to the wedding. The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, say that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature; and that, moreover, they ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father; and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to the Father.

What Papias is describing is that the reward in heaven is not just heaven or hell. But each person will be rewarded based on their faithfulness in serving Christ. Some will be taken up into heaven, others will inherit Paradise and others will inherit the city. And then Papias says, this is what Christ meant when He said, "in my Father's house are many mansions." The Papias alludes to the marriage feast and the wise and the unwise virgins. All were believers, but only those who had extra oil for their lamps with them were permitted into the feast. The others will still receive a reward greater than that of the unbeliever, but less than that of the wise virgin.

But what does the New Testament say about this? Does the New Testament describe a gradation of reward between those that are valiant in their testimony of Christ in comparison to those who are honorable but only luke-warm? Yes it does. Paul explains about the resurrection to the Corinthian Saints:

1 Cor 15: 40-42 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.

Paul explains here that while there will be a literal physical resurrection of both the just and the unjust, the just and the unjust will not be raised to the same level of glory. Some will be raised to a celestial glory likened to the brightness of the sun. Others will be raised to a Terrestial glory likened to the brightness of the moon. And still others will be raised to a Telestial reward likened to the brightness and glory of the stars.

Again, the scriptures talk about a universal resurrection of the just and the unjust, and a salvation from hell by free grace by simply accepting Christ. But the Bible also differentiates between those who are neither hot, nor cold but lukewarm. In addition to differentiating between the wise and unwise virgins, Christ reinforces the lesson by foretelling that God will divide the sheep from the goats and between the productive and unproductive stewards. Both the sheep and the goats belong to the shepherd, but the sheep are obedient to and know the voice of the shepherd while the goats are not and do not.

Paul also makes a distinction here when he says that Christ was made higher than and given a more excellent name than the angels and then promises the faithful that they can be glorified together with Christ and made heirs of god and joint-heirs with Christ. Paul also uses the analogy of Abraham and his sons Isaac and Ishmael. Paul says that the faithful in Christ are considered children of the promise while those who are not faithful are called children of the bondwoman. Both Isaac and Ishmael were children of Abraham, but only one received the promise.

Gal. 4: 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Several people have asked me if I thought Papias could be suggesting the possibility of progression between kingdoms. I had to re-read the passage a few times before I figured out the idea was coming from the last part which says our souls will "ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father." The progression Papias is talking about here is the progression of the Soul here on Earth before arriving at our final state as support for the 3 degrees of glory. The Earth and our souls are currently in a Telestial state and have access to a fullness of the Holy Ghost. In the Millennium (the New Jerusalem), the souls of man will be in a Terrestial State and we will dwell continually with and enjoy a fullness of Christ. After the Millennial period the earth and the souls who inherit it will become Celestialized and Christ will present us and the Earth to the Father to dwell in His Kingdom to enjoy the perpetual presence and fullness of the Father. That said, Christ has been and can be present in all 3 states of existence but those in the Telestial Kingdom will not enjoy the fullness or perpetual presence of Christ. This is because while those of a higher kingdom can visit a lower kingdom, those of a lower cannot have increase "worlds without end" (D&C 76: 112). Again, Papias is using this progression to support the idea that there are 3 final states of glory that man can receive. This is not saying that once assigned to a glory, that there is progression after the final judgement.

D&C 131: 4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

Another person reading this scoffed at it and said this whole idea of rewards in heaven or different heaven was Gnostic heresy. Now the Gnostic movement did began in the 1st-Century AD. But there is a fundamental reason why the doctrine of the 3 degrees of glory cannot be Gnostic. Because Irenaeus gives this doctrine his stamp of approval in "Against Heresies" by saying that this doctrine is "as the presbyters say" which scholars attribute to Papias' "Interpretations of the Sayings of the Lord." Whether this doctrine was stated by Papias or not, it is not Gnostic, because almost everything we know about early Gnosticism comes from this very book by Irenaeus.