My 2021 Christmas Thought

Each year around Christmas I use my daily reflection time to think of something especially pertinent to the miraculous arrival of Jesus to earth as a babe in Bethlehem and His subsequent impact as the Saviour of the world.

In previous years I have written about the Santa deception, God's plan and provision to take away the sin of the world, the use of BC and AD to divide our calendar, and so on.

This year my Christmas thoughts have focused on another purpose God had in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into our world - to show us what God is like.

Jesus himself declared this aspect of his role:

"The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."
[John 12 : 45  NIV]

This was affirmed by other writers in the New Testament:

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being,
[Hebrews 1 : 3a  NIV]
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
[Colossians 1 : 15  NIV]

Even so, some close disciples were slow to grasp this. Here is part of a 'Jesus-disciple' conversation recorded by John:

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
"If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" [John 14 : 5 - 9  NIV]

Prior to Jesus' arrival on our planet, people had mixed views about what God was like. The Law and the Prophetical writings in the Old Testament provided some insights but were limited and sometimes quite inconsistent.

To demonstrate the superior witness of Jesus over that of the Old Testament writings, we could look at that miraculous event played out on what we often call Mount Transfiguration, recorded in Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9.

Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) were seen with Jesus on the mountain by Peter, James and John. When Peter offered to build shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus to show equal honour and respect for them, a cloud removed Moses and Elijah, and a voice from the cloud declared:

This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!
Matthew 17 : 5  NIV]

Equal honour was not to be assumed or given. Jesus is the Son.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
[John 1 : 18  NIV]

Listen to him! He knows God perfectly, far better than Moses and Elijah.

Although the Bible teaches us much about God, it really is pointing us to Jesus who is "the exact representation of his being".

This Christmas let's offer God thanks for his Son, the Bethlehem babe, who takes away the sins of the world, and resolve to listen to him as he reveals the God of love and mercy to us.

Blessings, Barry

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure - a new slant on the story.

I haven't often written about the parables of Jesus, concentrating more on the gospel to the Gentiles as espoused by the Apostle Paul.

But recently, in my personal devotions, I have been allowing the Holy Spirit to expand my thinking beyond the obvious and traditional interpretations and applications of the stories Jesus told in Israel.
And I thought I would share one of these more expansive thoughts today using the parable of the hidden treasure reported by Matthew in Chapter 13 verse 44.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. [NIV]

Jesus was teaching his Jewish audience that the kingdom he was offering was so valuable that it was worth selling all a person had to obtain it.

The obvious and traditional interpretation of the main point of the parable is that for the enormous worth of the Kingdom any sacrifice, including all that one has, is not too great a price to pay.
Rarely are the other details, like hiding the treasure so others won't find it or buying the whole field, mentioned in these interpretations.

But how about this for a new slant?
Instead of teaching how a Jew ought to response to the good news about the kingdom of God coming near to him, and being prepared to sacrifice all to gain it, maybe Jesus was teaching something about himself.

In that case, Jesus was the man who sacrificed all that he had, not just to have the hidden treasure, the kingdom, but the entire field that contained it - indeed the whole world, as the field is called in a previous parable explanation. (Matt 13 : 38)

Maybe this one verse parable is a description of what Jesus was about to do.
 
Interestingly, after Jesus had been rejected by the Jewish leaders, he hid the kingdom from his public audiences by restricting his teaching to parables, only explaining them to his disciples in private.

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
... This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
[Matthew 13 : 10 - 14  NIV]

Jesus deliberately hid the kingdom from this generation of the nation who was chosen to rule in it.

And what did Jesus do after hiding the kingdom?
He went and bought the whole field - the whole world - which he promised to do.

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
[John 12 : 32  NIV]

John also confirmed the Lord's world-wide mission:

 ... we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
[1 John 2 : 1 -2  NIV]

And so, eventually, Jesus would not only have the kingdom treasure, but the whole field through His purchase.

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever."
[Revelation 11 : 15  NIV]

Have you heard such a slant on this parable before - Jesus telling a parable about himself and his purpose in coming to our world?

Blessings, Barry

God Predestines Salvation

There are many Christians who believe that God has predestined certain people to be saved and the rest of mankind to be lost - that God chooses beforehand who will be saved and who will be forever lost.

They usually expect the outcome for those saved to be eternal bliss in heaven with God and for the lost to be annihilation or eternal torment in a place they call hell.

Although God's foreknowledge and predestination activities are mentioned or inferred several times in the Scriptures, there are only two passages (in most of our English translations) that specifically use this word in relation to the future of mankind.

And these passages only refer to the predestination of specific people to be saved, and say nothing about anyone being predestined to be lost.

Here's the first:

... To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: ...
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ...
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
[Ephesians 1 : 1 - 12  NIV]

It is interesting that it was only the saints, the holy and faithful ones, the first to benefit from God's plan of salvation, that were predestined. Clearly, God has predetermined who will be his saints, the Body of Christ, in the current age.

And the second:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
[Romans 8 : 29 - 30  ESV]

This passage, written to those loved by God and called to be holy and belong to Jesus Christ, also shows God pre-selecting those who are to be members of Christ's church.

So the only specific predestination I can find in the Scriptures is God deciding beforehand those who would be saved and comprise the Body of Christ during this current age of grace, and participate in the coming millennial kingdom.

But God's plan of salvation does not end there.
Jesus is going to draw all people to himself

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will drag everyone to me.
[John 12 : 32  DBH]

because he died for the sins of all people

And he is an atonement for our sins, and not only for ours, but for those of the whole cosmos.
[1 John 2 : 2  DBH]

and God's plan is for all people to be saved and come to know God's love and provision for them.

... our savior God, who intends all human beings to be saved and to come to a full knowledge of truth.
[1 Tim 2 : 4  DBH]

So although the word predestined is not used in these references, it's clear that God's predetermined plan of salvation is intended to cover all people.
 
Why do I say predetermined or predestined here?

In all his wisdom and insight God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ.
This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.
[Ephesians 1 : 9 - 10  GNB]

Clearly, salvation for all people has been predestined by God; especially those to be saved as the Body of Christ, the Advance Party, in this age.

We struggle and work hard, because we have placed our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all and especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10  GNB]

Blessings, Barry

Response to Universal Reconciliation Opposition - Part 14

This is the fourteenth in a mini-series of posts responding to the arguments offered by Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) against God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation.

His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings, the fourth of which is d. The Final Decision Made in this Life. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)

Under the d. The Final Decision Made in this Life heading Dr Arnold states that the fourth argument is that, according to Scripture, the final decision is made in this life and cites 2 Corinthians 6 : 2 and Hebrews 9 : 27 to illustrate his assertion.

Let's consider the first of these verses.

For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
[2 Corinthians 6 : 2  NIV]

It seems that Dr Arnold is using one of the many interpretative English "translations" of 2 Cor 6 : 2 (like NIV above] to make the point that the day of salvation had arrived for the original readers of this letter, and then infer that this day is therefore the only day salvation is available.

However the is not in the original of this verse. Here is a literal translation from ALT3.

for He says, "In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you".
Listen! Now acceptable time. Listen! Now day of salvation.

The first sentence in the verse is a quote from Isaiah 49. Paul's use of it is the second sentence.

A smooth English translation from the original would use "a" or "an" to help the flow of the sentence when there is no "the" in the original, like this one.

For he says, "In an acceptable time I heard you, and on a day of salvation I helped you." Look: Now is an acceptable time. Look: Now is a day of salvation. [DBH]

Clearly more than one day of salvation exists.

Did Abraham live in a day of salvation?

What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness".
[Romans 4 : 3  NIV]

Did David live in a day of salvation?

After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
[Acts 13 : 22 -23  NIV]

Do we live in a day of salvation?

So then, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
[Romans 10 : 13  GW]

It seems a pity that a word that is not in the original Biblical text is used to support a point of view that denies God's plan to reconcile all of creation to Himself by the end of the realm of time.

and here is the motive of our toiling and wrestling, because we have our hopes fixed on the ever-living God, who is the Saviour of all mankind, and especially of believers.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10  Weymouth]

There are clearly many more days of salvation needed, even after death. The final decision is not made in this life for most of mankind.

Now let's consider the Hebrews verse that has been cited to demonstrate that the final decision regarding salvation is made in this life.

Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.
[Hebrews 9 : 27  GNB]

By using this verse to make his point, Dr Arnold is inferring that the judgement mentioned here will always produce a guilty verdict after which rehabilitation is not possible.
If God is to complete His plan to reconcile all things in heaven and on earth to Himself, then a restoring process of some sort must follow the judgement after death.

Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.
[Colossians 1 : 20  GNB]

I have written several posts previously that address God's judgements as a righteous Judge and a whole chapter called "God's Merciful Judgement" in the book The Really Good News About God. A free web version of the book can be read on https://www.ibtechservices.com.au/gnw.html.

Here's a snippet from page 146.

So a judgement may have a favourable or an unfavourable outcome, not always an unfavourable one as some people believe the word “judgement” implies.

However, in the case of an unfavourable outcome, the penalty is designed and administered with the purpose of improving the guilty person’s behaviour or character so that he or she will eventually be different.
Once that penalty has been paid and the change in behaviour or character achieved, the previously guilty person will then become as free as a person who was immediately acquitted.

God is always in the rehab business because He is a God of love and mercy.

For God has made all people prisoners of disobedience, so that he might show mercy to them all.
[Romans 11 : 32  GNB]

Judgement is not the end, as Dr Arnold infers. It is an essential step on the way to reconciliation with God, so fulfilling His plan to bring the whole universe back to himself.

Blessings, Barry

Vaccinated or Not?

The challenges and costs (personal, corporate, national and global) of the current pandemic are severe enough. But the debate about vaccine types, brands and safety has added another dimension to people's concerns.

However I will use this post to mention another concern: the potential for communities to be divided between the vaccinated and the un-vaccinated.

There is much talk about the freedoms vaccinated people will have compared with those who have not been vaccinated when national and global restrictions are lifted.

There seems to be a fear held by many of the vaccinated about being in close proximity to the un-vaccinated, resulting in certain activities only being available to the vaccinated. Given that data currently available suggests vaccines are of most use to prevent serious disease and death, proximity to others is probably a mute point, especially when mask-wearing is often mandated.

However, I do not wish to discuss the medical side of this, but the social/moral cost that is looming, which is largely being ignored.

Although some citizens are required to be vaccinated by their governments or their workplaces, by and large vaccination is a personal choice - as is remaining un-vaccinated.
People need to make their own choices on their personal circumstances after sorting through the vast range of official and social media advice being offered.

With that choice made, each group has chosen its personal level of protection - and life should open up and return to "normal" with each group needing to respect the freedom of the other group to choose as they have decided.

I find this approach to be consistent with St Paul's instructions to first century Christians belonging to a multi-national church in Rome composed of Jews and Gentiles. Their backgrounds were clearly very different, as were their paths to church membership.

In the disputes that arose, mainly because the Jews wished to impose their path to membership on the Gentiles, there was great pressure on harmony in the church.

Romans chapters 14 and 15 are filled with wise advice on handling that situation. Here are some samples using the NIV translation.

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgement seat?
(14 : 10)
Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
(14 : 13)
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
(14 : 19)
Accept one another, then, just as Christ has accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
(15 : 7)

I think we could use this advice as encouragement to accept and avoid being judgemental toward fellow saints who have made a different vaccine choice to us.

And, wherever God gives us the opportunity, to encourage others to adopt the same approach.

Blessings, Barry

Serious Big Picture Distractions

The last post, Keeping the Big Picture in View, was a reminder to keep God's Grand Plan in mind when observing and experiencing life's more challenging circumstances.
However there are sources other than life's sufferings and injustices that might distract us from keeping God's Big Picture in view.

The first is the misleading English Bible translations that most Christians own.

I have discussed this problem in several posts over the years so I won't take space here. But you can find two of them here and here; or just put "translation" in the search box on the right.

The most common and most misleading translation is the use of "eternal" when "aionian" or "eonian" or "of the age" should have been used.
And I have written about this many times too. You can find two posts here and here; or just put "age" or "aionian" in the search box.

However, the "eternal" mistranslations in English were initiated by very early (4th and 5th century AD) mistranslations between Greek and Latin, but the end result is the same. The difference between life in the coming kingdom and genuine eternal life has been hidden. Certainly believers (only) will have kingdom life, but others need to wait until the second resurrection for their preparation into eternity.

These mistranslations and the prophetic theology derived from them has produced doctrine that is so embedded in the mainstream churches that it is considered heretical to challenge it, even with accurate literal translations and the better theology they produce.

The second is the supply of misleading books and websites authored by Christians who don't know or accept God's Big Picture or build their theology on the mistranslations just mentioned.

We are blessed to have access to so much Bible teaching and discussion on the internet, as well as millions of books in print or in digital format.
However, we need to treat that abundance a bit like our shopping at a supermarket - choosing some to read while leaving others on the shelf.

And even after you dive into your selected site, you might still find some articles that appeal and some that don't.
I have some excellent sites that I learn so much from, yet they contain articles or points of view that conflict with God's Big Picture.

For example, the site For What Saith the Scriptures? authored by Shawn Brasseaux contains some excellent material.
Unfortunately, a few articles contain paragraphs that depart from Scripture.
Here is one of them:

God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself; however, that does not mean that everyone will eventually go to heaven.
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:10:“For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”
While salvation from sin and hell is being offered to everyone through Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, the phrase “specially of those that believe” proves that the merits of Christ’s work at Calvary cannot profit each individual until he or she trusts it.

Not only does Shawn fail to appreciate God's Grand Plan, but he actually contradicts it by filtering the verse through his own predetermined position (using terrible grammatical skills) to make his own position sound more Biblical than the Bible's.

You might see the poor grammar more easily with this parallel:
I like ice-cream, especially chocolate.
Shawn's grammar would accuse me of only liking chocolate ice-cream - which I can assure you is incorrect!

1 Timothy 4 : 10 correctly says that God will save all men, and of all the saved, believers have something special about them. Indeed they do. They are the Body of Christ, the Advance Party, through whom Christ administers the coming kingdom age.

So, although I learn much from this site, I am very cautious when reading an article that ignores or contradicts God's Grand Plan.

Now I can understand these commentators echoing traditional mainstream church doctrines based on faulty translations, because that's their starting point. But to actually change the text or contradict the text to uphold their doctrinal position is inexcusable.

So how do I avoid these distractions in my personal Bible Study?

I know the English words to watch out for in Bible translations - hell, eternal, forever and ever, torment, annihilation,  - and I am alert to the theology and points of view that deny or oppose God's Grand Plan of universal reconciliation. And I read Bibles and books and websites with these alert flags automatically in place.

But I wasn't always like this.
For many years, whenever I ran into poor Bible translation or interpretation or commentary (or author opinion) that contradicted what God had clearly declared in other parts of Scripture, I would give up reading that site (or that book).

In the case of books, there were many sitting on my shelves for years that I would never open again - and I would not give them away either as that would have me contributing to the distribution of false information (fake news, we call it these days).

But I have now changed my practice.
I now keep reading most authors for whatever sound teaching and commentary they are providing, but ignore or put a line through those parts that I can't align with Scripture or that contradict God's Grand Plan.

I seem to be following the advice given by Charles C. Ryrie in the Foreword of a book on Eschatology on my shelves:

The author's consideration of the Biblical material is thorough and thought-provoking. His conclusions will not always meet with full agreement even by those who share his approach, but those who read this book cannot help but be instructed and stimulated by his work.

Many years ago, I remember being dumb-struck by an author who seemed to be correct in so many areas and yet seemed horribly incorrect in another. I had spoken openly about my amazement of this author's apparent blind spot, when one young staff member said to me, "Barry, if he was correct in everything, you would worship him."

How profound!
I have since believed that God is not going to reveal all of His truth to any single person or group for that reason.
So I don't expect any author or teacher or preacher to have everything sewn up any longer.

And that surely includes me!
I still have many questions to be answered and points of understanding to be resolved, even though I spend many hours a week trying (especially during Victoria's "endless" lock downs).
I always write my theology in pencil. 😀

So I supermarket shop my way through books, websites and Bible translations - taking what is helpful to understanding and appreciating God's Grand Plan to reconcile all things to Himself and leaving other items on the shelf.

Blessings, Barry

Keeping the Big Picture in View

The Bible's Big Picture is rarely mentioned and possibly not even known by many.
So what is it?

For in him (God's Son) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
... and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[Colossians 1 : 16, 20  NIV]

The Big Picture in one sentence: God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, created the universe and will eventually live in harmony with it for ever.

This means that everything that happens between the beginning (creation) and the end (reconciliation) must be contributing to that end result - even bad things like sin and death.

This idea was expressed by the young Indian manager in the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in his response to complaints about deficiencies in the hotel's amenities, "Everything will be all right in the end. So if it's not all right, then it is not yet the end."

The key players in God's grand plan are named Adam - the first Adam and the last Adam.

The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 45  NIV]

As such, each had a major role to play.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 21 - 22  NIV]

So in all our reading of the Scriptures, in all our observation of what's happening in the world around us, it is important to keep in mind:
God created the heavens and earth and is going to live in joyful harmony with all of it in the end;

The first Adam brought death into the world and the last Adam brings life into it.
"Everything will be all right in the end. So if it's not all right, then it is not yet the end."

Let's also not be tempted to think God's grand plan is going to fail because something seems to have gone terrible wrong.
God is in charge of His universe, so will complete His project.
He assures us:

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'
From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.
[Isaiah 46 : 10 - 11  NIV]

One of the most tragic experiences for a believer is see a close friend or a member of the family die without knowing the Lord.
We need to remember that "is not yet the end".

Sure we would have preferred that person to have known the Lord and have been part of the kingdom in the next age, and we probably worked and prayed for that to happen.

But at the end of the ages, through judgement at the GWT and refining in the LOF, everyone will be reconciled to God and enjoy eternity in harmony with Him.

Let's be assured that believers are just the firstfruits of the crop, and the main harvest is still to come.
If

For he (Christ) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 25  NIV]

and

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 26  NIV],

then

there will only be life remaining - which can be also be expressed this way:

For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
[Romans 11 : 32  NIV]

In brief, let's always keep the Big Picture in view.
Trusting God is in control and will complete His grand plan for His creation gives us peace now and hope for the future.

Blessings, Barry