PART ONE
A student of mine told me about a confusion they had concerning sin and hell. They simply did not know what it meant from a modern sense of connotation/ denotation. What I reckoned that they were being led to ask was: ‘how could these two topics make sense if we are saved by grace?’ I said that we must know the mannerisms and language used in early first century Palestine. From this approach, we can see how cleanly the words of the New Testament were ordered into the earliest manuscripts substantiating the codex Sinaticus.
Terms to know:
‘profess’ – “homologeo” = ‘to agree in word and deed’–i.e., you don’t just ‘say’ “I love Jesus” you must do the deed by acting as He did/
‘predestination’ – ‘pro – horidzon’—-’pre – boundary’ or ‘pre – encircled’ ‘sheep gate with legal food (nomos bromata) for grazing’/ — pre “Stage and Setting” in our “coming to be” – engeneto
‘apokatakollosin’ = ‘full restoration’ ‘restored back to original state (Colossians 1:14-17),
‘grace’ –’unearned/ unmerited favor/
‘hell’ – the hidden place – ‘con + CEAL/ seal – ‘cellar’/ Kalupsis – cover/ hid ===i.e., APO (off) + KALUPTO (cover) = Apocalypse * Remember: “educate” = “e” = “out”/ “exit” + “ducare” darkness
Greek: Phulake : darkness of a prison cave or confine
‘sin’- Greek: “harmateia” —an archer’s term meaning: “To miss the mark” or “bullseye”, senile – senex (Latin), to ‘sine’ –curve away, etc.
‘codex sinaiticus’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Sinaiticus
The oldest complete copy of the Old and New Testament. More or less irrefutable less scribal errors and textual arguments for errancy.
Question one:
What is sin? Sin is a path, that if continued by its own nature, ends off the grid, off the range of meaning, into darkness, into finality, into non-meaning, death. It is the archery term: “harmateia” which means: “to miss the mark”.
Question two:
Who has sin?
Well, here’s the list of *those* who have sin:
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcery (pharmakois – drug users), idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
(confer to Romans 3:10 – no one is righteous)
Many scholars believe (as do myself) that Jesus’ Gospels are referring to the *works* of the Pharisees for whom they believed that their *works* would be acceptable unto God. Many scholars and myself believe that Jesus’ Gospels addressed Salvation as having come before the Pharisees and contrasted the “Two systems”. It was the Pharisees that said they *were* the Kingdom of Heaven because they brought God’s words with them. Jesus didn’t have to address the words when He said, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you shall in no way enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Here’s the play on “The Kingdom of Heaven”: Basileau tou Ouranos —or, “The Kingdom of God”: Basileau tou Theon. In both Greek cases the “Basileau” means, “the basis”. Furthered, it means ‘the feet’, ‘the base’, ‘basin’, ‘pit’, ‘under structure’<—- the ‘abyss’ of the thing. All to say, the ‘root core’ of the Kingdom of God would be with Word AND Deed…not just words and show as the Pharisees did.
Jesus’ reference to the Pharisees’ “words” vs. the actions required by Jesus (The DEEDS). When Jesus says in Matthew 5:21 – ff. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time…” Jesus is referring to the Pharisees. Please start with Matthew 5:17 below:
Matthew 5:17 —
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Anger and Reconciliation
(Luke 12:57-59)
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Adultery
(Leviticus 18:1-30)
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offends thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Divorce
(Deuteronomy 24:1-5; Luke 16:18-18)
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Vows
(Numbers 30:1-16)
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Love Your Enemies
(Leviticus 24:17-23; Luke 6:27-36)
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans do so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect (teleioi – unto completion), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”.
(here ends Jesus’ rhetors {statement to cause attention/ effect})
But….how can we be ‘perfect’? If “Teleioi” means “telegraphed to the end with the fullness of meaning” then, the English has no bearing on this context. Such an example of Teleos might be as follows: Aristotle said that the ‘teleos’ of an acorn was the oak tree. We are commanded under His authority with His WORD overriding us (adverse of MacBeth’s witches’ fate) to ‘become complete unto “the fullness of meaning”. I believe we can have Homologeo or true profession implemented here as a “Spiel/ Spell/God-Spiel” by which Christ casts upon us. As MacBeth’s witches cast a spell over MacBeth so did Christ over us —- a Spell unto repentance which leads to being perfect.
The conundrum:
We sin. Paul says in Romans 3:10 – “For there is no one righteous, no, not one. No one understands, no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not one. Romans 3:10 is simply establishing our natures. While Jesus geniusly commands us ‘to be perfect’. Jesus ‘presses’ us to obtain the answer. Jesus thrusts us into the press which purifies us.
1 Corinthians 15:27 “For God has put all things in subjection under His feet”.
If we are ‘to be perfect’ and ‘all things are subjected under His feet’ must we look at a ‘conjunction’ of two events? First, ALL things are subject under God and we are “to be perfect”. Must this ‘obedience’ be the ‘profession’/’homologeo’ that we learned earlier that links Word and Deed and the sign of Christ working in us? This must be taken as being in context with the WILL of God acting on us, or it will simply not make sense in Greek or English!
You’re not doing “works unto salvation”. Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works (energon) in you, both to WILL (thelein) and to WORK (energon) for His good pleasure”. So, the command by Jesus “to be perfect” is without our sinful nature acting. In contrast, it is with our renewed Christ like nature that is in “homologeo” — agreement with the WILL of GOD. This new and ‘coming to be’ will in us does indeed obey, do and speak God’s commands. Our homologeo-will IS the herald to the world that you are God’s beacon and that He is willing and working in you to act as Christ did on earth. I might add that our “wills” are not free from God, rather, infinitely bound to Him. In this sense, we are more ‘free’ than ever to act, breathe and think as HIS children. THERFORE, we are “free from” our limited flesh which continues its course unto death and hiddenness.
A ‘KIND’ OF CONDEMNATION:
OUR EARTHLY PLIGHT STILL REMAINS THOUGH WE ARE ‘SAVED FROM OUR FLESHLY WILLS UNTIL THE END OF THIS AGE AND CHRIST’S RETURN
THE LAW STILL REMAINS UNTIL THE END ( ESCHATOS ) OF ALL THINGS
Matthew 5:17
(17) “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”.
Jesus makes it clear that He has not come to destroy the law here on earth but to fulfill it —in order that this Law would condemn all works of the flesh and will remain until “all be fulfilled”. Furthermore, this ‘kind’ of condemnation is ordained to its own condemnation.
What does “all” mean here?
In James 1:2 we have the beginning of this answer: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into many temptations. (3) Knowing this, that the trying (dokimion – testing unto righteousness) of your faith works patience (hupomene’ – above the remaining echelon/ higher than just to maintain {hyper + maintain}) . (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect (teleioi – ‘to come to the end with the fulness of meaning’) and entire (holoklayroi – sound, whole, perfect, complete, lacking nothing {holo – “holy” ), wanting nothing.
The works of the flesh are the works of judgment against the flesh. Therefore, the superimposed trials that are put on us by God are the trials by which we must endure. These trials calibrate us unto the better way/ His way/ His holy Will unto His Son’s ‘likeness’ . This is not just pain for pain’s sake but a fully intended act upon us with a trajectory unto the fullness of meaning ordained by a Sovereign God. Any other “god” or “ideology” is a lesser “god” or “ideology”.
We see this in Romans 8:29-31 where we have been predestined to become unto the ‘likeness’ of Jesus. Little by little, we are ‘calibrated’ out of our flesh and into the necessity of righteousness. Still, this necessary flesh must exist. Our very being is still under the law. We are flesh (sarx), phusikos (natural-physical mind and body), spiritos (spirit), phreino (brain), soma (body-organs). These components that make us who we are — are STILL under the law and by the Law we are still *condemned* until time no more (‘at the last trump’).
In Revelation 6:11–ff we have the 6th judgment vial/ 6th judgment/ 6th angel in John’s vision saying that time will continue a little longer until the final number of the Saint’s brothers be martyred unto completion (plerothusin – fullness/ filled to full/ nothing else left to fill in/ the fullness). Revelation 6:12 – 16 is nearly identical to the prophecy that Jesus made concerning the Final Days leading up to His return. In Revelation 19:12 we see the Resurrected and Returning King Jesus as the Word of Truth, The Logos, the Christ and Kings of Kings with a Name that no one knows but Himself, with eyes as a flame of fire and many diadems seen on His head (please read Revelation 19:12 – ff. for a ‘beautifully – horrific’ vision of our Lord Who will come back in His New body).
Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:31 make it clear that “Immediately after the Days of Tribulation (the 7 judgments found in Revelation) we shall see Him appear (phanaysete – physically see) in Heaven. Vs. 29 and 31 match that of the mourning of the earth in their sins for there is still the final release of our identities in the flesh – more or less this is the final rending from our natural man/ woman.
This final sadness is the teleos by which the fullness of the physical world has come to an end of itself.
We have come to the end (teleos) of the Law which bound us to condemnation. We were and are believers but with a different condition. We now have a New Heaven and New Earth seen in Revelation 21:1 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. (2) I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. (4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”.
Our old bodies must go away with world’s condemnation while the spirit goes with God where we will receive *new bodies* becoming an eternal soul (body and spirit). Philippians 3:21 tells us that Jesus Christ will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself:
2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. (2) We grow weary in our present bodies and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. (3)For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. (4) While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life”.
But when and how will this world end?
Time table: The last of the 7 trumpets; the last or 7th angel; The last of 7 judgments
1 Corinthians 15:52–ff: “ In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality ————-*Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 – ff “For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord”.
Matthew 24: 29 (Jesus’ own words) “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give light and the stars will fall from the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (30)
LET’S ADDRESS THE FINAL JUDGMENT UPON THE SINFUL EARTH:
Characteristics of our sinful natures (phusikos); where sin (harmateia – “to
miss the mark”) ‘leads to’ —that is “Death” or “thanatos” as the ‘wage’1 of our sins.
“But {di} as for the cowardly {tois deilois} and {kai} the faithless {apistois} and the detestable {ebdelugme’nois}….and…as for murderers {phoneusin} and the sexually immoral {pornois} and sorcerers {pharmakois} and idolaters {eidololatrais} and all {kai pasin} the liars {tois pseudesin} THEIR PORTION {to’ meros} is in the lake {limnos} that burns {kaiomene’} with fire {puri} and sulfur {theio}, which is the second {deuteros} death {thanatos}”. As Macbeth has a ‘fatal’ or ‘fatalist’ *reward* of fatality…the reality of the “REWARD” is death. Might I state here that the “reward” or “portion” is indeed this in the works of the flesh. But there another very old Jewish understanding of this “kind” of “portion” unto death that is sealed away with all of our sins in it— a “book” of sins of the camp of Israel. Revelation makes use of Jewish customs from their inception into the early church age. This “book” was called the “Tsaror” which meant “Bundle” with a wax seal made by the Priests that no one should open. Job says that shod did not look over my sin but rather sealed them up (in the Tsaror- bundle) and daubed (the wax to seal) over my iniquity. Here below we have ample information with a picture of it. Job made mention of such a book as did the writer of Psalms.
1 In the fictive writing of Shakespeare’s *MacBeth*, MacBeth finds himself “fated” to an end. This *end* IS death. This ‘end’ is a *result* of the ‘fated (fatal)’ path by which the Witches (the **Fates**/ femme fatales) ‘fated’ MacBeth’s course/ trek/ path {podos/ feet) on. In this brilliant fictive writing, Shakespeare uses this story to express the natural man’s journey in carried to wantonness and lust of power without remorse and repentance. The wantonness and lust for power are ‘built in’ to the motion of “fate” which was beset upon MacBeth by the Witches. For sure, MacBeth, the story, was a literary device to teach us that the physical/ natural man is without ***his will****…. i.e., the “Will of the Flesh” is on course to destruction – i.e., ‘fatality’. Maybe this story was a made to be as a dream, a nightmare, to register in our minds that our wills lead to our damnation and our only hope is an external WILL that ‘frees us’ from the *will of the flesh* that can only lead to damnation. In the end, the death of MacBeth was likened to the Satan’s death mentioned in Genesis 3:15 – ff. The Christ would crush its head while the Satan would bite at His feet (His children). MacDuff was the Messiah figure and MacBeth was the Satan figure. Please read MacBeth!
My
( above: Dr Tur Sinai’s “The Book of Job” ; pgs 240 and 241)
Another fantastic support for the “Books” of judgments versus the “Book” of life could actually be several ‘kinds’ of judgment which are doled out to us in the dispensing of our coming to be.
Let’s take a look at another scholarly writing:
Dr. J. Massyngberde Ford’s commentary on Revelation; Anchor Bible Series.
Dr. Ford deals with the Semitic and Greek cultural usage of the Phraseologies used in Revelation. With his vantage point we can hack away at a nagging orthodox contention which fixes on Revelation 20: 11-15 the ‘text for damnation’.
Let’s start with the point of contention verse:
Revelation 20:11: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him Who sat upon it from Whose presence the earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. (12) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and *books* were opened and also *another* book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by that was written in the books according to their deeds. (13) And the sea gave up the dead in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged according to their deeds. (14) And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (15) And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”.
Here is Dr Ford’s micro-treatment on this contentious passage:
So, what Dr. Ford is saying:
(1) that in Revelation 20 vs.12 the “books” seem to be distinguished from the “other ONE book” in that the books appear to record WORKS and the single book of life to have the names inscribed.
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(2) Canonized books such as Malachi, Isaiah, and Daniel seem to refer to ‘books’ of “good and evil” deeds that Israel did.
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(3) According to Exodus 32:32, Psalms 69:28; Isaiah 4:3 Jubilees 30:20, 22, 1 Enoch 103:4 we are given the “memorial of the righteous”. The Book of Life (or the Living) culturally referred to the register of Israelite citizens (and it is here that I believe John drew his poetic-apocalyptic metaphor from) in the Old Testament. This would touch-base with the idea of “anathema (vehement hatred)” to *those* who are not Jewish Israelites in the Day when the identity of their Nation was so great to establish a future representation for Spiritual Israel. “Hatred”, linguistically retained in the Greek word “Miseo” means to “dismiss” and “disregard” another’s words, worth, efforts, existence, etc. Another sense of “hate” —”miseo” meant to “not regard as being on stage to promote meaning for the play’s intention”. A bystander without meaning to the event of meaning.
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(4) Specific mention of those who died at sea occurs in vs. 13 of Revelation 20 probably because there was a tradition that only those who died on dry land would rise from the dead. Again, a cultural idea/ belief—-ultimately used to build upon “traditions” that “participate” in the “figurations” of an isolated society. *Though it maybe wrong scientifically, it wasn’t wrong culturally to ‘act in accord’ with the tribe’s order or protocol of beliefs.
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(5) *In reference to Hades giving up the dead: Greek mythology tells us that Hades was the place where the wicked souls had their abode. The connotation to the usage of “Hades” as “unseen” plus its mythology was most certainly carried into the first century Christian mind as a ‘reference’ metaphor. In Greek myth, the evil souls never resurrected from Hades whereas some Greek traditions held that only the righteous would be resurrected.
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(6) With all of that, Death (the wage of sin) and Hades (the unseen) will be cast into the lake of fire which signals the new heaven and earth seen in Revelation 21.
What I would like to say is the origins of Judaism can be many. A hotchpotch of inspired truths revealed by God, commanded by God. The Books of Enoch, Jasher, and Jubilees for sure carried many societal references of, let’s say, David’s time. Many societal views of hell from Enoch, Jasher, and Jubilees were used in Revelation as a tethering to counter the terms unto a Salvific rhetoric.
*Rev. 20:15 “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”. Let me try to answer this from a heart perspective first that I call my “How Abouts”?
MY ‘HOW ABOUTS’
My questions are fearful and simple questions: Could it simply be that no one will be left out of the Book of Life? It never said that there most certainly would be ‘those thrown into the lake of fire’. It only said by condition that “IF” anyone’s name was not in the Book of Life.
As the Bible states its own Theology that the portion (meros – allotment) of sin is death. Conversely, the portion of Grace is eternal life. So, conditionally, if it were possible to not be in the Book of Life THEN you would receive the wages of sin.
Could Revelation’s writer be referring to the Old Testament Law that brings death to all and the New Testament Messiah that brings Life to all2?How about our sins being forgiven as the thief on the cross next to Jesus? How about the ravenous Romans, Pharisees, and Jews who mocked and reveled at the event of Jesus’ crucifiction? Did not Jesus tell His Father, “Forgive them for they know what they do” ? Could there be hope for all of the Nations, tribes, tongues, Kings, etc. that come to the throne of God and worship Him? Forgive me if I’m wrong but “all” Nations, tribes, tongues, Kings, etc. probably includes non-Jews, non-Christians, non-believers,
2 Matthew 10:32 Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in Heaven + Romans 14:11 “Every Knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge me” + Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. So, putting all of these verses together makes it clear that SALVATION is without an option since every knee SHALL BOW and confess Jesus as Lord, sinners of the worst kind, etc. So, isn’t there a hope that Grace would extend to all of us? Would this not be a
In 1 Corinthians 15:26,27: Death will be overcome by Christ. Death is the “last enemy” to be destroyed. For God has put all things in subjection under His feet”
Who’s not to bear any of these traits, even to the present time? I’m referring to Christians for the moment. You’d be a liar if you denied that you didn’t have at least one of these traits. And, being a liar defaults you back to this category of ‘those whose *portion* will burn with fire and sulfur. I won’t argue the agents of chastisement in the lake but I will approach the “portion” that WILL be cast out later. I also look at the agents of fire and sulfur as being that which is used by God to overcome and destroy not only the sinful nature of all of us but the REWARD of sin which is DEATH itself.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is Death but the free (xaris-unearned favor) gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord”. Here’s the contrast and here and now conflict. We have both. We will have only one later.
Romans 6:23
23 23 2
1063 [e] gar
γὰρ
for
Conj
3800 [e] opsōnia
ὀψώνια
wages
N-NNP
3588 [e] tēs
τῆς
–
Art-GFS
266 [e] hamartias
ἁμαρτίας
of sin
N-GFS
2288 [e] thanatos
θάνατος ; [is] death
N-NMS
3588 [e] to
τὸ
–
Art-NNS
1161 [e] de
δὲ
but
Conj
5486 [e] charisma
χάρισμα
the gift
N-NNS
3588 [e] tou
τοῦ
–
Art-GMS
2316 [e] Theou
Θεοῦ , of God
N-GMS
2222 [e] zōē
ζωὴ
life
N-NFS
166 [e] aiōnios
αἰώνιος
eternal
Adj-NFS
1722 [e] en
ἐν
in
Prep
5547 [e] Christō
Χριστῷ
Christ
N-DMS
2424 [e] Iēsou
Ἰησοῦ
Jesus
N-DMS
3588 [e] tō
τῷ
the
Art-DMS
2962 [e] Kyriō
Κυρίῳ
Lord
N-DMS
1473 [e] hēmōn
ἡμῶν . of us
So, what did we get out of this Greek columnar text (please click on the yellow Greek words if you want to see my comments)? (1) the wages of sin are death. Therefore, we all die in our sins. (2) ***BUT*** We have the free gift of salvation through God’s grace (our unearned favor). Is this clear enough? It took me a lifetime to ‘get it’ after having been ‘fearful (delio)’ of my salvation. All such delio/ fear was taught to me day in and day out in the “church”. Yet, the WORD of God teaches us something diametrically opposite. Big business churches don’t want you to not fear. Some call this “contractual christianity”—- you ‘do the dos’ and ‘don’t do the don’ts’ in your church etiquette and somehow you might have salvation.
Now, let’s go back again to see a consistent flaw in free will as a ‘fear tactic’.
ARE WE A THIRD PARTY?
If sin continues its will and God continues His salvific Will —- who are we to “choose”?—- if we are bound not only to one (sin) state of being but both states of being: sin unto salvation and sin and salvation, then, is there another pre-emptive act that we could do prior to sinning or ‘’’choosing”” salvation? Are “we” known as something else? Are we known as those who have ‘acted before’ we sinned or ‘’chose” salvation? If we are then we claim to be before the foundation of creation mentioned in Ephesians 1:4, 9 concerning ‘who chose who’. Did we have preemption before the (a) act to sin or (b) to ‘be’ as a child of God?
Our answer lies within “ontology (the study of “being” —”as ‘we’ are known”)” and “profession”.
We must add to this cauldron of theological ‘isness’ with and in God and our former addressment to what “profession” means we can surmise “being in the state of agreement using your words and your actions in accord with Jesus.
We have all ‘professed’ cowardice. Recapping the word Coward we find in Scripture a command, *not a law*, to ‘not be fearful ( “deilia” ). In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, “God has not given us the spirit of *deilia (fearfulness)”. Yet, in John 14:27, there is instruction given to us to “not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. Well, if there’s instruction given then there is a directive path to come *from* some state of being *to* another.
The early church was being addressed concerning their *Deilia* that they should NOT be of this profession. Does this damn3 them to hell due to their prior status if they are ‘coming to be’ or ‘coming out of’ *deilia*? No. How are they ‘coming to be’ Christians…”in the Likeness thereof” —by their power? No….., by God’s Predeterminate AND Prognosis (foreknowledge) council before the world began, YES. Romans 8:29 “For those whom He Foreknew He ALSO PREDESTINED (pro’/horisen = ‘set before the light came upon it’) to be conformed (sunmorphous – summed, tied together,
3 Various usages of Damn were used in Roman society to mean many things of ‘judgment, observation, a “choice” – in the sense of the ‘given discretion that one has at the time’. Such meanings follow from the Roman etymon “Damn-” : decision, view the harm of an injury – to make a judgment of an injury, obligation to pay–especially by an heir, injure, to damage/ to occasion loss to, judicial doom, full of injury, hurt/ harm. Such words are damnabilis, damnas, damnaticius, damnatio, damnator, damnatorius, damnatus, damnaustra, damnifico, damnificus, damnagerulus, damno, damnoque, damnosus, and damnum Cf Lewis and Short’s “Latin Dictionary” and Seneca, “on anger”, I. i. 1, 2.—-ff, joined and shaped into the same) to the image (icon) of HIS Son, IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BROTHERS” ….that is, HE, JESUS, will be our Bigger Brother. How SWEET is THAT!!???!!! Let’s continue this passage. :30, “And THOSE WHOM he PREDESTINED HE also called (ekelasen —accou —’sounded out’), and those whom HE called HE also justified (edikaiosen), and those whom HE justified (e’dikaiosen – dike’ = ‘make right/ make straight {versus “sine”/ “curved”) and those whom HE justified HE also glorified (‘edoxsasen’ = “the Shooter/ the bowman/ the Archer who ‘participates in the shot that is already done; in the boule or ballistics co-rightly to make the shot to the bullseye”). The Scripture continues: “What shall we say to these things then?! If God is for us who can be against us? HE WHO did not spare HIS own SON but gave HIM up for US ALL (‘emon panton) how will HE not also with HIM graciously give us all things?! Who shall bring any charge against God’s Elect? IT IS GOD WHO JUSTIFIES. WHO IS TO CONDEMN!?!!?!?!? CHRIST JESUS IS THE ONE WHO DIED (WAS CONDEMNED) —MORE THAN THAT, WHO WAS RAISED – WHO IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, WHO IS INDEED INTERCEDING FOR US” …. Sigh… please continue on your own to read the rest of Romans!!!
Faithless = Greek: “apistos”. John 20:27 – Jesus says, “Be not faithless, but believing..”…. Why would Jesus *instruct* this, command this IF there was not a deficiency of faith? The Bible makes it clear that in marriage the *apistia* spouse will be INDEED saved by the believing Spouse (1 Corinthians 6: 13, 14). Are there ‘levels’ of being ‘cut off and sent into fiery-sulfuric hell forever? – Well, if there are, then the ‘cut off’ is worse for the man in 1 Timothy 5:8–”for if anyone does not provide for his relatives (idion/ {Genitive; plural; masculine}), and especially for members of his household (oikeion), he has denied the *Pistis* or *Faith* and IS WORSE THAN AN UNBELIEVER (**APISTOU**). Just to play with this, ‘my relatives’ would ONLY MEAN in the literal Greek: “of my genes, plural, only the males”—just saying! Now, up til their deaths, I took care of my Mom and Dad at our own home, cleaning them, bathing them, wiping them, administering their medications, feeding, clothing, putting them to bed…day after day until there’s nothing left of me. I thought I would die before them. I didn’t. Presently, I’m in the same situation with my mother in law who weighs around 275 lbs, has borderline personality disorder, and is bi-polar. My wife and her brother have been tortured by her since their youth. They still can’t be around her for too long from such trauma that she imposed on them. Her in-laws and friends (minus one) never come over. No one will have her in their home or can. She is vicious and cruel to me. I am the one who takes care of her from 6:30 am until ca 5 pm when my wife gets back. I’m still sharing the load in helping. I have an eighty hour week’s worth of work from home as an online teacher, recording artist, book writer, graphic artist, podcast and website minister, …I have so little time to breathe. I have 3 children under one roof, the aforementioned mother in law and Wife. Am I an infidel (apistia) at 54 if I have done all of these things and something happened to me? Let’s say, God forbid, I was rendered physically incapable of not ‘providing’ this kind of care for my ‘ideon’ = ‘relatives’,PLUS my ‘oikeion’= my own home/ house. Would I be an infidel?!?—-There’s a ***gist*** in scripture that is not tackled by the literal Greek nor English. What is it?: It’s not what the literal says it is. Where do we go from here? The ANSWER begs for a different answer than ‘looking to condemn someone or some situation.
WE NOW ARE LED TO SEE WHAT IS CONDEMNABLE/DETESTABLE IN GOD’S SIGHT AND WHAT IS NOT
Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but they deny (arnoumai/arnountai) HIM by their works. They are *detestable (bdeluktoi) and disobedient (apeitheis) and unfit (adokimoi) for any good (agathon – beneficial/ productive/ constructive/ wholesome/ whole) work (ergon).
How many of you have gone to a Christian Bible school? How many of you have gone to a Christian University? How many of you, if you are in one of these camps, has “professed (homologeo – speak as ‘one in agreement’)” Jesus as Lord” but was disobedient in youth, at that time, before life’s lessons, reality, heaviness of loss, destruction beset you?
Then, destruction came. That very thing that many churches teach us that God does not bring. Yet, Isaiah 45:7- ff says in the King James English: I form the light, and create darkness; I bring prosperity and create evil (Hebrew: “Ra’ah” – destruction/ disease/ death/ war/ etc.): I the Lord do all these things”.
How can we even claim to ‘have done’ the *evil* that we assume is going against God’s WILL? His Sovereign WILL, PATH, PLAN, DIRECTION?!? Wouldn’t this kind of faith actually be considered heinous in the 21st century generally accepted view (orthodox or secular)?
We have created ‘two wills’ in the church view that is for a lack of a better term, schizophrenic. Good vs. Bad —God vs. the Devil. We have created a fantasy of two “wills” battling it out to see what god/ God will win.
What *rectifies (‘right-a-fies’/ ‘makes right’) this error is looking at Scripture from the purview of Predestination with God’s *full Intent*.
If the term “demonic” could actually mean ‘against’ God’s Will then we have this ‘rectifying’ passage: Ephesians 2: 1- 4 “ALL (pantes/ pan) of us (“christian/ non-christian”) were sons/ daughters of wrath (orge’—’rage’) and disobedient (apatheia)”. Ephesians continues to conclude God’s Sovereign predetermination in His Grace in Ephesians 2:5 “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ —-(therefore) by Grace you have been saved”. Continuing this thought in Ephesians 2:8 “For by Grace (xaris – ‘unearned favor’) you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”.
PART TWO WHAT IS HELL?
Titus 1:16 says in the passage I just quoted for “those who will receive the burning of the lake of fire and sulphur”. Well, isn’t that us? Let’s continue with the context of Ephesians 2 to eliminate any perverted sense that *we had the free will to repent of this *detestable* nature that will be thrown into fire and sulphur. Ephesians 2:4: “But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, {vs. 5} EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD (NEKROS) IN OUR TRESPASSES, MADE US ALIVE (SUNEDZOPOIESEN) TOGETHER WITH CHRIST — BY GRACE (CHARITY/ XARITOS) YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED. HMMMMM….. Doesn’t sound like you did anything to ‘cause (ergon)’ your salvation then, huh?. Doesn’t sound like any merit is involved on OUR PART now, does it? Sounds like WE ALL HAVE BEEN *DETESTABLE (ebdelugmenois)* —**earning hell**…. We can’t even “earn” hell, if God is the One who Ordained our salvation! We were *DEAD* and, therefore, NOT CONSCIOUS to make a ***LIVING DECISION*…to “””””choose our own destruction OR salvation**** . Who’s the AUTHOR now of our lives?!
Murderers Matthew 5:21 21“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder (Greek: murder: phoneusin) and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Cf. the following the passage of 1 Chronicles 22:8: “You (David) have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are NOT to build a house for MY NAME (SHEM – authority = Greek: Nomos = Name, Authority), because you have shed much blood on earth in my sight”. At what point did David sin the sin of “murder” when he ‘killed’ more than Saul? Yet, David was instructed to kill Philistines in the NAME of God, by GOD, for GOD – 1 Samuel 23:1-25, “David asked the Lord, “should I go and fight these Philistines?” The LORD answered David, “Yes, go attack the Philistines. Save Keilah”. Funny enough, the very next sentence in this verse mentions Israel’s Army’s own “FEAR”—the very ‘character’ that *gets you thrown into hell* in Revelation 21: 8!….. Did Israel’s Army under David go to hell? I mean, let’s stick with the face of the text…let’s be literal or not! It did say that. I’ve answered to their ‘apportionment’ that will and the Christ in them that won’t. Let’s continue. We don’t have to have an accountant, only God’s *REASON* for categorizing David’s heart for having a “PORTION” of it as being ‘murderous’. In the story of the young warrior David and Saul, there was a jealousy that came over Saul because David was a greater killer of enemies than Saul and David was getting recognized by everyone for this skill over King Saul. Within this gift that David had to kill Israel’s enemies, SOMEWHERE, David’s heart received a murderous portion. As the Bible tells us, David could not complete building the temple to God and gave the command to his son, Solomon, to finish it. The reason WHY David could not complete the Temple’s construction was due to David’s “blood lust” –his apportioned murderous heart. God established David as a Great Warrior, nonetheless, “blood-lustful” or “blood on his hands”. At the same time, David had an PORTION (MERIMNA) THAT WAS SAVED—-his heart for God. Do we remember his “Sexual Immorality (porneo)” with Bathsheba that caused a rift through out his home? Isn’t this the same “sexual immorality”–aka “adultery” that *gets you into the eternal fiery lake of sulfur? Hmmmmm….could this “PORTION” of David been purged by the eternal lake of fire? Could this apportionment of necessary narrative sin be burning in, from, by the *eternal (aeones–not adunae) lake now until “all be subdued under God’s hand” (1 Corinthians 15:25—-The Son Himself {Christ Jesus} Will reign until He has put ALL things under His feet)? Will not death and hell be destroyed by HIM?! = Revelation 20:14, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death”. There are two births, as Jesus tells us in John 3: . The first is the flesh, the second, the spirit. The ‘book of life’ does account for us, “those that are judged by their deeds are being purged by the lake of eternal fire” …just as one is ‘baptized’ by an ever flowing river when one walks into its depths (and out again….lest they drown). John 3:14 continues with Jesus saying that “everyone who believes in HIM may have eternal life”… → John 12:32 Jesus: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, WILL DRAW (Greek: “elkouso” = Strongs 1670 – “DRAG; INDUCE; HAUL”) EVERYONE (Greek: “Pantas” = ALL) * TO MYSELF”. So, if THOSE who ‘are generated to confess Christ and *believe* do not receive death in hell (as ‘modern orthodoxy’ presents), then, we should look to the “THOSE”. WHO are the “THOSE” that *WILL PROFESS JESUS AS LORD? Romans 14:11- “….every knee WILL bow (kampsei) and every tongue WILL confess (‘exs/homo/logesetai {one word}) to God. Following this, Romans 14:13 says, “THEREFORE (oun – now, therefore, going forward), NO LONGER, SHOULD WE JUDGE (a sinful act) because this (thinking) eliminates stumbling blocks and snares for our brothers (and sisters). Backing up to Romans 10:9, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Now, did not the latter verse in Romans 14:11 declare that you WOULD do this very thing!?! Yes, it did. It did *by Force of God. How’s that for your freedom to die and burn a miserable eternal death in eternal fire and sulphur. YOU, as you are HIS, will NOT die in hell. The portion, the ‘offending eye’, ‘the offending hand’ —the ‘portions’ of the total you will be “cast into the purge”…but this is a transcendent or meta way to explain the complexity of the VERB, THE GOD, causing the entire Narrative to move forward, be, have been written, and conclude. How do we continue to talk ‘meta’ all day long in our physical tempo?….I say it’s easier because it makes EVERYTHING MAKE SENSE FOR A CHANGE. …I’m speaking as an incomplete–coming to be human.
1 John 3:4
“Everyone who makes a practice (poein) of sinning (harmateia) also practices lawlessness (anomos); sin is lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared (ephanerothe) to take away (‘aray) sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides (menon–”remains”) in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen (eorake’) Him or known (‘egnoken/ ‘gnoia’) Him”.
Who are we to be ‘known’ by? That is, by what “NAME (Greek: authority, lineage, heritage, law, boundary, hedge, gate, “sheep gate”)” are we retained by? By what NAME are we *becoming* more and more like. We see in Romans 8: 28-31 that we are *predestined to become (becoming) like Christ. The word, “sunmorphe” used in the Greek for this Predestined ‘coming to be’ literally means, ‘summing into the shape or form of Christ’
The Fulfillment of the Law
Matthew 5: 17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder
21“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, a and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Kyle, find passages where Jesus says/ Paul says, “Fool”)
23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery
(28) but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
(29) If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell (30) and if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (*so, does this mean the “merina” or
“portion” of damnable existence goes into everlasting fire?—I think so/ the ‘ontology of the sinful man’/ Christ is, for sure, not referring to physical mutilation).
Divorce
31“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce’ (32) but I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (so there is no forgiveness in Grace here?–I say this is not what Jesus is talking about).
Oaths
33“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made’ (34) but I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King (36) and do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one (then why is there advocacy in dialogue amongst the Attorney and Judge?/ Why is there TESTIMONY – oath by the defendant which abides by Romans 13:1 –which is established by God HIMSELF? – ).
Eye for Eye
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 but I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
Matthew 19:16
Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good (Romans 3:1-ff/ – {logically, THEN, how can anyone DO GOOD to get into Heaven AND judgement {a KIND OF JUDGEMENT does exist – obviously for ALL who do bad/ evil—i.e., ALL OF US). If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18“Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,’ c and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ d ”
20“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
This brings me to the point of Grace. I feel that many Universal Reconcilationists do somewhat the same error that all “orthodoxies” (I use this term with tongue and cheek) do. They follow the lead of the Commentator, Minister, Theologian, Teacher versus following the TRUTH of what God is REALLY telling us in Biblical common sense terms through His Bible. We are AFRAID (deilois—-that damnable term) to think for ourselves lest we burn in hell……no joke!!!!
Origin proposed a “free will” that he deemed necessary to fulfill the relationship between us and God that would commence us into Apokatastasis or Universal Reconciliation. Without this ‘free will’, said Origen, we wouldn’t have the glory, nor would GOD, of being reconciled together in a marriage at the very end.
To me, Origen’s kind of “free will” bears no weight on this Holy Marriage. Many humanistic terms employed to obtain God’s Meta actions fall short of explaining God’s INFINITE STRINGS.
But here is the higher point to law and its condemnatory element under Grace: The law only showed our inability to “get saved”…. Nothing we could have done would have granted our damnation or salvation ‘just’ by our works. This means that God “caused” / “created” the *SIN*. Let’s talk
*SIN*. Sin means to ‘miss the mark’ (Greek: Harmateia). It is also conveyed in Latin as “Senex” or ‘one who is ‘senile’ and wanders off the straight and narrow’. Then there’s the trigonometric function, “SINE”, from the Latin root, “sinus”, or, “fold in a garment, ***BEND***or ***CURVE***. We have the Arabic geometrical equivalent of SINE, “jiba”, which means, “CHORD OF AN ARC”. Furthermore, Sanskrit gives us the same in “JYA” for “bowstring”.
We are free FROM our *sin* (sine: ‘curving away’) by being tightly pulled into the WILL (Greek: Boule: “the arrow’s shot to the bullseye”) of God by His Grace. His
Grace gives us a *NEW* and *ETERNAL* condition, namely, “Free FROM the WILL of the Flesh” which does ‘will’ to error without one iota of human ability to stop that.
Grace means no judgement (all penalties are dropped past, present and future) because there is no more condemnation from the law that no one could fulfill anyway.
If we can look at Creation from beginning to end, all of its evolutions, the Bible’s STORY of absolute meaning and message of Salvation, and that the entire sum of all ENERGIES THAT BE are sutured together in one mass of rhetorical narration. Can the characters in the Book that was written by the Author jump off the page and tell the author, “I refuse Chapter 5!!!” ? How much more is creation a tight NARRATION written by the Great Author?!?!