Around the Blogosphere, 6/28

3 Responses to “Around the Blogosphere, 6/28”

1. Don Hicks on July 13th, 2008 9:17 pm

   For your consideration as a bit of balance to the doctrine of hell.

   GRAND ASSERTION

   ALL OF MANKIND WAS DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST AND ALL OF MANKIND WILL COME TO BELIEVE IN JESUS AS LORD AND GOD AS SAVIOR FOLLOWING THE NECESSARY DISCIPLINE OF THE CONSUMING PURIFYING FIRE OF GOD.

   Mal 3:2b “For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap;”

   SUB-ASSERTION #1

   MANKIND WAS DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST HAVING BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD BY HIS DEATH

   Rom 5:6-10 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?

   Note that a summary of these verses could be the following:
   While we were helpless ungodly sinners who were His enemies, Christ died for us, declared us righteous by his blood, will save us from God’s wrath, and reconciled us to God through His death.

   Helpless ungodly sinners who were enemies of God and Christ may be words written to those of Rome who were currently believers, but here Paul is obviously referencing their status with God prior to their becoming believers. Therefore the being reconciled to God and declared righteous occurred prior to belief since these descriptions are hardly of believers.

   At the foot of the cross were many helpless ungodly sinners who were the enemies of Jesus, yet He said, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing”. I believe the Father was in agreement with this prayer of Jesus and so their sins were or will be forgiven on the merits of Jesus alone. Mankind was declared righteous, or justified on that day. Paul reinforces the fact of being declared righteous was for all mankind a few verses later in Rom 5:18, “Consequently, just as one offense resulted in condemnation for everyone, so one act of righteousness results in justification and life for everyone.”

   SUB-ASSERTION #2

   NO “PUNISHMENT”, “DESTRUCTION”, “PERISHING”, “LOSTNESS” IS ETERNAL; RATHER GOD’S “PUNISHMENTS” OR “DESTRUCTION” ARE CORRECTIVE IN NATURE

   Now, we do need His discipline to make us fit for His kingdom. This discipline will not be “eternal”, but it will be “aeonian or eonian”, the English equivalents of the Greek “aionios”. “Aeonian” punishment as referred to in Mt. 25:46, one of the proof texts for those who hold to the heresy of the eternal torment of non-believers, is the type of correction that God will administer to the unbeliever. The noun being modified by aeonian is the word punishment, which is the Greek “kolasis” which has been used in reference to “pruning” a plant for the purpose of better production. “Kolasis” punishment is the corrective type, whereas, “timoria” punishment is the retributive type. The “aeonian” life in Mt. 25:46 is the life given to the believer by God beginning at the point of belief. This is that life we enjoy as believers which blesses us now as we deal with this physical life and also blesses us with the promise of immortality and therefore everlasting communion with our Father.

   Aeonian destruction as referenced in 2 Thess. 1:7-9, “…who will be punished with aeonian destruction from the presence of the Lord,…”, is the kind of destruction necessary for God to administer for the fulfillment of His purposes. Destruction is equivalent to death in that it is “from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power”. Jesus was “destroyed” at the cross, but as in His case, so with all cases of destruction or death, there is no sense of “eternal” associated with them as Jesus rose to life and “the last enemy to be eliminated will be death”.

   The “lost” sheep, coin, and son of Luke 15 referred to a condition that did not last forever. The word “lost” is the translation of the Greek “apollumi”, from which we have the translations lose, lost, perish, destroy, etc. As we can see in Luke 15, the sheep, coin, and son were only “lost” until they were found. This harmonizes with the fact that Jesus said He came to “seek and save the lost”.

   Note that the following verse tells us that there is a special benefit for becoming a believer now, but that God will save all of the “lost” unbelievers also. 1Tim 4:10 “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.” The Greek word that got translated “especially” here is “malista”. Checking its usage in other verses makes it clear that especially is a good choice for English since it does refer to extra special attention to something, but not to the exclusion of other items mentioned in the context.

   The Hebrew word “olam” has as its Greek equivalents “aion” and “aionios” in the Septuagint. An analysis of the approximately 440 occurrences of olam in the Old Testament suggests that it means a period of time without the end in sight but not necessarily “eternal”, or “everlasting” or “forever”, if it should ever be. Olam was only 3 days in the case of Jonah’s duration in the fish, even though the “traditional” translation has been “forever”. Also, the length of time a person would be the slave has been referred to as “forever”, which we know is literally only for their physical lifetime. Some versions never use eternal, everlasting, or forever for olam. Have you noticed some versions use the phrase “forever and ever”. Have you ever given thought to the absurdity of adding the words “and ever” after you have already said forever? What’s more than forever? That’s like saying something lasts for an eternity and then for another eternity. The absurdity of this should add to our awareness of the bias of those translators who consistently translate olam, aion, and aionios as eternal, everlasting, forever, or the absurd “forever and ever” phrase.

   An analysis of the word “hell” is quite revealing. Jesus used the word “geena” or “hades” and tradition (KJV, Catholic church, etc.) has had the ignorant audacity to use this Anglo-Saxon word “hell”, which means “unseen” (a-des), corresponding to the Hebrew “sheol” and attach to it a meaning out of pagan mythology of a place of eternal torment. Dr. Thomas Thayer in his book “The Origin and History of the Doctrine of Endless Punishment” traces this myth of eternal torment that became associated with the word hell to ancient Egypt. Geena (sometimes Gehenna) was the Valley of Hinnom which became a garbage dump on the outskirts of Jerusalem where carcasses of criminals were burned which Jesus metaphorically referenced as a future potential punishment with no sense of “eternal” punishment inherent in its meaning. This refers to aeonian punishment which again is God’s corrective punishment. Gehenna should have been left untranslated because it is a geographical location that the Jews of Jesus’ audience knew exactly what he was referring to. Hades should have also been left untranslated or translated as “unseen” or “the grave” as some versions do, as Hades definitely has no inherent punishment connotation. There are a number of versions that don’t use the word “hell” even once, realizing the bad rap the word has gotten with the erroneous connotation.

   SUB-ASSERTION #3

   ALL HUMANITY WILL COME TO BELIEVE IN GOD AND WILL WORSHIP HIM SOONER OR LATER

   The following are 5 witnesses (scriptures) from 4 of God’s servants: DAVID, ISAIAH, PAUL, and JOHN.

   NOTE: Nowhere in the Word do we have any evidence that one must come to belief in this lifetime, which is another myth of man; contrariwise, we have much evidence in the following verses and many others that some will only come to belief after their physical death. At this point some might think of the Rich Man and Lazarus parable. Parables must be discerned spiritually as they are not to be taken literally since they are fictional stories to convey a spiritual message. Consider this, Rich Man = Jews and Lazarus = Gentiles and the spiritual message is that the Jews will be disciplined for their attitude toward and treatment of the Gentiles.

   Keep in mind that belief is granted by God in His time not in man’s. God grants belief to some in this lifetime and others after their physical death. The myth that one must come to belief in this lifetime is something man dreamed up or more than likely got from the pagans and added to his traditions, but God’s word does not speak of it.

   John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

   Phi 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”

   THE MASTER PLAN OF THE MASTER COULD BE SUMMED UP IN A COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY OF HIS WORD AS FOLLOWS AS ATTESTED BY MANY WITNESSES.

   “ALL IS OUT OF ME AND ALL WILL COME BACK TO ME.” — GOD

   Rom 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
   1Co 15:28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

   GOD WILL BE ALL IN ALL = GOD WILL BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE

   OUR SPIRIT CAME OUT OF GOD AND WILL RETURN TO GOD

   DAVID was inspired to write:

   Psalms 22:27-28 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations

   ISAIAH was inspired to write:

   Isa 45:23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
   Isa 45:24 “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

   PAUL was inspired to write:

   Phi 2:10-11 “…so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow
   — in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

   Rom 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”

   JOHN was inspired to record:

   Rev 5:13 “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

   SINCE AFTER A CERTAIN TIME DEATH WILL CEASE TO BE, LEAVING ONLY LIFE AND HENCE NO MORE SEPARATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, ALL OF THESE WITNESSES CAN TESTIFY TO THE SAME THING:

   NOTE: The feeble attempt to downplay this worshipping, bowing, and confessing as somehow “forced”, is born out of bias for eternal torment. Note particularly in Phil. 2:11 the phrase “to the glory of God the Father”. It is obviously not giving God glory to say Jesus is Lord without meaning it and you might also recall what Paul said about saying that Jesus is Lord, that “…no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:3b)

   EVERY CREATED BEING WILL SOME DAY PRAISE AND GLORIFY GOD!!!

2. Larry on July 14th, 2008 8:04 am

   Don,

   While I disagree with your assertions, I certainly believe in freedom of speech, so I have approved your comment for publication. Thanks for visiting our site, and I hope you are edified by the content here.

   Your comment indicates to me that you have probably read the biblical arguments for hell as everlasting torment, so I will not bother to reproduce those arguments here. Rather, I will pray for all of us that we have discernment to handle God’s Word accurately and humility to bow before His wisdom, justice and mercy.

   Actually, I do have one question for you: in your comment you mention that belief in everlasting torment is a heresy. Could you explain what you mean when you use the word heresy? Thanks.

   For those who have never considered the doctrine of hell, here is message by Sinclair Ferguson in which he gives a solid biblical defense of the understanding of hell as eternal conscious torment:

   http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TopicIndex/77_Heaven_and_Hell/2048_Universalism_and_The_Reality_of_Eternal_Punishment_The_Biblical_Basis_of_the_Doctrine_of_Eternal_Punishment/

   Larry

3. Don Hicks on July 24th, 2008 5:22 pm

   Heresy, at its most basic meaning, is a choice. It has come to carry the meaning of a choice (or belief) that goes against orthodoxy. In that sense, I am the heretic, or part of the heresy party or sect. The following is Strong’s understanding.

   G139
   αἵρεσις
   hairesis
   hah’ee-res-is
   From G138; properly a choice, that is, (specifically) a party or (abstractly) disunion. (“heresy” is the Greek word itself.): - heresy

   Robert Young’s understanding is “choice, opinion, sentiment, act of choosing, party” in his “Young’s Analytical Concordance”. The first 3 of these are found with the word “heresy” and the last 2 with the word “sect”.

   “Hairesis” is used 9 times in the NT in the following verses: Acts 5:17, Acts 15:5, Acts 24:5, Acts 24:14, Acts 26:5, Acts 28:22, 1Cor. 11:19, Gal. 5:20, and 2Pet. 2:1.

   In the KJV, it is translated as “sect”, “heresy”, and the plural “heresies”.

   Let’s look at some of these verses.

   First, look at Act 24:14, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:”

   The majority of the other versions I checked, used “sect”.

   The outsider to the sect or heresy views their belief as wrong and even strange, in light of their understanding of the subject of the belief, seems to be strongly implied.

   Secondly, note 1Co 11:19, “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.”

   Next, we see “heresies” listed among “the works of the flesh” in Gal 5:20, “Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,…”

   I think we can assume here that Paul is referring to any doctrine that goes counter to what he taught.

   Finally, what seems to me the most ominous reference is 2Pe 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

   Peter, as did Paul, seems to be referring to teachings different from what the apostles taught.

   When I used the phrase “the heresy of the eternal torment of non-believers”, I was expressing my passionate belief that it is the worst false doctrine that has been foisted upon mankind. I believe, in the words of Peter, it to be one of those “damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them,…”. I believe it very possible that Peter was dealing with some who had been influenced by the pagan mythology of the afterlife to believe in eternal torment. Why this is a “damnable” heresy is, in the words of Peter, because it is “denying the Lord that bought them”. The way it is denying the Lord that bought them is because the false doctrine of eternal torment denies that the Lord died for all, and hence denies Rom 5:10, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” This is a promise to the enemies of God.

   Thanks Larry for allowing my words to be published. Some sights will not allow anything that disagrees with their doctrine.

   God bless you in your search for His truth.

   Don

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