Website & Content © Grant Bowater
1. PREDESTINATION AND FOREKNOWLEDGE
2. THE ORDINARY BELIEVER'S LIFE
3. BECOMING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS
4. UNDERSTANDING THE CHURCH
5. CRISIS IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
6. A NOT SO SIMPLE ANALOGY
7. IN CONSIDERATION OF ETERNAL TORMENT
PREDESTINATION AND FOREKNOWLEDGE
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.Foreknowledge is the knowing of something before it happens and predestination is the predetermining of what will happen.
These two concepts create a dilemma in the Christian faith because scripture declares that both are attributes of God. It can be assumed that if God has foreknowledge about that which is yet to occur, then our destinies must already be shaped. If God knows exactly what is going to happen before it happens, then how can anything other than what God foresees happening take place? Surely then everyone and everything must be predestined to follow some established path in accordance with what will inevitably transpire. This would effectively negate man's free choice in any given circumstance because the outcome at any point and time is already predetermined. Hence our apparent free choice is not free choice at all, but simply conformity to that which is already predetermined.
Scripture declares that God knows the end from the beginning. Jesus is called "the Alpha and the Omega - the beginning and the end". Scripture confirms that God has foreknowledge. It is presumed that this is why God can accurately prophesy (predict certain outcomes) and be 100% precise every time. Scripture is jam packed with literally hundreds of prophecies and of those that have come to pass, every one has been completely accurate down to the smallest detail.
Jesus is called "the lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world". This title clearly communicates that God knew the course man would take in life even before He created Him, so He planned out the redemptive work of Jesus and reached an understanding with Him that He would come to earth at a pre-ordained time, live as a man, be crucified on a cross at Calvary, Jerusalem, and rise again from the dead three days later in total triumph over sin, death, and evil.
It is not hard to figure out that if God knows the end from the beginning, then He surely knows everything in between. Because God has foreknowledge, this creates something of a dilemma in the puny minds of men. If God knows the final outcome of everything that ever is going to happen in the course of life, then surely everything must be predestined or predetermined and there is no such thing as freewill?
The implication of a predetermined course for man effectively means if something is meant to happen it most definitely will, and if it is not meant to happen it most definitely won't. Therefore, whatever the situation, we can do nothing about it because the outcome is certain. This easily establishes a fatalistic attitude or philosophy (que sera sera), and precipitates our quitting if things get tough in the expectation that what is meant to be will be. It also causes us to presume that if something is not working out the way God has predetermined it to be, then He will reach down out of heaven and put things back on the predetermined course.
By way of example let us consider a football game. If we watch it 'live', we have no idea what is going to happen next. During the course of the game we anticipate and hope for certain outcomes and somehow believe for the best every time. If however we watch it for the first time as a replay on video, although we may not know the actual outcome, we do know that whatever the outcome is, we cannot change it; so any anticipation, hope, or belief is pointless.
The pertinent question becomes, "Is God watching life as a replay?" If He is, then everything that transpires in life has already happened and the outcomes are certain. The implication for us is even though we do not know the outcomes in life, because we believe they have already happened, everything is predetermined and we are incapable of making any difference to the inevitable outcomes.
Firstly, I do not accept that life is a replay of something that has already happened. If this were the case, what point would any of it be to God? If God has already seen all things come to pass once, why on earth would He even bother going through it again? We find replays boring enough, how much more would God?
If this were how it is - life simply being a replay, two questions immediately spring to mind. Firstly, how were things worked out first time round? Was there any free choice then? Secondly, did God resort to manipulation and interference to make things work out the way they did? If not first time round, can and would He do so second time round?
The concept of life simply following a predetermined course like a replay, is a baseless theory without logic or rationale.
An alternative to the replay concept, is the notion that God's foreknowledge and predestination is based on His ability to make things happen the way He wants them to be. In other words, God's foreknowledge and predestination is possible because God simply manipulates things to happen the way He foresees things happening. Thus everything is predestined to work out exactly as God plans.
This also is irrational and without foundation in sound logic. It is more the stuff of little boys playing games and making things work out the way they want. It is a concept beneath the majesty and glory of an infinite creative God.
If life is not a replay, and God does not make things work out to some predetermined plan, the next concept to consider is time travel.
Time travel is a scientific concept made popular in science fiction movies and television series. The theory of time travel has long been considered a possibility providing speeds approaching or exceeding the speed of light can be attained. If we accept that time travel is possible, the prospect of knowing the future is at least feasible.
Before venturing forth into the realms of hypothetical speculation, let us firstly come to appreciate that there are some things we cannot understand, even when we know them. Two simple examples are infinity and eternity.
We all should know that there is no beginning and no end to both numbers and space. It doesn't matter how far back in negative numbers we go in our imagination, or how far forward in positive numbers, we know that when we think we have reached the very last one we can always go one more. The same applies to space. If we head out into space in any direction and go as far as we can, as fast as we can, we will never reach the end. If we contemplate that we might have reached the end, we need only ask ourselves what lies behind that?
Infinity in number and space is easy enough to understand but impossible to fully comprehend.
The same applies to time. If time is a finite quality, what was happening before time began and what will happen after time ceases? If eternity is the absence of time, can anything either precede or follow something else in eternity?
Eternity likewise is something we can grasp intellectually but cannot fully comprehend.
In terms of space, we believe it to be infinite outwardly but also that it is infinite inwardly; it is all a matter of size. Although science now has determined there is a limit to the concept of halving and that it does not go on indefinitely, it is still a concept that is difficult to comprehend, even though we have some capacity to understand.
In respect of God, we believe Him to be uncreated, without beginning and without end. He therefore exists in eternity and has infinite qualities. It is God's infinite and boundless qualities that make Him God. We on the other hand are created and finite. We have a beginning and because death is an absolute certainty, it is logical to argue that we have an end. Certainly scripture clearly conveys that man who does not receive the gift of eternal life will have an end in the 'lake of fire'.
Before proceeding with alternative theories about foreknowledge and predestination, it is important to establish an obvious truth. Man is created and finite, and is capable of understanding finite things. God is uncreated and infinite so it is logical that He understands infinite and eternal things - whereas man cannot. Consequently, everything anyone puts forward in theory regarding these issues, can at best be speculation.
No one really understands infinity or eternity, and no one really even understands time. If the speed of light is directly related to time, we still have no idea what will actually happen if matter exceeds the speed of light. Because nothing can be transported at even close to the speed of light, let alone in excess of the speed of light, who knows what physical phenomenon may occur if matter could actually travel in excess of the speed of light? Supposing we could travel in excess of the speed of light and this transported us into either the past or the future. Would matter exist there or would everything simply be like a hologram generated from the reflected light of matter that only ever exists in the actual present? There really is far too many unknowns to be very sure about anything.
We know from scientific study that matter is predominantly space and it is theorised that if everything in the universe was condensed down to eliminate all space, the whole of the universe and everything contained in it would be about as large as a small ball. We know too that atoms, the essence of all matter, consist of neutral, positive, and negatively charges particles. It is also unknown why the positively charges particles in the nucleus don't explode apart.
Scripture tells us that, "For by Him (Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Also it says, "…through whom (Jesus) also He (God) made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, …"
If all things were created through Christ (the Word of God), and in Him all things consist, and He upholds all things by the word of His power, we can accept that it is Christ that holds all things together. Scripture tells us that everything was created by word - God spoke it and it was. The truth that God's spoken word created matter from nothing is yet another concept we have no capacity to grasp or understand. For creatures consisting of material substance and only capable of creating physical things from physical things by using physical things, creation by word alone is mind-boggling. Nevertheless we accept that the power of God's Word is supreme above everything.
Within our limited and finite capacity, we can't properly understand many aspects of creation and existence. Science has made significant inroads regarding understanding our physical world, but until it embraces the spiritual dimension of life, it is never going to embrace the full understanding of creation, life, or even this physical world.
Having laid a foundation of fact and truth - fact: that we are finite beings with definite limitations; truth: that God created all things and holds all things together; I want to propose a theory for God's foreknowledge and predestination.
Before doing so, it is important to establish from scripture (the source of absolute truth), that predestining man's outcomes is not something God does. God's Word says, "The Lord is … not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." It is evident that God wants all people to be saved. If on the other hand only those He predestined to be saved could be saved, it would make Him a liar. Therefore, the salvation of each and every individual is the destiny of his or her own making. Just because God may know who does and who doesn't make a decision for salvation beforehand, does not establish that He predestines any individual's eternity.
We are finite beings with the capacity to harness and control finite things and qualities. God is uncreated, eternal, and infinite, therefore it is reasonable to expect God to be able to harness and control not only finite things but infinite things and qualities.
Consequently it is perfectly reasonable to accept that God can know the end from the beginning of something created and finite like this world and mankind. This brings us full circle back to the video analogy. It is evident God does know the end from the beginning and everything in between.
Because this is so, the question still remains, is everything unfolding on an already predetermined course? Are our lives and destinies already set in concrete? ………
UNDERSTANDING THE CHURCH
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.When people think of the church, they usually think of a building. While a building where people gather for Christian worship and meeting is often called a church, the term church is derived from the Greek word "Ekklesia" which means "called out ones". Essentially the Christian church is all those who have believed in Jesus and who He regards as His "called out ones", being called out of the world and it's system. Despite the indifference most non-Christians and even some Christians have toward the church, there are a number of reasons why the Christian church is important to God.
Firstly, the church is God's own special people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. For some fifteen hundred years before Jesus Christ came to earth, God used the people of Israel as His witness in the world. When Israel rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah, God took His kingdom (government) from them and invested it in the church of Jesus Christ. This doesn't mean God totally rejected Israel; it is just that He put His purposes and promises for them on hold. It also doesn't mean God was going to use the same system of priests and law to relate to man, in fact He specifically hasn't. The covenant God has established with man through Jesus Christ and its outworking through the church, is vastly different to the covenant He established with Israel through Moses.
Secondly, the church is Christ's body here on earth, figuratively speaking. Scripture teaches that the body of Christ (the church) is like a natural body. That is, it is made up of different parts with different functions, but each part works in coordinated harmony with all the other parts so that the body may function properly and be healthy. This specifically confirms that people have different roles within a church and that interdependence is essential. Jesus also established particular ministries in the church with leadership responsibility. These ministries have the responsibility under the headship of Jesus, to collectively serve the rest of the body, preparing and equipping all believers to live for Christ and serve Him through the utilization of their gifts and abilities.
Thirdly, the church is Christ's bride. When Jesus returns to earth an event called "the marriage supper of the Lamb" will take place. In this scriptural analogy, Jesus is the bridegroom and the church is the bride of Christ. It also illustrates Christ's love for the church and the commitment He has made to "sanctify and cleanse it, to present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish."
These three illustrations of the nature of the church substantiate the crucial role it must play in the world. No matter how far short of God's purpose we may assess the current church of Jesus Christ to be, it is nonetheless the object of God's affection and He desires the church to be a healthy functional organism in this world.
The true church of Jesus Christ is a universal body, even though many local congregations of varying denominations represent the church. Consequently, the church is not any one denomination - all have equal validity. All people who have believed on Jesus Christ for their own personal salvation are part of the true universal Christian church of Jesus Christ.
Scripture refers to both "the kingdom of God" (or the kingdom of Heaven) and "the church". To say that the kingdom of God (the government of God) is the church is not accurate. The church is God's own special people who function within the realm of God's government. The kingdom of God is the direct government of God and everything that comes under that direct government. Scripture teaches that within God's kingdom are both sons of the kingdom (genuine believers) and sons of Satan (false believers). Jesus specifically said that both were to abide together in the kingdom until the end of the age when He would send angels to sort one from the other.
What this means is that it is improbable for anyone to accurately know true believers from the false. Just as Jesus' disciples did not know the true motives of Judas, even in the moments before Judas betrayed Jesus. Yet Jesus knew who Judas was from the beginning, and still loved him as steadfastly as He did the others, even to the point of washing Judas' feet as He did also to the other disciples. The church must inevitably then, have some people associated with it that are not genuine believers, and they will not necessarily be obvious.
Like any organisation anywhere in the world, there will always be members or people identified with that organisation, who will bring disrepute to the name of that organisation - such is the nature of human weakness. So it is for the church. Now while the church has a God given responsibility to ensure those who identify with it are taught the ways of God appropriately, there is never any guarantee that those same folk are always going to be dependable adherents to what is taught. Besides, God encourages church leadership to err on the side of grace and bear with those who are "weak in the faith".
It should not be surprising that an organisation as large as the church will inevitably have people identified with it who turn out to be murders, adulterers, rapists, paedophiles, thieves, liars, etc. What is important is that when unacceptable behaviours are discovered in the church, those people should be held to account for their wrongdoing - which may well include being dealt with by the criminal justice system. Scripture does however, give the church responsibility to put out of its fellowship those who seriously transgress and will not repent. Unless the wrongdoers fully and genuinely make amends, they should be put out of the church until such time as they can be restored to fellowship through sincere and genuine repentance. Trouble comes to churches, and justifiably so, that have covered over and failed to deal appropriately with serious wrongdoing or criminal behaviour in their ranks. I have no doubt that Jesus grieves over some aspects of behaviour in His church and its poor witness at times to a world that He so earnestly wants to save.
Unfortunately, many people are critical of the church because of its different denominations, often citing this diversity for disregarding Christianity and its claims. I strongly suspect though, that God is not really concerned with denominationalism at all. It is perfectly understandable that people will have varying preferences and will value some aspects of Christian worship and service differently to others. Church is a place where believers should relate to other believers in a healthy community and express themselves in worship, prayer, teaching, and service in a manner and style that they are most comfortable with. Some people enjoy a quieter more subdued expression of worship while others prefer a lively exuberant format of service. All this is just fine. God created diversity and expressions of diversity in the church is great.
I mentioned earlier how it is amazing that God allows sincere and genuine believers to see things differently and yet He accepts them all. Within the community of believers that I have relationship with and whose leadership I respect, I find a range of divergent thinking. Although we all like to think we have the corner on truth, the fact remains that God allows us to interpret certain aspects of the scripture differently. This fact merely demonstrates the sovereignty of freewill and the responsibility all teachers of the scriptures have for being thorough and circumspect in their teaching. I have already acknowledged that solid Christians will not necessarily agree with aspects of some propositions put forward in this book. This fluidity of interpretation unsettles some, so they tend to retrench to positions where they claim to have an understanding of all truth. I remain confident that what I have conveyed in this book is true and biblically verifiable. Undoubtedly some genuine Christian scholars will disagree with me, yet providing we all finish our "race", we will probably only know the complete and total truth about everything when we have passed from this life into the life beyond. While this may be disconcerting to the unbeliever, I reiterate that any such lack of agreement arises more in peripheral issues than core ones.
Any individual, church, or religious group that claims to be wholly right and others to be wrong is in error. They may well be sincere believers, but they err when they claim to be "the only true church" or claim that their doctrines alone are the right ones. History has clearly demonstrated that God reveals and restores aspects of truth to His church over time. It seems each time He does, one group of believers are reluctant to accept change while another are too impatient to wait for all to accept the new revelation. Others may embrace a "new" understanding but distort it somewhat. The inability of men to deal appropriately with God's unfolding revelation of how church should be and how it should operate, tends to result in the formation of one more denomination.
I do not believe this overly troubles God, so we should not be troubled by it either. Scripture emphasizes the importance of "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace …. until we come to the unity of faith." It is imperative to understand that God's primary requirement of Christians is that they love one another and strive for unity. Since God's requirement of love is to include loving our enemies, how much more should it be toward fellow believers?
Within the church environment, diversity of expression is fine, and even variation of interpretation is acceptable. However, churches must endorse a core immutable body of truth and belief, for genuine Christian faith to exist. This unalterable core truth is the person of Jesus Christ. Unless an individual believes Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified for our sins, and resurrected to life eternal, that person could not claim to be a Christian. Having believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, a Christian must then demonstrate their faith by living in accordance with God's commandment to love. Jesus summarized all of God's law in the two great commandments to love God and to love others. Jesus then added a new commandment saying, "Love one another as I have loved you." Unless a believer fulfills these requirements of God, they are in real danger of failing to finish the "race" set before them. Hence, only churches that adhere to these foundational beliefs can claim to be Christian.
Any "Statement of Faith", or statements of belief like the "Nicene Creed", are helpful to identify core beliefs, although many a confessor of them has disqualified themselves through failing to love in the manner Jesus requires. There is nothing wrong with creeds, I endorse the importance of defining core beliefs. But true faith is demonstrated and acceptable to God when Jesus is central, intimate relationship with God is habitually pursued, and life is lived in obedience to Christ through the relinquishment of self-governance. Even if the full provision of Christ is not appropriated in the life of a believer and they remain ignorant of how to live a victorious Christian life, their sincere and genuine faith in Jesus Christ, demonstrated in love through obedience to their knowledge of God's Word, will likely be sufficient.
The issue of creeds and denominations is largely irrelevant. It is equally possible for believers of every professing Christian denomination or church to be part of Christ's true universal church just as it is equally possible for believers of every professing Christian denomination or church to be estranged from Christ - only God knows those who are His true followers. If only the leaders of all Christian denominations and movements would grasp this fact and make a better effort to love and accept one another, the world would be far more impressed than they are now and growth would inevitably ensue in the church of Jesus Christ.
I am fully persuaded that no particular church has the corner on truth and no particular denomination or movement is the "true" church. It is evident some Christians flourish in certain environments and it is important that believers are sufficiently taught to successfully appropriate the full benefit of Christ's provision. The Christian experience emphasized in the church, should encompass being free from the power of sin, filled with the Spirit, devoted to love, intimate with God in prayer, fulfilled in worship, putting on the "new man" daily, functioning with the mind of Christ, walking in the Spirit, living in the power of the "new creation", not being under the law, experiencing joy and peace, and a whole heap more including living in health physically, mentally, and emotionally, being set free from bondages, strong in faith, etc., etc. All these and more are simply part of the ordinary Christian life, and it is the role of the church to establish them. However, if they are not taught well, believers will not experience them. Just because they may not be taught well does not disqualify a believer. Failing to appropriate Christ's provision only results in a more difficult Christian life not an invalid one. While His full provision is indeed a tremendous blessing, the indispensable trait or quality of the Christian experience must be love and you don't need theological qualifications to demonstrate or recognise love, or the lack of it.
Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day for their extreme efforts to win one proselyte and then make him twice as much a son of hell as themselves. He also saw them as the blind leading the blind with both falling into a ditch. Church leadership has a serious responsibility to serve the church of God lest they fall into the same category as the religious leaders Jesus confronted. Tragically, believers can be turned from the faith or disqualified from entering into eternal life through the misguidance of inadequate leadership. Such leadership can be found in any Christian movement or denomination just as surely as good leadership can. Every believer is responsible for his or her own faith and relationship with God. No manner of leadership failure will provide a justifiable excuse for any wayward believer to neglect love in their Christian experience. I believe it is not feasible to have genuine relationship with God through Christ and not habitually and effectively demonstrate love. So while leadership is important, every believer is still personally responsible for finding the Christian affiliation that best suits them for learning and growing in Christ and expressing sincere and genuine love for God and their fellow man.
God places this requirement on all believers: "… to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Any lack of tolerance between denominations or contempt toward others, which in past times was prevalent and in some places still exists today, is inexcusable for any believing church.
Most divisions justify their lack of "unity of the Spirit" on doctrinal differences, but scripture forbids this. Among the range of Christian churches that adhere to the fundamental principle of faith in Jesus Christ, there should be understanding and acceptance of one another as brothers and sisters in Christ - even when differences in doctrine and practice are evident. This fulfills the requirement to share in the "unity of the Spirit".
Teaching and edification (enlightenment to improve morally), is the process that will bring churches into the "unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God". This is a secondary outcome to the unity of the Spirit. Therefore, while some may clearly differ in practice and doctrine, and an appreciation of their effectiveness in love may be questionable, if each demonstrated love to one another as Christ requires of His people, both the church and the world would be far better off. It is not the place of man to judge the hearts of other men. We also have no right to judge other churches for their unique practices. Before churches can come to a place where they can share the "unity of faith", they must first share in the "unity of the Spirit".
It must be clarified however, that love is not some wishy-washy accept all, tolerate all, kind of thing. Jesus plainly said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Love is measured against faithfulness to God's Word. Christians ought not to accept wrongdoing within the sphere of the church and excuse it under the pretence of love. Believers who do wrong should be shown love, but what is contrary to God's Word must always be recognised as wrongdoing, be rebuked, and then addressed appropriately. It also needs to be acknowledged that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. This approach however is limited to the confines of the local church - it is not for one church denomination or even congregation to be judging the believers of another. This approach allows a believer in Christ to live successfully alongside a believer of another denomination, or even someone of a different faith, in mutual respect.
The true Christian should also never judge the unbeliever. The believer should know and understand that an unbeliever is exactly like they were before becoming a believer. The only difference being that the unbeliever has not yet experienced God's grace. The believer should also understand that an unbeliever cannot do or be righteous - their inherent sinful nature prevents them from ever being able to successfully do what is right. Therefore, Christians should not judge people for doing what is impossible for them not to do; nor should they judge them for not doing what they can't possibly do. Patience, understanding, love, care, and acceptance of a person, does not necessarily endorse their behaviour or beliefs, but it does demonstrate true Christian love.
When the church demonstrates love it will not alienate itself from the world, but such demonstration of love will inevitably attract persecution because it will alienate those who are spiritually influenced to oppose the work of God. Nonetheless, the responsibility of Christian churches is to love one another, demonstrate unity in the Spirit, teach and shepherd their congregations well, be alive through the Spirit, and be a strong witness in the world of God's grace, power, and love. A consistent application to social concern, particularly to the poor, is also a significant responsibility of the church. One lives in perpetual hope of seeing these accomplished. Meantime, we all ought to be a little more understanding of the inadequacies of Christ's church - at the end of the day He still loves each and every one.
When Jesus was physically here on earth, He demonstrated God's love toward man through miracles and His ultimate sacrifice; He established God's requirement for living through His preaching and teaching; He preached the kingdom of God; He initiated the church through His disciples who became apostles; He established the new covenant between God and man through His sacrificial death; and He established a living hope for eternal life through His resurrection from the dead. He also ordained the church as His sole representative here on earth and commissioned them with the task of making disciples from all nations. This is why the church is usually so keen on evangelism or proselytism.
The church therefore, is God's primary means of communicating with unbelievers. While it is possible for a sincere and genuine seeker to independently find God, successful instances of this method are rare. The usual means by which God will begin to relate to that sincere seeker is almost certainly through the Christian church, using His representatives here on earth. This not to say God is limited to only using the church, after all God is God, and He is perfectly capable and able to do what ever He pleases. It is just that He has established His church for the purpose of preaching the gospel and leading all people to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and it is a rare event indeed when He will circumvent that avenue.
Jesus Christ said, "I will build My church and the gates (authority) of hell will not prevail against it." God has His kingdom (government) here on earth and it is expressed through the people of God (true Christians) as His church. God has invested His authority in the church and they are His representative authority here on earth, even though the church frequently fails to employ that authority effectively. Now wherever there is invested authority, there is also responsibility - the two are mutually inclusive.
This approach is perfectly in harmony with the meaning and purpose of life, since it maintains man's free choice to believe in God and adopt His ways or not to. This freedom could not really exist if God were here on earth Himself in a manifestly overt way.
Since the church is Christ's body here on earth now, it has the authority and responsibility to continue the very works Jesus Himself did while here on earth. The role of the church is multi-faceted but can be summarized in simple terms. It is to preach the gospel, go into all the world, make disciples of all nations, baptize, and teach believers to obey all that Jesus commanded. Jesus used the terms "tend" and "feed" when giving instruction to the disciple Peter. The church is supposed to be a place of caring and learning - a place where people find God through Christ and learn how to be free of sin and burdens. It is supposed to be a haven of love.
Whenever we analyse a church to see how well it is performing its role, we are unlikely to ever find the perfect church. While some congregations may do some things well, others will do different things better, and perhaps some will not do too much well at all.
The apparent inability of any one denomination to "get it right" is also manifest evidence of the meaning and purpose of life. Just because a group of people claiming to believe on Jesus gets together and call themselves a church, doesn't necessarily mean God ordains their work. Because God will not usurp man's freewill, He allows these people to do as they choose. This is consistent with His dealing in all other spheres of life.
We perhaps wonder why He doesn't sort them out. God however accepts genuine believers and works with them as much as each believer will allow Him to. That is why in any church group you will likely find evidence of God working. We err if we think just because God works with believers where He can that He endorses everything they do. Even among some psuedo-Christian group where God's influence among them is limited, He will still respond to sincere faith to establish truth wherever possible. If however they have clearly departed from the faith and are in serious error or have become a cult, He does not judge them in this world. Typically what happens is they self-destruct as a natural outworking of consequences when God's laws are habitually transgressed.
If church denominations could grasp this concept of God working within each of them to some extent or another, perhaps there would be more openness for unity. Cooperation may even allow churches to learn from one another and draw the best out of each to strengthen each.
The apostle Paul identified division among the early believers and he rebuked them for it. Nevertheless he said such factions were necessary so that those who were approved among them may be recognized. It should not be surprising then that we have divisions and factions among churches today - it is just that it's hard to recognize those who are approved! Until we witness any one particular church demonstrating Christ's power and love above the others, we really ought to be more tolerant. Chances are no church has it together enough to sufficiently demonstrate God's power and love, so as to stand out from the others. Perhaps when it happens, it may spring up among many denominations, as men zealous for Christ seek God for more of Him in these last days.
The primary problem as I see it, is that leadership does not always operate as Christ intended it to. Jesus specifically taught that church leadership was not to operate like leadership in the world. Church leadership should be servants not masters. Jesus Himself demonstrated servant leadership and all church leadership ought to model itself on His example. This of course is easier said than done.
It is also much easier and more comfortable to operate in one's own strength. Relying on the Holy Spirit of God for every facet of church function is very demanding spiritually. If ever the Spirit is grieved, He tends to back away or His influence is diminished. Rather than repent and seek again the blessing and favour of God, it is much easier to simply carry on with all the form and function one has come to learn and adopt. Consequently it is not hard to structure the Holy Spirit out of a church meeting - or at best diminish His participation!
While much could be said about this, it is sufficient in the context of this book, to simply identify that the church is consistently undergoing a refinement process and no-one is going to find the perfect church. For those seeking a church to belong to, the key element to look for is a church that exudes life. A place where many of the aspects of its role are operational, where love abounds in both word and deed, and humility is pre-eminent.
As difficult as this may be, rest assured God has no alternative plan. The church is God's instrument for revealing His plan and purpose for man and He is faithful to His Word; He will not deviate from accomplishing His purposes through the church. Therefore we can have confidence that God will continue to work with the church to raise up a healthy, vibrant, and holy body of believers to demonstrate His love in this world.
IN CONSIDERATION OF ETERNAL TORMENT
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.While I don't imagine many (if any) unbelievers reading this book will be particularly concerned about my dismissing of eternal suffering in hell for all those condemned souls who reject Christ, I do suspect many Christians (particularly the evangelicals and even some traditionalists) will be aghast.
This exegesis of the doctrine is as thorough as I believe it needs to be. While it could be more detailed, if someone cannot be persuaded from clear and obvious biblical passages, then no amount of argument from any other quarter will be even remotely adequate.
There is clearly enough here to thoroughly and comprehensively establish a sound biblical case for annihilation / oblivion, for all unbelievers and reprobate believers, following the final great white throne judgement as they are cast into the lake of fire. What more can I say?
DEFINITION: "Eternal torment" for the purpose of this appendix, is a place where the human soul experiences anguish for an eternity - it is a place where there is a consciousness of existence that experiences nothing of God's goodness but only suffering and torment forever.
It is the place that a large number of Christians believe is the final destination of all human souls that reject God's salvation through Christ Jesus - those who have refused to be saved.
THE PROBLEM: Some years ago, I was challenged to reconsider the commonly held view that the final destination of every human soul that did not enter into eternal life through salvation in Christ, suffered an eternity in (hell) torment. Naturally, when challenged on a doctrine so widely held by much of the church that we identify with, I presumed that the matter would be easily resolved. Not so! Interestingly enough, in over 25 years that I have been a Christian, and listened to literally thousands of Christian messages (I was an audio-tape addict for the first 5 years of my Christian walk and in that time alone would have listened to over 500 messages), I have never heard anyone actually teach on it from the bible. It seems to be one of those things we have always accepted as truth - just a natural part of our Christian culture. I did however, take up the challenge and searched the scriptures to see if what we held commonly to be true was in fact biblical truth. I did so by searching for bible passages that made the issue absolutely clear. I took a neutral position and I refused to be swayed by historical tradition - if it were true, it would be manifestly clear in scripture. I was amazed to find that the historical tradition of eternal torment was not sustainable. In fact I found the opposite to be true.
To accept the doctrine of eternal torment, I had to do two things. First, I had to accept that the soul of every human being is inherently immortal - something which also is not supported by biblical truth. Secondly, I had to read into passages of scripture inferences that were necessarily semantic. In both instances I am not prepared to do that. Over time, as I have revisited the issue frequently and weighed wider issues linked to this doctrine, I have become more fully persuaded, from the scriptures, that this doctrine of eternal torment is not truth - not that there is no place of eternal torment, for scripture clearly teaches that there is; but that it is not a place where human souls exist for eternity.
For a period, I accepted that it was probably not that important, and figured that it really didn't matter too much. Certainly, it has little to no bearing on my every day walk and relationship with the Lord. Eventually however, I came to realise that this "doctrine" of eternal torment is the source of some significantly erroneous beliefs. Beliefs that can, and do, have a detrimental effect within the church, and for the kingdom of God.
To put things in proportion, I don't see this doctrine as "dangerous" or threatening anyone's salvation or relationship with the Lord. However, like all false beliefs, I do see it being potentially detrimental to both Christians and unbelievers alike. In addition, I cringe at all unbiblical aspects of our church beliefs and conduct that hinder our credibility in the eyes of those outside. Therefore, I believe the matter is worthy of rigorous scrutiny, and I welcome all debate in the endeavour to resolve this issue of eternal torment - if indeed it is possible to resolve the issue sufficiently at all.
DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS:
1. The doctrine of eternal torment is a misrepresentation of God's character - and nothing is more important to God than His good name and character. God is love, good, merciful, just, all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, and completely trustworthy. To believe that God has created us such that we have only two possible eternal destinies - eternal life with Him or eternal torment, seriously questions those character traits of God. It is a significant misrepresentation of who God is.
2. The doctrine of eternal torment is counter-productive to winning souls to Christ. It is inconceivable for most unbelievers to accept that all rejecters of Christ are worthy of eternal torment, as this is manifestly contrary to natural justice. While unbelievers may accept that the likes of Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Osama Bin Laden, etc., may be worthy of eternal torment, they can not accept that their mother or father are worthy of such punishment let alone themselves. Hence, some will quickly dismiss the validity of the gospel message, since it fails to reach base one on credibility.
3. The doctrine of eternal torment is counter-productive in developing a Christian's full trust in God. How can any believer come to fully trust in a God when, if they (or others they love dearly) fail to accept Christ or live out a successful Christian walk, they will be consigned by that God to a place of such terror.
4. The doctrine of eternal torment probably has, and will continue, to cost Christians their salvation. This is because it gives credence to the "once saved always saved" doctrine. When eternal torment is the only alternative to a blessed eternal life with God, even most Christians find it difficult to accept the possibility that some of us may miss the mark. Consequently some will accept lower standards of righteousness, lower standards of holiness, and a less than devoted relationship with God, all in the belief that we would have to be willfully rejecting of salvation to deserve eternal torment. Hence we get the belief that our waywardness as Christians will simply result in a loss of rewards, but that we will still eventually end up in heaven with eternal life.
5. The doctrine of eternal torment lessens the urgency with which Christians feel the need to preach the gospel to the lost. This on the surface seems contradictory. Surely, if we really believed that every person that was not converted would end up in eternal torment, we would be particularly zealous for souls. While that may be a phase we go through, when reality hits home - that getting someone saved is not that easy, simple, or straightforward, we tend to resort to alternative dangerous thinking; particularly in respect of those nearest and dearest to us who are still unbelievers. Thinking like: 'God will surely move sovereignly on my loved ones at some point in the future and they will come to Christ because they certainly don't deserve eternal torment'; and 'God certainly doesn't want so many souls to end up in eternal torment, and since He has all power etc., surely He will move miraculously at some time soon to win souls to Christ - revival must come!'
6. The doctrine of eternal torment gives rise to other false beliefs both within the church and without. Much of our society in general, tends to believe that the soul of man is immortal. Philosophy is the foundation upon which our popular belief system is based. Life is quite a mixture of various philosophical beliefs and our Christian heritage has certainly had its influence, even if society at large has rejected Christianity as a functional faith. Many of those who accept the immortality of the soul, can't accept the concept of just two outcomes. Consequently, both Christians and unbelievers alike are prone to accept variations like: purgatory; second chance heaven; the gospel just can't be that narrow - surely God has ways of accepting those who live true to their conscience; death-bed confessions of Christ will get our loved ones to heaven; reincarnation; if God is a God of love heaven is a place where all basically good people will go - only the truly wicked will end up in hell; etc.As I have considered a range of the obvious and not so obvious implications and outcomes of accepting eternal torment as truth, I have become increasingly concerned at what I see. Hence the need to address this issue comprehensively.
UNDERLYING PHILOSOPHY - IMMORTALITY OF THE HUMAN SOUL: The underlying philosophy that validates and is foundationally essential to the possibility of eternal torment, is that the human soul is inherently immortal. The only way that eternal torment can be possible is if every human soul once born, can never be destroyed - that our conscious existence is indestructible. We therefore must ultimately end up either in eternal life with God or in eternal torment - or some other second chance place that scripture does not endorse. This philosophical position of the indestructibility of human consciousness is of course fundamentally foundational to the erroneous "re-incarnation" beliefs.
I have always asked those who disagree with my position of eternal outcomes to show me in the scriptures any passages that clearly and directly state that the human soul is inherently immortal - even build a case for it by inference from other scriptures. I am still waiting for that evidence.
On the contrary, the scriptures clearly, directly, and by vast references of inference, show that the soul of man is not inherently immortal. I suspect that the immortality of the human soul derives its initial substance from the truth that we are made in God's image and likeness. If God is eternal and we are made in His image and likeness, surely we are eternal beings. However if this was the case, surely the scriptures would support this inference - they do not.
a.) When man sinned, God put a guard on the path to the tree of eternal life, "lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"(Gen3:22)
b.) God is not mortal, He is immortal; therefore if man is mortal, then simply by being made in His image and likeness does not therefore include "inherent immortality". Paul refers to "those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honour, and immortality" (Rom2:7). You don't seek for something you already have. Paul also says "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1Cor15:53). Again in reference to Christ Jesus Paul says "who alone has immortality" (1Tim6:16) and "who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Tim1:10). Clearly then man is mortal and must be made immortal.
c.) The scriptures consistently use the terms life and death as outcomes that we as human souls must consider. Moses, in conclusion to all that he had said to the Israelites regarding the Word of God and the law says "I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may live;" (Deut 30:19). Of course this choice (for Israel) was for life in this world. However we accept that unless the Israelites followed the way Moses showed them, they were not likely to make it to heaven. The implication is valid that only by choosing to obey Moses teachings were the Israelites going to receive life in this world, and in the world to come. Jesus subsequently came and offered "eternal life" as a gift for everyone who would believe in Him. This "gift" of eternal life is given to those who obviously don't have it. For those who refuse, the ultimate outcome is "the second death". I don't believe we need to play semantics with these words. The eternal consequences are far too significant for the scriptures to hide and conceal issues within these terms of life and death. I believe the bible is a literal book and God wants His message of salvation made manifestly clear. Life means life and eternal life means life eternal. Death means the absence of life (clearly understood in the context of life on earth), and the second death must refer to the absence of life in a second circumstance, which by reference to use is an eternal consequence for those cast into the lake of fire.For the human soul to exist in consciousness and experience torment, there must be life. If this "life" continues to exist after "the second death", then the scripture is not straightforward and death does not mean death but must mean something else. Such thinking leads to semantic debate for which there can never be a clear conclusion or outcome - the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from this kind of thinking is that you can't take the bible on face value or literally.
If the human soul is inherently immortal and life (existence and experience) continues eternally whether with God or apart from God, then the bible has not made this plain. In fact the opposite is true, since the scripture at no point says we shall suffer eternal torment - all such conclusions for this must be inferred from the way we interpret other scriptures. There are a vast number of passages that refer to the outcome of the wicked, and it is obvious that the consequence of eternal torment could just as easily and justifiably be substituted in these passages. However it never is - not even once. (Refer to range and scope of scripture references at the end of this section.) If it were true, surely something as hugely significant as an eternal state of torment would be as profoundly explained and as clear as the eternal state for those who choose Christ. Only if we accept the immortality of the human soul as a given, can we infer that the wicked end up finally in a place of eternal torment. But of course the scriptures do not teach that the soul of man is inherently immortal but teach that immortality and life are qualities to be chosen or received as a gift. If the human soul were inherently immortal, then surely scripture would be clear that our choice is not one of life and death, but of "quality" of eternal life - either eternal existence in blessedness with God and Christ, or eternal existence apart from God in torment.
THE CASE FOR OBLIVION: If eternal torment is not biblical, then what is the outcome of the human soul. Let us begin by following a logical course of reason with biblical justification.
God made man. Before God made man, in His foreknowledge He knew man would sin and be separated from Him. Consequently He laid the plan for eternal redemption through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus even before He started the work of creation. Even so, He knew that there would be vast numbers of mankind, over the centuries, that would reject Him and His salvation, and never receive the gift of eternal life.
God made man with the ability to choose - to choose to love God or to choose to reject Him; to choose to live for himself, or to choose to live for God. This God given capacity to choose is manifestly evident as being sacrosanct - inviolable. God knew that vast numbers of men would fall short of salvation, many would live in wickedness, and ultimately their choices would destine them to hell. If eternal torment were the only outcome for all these souls, and if man were inherently immortal, does it seem logical that God would even make man in the first place? This scenario doesn't put God in a very good light. Surely God in all His wisdom and power could have done it differently where the consequences were not as horrendous. I believe He has and that the scriptures are totally compatible with, and verify this position.
God made us capable of independent thought and with a will to choose. He also "hides" Himself so that only those who sincerely seek Him will find Him. If eternal life with Him or eternal torment are the only two possible outcomes of our choices, is that really any kind of choice - I believe that's called "Hobson's choice". No man ever asked to be born - we all have had life thrust upon us. Surely if God is just, we have the right to choose to exist! Well yes we do. While we may not have asked to be born, we, through life in this world, have the greatest opportunity that man could ever have - that is, the opportunity to live forever in perfect health, peace, prosperity, love, and with innumerably more fantastic blessings that our creator God provides for those who choose His salvation. That opportunity, of itself, manifestly justifies God creating man - I for one will be forever and eternally grateful. On the other hand, if some (or many as the case seems to be), choose not to receive God's gift of eternal life, what is their outcome?
For those who do not choose God's salvation, that is their sovereign choice and God appears never to transgress that choice. What then is their end? If they never bother to look at creation around them, look up to the heavens above and seek a great and mighty God who created all these things, then that of itself, is sufficient justification for God to refuse them eternal life with Him or anywhere else for that matter. (But of course God has done much more than just give us creation to manifest His existence. The bible is full of the redemptive plan of God to reconcile man to Himself and the great sacrifice He personally paid for that reconciliation. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the quintessence of that endeavour to reconcile man to Himself.) If man, who asked not to exist, "chooses" not to consider his eternal destiny and seek after his creator, then God will grant him the natural outcome of his choice - the cessation of life (death). If he rejects every endeavour of God to win him to Himself, that He might grant him eternal life, then God will not force him to do so. The options of his destiny are, however, solely God's prerogative. That is man does not control the options. Man is still responsible for how he lives and acts toward others. He is therefore justifiably accountable for what he does in life, and as God's creation liable to God's punishment for any and all wrongdoing. Man also can not choose other than life with God - there is no other "life" option - no re-incarnation, no life with some other god or in some other heaven or place of eternity, or parallel universe; no alternative but death.
Man who chooses not to seek God and His salvation, or who rejects the greatest sacrifice of God for his soul - Jesus Christ, has but one end. Upon death his soul is held in a place of waiting for judgment - this place is called hell. It is a place of anguish, darkness, even torment. I suspect it is a place where the experience is appropriate to how each has lived their life on earth. This is supported by a passage in 2 Peter 2:9 "…then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,.." This passage tends to indicate that a punishment is administered before the final judgment (lake of fire). It is probably administered in hell and is probably appropriate to the wickedness committed in life. The story Jesus told of the torment a certain rich man in Hades suffered, as a consequence of ignoring Lazarus's suffering in life, is a good case for this argument - Luke 16: 19-31.
At the final judgment, everything that each and every human soul has ever done is made manifest to the whole of creation. In this way, that soul's final punishment and eternal destiny are manifestly seen to be deserving and just. We know that the punishment will be according to the works - some will be punished more severely than others. Whether that soul's experience in hell is deemed sufficient punishment for their works (kind of like how a person held in custody before their trial, may be granted release after their conviction, due to the fact they have already spent sufficient time incarcerated), or whether they are due further suffering and torment, will of course be God's prerogative to determine and administer. However, we know that whatever the punishment each and every soul receives, it will be deserving and just. Ultimately, however, every human soul that is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire - this is the second death. This is an everlasting destruction. This is oblivion!
Whether this, of itself, is their due punishment, or whether some souls must endure a sustained period of torment for the wickedness they have done in life on earth before oblivion overcomes them, is something God Himself will determine and exact. But whatever the outcome, it will be deserving and just, but it will not be "eternal" torment on every soul of man - it will not be eternal existence in suffering and torment - that would be unjustifiable for the vast majority of souls who have not been particularly wicked, but have not sought God or chosen His salvation.
The bible identifies many sins. Some sins are clearly more abhorrent to God than others, however we know that just one sin separates us from Him and consigns us to judgment. John 3:18 says "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." This passage makes it clear that the consequence of not receiving Christ is a condemnation that is already apportioned to a person, irrespective of any works they may have done.
Clearly there are two issues at judgment. The first is our eternal destiny. Only those who receive God's salvation and gift of eternal life go on to live with Him forever. The condemnation spoken of in John 3:18 is clearly the lake of fire (the second death). Rev 21:8 says the "unbelieving" along with all manner of wicked people "…shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Simply because God created us, He has every right to do with us as He sees fit in accordance with the options His Word has made clear and in accordance with the choices we have freely made in life. If God has determined that all those who neglect His salvation are to be cast into the lake of fire, then that is fine. This is deserving, simply because they did not choose life. To presume that they suffer there in torment for eternity, rather than simply cease to exist, is another matter. If it were eternal torment, it would be irreconcilable with punishment according to works.
The second issue therefore, is punishment according to works. Perhaps the most serious sin a human soul can commit is to sacrifice children to demons (other gods). The bible makes it clear that judgment and punishment for the sins of unbelievers will be according to their works. All sins, when judged, will be deserving of punishment - perhaps even sustained torment; but hardly worthy of eternal torment. If every unbeliever is subject to eternal torment in the lake of fire simply as a result of being an unbeliever, how can any additional punishment be worse for the wickedness they have committed; how can there be degrees of punishment "in accordance to their works"? Surely eternal torment must be the most severe punishment any human soul could receive. Therefore, would it really be of any consequence what other sins or wickedness a man may commit? This of course is ludicrous. If neglecting God's salvation is deserving of the most severe punishment, more than any other act of wickedness, then surely the bible would make that explicitly clear. On the contrary, the scripture refers to some being beaten with many stripes and others beaten with few. It also refers to the "day of judgment" being more tolerable for some than for others. Perhaps however, the anguish and regret suffered at the realization that oblivion awaits them following any deserving torment, and that they will never enter into eternal life but receive death (cease to exist), must surely be the greatest punishment of all - the case therefore, for eternal torment, is negated.
SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE: This premise is not based on mere human reasoning alone. The following scriptures are given as clear evidence that the human soul's ultimate end is either eternal life or oblivion. While the term oblivion is not used, the words: "(second) death", "destroy", "destruction", "chaff", "no more", etc., are synonymous with oblivion and the context is compatible. It is important to recognise that the scriptures given here have a distinct eternal application over and above their obvious application in this world. To ignore the inherent eternal implication or to read into these passages alternative outcomes to that which is literally clear, and infer that there yet remains and eternal existence for the human soul where the suffering of eternal torment awaits, requires a real stretch of credibility. We simply ought to take the scripture at face value and believe what it says. The bold text is highlighted to draw attention to the eternal implication the text contains.
DESTROY: (Concordance definitions). The following scripture quotes indicate with bold number which definition applies in each instance.
1. From root "to tear down" - beat down, break down, cast down, destroy, overthrow, pull down, throw down.
2. From root "to desolate" - destroy, destruction, bring to nought, overthrow, perish, pluck down, x utterly.
3. To destroy fully, reflexively to perish, literally or figuratively destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
4. To spoil or to ruin.
5. To rot thoroughly, to ruin, decay utterly, corrupt, destroy, perish.Ps 52:5 "God shall destroy 1 you (the wicked man) forever;"
Ps 145:20 "The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy 2."
Mat 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy 3 both soul and body in hell."
1 Cor 3:17 "If anyone defiles (destroys) the temple of God, God will destroy 4 him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." (This verse concludes a sequence of six verses in a context relating to eternal rewards - the judgment of works being wood, hay, stubble, silver, gold, and precious stones.)
James 4:12 "There is one Lawgiver (and Judge), who is able to save and to destroy 3."
Rev 11:18 "The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants and saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy 5 those who destroy the earth."DESTROYED: (Concordance definitions).
6. From root "to wander away" - to lose oneself, by implication to perish, break, destroy, destruction, + not escape, fail, lose, spend, take, be undone, x utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.
7. To extirpate, destroy.Ps 9:5 "You have destroyed 6 the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever."
Ps 92:7 "When the wicked spring (sprout) up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed 2 forever."
Acts 3:23 "And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that Prophet (Jesus) shall be utterly destroyed 7 from among the people."DESTRUCTION: (Concordance definitions).
8. Ruin, desolation, destruction.
9. A pit especially as a trap, figuratively destruction, corruption, ditch, grave, pit.
10. From 6 above, abstractly a perishing, concretely Hades "destruction".
11. From 3 above, ruin or loss physically, spiritually or eternally, damnable, damnation, destruction, die, perdition, x perish, pernicious ways, waste.
12. To destroy, ruin, death, punishment, destruction.Ps 73:18 "Surely You set them (the wicked) in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction 8."
Ps 103:4 "Who redeems your life from destruction 9,"
Prov 15:11 "Hell and Destruction 10 are before the Lord;"
Mat 7:3 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction 11, and there are many who go in by it."
Rom 9:22 "What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction 11," (vs 23 - vessels of mercy, …prepared beforehand for glory, even us…")
Phil 3:18-19a "For many walk, … they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction 11,"
2 Thess 1:7-9 "… the Lord Jesus … in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction 12…"
1 Tim 6:9 "... many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction 12 and perdition."PSALMS: Psalms are full of passages that contrast the righteous with the wicked. Many passages in Psalms are prophetic and the eternal element of these passages is evident. As the eternal destiny of the righteous is clearly inherent in these passages, it is only reasonable and appropriate to accord them the same eternal implications for the destiny of the wicked.
1:4 "The ungodly are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away."
1:6 "The way of the ungodly shall perish."
5:6 "You shall destroy those who speak falsehood."
9:5 "You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever."
21:8-9 "Your hand will find all your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You. You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; The Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath' and the fire shall devour them."
28:5 "Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them and not build them up."
34:16 "The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth."
37:9-10 "For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed); But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed you will look diligently for his place, but it shall be no more."
37:18 "The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. (vs. 20) But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away."
37:22 "For those who are blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those who are cursed by Him shall be cut off (destroyed)."
37:28 "For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off."
37:35-36 "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found."
37:38 "But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off."
49:6-20 "Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him - For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever - That he should continue to live eternally, and not see the Pit (experience corruption). For he sees that wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses will continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honour, does not remain (endure); He is like the beasts that perish. This is the way of those who are foolish, and of their posterity who approve their sayings. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light (the light of life). Man who is in honour, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish."
52: 1-5 "Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? … God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, pluck you out of your dwelling place, and uproot you from the land of the living."
55:23 "But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;"
59:13 "Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they (the wicked) may not be;"
68:2 "As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God."
73:all This psalm grieves at the prosperity of the wicked but understanding comes… "Then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors….For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry."
92:7 "When the wicked spring (sprout) up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever."
101:5a "Whoever secretly slanders his neighbour, him I will destroy:"
104:35 "May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more."
112:10 "The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish."
119:119"You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;"
145:20 "The Lord preserves all who love Him, but the wicked He will destroy."NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING: The above passages from Psalms give a clear indication that the end of the wicked is that they shall be destroyed, they shall perish, they shall be no more. Accepting that because these passages have an earthly application and that the eternal implication is perhaps tenuous, we need to look closely at what the New Testament teaches. Bearing in mind that there are no passages that even imply the wicked will live or endure forever in punishment or torment, it is more reasonable to approach the New Testament teachings with a concept that the wicked will perish. We should therefore look at these New Testament passages in that light. To try and read into any New Testament passage an eternally enduring state of the wicked is simply not compatible with Old Testament understanding. A belief in the "inherent immortality" of the human soul cannot be sustained from scripture, particularly from anything within the Psalms. All references to eternal life and enduring forever are directly as a result of God's salvation, redemption and/or mighty power raising man up to life.
The New Testament makes it clear that the wicked will die and go to hell. This is a place of suffering in "anguish and gnashing of teeth", of darkness, terror, and even torment. The wicked must also stand before the Lord in judgment and be judged according to their works (deeds). There is a punishment for their works and it is the nature of this punishment that is the issue in question. Firstly let us look at the relevant New Testament passages (some of which are given above) to consider just exactly what the scripture teaches.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him."
Mat 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Mat 7:3 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it."
2 Pet 2 This whole chapter has much to say about judgment - most of which relates to an outcome of destruction, the term being used 4 times in the first 3 verses. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is an example to the ungodly. Verse 12 says they will "utterly perish" and verse 17 says "… to whom the gloom of darkness is reserved forever."
2 Pet 3:7 "But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men."
Jude:5-13 "(the wicked referred to in this passage) … are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance (punishment) of eternal fire. … wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."
Rev 20:11-15 "Then I saw a great white throne … and books were opened… and the dead were judged according to their works, by the things that were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:7-8 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
2 Thess 1:7-9 "… the Lord Jesus … in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,"The scriptures make it clear that the lake of fire is the eventual destination of all those who are not saved. It is also the destination of death and hell, hence all experiences which relate to hell, precede the great white throne judgment and the eventual casting of hell into the lake of fire. The question is then, do people continue to exist in the lake of fire. The use of the term "second death" implies strongly that they don't. Death (as a biblical term) implies clearly the absence of life, consciousness, sleep, etc., particularly throughout the Old Testament. With the knowledge that the wicked are reserved in hell after death for judgment, it must be accepted that any second death is surely the complete cessation of life. It links strongly to the Mat 10:28 passage where God is spoken of as the one who can destroy the soul after a death experience.
Strongest of all passages that identify the end of those who are not saved, is 2 Thess 1:7-9. The punishment is "destruction" which is "everlasting". One certainly has to twist meanings to conclude that destruction is anything but annihilation or oblivion. How can anything live or experience consciousness after they have been destroyed by God - a destruction from which there is no recovery, for it is everlasting.
CONFUSING PASSAGES: Certainly the doctrine of eternal suffering and torment in hell (or the lake of fire as it must necessarily be), has not arisen without passages that can be interpreted as inferring this. However, when you dismiss the concept of an immortal soul (an immortal soul having been shown to be unjustifiable), and take these passages literally, there remains no conflict with the oblivion teaching.
Jude:5-13 "suffering the vengeance (punishment) of eternal fire."
Here the only thing that is eternal, is the fire, and we know from scripture that the lake of fire is eternal. The punishment they receive is destruction in this eternal fire as seen from other passages.Mat 25:46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
This is probably the strongest supporting passage for eternal suffering and torment. If there were other passages that made an eternal suffering and torment clear, then this passage would be seen to support that position. However, let's look at what it actually says more closely. They (the ungodly) go away into a punishment that is everlasting. What is the punishment? It is destruction as 2 Thess 1:9 makes very clear, and it is everlasting. The Mat 25:46 passage does not say "everlasting punishing" which would then imply an on-going punishment and possible suffering.Rev 20:10 "And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Certainly these suffer everlasting torment. However it is a dangerous conclusion to assume that all people not saved will also receive this same punishment. The devil has caused immeasurable wickedness and evil for thousands of years, is not a man and never was, so to consider that a man who has lived but a small fraction of that time and whose wickedness could never be drawn in comparison with that of the devil, further gives concern if one tries to consign mankind to the outcome of the devil. As for the beast and the false prophet, we know so little about them that it would be foolish to consider an ordinary unbeliever worthy of the same punishment. Who knows what transformation of soul a human might need to experience to become the beast or false prophet? It may well be that these are the names of specific evil spirits behind the human faces and that the terms may not be wholly, totally, or exclusively human souls. More importantly, we should ask ourselves that if the scripture can be so clearly explicit about an eternal suffering in torment for these three, why is it not as explicit about the same outcome for human souls? Because it does not, we can conclude that this is strong evidence that the human soul does not receive the same punishment.Rev 14:9-11 "Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name"."
The most interesting aspect of this passage is the very obvious opportunity for the passage to say "and they will be tormented (day and night) forever and ever". The fact that it does not, is strong evidence to reject the concept that it ever will happen. Looking at the passage closely we see that there will be torment suffered, but souls suffering torment is shown in other passages too. It is the eternal aspect of this suffering that is never established and therefore cannot be included. It is the "smoke" that ascends forever and ever, and since we know that the lake of fire is an eternal place, it is logical that smoke from it will ascend forever and ever. Having no rest day or night is not necessarily linked to an eternal state of torment. It could refer to their state on earth at the time, or even their state through the millennium that follows as they await final judgment. Even if one chooses to embrace an eternal torment for human souls based on this passage, (which I must reiterate is unsubstantiated), the problem remains that this particular passage only refers to a specific group of humans who actively reject God and embrace outright Satan worship. To imply that every human soul that fails to attain God's salvation also suffers an eternal torment, is not justifiable from this assertion alone.CONCLUSION: The scriptural evidence is clear. A case for eternal torment cannot be substantiated. To the contrary, the scripture clearly gives specific credence to a final state of destruction (annihilation or oblivion). Without scriptural evidence of an inherently immortal soul - a soul that can never be destroyed and continues to experience consciousness forever, the only way a human soul could endure an everlasting/eternal torment or suffering, was if God was to specifically keep them alive to administer it. This position has no credibility or validation from scripture - it is conjecture that must of necessity be rejected as unbiblical. Perhaps through historical tradition, where it was felt necessary to generate fear to gain and keep converts, that the origin of the eternal torment doctrine is founded. Considering the vast array of tragic works the historical "church" has perpetrated over the centuries, is it any wonder that erroneous doctrine has been presented to strengthen their cause. Only through sound and thorough examination of the scripture can we draw our conclusions to this matter. I believe this appendix does so adequately and I see no scriptural justification to move from this position. It is now time (well overdue actually), to rectify the error currently perpetrated among mainstream Christendom and to proclaim clearly that man's simple choice is either eternal life (through Christ alone), or ultimately destruction - being a cessation of existence(oblivion or annihilation).
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.