Husbands and help meets, aka, the art of manliness

This week I learned that a couple I know would be separating from each other. The topic of divorce, no matter how normal it has become, is one that always gets to me. Why can’t people sort their issues out? Why do Christians have a divorce rate that is statistically equal to or higher than that of non-Christians? How bad must someone’s situation be with a spouse that they willingly will move away from their children? I do not have answers to those questions but I do have a few thoughts as to what may be some of the contributing causes to the struggles that Christian families are having in their marriages. 

Be a family

Firstly, I do not think that (institutional) Church life is very helpful in fostering healthy family relationships. It is almost as if church programs are designed to keep families apart. We have Sunday school for the kids, Youth groups for the young adults, women’s meetings, men’s breakfasts and a host of other not so family friendly meetings like prayer meetings, board meetings and worship meetings (which also requires worship practice meetings). And the more meetings we have the less time families are able to spend together. Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said that Sunday at 11am is the most segregated hour of the week. Of course he was referring to racial divides but let me tweak that statement a bit to say that Sunday at 11am is the most segregated hour of the week for Christian families as well.
     This is one of the many reasons that I favor the house church setup over the traditional church model. Husbands, wives and children get to sit together, learn, eat, share, pray, read and so forth as a unit in an environment that cultivates relationships within the ekklesia without putting strain on the family dynamic.

Be a servant

Another area where Christian families have suffered is when men pull the ‘hierarchy card’ out in order to get their way in the relationship. While I am not really a fan of Augustine, I believe it was him who said,”If God had meant woman to rule man he would have taken her out of Adam’s head. Had he designed her to be his slave, He would have taken her out of his feet. But God took woman out of man’s side, for He made her to be a help meet and an equal to him.” Verse 23 in Genesis 2 confirms that woman is like and equal to man when Adam says, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” So many women have being told that their only job is to stand in the background in a supporting role for their husbands; sort of like Aaron and Hur did when they both held Moses’ hands up when he grew weary during the Israelites battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-12). But let us not forget that Adam and Eve are also a picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:30-32) and look at the example that Christ left for us. He washed his disciple’s feet; he prepared and also empowered his disciples for service.     When my wife shares her dreams and aspirations with me, I don’t tell her to put those aside, fall in line and get with my program. I do everything that I can to support her in achieving those dreams and take great pride and joy in watching her realize them. Yes, God has made order in the family (Ephesians 5:22-25) but a wife is every bit her husband’s equal just as Jesus subjects himself to the Father but is His equal (Philippians 2:6, John 5:18). If Jesus, our head, was willing to take on the lowest job in the household as a foot washer and serve his disciples should we not follow in his footsteps?

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” – John 13:14

As I said earlier, I don’t have all the answers; I probably don’t even have most of the answers. But I can tell you that I have known my wife for 14 years now and this year we will be our ten year wedding anniversary. And in all that time we have not once raised our voices at each other. Not because we never have disagreements or experience moments of frustration. I think that it is simply because we both get that we are one and value what each one brings to the marriage. Being the man does not always mean bringing home the bacon and making the tough family and spiritual decisions. On most days it might just look like you getting the kids ready for school, or making their lunches, or doing the dishes, or changing a nappy, or hanging the washing, or making dinner, or telling your wife to go do something nice while you play with the kids for a few hours; all after a hard days work. I can only speak from my personal experience but I find that doing these kinds of things has a reciprocal effect in the household. 

It is just two things. And I am not saying that families should never do anything separately. I also recognize that while men and women are equal they are both unique and therefore serve different functions. These are just two areas where I have noticed a lot of damage caused in some people’s relationships. Either because of their church schedules or because they were unwilling to serve their wives when they required it from their husbands.  Be present and lift her up.

Do you agree with the above observations? In what ways do you think the church benefits or hinders the health of Christian families?

Should Christians keep the Mosaic Law?

In my late twenties I spent several years listening to the teachings of various Jewish Christians which for the most part was a real blessing and beneficial in helping the Old and New Testaments come alive in ways in which I otherwise might have missed. I really appreciate the symbolism and foreshadowing found throughout the Hebrew half of the bible and how Christ is alluded to in so much of it. But I am seeing something which seems to be becoming more and more popular of late which I am less enthusiastic about which is that the Church is going back to observing the Mosaic Law and teaching others that they are required to do so as well.
     The movement is most commonly known as the ‘Hebraic Roots Movement’ and is championed by groups like the Worldwide Church of God and 119 Ministries. They even have their own version of the Bible which translates the New Testament from Aramaic rather than the traditional Greek texts. As I have watched the movement gain momentum and seen friends (some of the smartest and nicest people around) get caught up in it I have decided to start looking more into it myself as well. I am still scratching the surface at this stage but here are some of my initial thoughts regarding the Hebraic roots movement.

Biblical exegesis 

Those who hold to the belief that we still need to keep the law tend to interpret all of scripture through the lens of the Torah rather than through a Jesus lens. I would argue the opposite to be a better approach as the Torah can only fully be understood and revealed in Jesus (Luke 24:27, Heb 1:1-3). Christ was not just another rabbi like all the others; He was a semikhah rabbi, one with the authority to interpret what the scriptures say (consider all of the “you have heard it said but I tell you…” verses in Matthew 5). And unlike any other semikhah rabbi Jesus received His endorsement directly from God Himself (Matthew 3:13-17).
     The second thing I see as a vital mistake is that the Hebraic roots movement fails to understand the salvific nature of the atonement made in Christ. The cross gets limited to a sacrifice for sin which falls short of what Paul teaches in Galatians 2:21, Ephesians 2:15 and Romans 7:6

“If righteousness comes by the law then Christ died in vain”

“(Jesus) abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances.”

“But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

To expand on this I would like to offer some observations I have made on what the Apostles taught regarding the keeping of the law amongst Gentile converts. Acts chapter 15 is a good place to start, in verse 5 we read of a certain sect of Pharisees who became believers but taught that it was necessary for the Gentiles to be circumcised and to keep the Law of Moses. What follows is a rebuke by all the apostles and elders including Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Barsabas and James which is summed up nicely by verse 24.

Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the Law”, to whom we gave no such commandment.

There are many other texts which elaborate on why gentiles were not (and are not) required to keep the law. Here are some specific areas worth considering:-

Regarding food

Many people have used Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9-16 to argue that all foods are now clean. In this particular case I would actually side with those who say that this portion of scripture is not really speaking about food but rather it is about God revealing to Peter the mystery of which Paul speaks of in Ephesians 3; which is that the gentiles had been grafted in, along with the Jewish believers,  into Christ to form one new man. Verse 28 in Acts 10 is key to understanding Peter’s vision a few verses earlier.

Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Having said that; I would like to point out that the only things gentiles were instructed to abstain from were “things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:20). Paul elaborates further in Colossians 2:16-17, “Let no one judge you in food or drink, festivals or sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come, the substance is of Christ.” This also underlines my earlier statement about the Hebrew roots movement giving precedence to the Torah over what has been revealed to us in and through Christ. They can point to the OT for a proof text regarding the dietary requirements of the Law but to state that gentiles should abstain from eating bacon and lobster is to not only go beyond what is written but it is to completely undermine what the apostles taught us.

Law keeping  is fleshly (excuse the pun)

As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. - Gal 6:12-13

In Eugene Peterson's ‘the Message’ he adds to this verse that “they are highly selective in the laws they do observe” which seems to be spot on. For all the talk about keeping the Law there are several Mosaic commands that I would like to point out that seem to conveniently be getting pushed under the carpet. Why are all the leaders of the movement not sporting ZZ Top style beards (Leviticus 19:27)? Why no more stoning of people caught in the act of adultery (Leviticus 20:10)? Okay I think everyone is glad that nobody is thinking about going “full Mosaic” on that one. Why are they not chopping off the hands of woman for grabbing a man’s genitals while defending her husband in a fight (Deuteronomy 15:11-12), (Yes it actually says that and yes, once again let’s be glad no one is going “full Mosaic” on that one as well)? Are women being “set apart for seven days” and treated like untouchables (Leviticus 15:19) during their monthly erm, I don’t really want to go there but you get the point. Why is the emphasis only on the Sabbath, the Feasts and dietary restrictions? Is there a list of which 613 Laws we get to throw away and which ones we should still keep? Not only is it impossible to keep the entire Law (there is no longer a temple or priests offering sacrifices) but Paul specifically states that if someone desires to keep the Law then they are a debtor to the whole Law (Galatians 5:3) and that they are placing themselves under a curse by “not continuing in all things which are written” (Galatians 3:10).

Law keeping is futile

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain" - Galatians 2:21

“…if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law”. – Galatians 3:21

Human attempts to keep the law cannot produce righteousness or life. I understand that the Hebraic roots leaders would agree with this and that they even emphasize grace over works to distance themselves from the Judaizers (which letters in the bible like Galatians and Titus were written to address). In practice though it is hard to see any distinction; it is like when people say they can see that tithing is not biblical (in the NT sense) but they are going to continue doing it anyway. Why?

The Law has been done away with

In that He says, “A new covenant,” he has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and is growing old is ready to vanish away - Hebrews 8:13

For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God - Galatians 2:19

The Law has served its purpose

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. but after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor - Galatians 3:24-25

Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ that you may be married to another - to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. - Romans 7:4

The Law was merely a shadow

I already mentioned Colossians 2:16-17 earlier, “Let no one judge you in food or drink, festivals or sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come, the substance is of Christ.”

Paul explains here that the Sabbath and religious festivals were merely shadows of things to come but that the reality is found in Christ. A sentiment repeated by the author of the letter to the Hebrews in chapter 10:1, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves”.

No one posts pictures of their wives and children’s shadows all over Facebook, it would be weird. One has to wonder what the fascination within the Jewish roots movement is with shadows. The true beauty lies within the person, not the shadow. We have Christ and He is glorious! We know God and He is wondrous! I can understand the infatuation in shadows from a man who has not yet met God; it would be something akin to a man who is going on a blind date. He would be full of questions beforehand but once he picks up his date and sits down face to face with her the dynamics will change completely.

The Law has been fulfilled

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. – Matthew 5:17

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding this verse and what the word ‘fulfill’ means. To fulfill something means to consummate, attain or satisfy something. Once something has been fulfilled, it is complete and the obligation toward it has been satisfied.

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made – Galatians 3:19

The Law is written on our hearts

…I will put my laws in their mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be their God and they will be My people. – Hebrews 8:10

But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law - Galatians 5:18

We no longer serve in the oldness of the letter but in the newness of the Spirit. We were never capable of serving in the oldness of the letter (Romans 2:17-24) in the first place. “After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” - Galatians 3:3

Conclusion

In concluding this rather lengthy post I would like to point out just how strong Paul’s words were to the Judaizers in his letter to the Galatians. In chapter 1 verse 7 he says that they “pervert the gospel” and in the following verse calls it “another gospel”. In chapter 3 verse 1 he calls them “foolish”. In chapter 4 verse 9 he says that they “again desire to be in bondage”. In chapter 5 verse 2 he says by reverting back to the law “Christ will profit them nothing”, in verse 8 he says that this persuasion toward law keeping is not from God and in verse 12 he goes as far as saying that he wishes that those preaching circumcision would castrate themselves! Ouch.
     This was a highly important issue to Paul as well as the rest of the early church. Once again, I know that the modern day advocates of Law keeping Christianity have attempted to distance themselves from the Judaizers. I would like to suggest that if you are in this group, you had better be sure they are not the same thing because Judaizing is considered a big issue in scripture. Let me end off with one last quote from Paul taken from Colossians 2:20-23:-

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations -“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using – according to the commandments and the doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom, in self-imposed religion, false humilty,  and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.


I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this. Especially if you believe that Christians should still be following the law today. How do you interpret some of the scriptures quoted? How is it decided which laws still need to be obeyed and which ones can be ignored? And how is the modern movement distinct from the Judaizers addressed in Paul's letter to the Galatians?

A list of scriptures supporting the doctrines of annihilationism and conditional immortality

The website Rethinking Hell also has a Facebook group where every now and then someone asks for a list of scriptures supporting the view that the wicked will one day be utterly destroyed in the lake of fire while only those who are in Christ will receive the gift of eternal life. Consider this to be my effort to fulfill that request to all those seeking to defend or introduce others to Conditionalism. Bear in mind that the traditional understanding of hell as a place of eternal conscious torment rests entirely on a specific reading of just three scriptures ( Matthew 25:46 and Revelations 14:9-11, 20:10), while the below list is constantly being updated and currently sits at well over 100 verses. Please feel free to suggest additional verses as this list below is far from complete in its current form and I could use as much help as possible in populating it.

Likewise, if a verse has been used that should not be on the list, perhaps because it speaks only of destruction or death in this life (some of the verses in the Psalms for example are unclear so I have left them out), please let me know so that I can remove it from the list. Also, most people would say that conditional immortality and annihiliationism are the same thing so why use both terms in the title; while they are certainly intertwined with one another I view them separately. One emphasizes the fate of the wicked while the other speaks of the eternal destinies of all men, whether it be life or death. Some may view this as a list of proof texts but the point is simply to show that the Bible is consistent and far from silent in its use of language and the message it presents regarding eternal life and death and I have tried to be as honest as possible in not taking anything out of context. One last note; I have purposely left this without commentary so as to let scripture speak for itself, if the reason for including a specific verse is not apparent let me know in the comments section and I will elaborate over there. Without further ado, here is my list in chronological order.

Genesis 3:3 - "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"
Genesis 3:22 - And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
Genesis 7:21-23 - All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. (cross reference with 2 Peter 2:5-6)
Genesis 19:24-25 - Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (cross reference with 2 Peter 2:5-6)

Psalm 1:3-6 - The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 21:9 - You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
Psalm 37:1-2 - Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.
Psalm 37:9-10 - For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
Psalm 37:20 - But the wicked will perish: Though the LORD's enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
Psalm 37:37-38 - Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace, But the transgressors shall be destroyed together, the future of the wicked will be cut off.
Psalm 68:2 - May you blow them away like smoke-- as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
Psalm 92:7 - Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.
Psalm 94:23 - He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy them.
Psalm 97:2-3 - Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about.
Psalm 112:10 - The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Proverbs 10:25 - When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
Proverbs 11:4 - Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Isaiah 1:28 - But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.
Isaiah 1:31 - The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire. They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.
Isaiah 10:18 - The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the Lord will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
Isaiah 13:9 - For see, the day of the Lord is coming - the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger. The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners will be destroyed with it.
Isaiah 25:7,8 - There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears.He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!
Isaiah 25:10 - For the Lord’s hand of blessing will rest on Jerusalem. But Moab will be crushed. It will be like straw trampled down and left to rot.
Isaiah 26:11 - Let your fire consume your enemies. But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy!
Isaiah 26:19 - For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!
Isaiah 65:12 - Therefore I will number you for the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter;
because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear,but did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.”
Isaiah 66:22,24.- For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “So your offspring and your name will endure. “Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.

Ezekiel 26:19-21 - For thus says the Lord GOD, “When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living. “I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again,” declares the Lord GOD.

Daniel 12:2 - "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

Obadiah 16 - …and they shall be as though they had never been.

Malachi 4:1-3 - “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 3:12 - His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Matthew 7:13-14 - "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 10:28  - Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
 Matthew 13:30 - Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Matthew 13:40-42 - “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 16:25-27 - For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Matthew 19:29 - And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 22:7 - "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers and burned up their cities.
Matthew 25:46 - "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Mark 8:35-37 - For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Luke 9:24-25 - For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
Luke 12:47-48 - And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Luke 18:18 - A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 18:29-30 - And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Luke 20:34-36 - Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:36 - Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.
John 4:14 - but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 5:24 - "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:39-40 - “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
John 6:27 - Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
John 6:33 - For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
John 6:40  - For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."
John 6:51 - I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
John 6:58 - "This is the bread which came down from heaven - not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."
John 6:68 - Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
John 8:21 - Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come."
John 8:24 - "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am (He), you will die in your sins."
John 8:35 - "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever."
John 8:51 - I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!"
John 10:28 - "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."
John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 12:25 - “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life”.
John 15:6 - If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Act 3:22-23  For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Acts 13:46 - Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

Romans 1:32 -  who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 2:6-8 - …(God) who will render to each one according to his deeds, eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness – indignation and wrath.”
Romans 2:12 - All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
Romans 5:21 - so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Romans 6:21 - What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 7:5 - For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
Romans 8:6 - For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 8:11 - The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Romans 8:13 - For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 9:22-23 - What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 3:15-17 - If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
1 Corinthians 15:16-18 - For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
1 Corinthians 15:50 - Now this I say brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:53-54 - For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory..."

2 Corinthians 2:15 - For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 4:3 - But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

Galatians 6:8 - Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Ephesians 1:10 - In the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth.

Philippians 1:28 - without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God.
Philippians 3:19 – Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 – They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.
2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 - And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

1 Timothy 1:16  - “However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.”
1 Timothy 6:15-16 - “He who is blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone has immortality…”

2 Timothy 1:1 - This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:10 - ...our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Titus 3:7 - ...that having being justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Hebrews 10:27 - but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:39 - But we are not of those who draw back unto perdition (Greek: destruction); but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

James 1:11-12 - For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:15 - Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
James 4:12 – there is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy.
James 5:20 - …he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death…

1 Peter 1:23 - For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God (Jesus).

2 Peter 2:1 - But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2 Peter 2:6 - and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly.
2 Peter 2:12 -  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2 Peter 3:6-7 - by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning  His promise, as some count slackness , but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

1 John 2:17 - “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
1 John 3:14-15 - "We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him."
1 John 5:11-12 - And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Jude 7 - as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 
Jude 12 - …These are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late Autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots.
Jude 21 - Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Revelation 2:10 - Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 2:11 - “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
Revelation 20:14 – Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
Revelation 21:4 - “there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away”.
Revelation 21:8 - But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.


If this view on the end of the wicked (and the gift of God to those who believe) is new to you then check out these posts as well.

Conditional Vs Universal Immortality
Hell, thoughts on annihilationism

A quick word

Hi everyone!

If you have been clicking here every so often and have been disappointed to not see any new entries it is because I have being working on a couple of book projects that otherwise I just cannot seem to get around too. So the plan is to devote the next two or so weeks exclusively to that and then return to juggling everything once again. In the meantime though if you are looking for some quality reading material to keep you going, my friends over at MennoNerds have just published a new book as pictured below. You can go and check it out by clicking over here.  

See you all soon, have a blessed Christmas.

Who or what is the Word of God?

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. – Revelation 19:13

Recently I was reading 1 Peter 2:2 and it dawned on me just how conditioned we have become to reading things into texts which they do not actually say. That particular verse speaks of desiring the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby which most people have interpreted to say “read your bible”. However the next verse tells us that those who drink this pure milk will taste that the Lord is gracious. Then Paul uses the word scripture in verse 6 when he quotes from Isaiah and the Psalms which should tell us that he is making a clear distinction between the word and scriptures. It got me thinking about how many verses may have been misinterpreted in a similar manner and so I started looking through all the word of God or word of the Lord scriptures (about 500 of them) to see what they actually said.


Why is this important?

                                          image credit facebook/UnboxedFreethinker

I think the quote above puts it well. While I have a deep love for the bible and devote a significant amount of time to studying what it says; it can easily serve as a substitute to true fellowship and intimacy with Christ. One can know the commands and even do a pretty good job adhering to them without ever knowing the one who spoke them. It is similar to what Israel did at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 and 20 when God invited them to be a kingdom of priests (19:6). There fearful response was to tell Moses that he should rather speak to God on their behalf and they would do whatever he told them. We are comfortable with the list of do and do not’s because they deal with the external, giving us a sense of spirituality without becoming too vulnerable. Let me say it this way rather, knowing scripture is extremely important but knowing God is the non negotiable.

The word or the Word?

Most of the times that we read the phrase ‘the word’ in the bible, it is simply referring to a message from God to someone or to a group of people. There are only a few cases where one could argue that ‘the word’ may be referring to scripture as a whole (possibly 1 Timothy 5:17 and Mark 7:13). So when looking at the phrase one needs to exercise some common sense and look at the context in which it was written to determine what the writer meant. With that in mind, I would like to share some of the scriptures that I came across which perhaps do not say what we always thought they did and in doing so, make a case for ‘the word’ when it is not simply a message, almost always equating to Jesus rather than scripture.

Genesis 15:1 - After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."

The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. Abram did not receive the bible but a message from a someone.

1 Samuel 15:23 - For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."

The word of the Lord is often referred to as a ‘he’ in scripture, this is but one example.

Psalm 105:19 - Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

Once again, the word sounds like a person.

John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This is probably the most famous Jesus equals the word verse but even so, I have had people fight with me arguing that even John 1 refers to the bible. To me that is outright idolatry.

John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word equals Jesus.

John 17:17 - Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

The context here is confirmed in verse 19, “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” Word equals Christ.

Acts 8:14 - When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.

Who or what was the word that the Samaritans accepted? Verse 5 in the same chapter tells us, “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.”

Acts 11:1 - The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

The word of God that the Gentiles received is described in Acts 10:42-43, “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Acts 13:26 - Men, brothers and children of the lineage of Abraham, and those who worship God with you: To you He has been sent: The Word of Life.

A lot of versions use the phrase “message of salvation” in this verse. However the following verse reveals that Luke was referring to a person;“"For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.”

Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

To state the obvious, the bible is indeed visible and did not create the world.

1 Peter 1:23 - For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

We are born again through the living Christ. Not through seminaries and verse memory cards.

1 John 1:1 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

The next two verses reveal just who the Word of life is, “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

1 John 1:10 - If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Who is the word who is not in those who claim they have not sinned? According to verse 7, “…if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 2:14 - I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Verse 6 confirms who the word is who abides in us, “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

1 John 5:7 - For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 

I shared this only because I was surprised at the amount of verses that confirm Jesus is the Word of God. This list is hardly exhaustive (about 20% of what I found) as I still wanted this to be readable. What can we gain from all of this? Read scripture more carefully, the bible is like a sign post pointing us toward life. Read it, see where it points you and be sure to share its message with others as well. But if we stop there we would be the most foolish of all men. Those who never received the Word that scripture pointed us to all along. 

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Related posts
The Deification of the bible
On Biblical inspiration, interpretation and inerrency

A Royal Priesthood

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation… - 1 Peter 2:9

 The above verse is one of those scriptures that brings me both joy and sadness. Joy in that we were chosen by God, in Christ, to be priests in his kingdom. The bible makes no distinction between clergy and laity and only sees one class of believers. The only mediator we have being given is Jesus, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus”. What an amazing privilege it is we have being given!

    Yet at the same time I feel sadness in that the majority of the church has gone the same way as Israel. Let’s rewind approximately 1400 years to a time when the Israelites had just miraculously left Egypt and were sitting at the foot of Mount Sinai. Shortly before receiving the Ten Commandments (plus change) from God these words were recorded in Exodus 19:5-6

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the children of Israel”. 

  Sounds familiar doesn't it? To cut a long story short, the people were afraid of God’s presence and told Moses that he should rather speak with God on their behalf and they would listen to and do whatever he told them (19:8, 20: 19). It reminds me of the story of Israel later on asking Samuel for a king. Gods response was to give the people what they wanted. He added that they had not rejected Samuel but rejected Him as the one to reign over them (1 Samuel 8:7). 

Has the church not done the same thing today? Rather than seek God together, we elect a man on our behalf to tell us “what saith the Lord”. Just as Israel wanted to be like the surrounding nations, the church wants to be like other religions and has set up a man over them. Let me be clear here that Moses is not the bad guy in Israel’s story. Likewise, most pastors are doing the best they can in the situation that the church has put itself into. This is simply a plea for the church to not be a shining example of how the Pareto principle works (where 80% do 20% and 20% do 80% of the work). He has made us, all of us, to be both kings and priests to His God and Father (Revelation 1:6). Think about that.

The anointing which you have received abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. – 1 John 2:27

Alternatively, you can give up the intimacy, the relationship and the abiding and tell someone else that they should rather do it for you and that you will be happy to follow along with the do’s and do not’s handed down to you. But do so aware that you may wind up the same way that Israel did.

Two disturbing articles about hell

Last week I read two rather disturbing articles on hell which you can go and read for yourself over here and over here. The two posts could not have been any further apart from each other theologically, the first one making a case for a God that seeks to personally torture people forever and ever purely because He is holy and good (huh?) while the second called for a Christianity where hell is completely done away with which I assume implied universal reconciliation for all of creation. You have to feel for God sometimes, people like to fight with Him when bad things happen in the world and He is seemingly absent or does not intervene. Yet at the same time when we speak about a day when God will judge the wicked people get angry about that as well.

So while I am sure that I will get 1 view for every 1000 those 2 articles managed; I would like to briefly critique both of them anyway while offering up an alternative as well.

In the first post Tim Challies goes beyond just championing the eternal conscious torment view of hell but actually reasons that “If you want a God who is good - truly good - and if you want a God who is just and holy, then you must have this God, this God who condemns people to suffer the eternal torments of hell” which Tim goes on to explain as infinite torture at the hands of God himself.

The article tries to back itself up with scriptures such as Matthew 10:28 and 25:46 (which both actually support annihilationism) and Acts 10:42 (which speaks nothing of what judgment is or looks like but rather of who the judge is). It becomes clear really soon that the author is imposing his own personal views onto the texts and from there in it only got worse as it moves completely away from scripture and into the land of assumptions. One example is when the writer reasons that because God is infinite any sin against him accrues an infinite debt so one personal call from your company phone is worthy of eternal torture.

While Jesus looks pretty awesome in the article the Father comes off looking just the opposite. In fact, in Tim’s theology Father and Son couldn't be any more different from one another. The Father demands eternal torture while Jesus freely offers forgiveness. Tim says that God’s holiness demands that He remain separate from sin and those who commit sin must be kept out of his presence. Note that He also stated that it is God who tortures the wicked in hell? I don’t know how he gets around this reasoning and I also don’t know what he thinks about God being omnipresent but more importantly, what does it say about the holiness of Jesus? The friend of sinners who hung out with all of the wrong kinds of people looks a lot like the Father who sought out Adam and Eve in the garden after they fell to me but bears little resemblance to the Father depicted in Challies article.

There are other confusing statements made in the post as well, when Tim says that “sin demands eternal punishment” he really means that “God demands eternal punishment”. The Father is the punisher while Christ is the redeemer calling for eternal love and joy. In his view God the Father and the Son share none of the same attributes but rather make up a yin yang kind of a godhead . If it was discovered that a man had chained up some of his children in his home basement and had tortured them there for several years it would horrify people and be worldwide news. If that same man claimed that he had done it because he was good and holy we would be even more disgusted and say that he does not know God. Yet so many people preach a God who is like this (but far more extreme in method and duration) than our hypothetical psychopath and yet we call it good?

A Christianity without hell

The second article that I read dared to imagine Christianity without hell. ‘Imagine’ is the key word here as there is so much scripture that speaks of punishment and judgment in the afterlife which one could point to. I can appreciate the author’s comments that the gospel of Christ has been damaged by “those in positions of power within the institutions of Christianity (who have) have methodically, relentlessly, and with great art used the doctrine of hell to exploit the innate fear of death that is harbored by one and all.” Christianity, as the author states, has made a lot of people rich by praying on people’s fear of hell but to throw the baby out with the bathwater carries severe consequences which should be considered.

It is wishful thinking to assume that love will eventually persuade all of creation to fall in line. Lucifer knew God in a way that we cannot imagine but pride corrupted him so who is to say that the stubborn hearts of men will act or any differently than his did?

The biggest red flag for me in Taboola’s post though was the statement, “A Christianity without hell would be largely unevangelical, since there would be nothing to save anyone from”. This reasoning is not concerned with sanctification and does not recognize that man is spiritually dead, corrupt, perishing and in need of saving from other things. It concerns itself with escaping punishment but not with repentance, that is to say, a turning away from ungodly things and seeking after righteousness. It does not acknowledge that eternal life is only found in Jesus who alone is immortal (1 Timothy 6:15-16) and it does not realize that the restoration of all things does not equate to the survival of every living being.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life but the  wrath of God abides on him. - John 3:36

And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. – 1 John 5:11-12

The truth is that the doctrine of hell has been distorted and abused but it should not take away from the fact that the bible does speak of a lake of fire and anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life will go there, this is the second death (Revelations 20:14-15). They do not go there to be tortured for eternity because the goal of judgment is to do away with evil that Christ may be all in all and that creation can be “very good” once again.

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no such power. – Revelation 20:6.