The word "gospel" means good news so the Christian gospel is the good news concerning the Christ - the Jewish Messiah, God's Son and the Saviour of the world.
So what is this good news?
A straight quote from Paul's letter to the Corinthians will provide a concise answer to this question.
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures
He was entombed
He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures
[1 Cor 15 : 3 - 5 NIV]
This is really Good News (Gospel) from God to mankind because of its awesome consequences, both personal and corporate.
Personally, God no longer holds our sins against us
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them.
[2 Corinthians 5 : 19 NIV]
because
(Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
[1 John 2 : 2 NIV]
Corporately, God will remove death and sin from his creation and create a new heaven and earth.
The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.
[1 John 3 : 8b GNB]
Our dreaded enemy, death, which we inherited from Adam is to be removed from creation.
For he (Jesus) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
[1 Cor 15 : 25 - 26 NIV]
God will have supreme control.
But when all things have been placed under Christ's rule, then he himself, the Son, will place himself under God, who placed all things under him; and God will rule completely over all.
[1 Cor 15: 28 GNB]
Heaven and Earth will be in complete harmony
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.
[Eph 1: 9 - 10 GNB]
and squeaky-clean
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
[2 Peter 3 : 13 NIV]
It's amazing how many people, even those belonging to the Christian religion, do not believe this awesome outcome, even though they sing songs that proclaim it most Sundays.
For example, at a funeral I attended last week we sang a well-known hymn whose words included the death of death, the destruction of hell and God's "kingdom stands, and grows for ever, till all your creatures own your sway".
Most of the nearly 300 people present heartily proclaimed these words describing God's promised future for his creation.
Let's truly believe and endorse what the Scriptures teach about our God and his exciting plan for all mankind through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Blessings, Barry
This is the tenth 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 second of which is b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)
Under the b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead heading Dr Arnold claims that the unbelieving dead are seen in a fixed state that cannot be altered and then quotes numerous texts from the New Testament hoping to illustrate his assertion.
(i) The Matthew texts, (ii) The Rich Man and Lazarus parable and (iii) the John texts were discussed in three previous posts - Parts 7, 8 and 9.
(iv) Two texts from 2 Peter declaring that the unrighteous will need to face judgement.
Dr Arnold states that these texts demonstrate that the unbelievers are committed to pits of darkness to be reserved unto judgement of the Great White Throne and the unrighteous are kept under judgement until the day of judgement.
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell [Tartarus] and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; ...
then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,
[2 Peter 2 : 4, 9 NASB]
I totally agree with Dr Arnold. That's definitely what these verses say.
But Dr Arnold's inference is that judgement is inherently a bad result and therefore the end of the road for those angels and the unrighteous.
However, judgement is a decision or a verdict - not a sentence or a punishment - which may have a favourable or an unfavourable outcome.
Even in our human courts, we should expect verdicts to be reached fairly and penalties applied appropriately.
If a favourable decision is reached, the accused is not guilty as charged, so goes free.
If an unfavourable decision is reached - the accused is guilty as charged - and expects to be penalised in some appropriate way.
That penalty should be designed to produce a change in behaviour, and when served and the change in behaviour achieved, the accused is then as free as if he/she was not guilty in the first place.
Indeed, going to court, being found guilty and serving the relevant penalty is the only way an offender can be finally free.
So surely, the God of love, mercy and compassion would do at least as well as our human courts.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
[John 3 : 17 NIV]
And, if God claims to be the Saviour of the world, then freedom for all can be confidently expected eventually.
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10 NASB]
The believers are special because they become aware of, and are given the faith to believe in, their salvation early - they are the firstfruits, using Hebrew harvest terminology.
They will live and be co-rulers with Christ in the millennium kingdom age; the remainder serve the penalty of not living and enjoying life in that kingdom age before facing their judgement and rehabilitation.
I have been extremely brief in my comments here, but "The Really Good News About God" has a whole chapter dealing with judgement and might be worth a re-read at this point.
I have just said sufficient to demonstrate that God's judgements are designed to produce good outcomes and are stepping stones on the way to universal salvation and reconciliation as revealed by Paul.
And all people will see God's salvation.
[Luke 3 : 6 NIV]
With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 8 - 10 NIV]
Let me finish this post by quoting a favourite author of mine, Professor Thomas Talbot, from his book "The Inescapable Love of God".
While discussing God's judgements as being remedial - a means of correction - he says, "It is eternal both in the sense that its causal source lies in the eternal God himself and in the sense that its corrective effects last forever".
Isn't it so exciting to know that God loves us all, Jesus died and rose for us all, and God has life in store for us all?
I find this a much more positive gospel (good news) to share than the one I grew up with.
Blessings, Barry
I'm taking a pause in my responses to Dr Arnold's opposition to God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation to explain my motivation in writing these posts.
As regular readers would know, I frequently write posts explaining and advocating God's plan to eventually save all His people.
And I will continue to do so.
But recently I have been reading books and articles written by pastors and theologians who don't believe God will be that successful, so you will also see some responses to those writings from time to time.
Naturally my responses will attempt to expose the weaknesses in the arguments being offered and may sound quite critical of them.
However, I trust my responses will not convey any criticism of the author whose writings I am critiquing - I definitely have no intention of attacking him or her personally.
Indeed, I hope I never fall for the trap of criticising or belittling a fellow believer just because I hold a different point of view on some subject.
In the current mini-series addressing Dr Arnold's article, let me assure my readers that I am not criticising or attacking Dr Arnold.
As I stated in my opening post in this mini-series, here Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) is a brilliant Messianic Jewish theologian living in USA whom I respect and whose expertise in the Scriptures, particularly regarding Israel's past, present and future, is outstanding, and I am learning so much from his written and video publications.
You can access them directly at www.ariel.org.
However, I do not agree with his opposition to God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation, a position I find promised over and over in a correctly translated Bible and discussed in my book "The Really Good News About God" published in 2015.
Although Dr Arnold's opposition to God's plan of universal reconciliation fills only 2 pages of an 18 page study called "The Intermediate State Between Death and Resurrection", my response has become quite extensive (9 posts to date with probably 5 more to go) because his opposition piece contains a large number of (briefly-stated) opinions.
I felt each of these opinions needed a fairly comprehensive response containing Biblical and/or logical and philosophical arguments to demonstrate why I hold a different view to a theologian of such standing,
In summary, most of my posts will be positive and advocate and show Biblical support for God's plan to reconcile and save the world, but some will be negative and critique the writings of those who believe God will not achieve that outcome.
I trust you can enjoy and appreciate both types of posts.
Blessings, Barry
(Response to Universal Reconciliation Opposition - Part 10 coming soon)
In days gone by, most people living in Australia would have produced a reasonably good off-the-cuff answer to this question.
But in our present, multi-cultural, increasingly atheistic nation, there are many people for whom this question would draw a blank.
Additionally, as a consequence of the behaviour and commentary of some people who identify as Christian, others who might claim to know the answer could be well off the mark.
So how would we answer?
And if the question was raised in casual conversation, how would we answer in less than the 30 seconds we might be expected to give a response?
I would like to give all Christians reading this post a challenge.
Firstly, let's be sure we have a Biblically based idea of what Christianity is all about.
Then try to write an answer to this question that could be spoken, at normal casual conversation speed, in less than 5 minutes.
Then review, edit and re-write the answer so that it could be spoken in less than 2 minutes.
Then review it again and re-write it so that it could be said, conversationally, in less than 30 seconds.
Then memorise and practise it and be ready to use it whenever God produces the opportunity.
If the question is raised in casual conversation keep in mind that our answer, as well as being accurate, needs to be interesting enough to prompt our questioner to keep the conversation going in that direction.
I would love to see some 30 second answers posted in the Comments section below (as an anonymous commenter if you would prefer that).
By the way, I have started my 30 second response with ... "It's all about being a follower of God's Son, Jesus Christ ... "
Blessings, Barry
This is the ninth 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 second of which is b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)
Under the b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead heading Dr Arnold claims that the unbelieving dead are seen in a fixed state that cannot be altered and then quotes numerous texts from the New Testament hoping to illustrate his assertion.
(i) The Matthew texts and (ii) The Rich Man and Lazarus parable from Luke's gospel were discussed in two previous posts.
(iii) Two texts from John's gospel which announce that Jews not believing in the Messiah will die in their sins.
Dr Arnold says these verses state that unless one believes, he will die in his sins and there is no possibility of belief after dying in sin.
John 8 : 21 and 24 [NET]
Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will look for me but will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.”
"Thus I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
As usual, Jesus was talking with the Jews about the Messianic Kingdom and their need to believe He was the Messiah for them to join Him in it.
And, of course, this conversation occurred before Jesus had died for the sins of the world.
So instead of being able to come with Him, they would remain and die in their sins.
I agree with Dr Arnold's "that unless one believes, he will die in his sins", but where does he get "and there is no possibility of belief after dying in sin" from?
Because of Dr Arnold's prior belief, he reads into these texts the impossibility of belief any time after death.
An unbeliever who dies in their sin will certainly not see the Messianic Kingdom Age, agreed, but there is much more of God's plan to follow that Age for the unbelieving remainder of His creation, including the removal of death.
For Christ will be King until he has defeated all his enemies, including the last enemy—death. This too must be defeated and ended.
[1 Cor 15 : 25 - 26 TLB]
We have discussed this eventuality in previous posts, so I'll try not to repeat too much here.
However, let's look at what Jesus said to the crowds about "counting the cost of completing the course".
Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it?
If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish.
Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’
[Luke 14 : 28 - 30 MSG]
This was Jesus' advice to those who might be considering discipleship.
Surely it is the same advice that God would follow Himself.
Whatever God is planning, surely He would have previously counted its cost, and would be "well-advised" to complete (so passers-by would not poke fun at Him) - wouldn't He?
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds.
And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!
He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans He took such delight in making.
He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
[Ephesians 1 : 7 - 10 MSG]
Clearly, unlike those in the Advance Party serving Christ in the Messianic Kingdom, others don't have to believe anything during this age to benefit from God's eventual plan of salvation when it is completed at the end of the ages!
So, yes, unbelievers (Jews and Gentiles) will die in their sin (not knowing their sin has been taken care of) and miss the Kingdom Age.
But God has provided for everyone (Jew and Gentile alike) beyond that age through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
If salvation is such a done deal for all, where does faith/belief fit in?
I mentioned this in Part 3 here to refresh your thoughts on this question.
Note: I have written about the Advance Party on several occasions including here
and on the website here under "Believers" in the main menu.
Blessings, Barry
While away on holiday and doing some fun-reading, I was intrigued by the number of times some of our little, yet powerful, English words occurred in the Scriptures. The words that got me thinking were "must" and "so".
Today's post discusses "must". (I might discuss "so" in a future one)
The word "must" is a frequent translation of the Greek word "dei" in most English versions of the New Testament, although sometimes it is translated as
is necessary,
is needful,
is required,
is binding,
depending on the context and flow of the English sentence that contains it
For example, in Matthew 16 : 21, it is used twice to show what was required of Jesus.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. [NIV]
Another example:
He (Jesus) said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
[Luke 24 : 44 NIV]
A verse that many use to show that Jesus in the only means of salvation for mankind is Acts 4 : 12.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. [NIV]
This verse clearly demonstrates God's exclusive means of salvation (Jesus), but what is the must part of the verse saying?
Is it not saying that the salvation of mankind is necessary, is a required outcome of the mission of Jesus, is binding on Jesus to achieve?
Wow! An exclusive process producing an inclusive result!
One person produces salvation for all people!
Reminds me of Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
[1 Cor 15 : 22 NIV]
Paul uses "must" quite often himself.
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 53 NIV]
Seems like Paul is describing an eventual outcome which God has bound himself to achieve, which is a consistent follow-on from the previous verses 25 and 26.
For he (Jesus) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [NIV]
However, before we get that far we are bound to appear before the judgement seat of Christ.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
[2 Corinthians 5 : 10 NIV]
All rewards must be given and anything inappropriate for the next stage of the journey must be removed. (read 1 Corinthians 3 : 11 - 15 for details)
The must verses are so plentiful and demonstrate how God has bound himself to his plan to redeem his whole creation. And, of course, because he is sovereign, all powerful, he must fully accomplish that plan.
Blessings, Barry
A popular past-time for many people at this time of the year is to make (and break) new year resolutions.
These are most often centred around being materially or personally better off.
Favourite resolutions are to lose weight, quit smoking, save more/spend less, learn something new, exercise more, and other "me-focused" goals - all very worthy targets.
Disciples of Jesus might consider adding something more "other-focused" to these.
A recurring exhortation in both the Old and New Testaments is for God's people to love God and neighbour.
When Jesus was asked by a Jewish leader which commandment he considered was the most important, he replied:
"The most important one is this: 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
The second most important commandment is this: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'
There is no other commandment more important than these two."
[Mark 12 : 29 - 31 GNB]
So our added resolutions could be "to love God more" and "to be more loving to my neighbour".
And how could we do that?
Well, it depends on what we mean by love.
My definition: to love someone is to always want the best for them, and whenever the opportunity arises, to do that best for them.
(Notice that it has nothing to do with whether we like that someone or not.)
So, how could we love God more?
In other words, how could we do more of what would be best for God?
One way would be to represent him and his love for humanity more often and more faithfully.
... He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.
In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn't hold people's faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others.
Therefore, we are Christ's representatives ...
[2 Corinthians 5 : 18 - 20 GW]
Then how could we love our neighbour more?
In other words, how could we do more of what would be best for our neighbour?
A back-handed answer is for us to become more Christ-like, as he was always doing the best for others.
Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers.
[Romans 8 : 29 GNB]
All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.
[2 Corinthians 3 : 18 GNB]
We do this by allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and correct us, so progressively transforming us into Christ-likeness.
Out of that Christ-likeness flows insight into what is best for our neighbour, prompting us into action.
I am amazed at how often the Holy Spirit prompts me to call, visit or pray for someone I have not even been thinking about and discover my contact has resulted in meeting a current need of that neighbour.
As well as transforming me, I am prompted to love my neighbour as Christ would. Indeed, he is loving them through me.
So what about the "me-focused" resolutions on my list?
How can these contribute to our loving God and neighbour more?
To be better off financially might allow us to be better providers for our families and give us more options for doing the best for our neighbour.
To lose weight (a perennial favourite) might be an admirable goal if it means carrying less weight makes us more effective and efficient in serving God and neighbour.
To learn something new might be just the thing the Holy Spirit wants us to use in loving our neighbour.
Disciples of Jesus have so many options when choosing resolutions for the new year together with the Holy Spirit's empowering to ensure those new goals last the distance.
And all of them can contribute to Jesus' call for us to love God and love our neighbour as ourselves.
Wishing you a Spirit-guided and productive new year.
Blessings, Barry
