BIBLICAL QUOTATION

 Mt18:2-6 Jesus called a little child and set him among them, saying “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So whoever will humble himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such little child in My name, receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.

 COMMENTS

This thesis alludes to a quotation from my one-time hero John Calvin: “All men’s thoughts, inclinations and efforts are corrupt and viscous”, even young infants being “odious and an abomination to God; their very natures being a seed-bed of sin” [Institutes of Christian Religion – Second Book chap. 1 para 8]. Such sentiments, intrinsic to the doctrine of “total depravity” are piously packaged and presented, claiming to exalt God’s grace whilst “trouncing man’s arrogant determination to in some way contribute to his own salvation”. Yet it is a doctrine that must delight Satan’s heart in view of what it implies about both divine and human nature.

That is no doubt why the devil’s party has shown such displeasure that the Reformers’ ingenious fabrication is being systematically dismantled by yours truly. The extent to which Calvin’s perspective on children opposes the teaching of Christ should be evident to anyone with a modicum of understanding of the Gospels. It will be the subject of the next post/thesis – in particular what the Lord was intimating in the passage I have quoted and highlighted from Mt18.

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Rev1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.

 Jn1:9(KJV) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

 Rom2:15 (Gentiles) show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts either accusing or else defending (particular actions).

 Gal5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall LOVE your neighbour as yourself”.

 1Jn4:7 Let us love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

 COMMENTS

The “faith” referred to in this thesis is what I along with some of the earliest Church Fathers have described as common faith (cited in a later paragraph). Spiritual faith is man’s positive response to God as He is in various ways revealed to the individual. At the universal level it is most definitively a positive response to conscience. Given that the human’s spirit is planted by God and will one day return to Him it would be surprising if it did not include a blueprint for human behaviour, and so it does: the law of God written on the “heart” (Rom2:15). That is also described (but sometimes mistranslated) as the light of Christ that enlightens every man coming into the world (Jn1:9). [In terms of the translation, it is hardly likely that John writing in the late first century would be informing his readers that the Light (Christ) “is coming into the world” (as per NASB, NIV)].

 The atheist and agnostic, whenever they perform what they believe to be right, not merely for the praise of others or to be accepted within society are effectively exercising faith. They are responding positively to God (actually to the will of Christ as Logos) as He has revealed Himself and His law (the principles of sound reason and humane living) in their conscience. In that instant, they are choosing to do a good, for in their innermost being they sense it is good and should be practiced. It is not entirely altruistic for they receive inner gratification by performing it, for in their inner being they are concurring with a natural precept which is ultimately an eternal law. It is no different from a Christian receiving a measure of peace when he knows he is being obedient to Christ’s will; it is how conscience functions. In both cases it is a response of faith.

 In the language of second century Christianity, it is that common faith which lies beneath as a foundation that is built upon and consummated in those who come to faith in Christ (ref#1). Such faith or faithfulness (same word in Biblical Greek) is shown to be present when love (agape) is exercised, being a genuine concern and care for another person, which is the heart of God’s law (Gal5:14). Since love is the efflux of faith, faith must be present for that love to flow out from it; love and faith being quite inseparable, faith being the agent of love and love being the product of faith.

 A person is justified within the Universal Covenant by responding positively to God’s witness to them through creed or conscience regardless of the degree of accomplishment. Providing the person demonstrates agape they are accepted by God, for He knows that agape was derived from Him, being His Own nature (1Jn4:7). This aligns with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 concerning the sheep and goats considered in the previous post/thesis.

CITATION

 Ref #1 E.g., Clement of Alexandria (A.D.153-217) The Stromata Book V chap. 1

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Mt25:40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did (these acts of kindness) to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.

 Gal5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

COMMENTS

To the befuddlement of many a theologian, Jesus’ “sheep and goats” parable to which this thesis refers is the NT’s most substantial and effectively its definitive passage on final judgement. In the past I also regarded that passage as an almighty fly in the ointment as far as my earlier (Reformed Evangelical) understanding of gospel salvation was concerned. For a start there is no reference to religious faith or practice whatsoever. What’s more it appeared to be teaching justification by works.

Actually, it isn’t as such, but it would take much of chapter three of my book to delineate the matter in full whilst at the same time demonstrating that neither Paul nor any other contributor to Scripture contradict this teaching. It pertains to the context of justification, gospel salvation and the Church within broader benign providence. That is the central theme of “The Little Book of Providence”. So, for the purpose of this thesis, I’ll quote a brief passage from the aforementioned chapter three “Faith and Justification” which points towards the solution:

QUOTATION

 “It will appear to some that Jesus is here teaching justification by works in Matthew25:31-45. Rather it is justification through faith by reference to works. The passage makes no mention of how consistently or perfectly the “sheep” showed compassion. They just demonstrated they possessed it. The sheep were justified by exercising it regardless of measure. They therefore demonstrated they possessed the quality called faith whose product is agape, being the essence of true humanity. On the other hand, faith alone if it be merely a passive belief, trust or reliance on someone or something is dead if it does not result in positive action. The “sheep” had not been passive; they showed compassion because they had responded positively to their “heart” motivating them to act in such a way out of sympathy, empathy and to be at peace with themselves”.

 Jesus’ sheep and goats parable was thereby affirming that final salvation is not all of grace; there must be fruit. Yet it is entirely DEPENDENT on grace since the “sheep” are accepted by exercising the quality called faith, being an innate faculty provided through common grace, rather than having perfectly fulfilled God’s law or lived a sinless life. That would be justification by works. So, at the universal level justification is granted on the basis of such common faith. It is a positive response to conscience (the light of Christ in the spirit). It is evinced by compassion through the kindly favour (grace) by which pardon for sin has been granted to all producing the fruit of faith through the all-sufficient merits of Christ’s atonement. [Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence chapter three]

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 1Pet2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.

 Jn6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

Acts13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and those who had been appointed to eternal life believed.

 Jn6:54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Phil3:13-14 I do not regard myself as possessing it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

2Cor4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Rev19: 7 Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.”

 Rev3:21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.

 Rev10:10 I took the little book from the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey but when I had eaten it, my gut became bitter.

 COMMENTS

 Whilst the gospel of Jesus Christ was intended to be preached to the whole world, as a result of historical cultural and religious formation, exacerbated by ecclesiological division and apostacy, relatively few have heard a faithful account of the gospel. And of those only the proportional few that God has chosen/predestined/appointed to eternal life have effectually responded. The above verses refer, and they make clear that those who do respond and persevere in the faith shall experience inestimable glory. In Paul’s words such are the “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, on the proviso that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom8:17). That such glory should be on offer to fallen humanity (Col1:27) is breathtakingly extraordinary, but then so is the notion that the vast majority who are not called and enabled by God’s grace to attain such eternal sublimity are to be condemned to hell, which is what so many Christians believe.

That prospect with its dire implications to God’s providential care, loving nature and equitable justice results from a misunderstanding of what the bible actually means by “salvation”. This thesis has defined in a sentence what biblical salvation is and for whom it is intended, but this is only the barest bones. The remaining 94 theses should help, some more recent ones having explained what salvation is from and what it is for. But in terms of exactly how such soteriology is to be squared with the teaching of the bible as a whole, refer to The Little Book of Providence.

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

Author’s Facebook page HERE

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Rom2:14-16 – When Gentiles who do not have the Law perform BY NATURE (the requirements of) the Law [φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῶσιν], these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending (particular actions), with respect to that day when, in accordance with my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.

 Rom13:9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and every other commandment is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

 Rom13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the Law.

 Gal5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one statement, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

 COMMENTS

 The previous thesis showed that the Covenants of Promise, initiated through Abraham in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ in the New, do not determine the destination of the soul after brain death. That, as exemplified in the definitive final judgement parable in Mt25 (sheep and goats) is not related to religious faith or practice at all, but to fulfilling the spirit of God’s Law, which as Paul asserts is focussed on love for neighbour (verses above). Likewise, in the Mt25 passage, God and religion are not so much as mentioned, only other people and how the “sheep” and “goats” respectively related to them.

But herein lies the mystery: God, His Law and the very Atonement of Christ are, albeit subliminally, bound up within the divine judgement being made. That would take a lot of explaining, and the first two posts linked below point the way. How this and the rest of my 95 theses fit in with the bible’s teaching as a whole has been set out in The Little Book of Providence. The Mt25 judgements can be said to pertain to “natural law” which in view of what has just been said about them also being a function of the Atonement might appear to be something of a misnomer. The description relates to what Paul was writing about in Romans 2 concerning Gentiles performing by nature things contained within God’s Law even though they did not materially possess it. It had been “written in their heart” and reflected in their conscience.

Given that Augustine of Hippo was the architect and primary influencer of Christian theology in the West, it is no surprise that my positive assertions concerning natural law will appear alien to many Christians today. However, the writings of 3rd century Church historian Eusebius and 2nd century Irenaeus indicate that such disparagement regarding a quasi-salvific role** for natural law would not have been the case in the Church of their day. That blog also outlined how those same men witnessed to the remarkable degree of unity of essential doctrine and praxis that existed within the pre-Nicaean Church. It is surely another reason why the writings of the earliest Church Fathers should be examined carefully by genuine seekers of the truth.

**What I mean by “quasi-salvific” should become clearer after reading this earlier post .

 BIBLICAL REFERENCE

 Gal4:9-10 How is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years!

COMMENTS

This wordier thesis relates to what has become known in Christian academic circles as “the New Perspective on Paul”, aka the Sanders Revolution after the theologian who developed it. That was a product of the recent scholarly interest that has been shown in studying the Bible in the context of other ancient texts – aided by the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls. Those manuscripts threw new light on the various forms of Judaism that prevailed in the first century, resulting in new perspectives on Paul’s teaching arising, particularly within Protestant academia.

These have considerably reshaped the understanding of justification by faith in the apostle’s thought in the minds of many biblical scholars, although the development has had less impact at ground level within independent Evangelical churches. And no wonder, for it challenges what so many there understand to be the central focus of gospel salvation. But then so does virtually everything I have been setting out in these 95 theses and The Little Book of Providence.

Once again, it is a case of the principal architect of Western theology Augustine misreading Paul and Luther distorting the picture still further – in this case interpreting what Paul wrote about first century Judaism, law, faith, works and covenant. Hence the radical, alien-to-most synopses that I have been setting out, which as I stated recently are not entirely new revelation (which they could never be), but new insights as to how the bible should be interpreted. And as explained in a recent post, the extra-canonical Book of Enoch, written not for the Church through her history but as its opening verse affirms, for the blessing of Christians who would live to experience the tribulations and Parousia, foretold that such a process would occur at this time.

This could not have happened before all the necessary manuscripts, research materials and suitable propagation facilities became available. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the internet, digital printing and (I believe) the working of the Holy Spirit have seen to all that.

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Heb12:24 Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

Heb10:29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was consecrated, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

 Jn6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.

 Acts13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and those who had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Eph1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

 Eph2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Jn15:2a Every branch in (Christ) that does not bear fruit, God shall take away.

 COMMENTS

What is being drawn attention to in this thesis is the exclusive and elective nature of the New Testament Covenant sealed in Christ’s blood, referred to by Paul as a Covenant of Promise. Such also was the Old Testament Covenant that God initiated through Abraham, its exclusive nature also evident from the fact that Abraham’s son Ishmael, who had been blessed by both God and Abraham and circumcised by the latter, was not admitted. It was the offspring of Ishmael’s half-brother Isaac who were to be the children of promise, and such is the Church today (Gal4:28).

But as the above biblical references indicate (to which more could be added), those incorporated into the body of Christ are there, not through their own choice or merit, but by God’s good pleasure. In Paul’s language they were predestined; in Luke’s language, appointed; according to Jesus, drawn by His Father. Truly, if these were the only covenants between God and humanity within each testament period, it would (to put it mildly) be a problem in terms of what it would say about God, His providence, His nature and His justice.

I am here to affirm that this is simply not the case. The Covenant of Promise does not concern “who goes to heaven when they die” but who shall have a joint inheritance with the Lord of Glory. The previous post drew attention to a transhistorical inclusive covenant eluded by the churches’ theologians, whilst the brief extract from my book below places both covenants within their providential context:

EXCERPT

“Everyone in God’s covenants enters them by grace alone, i.e., divine favour and generosity not dependant on merit. Unmerited grace clearly applied to a Jewish baby born within the Abrahamic Covenant; equally to the Christian baby baptized by the Church and incorporated within the Covenant of Christ’s blood. Likewise, to the adult convert, divinely appointed to eternal life (Acts13:38) having been given faith to apprehend the gospel of Christ (Eph2:8) and go on to receive Christian baptism. And the human baby, starting with Cain as the world’s first infant, freely incorporated within the Universal Covenant of life through the two-way age-enduring merits of Christ’s righteous act that universally nullifies Adam’s act of disobedience (Rom5:18).

 “The issue then becomes how one retains the benefits of that covenant as opposed to defaulting. The answer is faith or faithfulness [same word in biblical Greek] evidenced by fruit. The Jew who turned from JHWE to idolatry defaults his covenantal privileges; those in Christ who fail to produce fruit may remain in the Church but will not participate in the marriage of the Lamb, for every branch in Christ that fails to bear fruit will be removed (nota bene: Jn15:2). Members of the human race who fail to produce any fruit in the form of compassionate love (agape) like Cain and the Matthew 25 “goats” remain on earth but become alienated from God’s loving care; they have a new master to look after their interests, and at least as far ahead as Scripture permits us to foresee will not be incorporated within God’s eternal Kingdom but will receive post-mortem punishment“

 [Extract from The Little Book of Providence chapter two]

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Gen4:7(Masoretic) – “If you (Cain) do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

 Gal5:6 – For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

COMMENTS

 It took a full chapter of my book to explain what this all about. I will quote a few paragraphs which summarize what is meant by the Universal Covenant and suggest reasons why it has been eluded by theologians:

EXCERPT

 “Theologians cannot rely on a single passage in Genesis but must compare Scripture with Scripture, and the concept of a Universal Covenant for fallen humanity implicit in the Cain and Abel story (explicit utilizing the Masoretic text) does not fit well with much else as it has been historically and universally interpreted ever since Christian doctrine was systematized. Moreover, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) renders the key verse about God’s warning to Cain differently and that is the version to which most of the apostles and the early Church referred.

“The Hebrew (Masoretic Text) is no less reliable but it was not utilized by the apostolic Church, the Greek language being lingua franca for the Roman Empire and therefore the Greco-Roman Church.

“It is therefore no surprise that the apostles do not make direct reference to Gen4:7 in this context whilst the early Fathers always quote from the LXX, which refers to Cain’s incorrect division of his offering and that he should “be at peace and rule over him”; the “him” or “it” presumably referring to the devil. Such obscurity will have been an intentional veiling on God’s part regarding an understanding of a Universal Covenant, yet it is not dependant on this verse alone but can be deduced from Cain’s punishment and curse in which he became excluded from the nature of the relationship with God that his brother, his fallen parents AND CAIN HIMSELF experienced before the fratricide (Gen4:11-14).

 “But the main reason for what in a dual sense might be termed “the Lost Covenant” [It has been lost and concerns “the lost”] pertains to the nature of the Bible itself. This divinely inspired library of books was never intended to be a comprehensive account of God’s creation. For example, relatively little is disclosed about the angelic realm from which evil had sprung and with which mankind will one day participate. Scripture’s focus is the salvation history for the world centred on Christ and His peculiar peoples – the Jewish nation and the Church.

 “Hence Abraham is a vastly more significant figure than Abel. Both were representatives within covenants, but Abraham initiated the exclusive covenant by which God would work from within through an elect people to enlighten and reconcile the world to Himself. The inclusive covenant in which Abel was declared to be righteous and Cain defaulted does not have a direct role in that salvation story. That is firstly because it pertains to that which is intuitive, so is not dependant on special revelation, and secondly because individuals are not “saved” through it, i.e. they are not cleansed from sin and spiritually empowered to maintain in life the integrity of the intellectual vessel the soul currently inhabits (1Thes4:4).

 “The Universal Covenant determines a person’s post-mortem fate, but also prior to that his involvement or otherwise with Satan as an agent within God’s mysterious providential role for evil (chapter six). That is why the type of those rejected from it being Cain was brand-marked and protected rather than destroyed. These issues are, as it were, the unilluminated side of the revelation globe, pertaining to the final Mystery of God.

“Consequently, biblical theologians have for ever been attempting to fit three square pegs (soteriological categories) into two round holes (soteriological outcomes). Hence the numerous, seemingly intractable tensions in Scripture typified by the “narrow way” leading to life that few will attain on the one hand and frequent intimations, not least by Paul, of God’s broader scale intentions to reconcile all redeemable humanity to Himself on the other.

 “It is also to be observed that Adam had three sons as did our postdiluvian Patriarch Noah, and from these have sprung all humanity: Adam’s son Seth and Noah’s son Shem represent the elect line; Adam’s son Abel and Noah’s son Japheth the “righteous” within the Universal Covenant whilst Adam’s son Cain and Noah’s son Ham were the accursed defaulters albeit that only one of Ham’s sons was cursed (Canaan) as Ham had already received a blessing.

 “Once we arrive at the Abrahamic Covenant, Isaac represents the elect line resulting in Israel whilst Abraham’s other son Ishmael who was also blessed by God and remained in His favour and care was not elected to the exclusive Covenant of Promise. Yet such as he, representing most of humanity, remain within the inclusive Covenant of life from which Cain defaulted provided they do not follow in his way (Jude11) .

 “Such multi-dimensional effectual grace (innate and celestial) can only be distinguished and systemized within a sacramental and synergetic soteriological framework so it is no wonder that such a schema has yet to be established, for on the one hand it undermines some early (fourth/fifth century) Catholic biblical theological groundwork whilst on the other is incompatible with the Protestant conviction of total depravity, sola fide and sola gratia. The Reformed concept of “common grace” is not linked to the Atonement, does not pertain to the individual and is deemed ineffectual for forgiveness or the avoidance of perdition.

“Since Vatican II through the Spirit’s prompting the Catholic Church HAS effectively acknowledged a third soteriological category being the “people of good will” who do not find their way into the Church but will ultimately be accepted into God’s eternal Kingdom. What has been lacking for the last fifty years from the Catholic side is a workable biblical underpinning for such a proposition, for that cannot be provided without substantial doctrinal deconstruction involving contradicting earlier conciliar pronouncements that the Church deems to be immutable”. [Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence – chapter two]

 BIBLE REFERENCES

 Acts10:4 (pictured) – Cornelius looked at (the angel) intently and he became terrified, and said, “What is it, lord?” And the angel said to him, “Your prayers and charitable gifts have ascended as a memorial offering before God”.

Acts10:34-35 – Peter said, “I most certainly understand that God is not One to show partiality but in every nation whoever fears God and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

 Heb9:14 – How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works in order to serve the living God?

Rom2:15 – (Gentiles) show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending (their particular actions)

COMMENTS

This thesis is effectively a restatement of Acts10:35 quoted above. The background to Peter’s proclamation was the revelation he had received concerning how God regarded the Gentiles that he recounts in Acts11:5-9. That had led to his meeting with the Roman centurion Cornelius. He and his household were described as devout, God-fearing, generous and prayerful. This Gentile non-Christian’s good works and prayers had been acknowledged by God (Acts10:4). Cornelius was already participating in the cause of God’s chosen people “giving generously to Jewish causes”.

The case of Cornelius (pictured) is perhaps the clearest example in the New Testament of a non-Christian who feared God, acted virtuously and was accepted in God’s sight. It is an account that puts paid to the “Reformed” notion I long held that God is at best uninterested in human good works. On the contrary, God delights in human efforts to please Him, help others and do what is right, exemplified by Jesus’ acceptance of the Mt25 “sheep” who had shown kindness to those in need.

 As I showed when commenting on that passage, it is not the works themselves that justify a person before God but the “faith” from which they spring. And as demonstrated in the last few theses/posts, the very act of responding positively to the dictates of conscience is itself an act of faith – in view of that faculty’s spiritual nature (cf. Heb9:14), from Whom it is derived (Jn1:9NKJV) and the Law to which it witnesses (Rom2:15).

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

St John Henry Newman

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Heb11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.

 Rom2:15 (Gentiles] demonstrate the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts either accusing or else defending (a particular action).

 Ps51:5 I was formed in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceived me.

 COMMENTS

Conscience is the eluded medium of effectual common grace and pertains to the human’s spirit, also largely eluded since the time of Augustine. Conscience pertains to natural law, and in the absence of a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ is “the impression of a divine Light within us, a participation of the eternal law in the rational creature” [ref#1]. As such, conscience as the universal revelation of God, anterior to the Gospel and supreme over all other human faculties provides everyone with “a clear and sufficient object of faith” [ref#2].

The quotations are from an earlier (19th century) and far more scholarly Calvinist-turned-Catholic, John Henry Newman (pictured) – and he was right. For “faith” in its essence is man’s positive response to what has been revealed to him from God, be it innately through his spiritual faculties or religiously through a creed. Either way, one comes to discern the nature of right and wrong and senses a benefit in practicing the former to be at peace with oneself. As Newman also observed, the cardinal truth that conscience teaches is that God rewards the good and punishes the wayward; again, a facet of faith as the bible defines it (Heb11:6).

The faculty derives from the fact that the human spirit is created in God’s image and has been enlightened by Christ (Jn1:9KJV). In contrast, the vessel that temporarily houses our spiritual essence is drawn to worldly lust like a magnet. For unlike the God-given spirit it was conceived in sin and shaped in iniquity (Ps51:5). But by habitually taking heed to the dictates of conscience, the soul/spirit is responding to something greater than itself. Hence such a person is regarded as exercising faith in God and so is justified through the merits of Christ’s atonement. For by habitually taking heed to the dictates of conscience, the soul/spirit is effectively relating positively to something, ultimately to Someone superior to itself. Hence the person is regarded as exercising faith in God and so is justified through the merits of Christ’s faithfulness (Note#1).

 QUOTATION REFERENCES

 #1 John Henry Newman: “Grammar of Ascent”

 #2 Ibid.

NOTE

 #1 Greek: “ek pisteos Christou” – as in Rom3:22, Gal2:16; Gal3:22, where it is usually (inappropriately) translated as if referring to a believer’s faith in Christ rather than Christ’s own faithfulness (to His redemptive mission).

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Jn1:9 (NKJV) – That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world

 Col1:16 – By Christ were all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him

COMMENTS

The previous theses affirmed that the human’s spirit is planted by God and will one day return to Him. It would therefore be surprising if it did not include a blueprint for human behaviour. And so it does: the law of God written on the “heart” (Rom2:15). This divine blueprint manifests itself in the faculty of CONSCIENCE. It is also described (but often mistranslated) as the light of Christ that enlightens every man coming into the world (Jn1:9). That translation is suggested by the Greek word order; apart from which it is hardly likely that John writing in the late first century would be informing his readers that the Light (Christ) “is coming” into the world” (e.g. NIV NASB).

As is also the case with certain translations of Rom2:14-15 regarding the innate working of conscience, it is an attempt to obscure any positive role Scripture might ascribe to “natural law”. Particularly in this context, natural law is not alluding to “Mother Nature” but to the very law of Christ. For all things, INCLUDING NATURE HERSELF and the precious human soul/spirit were created by the pre-incarnate Christ as Logos, through Him and for Him (Col1:16).

Amongst the earliest Church Fathers such as Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria, this principle was articulated in terms of the divine Logos (Word) whom they recognized had provided every age, race and each individual with seeds of divine truth – the “Logos spermatikos”, leading everyone to some knowledge of God and His law, however fragmentary. Origen specifically regarded the seed of reason provided to all men equipping them with a measure of wisdom and justice as the essence of Christ Himself, as did Justin Martyr (ref#1). From such a perspective Christianity does not supersede natural law but rather builds on it.

 Even pagan literature, philosophy and mythology contain wisdom that could be regarded as a preparation for the gospel, and that is how the apostle Paul utilized it. For example, he drew upon a Greek poet Epimenides and a Greek philosopher Aratus in his sermon in Athens (Acts17:26-28). Such insights as they had in turn had sprung from the Light of Christ provided to all people. Whilst that light will have been fragmentary, in those who encounter Christ through the gospel it should fill the whole being and radiate out to the world.

 Ref#1 The first apology of Justin Martyr chap. 46

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

Author’s Facebook page HERE

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Rom2:15 – (Gentiles) show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts either accusing or defending (their actions).

Rom7:23 – But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

 Jn1:9 – (Christ) was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world (NKJV/KJV).

 COMMENTS

 Like Paul in Rom7 (vv15-25), this thesis is contrasting the law of the human spirit with what the apostle refers to as the “law of the bodily members”. Clearly, the latter law must pertain to the brain, for the bodily members in themselves cannot possess moral law. With that in mind, the language in Rom7:23 quoted above is particularly interesting. For Paul writes that the law in his body “wages war against the law of my mind”. To what “mind” can he be referring? It cannot be the brain – that gives rise to “the law of the bodily members” with which his mind is at enmity. What I mean is, a man’s eyes see a beautiful woman – he lusts after her. His eyes see desirable, luxurious objects – he craves them and envies those who possess them. But of course, it’s not really the eyes – it’s the brain that processes the images they capture.

This may appear to be stating the obvious, but bear with me, the implications have significance to what recent posts have been covering: the three rather than two components of man and the three rather than two soteriological categories of the soul. For answering my own question, it is the mind of the human spirit which Paul is saying is at war with the mind that controls the body. The “law” (or motivating principle) that governs the body is the brain; the “law” governing the spirit is the conscience. And it is God’s Law (Rom2:15 above), to which even those who do not know the Creator in a religious sense nevertheless defer. Their consciences either approve or accuse them with respect to a particular action (Rom2:15b). And as the previous verse affirms, they often do by nature the things contained in God’s Law. They often suppress the urge to lust after another woman and remain faithful to their wives; they may observe luxuries they do not possess but remain content and thankful for what they have. As a result, they are at peace with themselves. However, when they knowingly transgress, they develop “a guilty conscience”.

But as considered in the previous post, there is a category of person who does not possess such a guiding principle, for their spirit is dead and their conscience fails to function. For like Cain they are not “of God” (1Jn3:12; cf. Rev10:7). But as Paul affirms, especially in Rom2 and Rom7, that is not man by nature, Christian or otherwise. Hence there are three soteriological categories with distinct moral characteristics and divergent eternal destinies.

The mind of the spirit

Subsequent posts/theses will focus on the conscience itself – what I am principally drawing attention to in this post concerns the two minds within man that Paul alludes to in Romans7. But so in effect does Jesus in His teaching on the subject. The self-mutilation passages recorded in Matthew5:28-30 and Mark9:43-48 are referring to the need to control the bodily members so that the soul or “heart” is not polluted. It is clearly allegorical for it is obvious that cutting off an arm does not make someone a better person: they will still find a way to steal if that is their inclination. Jesus is highlighting the need for a disciple to keep his bodily members under tight control otherwise the whole person (soul) will be damaged and require post-mortem purification (i.e., salting – earlier post).

However, the key point I am making regarding Jesus’ teaching pertains to His use of reflexive pronouns: “If your eye offends you pluck it out; if your arm ensnares you hack it off” etc. As with the apostle’s teaching, this pertains to the disparate moral dispositions of spirit/heart and body. The “you” that is offended, ensnared or led into sin is the spirit/soul/heart, being that which is from God and survives physical death; the offenders or ensnarers are your bodily members driven by the physical senses processed through the brain pertaining to the temporary earthly tent or vessel.

Again, it may appear inanely obvious to mention it, but it is something that eluded my thinking prior to the revelations I received. That is that the brain, being part of the mortal body is buried or incinerated at physical death – yet that part of us that continues into eternity clearly has a mind of its own, even before any resurrection. For it is the body including the brain that Paul and Peter refer to as our vessel or tent.

And what usually is more important in everyday life – the vessel or what it contains? In anthropological terms, the precious content of the earthly vessel is the eternal soul and spirit. In terms of our time on the current earth, what differentiates the Christian from everyone else is that the believer has been provided with the spiritual resources to “possess his own vessel in sanctity and honour” (1Thes4:4). And by cooperating with divine grace the Christian is enabled to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Rom8:13). That is so as to Live, love and serve the living God even whilst in mortal flesh – and to have souls ready prepared for something still more unspeakably glorious in the ages to come (Rev3:21).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

 BIBLE REFERENCES

Rom8:6 For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.

 Gal5:22-23 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law.

 Rom7:23 But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

 COMMENTS

The above related theses again pertain to a fundamental flaw in the Augustinian derived biblical theology the Western Church has relied upon for the last 1600 years or so. It is one of his several “twos-for-threes” for those familiar with my ditty [note #1]. In this case, contrary to the teaching of Paul and the writer to the Hebrews, he insisted man consisted of body and soul alone rather than body, soul and spirit (cf. 1Thes5:23; Gal6:18; Rom8:16; Heb4:12). He also came to reject soul creationism – i.e., that the spiritual part of man (that which returns to God after physical death) is directly planted by God into the embryo (what Paul and Peter sometime refer to as our tent or vessel). For Augustine well knew its implications, whereas many creationists, including within his own Church have either failed to think it through or are content “to hold in tension” the notion that God would condemn a person for the soul/spirit He has just provided to them; indeed, that He would plant what was morally deficient within them in the first place.

 The resulting denigration of both divine and human nature is resolved when what has been taken as read – that a human soul is either “saved” or “damned” is demonstrated from scripture to be a fallacy. Indeed, few souls proportionately speaking are in either category [note#2] in the context of what the bible actually means by salvation. Whilst those (starting with Cain) who are reprobate/cursed/damned/children of the devil are an eluded sub-category that has been lumped together with “the unsaved”.

In terms of the Church’s evangelical mission such a misclassification has not essentially mattered (which is why God has permitted it for so long – cf. Rev10:9). For the Church must  preach the Good News of Jesus as Lord and Saviour, practice justice and offer compassion to all in the world, regardless of how deserving or otherwise the recipients may be. But it does matter in terms of human perspectives on God’s providential care, mercy and justice – whether such is munificent or draconian. And it does matter in terms of our understanding of human nature and how we perceive our fellow man. Is it sinful in its entirety as Augustine and the Protestant Reformers assert? Is it liable to corruption yet capable of maintaining its integrity through a self-discipline verging on ascetism – as Pelagius allegedly taught? Or is human nature basically sound – at worst neutral and capable of living a life that is pleasing to God without any enabling grace on His part? With, I am clear, the Apostle Paul I would reply “none of the above”.

 Fallen human beings are indeed sinful by nature in view of the flesh. “The flesh” can be taken absolutely literally – from a creationist perspective it is the procreated material part of us: the body and brain. “Flesh” is not referring to our “sinful nature” as some bible translation infer (e.g. NIV in Rom7). For our nature is sinful, but not (normally) in its entirety: “For I know that no good whatsoever dwells within me, that is, IN MY FLESH” (Rom7:18a). And how does he complete the statement? “For the willing (to do good) is present in me, but the capacity to do the good is not (18b)”. In other words, human nature is dualistic. Why? Because its component parts although ultimately derived from God arrive in in the embryo from two different immediate sources: God plants the spirit whilst the corrupted intellectual vessel (body and brain) is procreated via the wondrous but entirely material processes of human childbirth. Hence the psalmist’s lament: “Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps51:5).

But the psalmist’s parents did not provide his eternal soul – that had been God’s domain. What has been materially procreated results in what Paul describes as “the body of this death” (Rom7:24YLT). “This death” for he is referring to what he had been describing in that passage – the willingness to do good and adhere to the spirit of God’s law on the one hand; the inability consistently to practice it in view of “the law in the bodily members” on the other. The resulting transgression results in a defilement of the conscience leading to “death”, being a disruption in the access to the One who is the source of “life” – that abundance of spiritual Life Jesus came to give (Jn10:10 cf. Rom8:13). And through the Saviour’s death He provided what was needed for those His Father has chosen for His Son (Jn6:44): even “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God to cleanse your conscience from dead works so as to serve the living God” (Heb9:14).

 Applying the above to our theses, in terms of #29 (interpreting “spirit” as “Spirit”) I have already cited a verse in which the human spirit is understood by most bible translators to be the Holy Spirit. That is Rom8:13 and there are two others quoted above under “Bible References”. The one pertaining to the fruit of the spirit (thesis #30) is particularly important and is one I find especially irksome – for two reasons. Firstly, it is both observable and biblical that those who are not Christian are well able to produce good fruit. For acts of compassion, courage, bravery, endurance and the like are good fruit. To imply even indirectly that man by nature is incapable of such is abhorrent. I know from personal experience that such teaching can poison the soul – in my case regarding my attitude and behaviour in my Calvinist days towards my loving, caring but non-Christian parents. Secondly, even in the case of the Christian, it is not the Spirit’s good fruit, it is the believer’s – the efflux of his or her own human spirit. Clearly, God the Holy Spirit’s fruit would be good, perfect in fact. Man’s rarely is – but it is his own and can be a blessing to others. In which case God delights in it and shall reward it as if it were performed to succour Christ Himself (Mt25:37-40). [The Mt25 “sheep” were actually justified by “faith” which I have explained elsewhere].

 What Paul is contrasting in Gal5 is the fruit of the human spirit contrasted with that of the flesh (thesis #31). As for Jesus’ own teaching,  “let your light should shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt5:16). Glorify the Father indeed, for though you or I may perform good works, it is a result of the grace given us to do it. But we, of ourselves and in accordance with our own will, perform the good. The Greek text does not lend itself to be interpreted as alluding to the Holy Spirit’s enabling as many understand it, it is either the human spirit or Holy Spirit’s produce that is being referred to. Likewise, when Jesus speaks of “trees” producing good or bad fruit, it is clearly people he is referring to, not God or the power of God within them (e.g., Mt7:17-19). A cause for boasting? By no means. “What do you possess that you have not already received? And if you receive it, why would you boast as if you had not received it? (1Cor4:7).

But what has been received? It is the light of Christ in the spirit God gives to all at birth and that returns to Him at physical death (Eccles12:7; Jn1:9KJV). For unlike lesser creatures, “God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul” (Gen2:7). But the main point being made here is that grace (in this context being the benevolent enabling of God) is not restricted to the Christian but is present in measure in all who have a functioning spirit (thesis#32). However, not all do possess a functioning spirit or a working conscience (theses#6-10), hence the three soteriological categories being outlined.

In terms of category threes in the context of Rom7, there can be no inner tension for the twice dead (Jude1:12), merely a scary serenity – spirit and flesh have become united in evil. For the flesh like everyone by nature is “dead in trespasses and sins” whilst the spirit and its faculty of conscience has been rendered insensitive (Greek: κεκαυστηριασμένων -1Tim4:2). The seed of their humanity no longer remains (1Jn3:9); God’s image has been obliterated. And though they may not believe in such a being, they have, like Cain, joined the devil’s party (1Jn3:12). This scripturally subliminal mystery of evil actually works to humanity’s advantage (for our Sovereign God has superintended it). Why that is the case would take considerably more explaining. The Little Book of Providence and some later theses will expand on the matter, but here’s a pointer from Scripture: Heb2:10😲 .

NOTE#1 – Come, listen to my ditty:

NOTE#2 – In terms of the bulk of humanity being neither elect nor cursed, this has effectively been the case since the Flood. One of the sixteen postdiluvian ancestral lines was cursed, stemming from the lastborn son (Canaan) of Ham who had exposed his father’s nakedness; one was the elect patriarchal line stemming from the firstborn son of Noah’s firstborn son leading down through a line of firstborns to Abraham; whilst the remaining fourteen of the sixteen postdiluvian national patriarchs retained the blessing imparted to Noah and his family on leaving the ark but were not the elective line of firstborns from which Abraham was drawn. God takes no pleasure in destroying anyone (Ezek18:23); He wishes rather to redeem all that can be redeemed within humanity but does not intend that all should go on to marry His Son. That is a role for which proportionately few are being prepared, still less shall be found worthy, having “overcome” (Rev3:4 & 19:7).

 BIBLE REFERENCES

 1Thes5:23 – Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Rom8:16 – The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

Rom7:22-23 – I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man but I perceive a different law in my bodily members warring with the law in my mind and bringing me into captivity to the sinful law that is in my bodily members.

 COMMENTS

 There is considerable overlap with this thesis and the ones covered in recent posts. Again, the key point is that contrary to Augustine’s teaching upon which so much theology has been based, the human being comprises body, soul and spirit – one of “Aug’s twos-for-threes” referred to in my recent ditty. For especially after his fracas with Pelagius, the fearsome bishop was insistent that God had failed to provide mankind with any effectual enlightening or enabling spiritual faculties following the Fall. Consequently, he believed every soul to be doomed to perdition, apart from an act of sovereign grace reserved for the minority: “Many more are to be left under punishment than are delivered from it in order that it may thus be shown what was due to all”.

By “punishment”, Augustine was referring to eternal torment of the soul. Surely a delight to the Adversary’s ears, for such teaching maligns the Creator’s character as much as it demonizes humanity. It profoundly disfigures God’s providential care of the world that His Son suffered so agonizingly to save, turning the Christmas angels’ message of “good news of great joy for all people” into a cosmic catastrophe. Such was the consequence of this sainted churchman’s rejection of any positive role for natural law (innate spiritual enlightenment/enablement) combined with his bipartite anthropology. The latter also had the effect of confounding Paul’s teaching on human nature, especially the critical passage in Romans 7 concerning the conflict of flesh and spirit within man, impacting upon the very nature and process of salvation itself.

For example, where Paul writes in Rom8:13 that “if you live in accordance with the instincts of the flesh you shall die, but if by the spirit [note#1] you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”. Clearly, the Holy Spirit once present in an individual does not thereafter act independently, effectively becoming a human faculty, otherwise it would follow that every Christian would attain an equal and perfected state of sanctification. Rather He is the divine Enabler with whom the believer must cooperate. Indeed, the God-given human spirit (whose existence Augustine had denied) has been provided to all men to enlighten them such that they possess effectual free will to act with integrity and compassion, even at times altruism, but not to attain what the bible means by “salvation” (previous thesis/post).

Pelagian optimism

So, Pelagius went too far and compromised the gospel if he actually taught that man had an innate ability to avoid sin altogether, being effectively able to master his own flesh (Paul’s “body of this death”) through a life of asceticism. For Paul makes clear that as a result of the Fall, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is required to overcome the malign moral influence of the procreated intellectual vessel (body and brain) with which the eternal soul/spirit are temporarily associated (Rom7:24-25). Whilst innate spiritual faculties may enable a person to fulfil the spirit of God’s Law (Gal5:14; Rom2:14) and be finally accepted as a citizen of God’s Kingdom through the exercise of compassionate love towards their fellow man (cf. Mt25:34-40), common grace/natural law cannot provide what is necessary to experience a two-way living relationship with God whilst in mortal flesh.

Celestial grace and the spiritual resources of the gospel are required to “possess one’s own vessel in sanctification and honour” (1Thes4:4). Such who do shall attain a scarcely imaginable degree of glory, providing they persevere in the Faith and gain victory over the morally malign intellectual vessel their soul currently inhabits: “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne” (Rev3:21).

 So much for Pelagius’s overly optimistic assessment of fallen human nature and its innate spiritual potentialities, yet virtually all Augustine’s distinctive teachings [note#2] need to be deconstructed if the munificence of God’s providential intentions towards those He created in His own image is to be perceived. Such has been an irksome (for many) but necessary facet of my book, in which I commented:

“A bible-based articulation of God’s munificent providence will taste as sweet as honey in the mouth of every child of God, whilst in the gut there will be a bitterness and an urge to be rid of what had historically been understood concerning the harshness of God’s justice and the limited nature of His salvific intentions [cf. Rev10:10]. The true scope of God’s plan of loving goodness will redound even more to His glory, for it is entirely dependent on the atoning death of the Son He adores, the length, breadth and height of whose love passes all knowledge”. [Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence chapter one].

 NOTE#1 – Likewise Rom8:4 – “The requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit”. The early scribes who penned the Textus Receptus knew Paul to be referring to the human spirit not the Holy Spirit, hence πνεῦμα, not Πνεύμα [Rom8:4 Greek].

 NOTE#2 – I emphasize “distinctive teaching” for as a Catholic, the Bishop of Hippo taught much that was faithful to the written and verbal tradition of the Apostolic Fathers, not least his reaffirmation of the sacerdotal nature of the Church, the Eucharistic sacrifice and the substantial presence of Christ’s body and blood at the altar.

BIBLE REFERENCES

Luke16:25 – Abraham said (to the rich man in Hades), Child, REMEMBER that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; consequently [Greek: νῦν] he is being comforted here whilst you are in agony.

 Rom7:22-23 – I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man but I perceive a different law in my bodily members warring with the law in my mind and bringing me into captivity to the sinful law that is in my bodily members.

COMMENTS

 It may be stating the obvious to some, but if one believes in an afterlife then our motivations whilst in human flesh potentially derive from two sources: the brain (that wondrous organ in our head that is nevertheless heading for the grave) and the internal “psyche” or whatever you wish to call the intellectual, memory-retaining spiritual entity that leaves the body after death – for it is itself an intellectual memory retaining entity (Lk16:25).

So, within fallen man there are two psychological motivating forces in tension as Paul teaches in Romans chapter 7. They have opposing laws or governing principles: “For I am gratified by the law of God in my inner man, but I perceive a different law in my bodily members warring with the law in my mind and bringing me into captivity to the sinful law that is in my bodily members” (Rom7:23). Clearly our “bodily members” are not laws to themselves – Paul is referring to the bodily senses as they are processed through the brain. The point the apostle is making which few have grasped is that our sinful inclinations derive from the procreated intellectual vessel, not the eternal spirit, “inner man” or “heart” as it is elsewhere described.

 As soul creationists would understand, the spirit/soul has been provided by God and is governed by the spiritual faculty we know of as conscience. I say “spiritual” for it is not identifiable within the brain itself; indeed, it has only relatively recently been clearly ascertained which part of that organ is responsible for processing the conscience’s responses [note#1].

A spiritual faculty indeed, for as Paul himself affirms in Rom2:14-15 (NIV/NASB not the KJV), the conscience witnesses to the Law that God has placed in the “heart”/inner man/spirit, enabling many who are devoid of a particular creed to do by nature what God’s Law would wish them to. [The KJV amongst others obscures that facet of natural law in Rom2:14 – the Greek text will not permit it]. As a result of the Fall, the instincts of the brain itself no longer accord with God’s law as reflected in the conscience. The fleshly organ’s instincts have become concupiscent, i.e., lustful for the things pertaining to this currently disordered world (1Jn2:16).

 I refer to this issue a lot for it pertains to what the Christian is being saved from (Rom7:24). As for what such salvation is for, it is in order that as the first fruits of God’s new created order (Jam1:18) we might, through an interest in the Saviour’s blood and a purified conscience, serve the living God even whilst in human flesh (Heb9:14). That in turn is so that those predestined to the role become conformed to the image of God’s Son (Rom8:29), with souls ready to be incorruptibly reclothed and maritally associated with Him in the ages to come (Rev19:6-7).

Note #1 – The “lateral pole prefrontal cortex” appears to be responsible for the processing of moral decisions and empathetic responses. Amongst mammals, only humans possess this feature which is not the conscience itself (for that is spirit) but the area of the brain in which its promptings are processed. It is an area of the brain that has been found to be clearly and visually underdeveloped in the case of certain psychopaths that have been studied, for in their case there is less (if anything) to process with regard to moral choices and empathetic responses.

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

 BIBLE REFERENCES

 1Jn2:16 – All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world.

 Rom7:23 – For I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

 Rom7:24 – Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

 1Thes4:4 – That each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor

COMMENTS

 In commenting on each thesis, I endeavour to place it and any related biblical citations in their broader context. As a result, I have already covered most issues pertaining to these three related theses in earlier posts. But to reiterate the main points: By “procreated intellectual vessel” I am referring to what comes out of a mother’s womb minus the spiritual element that (as creationists recognize) is placed there by God and later returns to Him (Eccles12:7). Paul and Peter both refer to this fleshly component as a vessel, tent or tabernacle.

Of course, a vital part of that temporary fleshly vessel is the brain, hence my reference to it being intellectual. For it tends to be forgotten that the spiritual component that all Christians acknowledge leaves the body after brain-death is itself an intellectual entity – rational and memory retaining (Lk16:25). It follows therefore that whilst in mortal flesh there are two distinct intellectual entities within man. They are not in union but oppose each other morally and spiritually.

 The fleshly component is “dead” in terms of its spiritual relationship with God, whilst that which God has planted is unsurprisingly alive in that respect. That is, in most cases but not all, for the devil’s children are twice dead (Jud1:12. For in such, like Cain (Jude11-12), flesh and spirit no longer are in tension. And it is a scary prospect; the spiritual and fleshly parts of these human devils (Jn6:70) have both died to God and become united in evil, devoid of a functioning conscience, being a faculty of the spirit, whose very existence Augustine and consequently much subsequent theology rejects.

Not so the apostle Paul on either count. He knows a human being to comprise body, soul and spirit (1Thes5:23). He also knows and has articulated in Romans chapter seven that the instincts of the flesh (i.e. the bodily senses as they are process by the brain – thesis #24) are at odds with the instincts of the spirit perceived in the promptings of the conscience, being God’s law written on the heart.

 Paul cannot be referring to himself as a Christian within that passage (Rom7:14-24) as most pre-Augustinian commentators rightly recognized. Later commentators contradict what Paul goes on to outline in the very next chapter (8:12-16) – that the Christian is not a slave to the flesh whereas man by nature is. It prevents him consistently practicing what he knows in his heart to be right and just. Not so the Christian who is enabled in Paul’s words “to possess his own vessel with sanctification and honour”. For he has become one spirit with Christ and is further empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome the deceitful enticements of this world (1Jn2:16).

Such worldly enticements are what thesis #22 is referring to – the triple concupiscence which has governed the brain since the Fall, exacerbated by the influence of he who is still the prince of this world. Paul refers to our earthly vessel as the body of this death (thesis #23). The “this” (v24 – τούτου), often subtly omitted or misplaced within the translation, is important for it shows that the death to which he refers is not “a state of damnation” but what he is describing in the passage – the inability to overcome the desires of the flesh as long as the soul resides in mortal flesh (cf. 1Pet4:6). That in turn results in a breach of God’s laws that are referenced by the conscience (Rom2:15) such that even those who have a sense of right and wrong and seek to practice the former are currently innately unable to serve the living God (Heb9:14). [They are nevertheless justified by “faith” evinced by love through the merits of Christ’s faithfulness, but that is for a later thesis].

 As Paul concluded, for those called to divine service and spiritual worship whilst still in mortal flesh so as to be fitted for yet more glorious service in the ages to come, there is only one solution – a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Rom7:25). Even then, the matter is not finally resolved until the body itself is redeemed and replaced with that which is equally material yet incorruptible, having a brain spiritually attuned to God and the things of God. Note carefully, that is the eventuality Paul refers to as the Christian’s point of adoption (Rom8:23) – not the day of his conversion or when the soul goes to heaven but when he finally receives a resurrection body. For man is incomplete (“asleep”) without a body – and it was the temporary version that had been the source of his problem with sin.

As Peter affirmed, the lusts of the flesh war against the soul – not within it for they do not derive from it (1Pet2:11). Nevertheless, such a soul can potentially be damaged (corrupted) to the point of requiring the painful remedy (salting) Jesus spoke of in Mk9:45-50. That is one of the more troublesome passages of Scripture for many Christians, which is covered in several later (higher numbered) theses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Eccles12:7 – Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

 1Thes5:23 – Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom7:22-24 – For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner man I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God, it is through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Gen6:3 – God said My spirit shall not perpetually strive with man for he is flesh, so his days shall be (reduced to) 120 years [Note: this cannot be referring to the Holy Spirit, for fallen man by nature neither encounters nor possesses the Holy Spirit. Rather, he possesses a spirit from God which is constantly at enmity with his fleshly parts (body and brain) – so God does man a favour by reducing his time in the flesh].

 1Pet4:6 – Therefore the gospel has been preached even to those who have died, so that though they have been judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit in accordance with the will of God.

COMMENTS

 Three theses have been lumped together in this post as they are closely related, and each one hopefully helps explain the other two. The biblical references are firstly to confirm that Paul (together with the writer to the Hebrews and the witness of the early Church) asserts that a human being consists of flesh, soul and spirit. As all Christians will agree, the spiritual essence of man is eternal, but the reference from Ecclesiastes affirms its origins as well as its destination. Man’s spirit came from God and shall return to Him when the body is laid to rest.  Many Christians (“traducians”) effectively believe that the eternal soul/spirit is somehow derived through human procreation. Others (creationists) believe the spiritual essence of man is directly created by God and planted into the human embryo at some point before birth. These theses affirm the latter.

Creationism is the official teaching of the Catholic Church, although in practice many (not least Augustine) have struggled with it in view of incompatibility with that fearsome bishop’s distinctive teaching on original sin that the Western Church (alone) adopted. For it would imply that the God who is love personified implants a morally degenerated soul within man and then condemns him for possessing it. The traducian notion is equally illogical and irrational, for how can that which is spiritual and eternal be generated from what is mortal and material? – apart from which, as already indicated the notion is unbiblical.

The matter is resolved by Paul’s teaching in Romans chapter seven, that is when taken literally. The spiritual essence of man (which Paul refers to here as the “inner man” – elsewhere to the  heart or spirit) is not the source of mankind’s problem with sin, for it instinctively loves what is good and in accordance with God’s law (7:22). The problem stems from what the apostle refers to as law in the body parts, by which he must mean the bodily senses as processed through the brain. It might appear blindingly obvious but I for one did not previously think the matter through – at death, the brain returns to the ground with the rest of the body. What goes into eternity, being the invisible spiritual essence planted by God is itself an intellectual entity, rational and memory-retaining. The parable of Lazarus and rich man confirms as much (Lk16:25 – note also from that verse why the rich man and Lazarus were experiencing what they were – to be covered in later theses).

 It is the moral tension between the fleshly and spiritual intellectual entities within man that Paul is describing in Romans 7, prompting him to ask, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” All Christians know Jesus Christ to be the answer, and Paul confirms it (v25). But what of Paul’s question? It pertains to the very purpose and nature of what the bible means by “salvation” – what it is from and what it is for (previous thesis).

 The soul’s original innocence

It is not the God-given soul and spirit but the procreated intellectual vessel they inhabit that prevents man by nature rightly relating to God in the present. Only the Christian is provided with the spiritual resources to “possess his own vessel in sanctity and honour” (1Thes4:4). That is so that his soul can be fitted for immediate divine service in the world to come. In the meantime, the Christian is to present his mortal body to God as a living sacrifice. That, says Paul, is his reasonable service (Rom12:1). But it is not what the apostle regards as the ultimate purpose of salvation, neither is “going to heaven when you die” which the bible (including Paul) describes as “falling asleep” (Acts7:60; 1Cor15:6).

No, here is the focus and cosmic outworking of Paul’s gospel and it is line with the message of the Christmas angels: Good news/great joy/all people (Lk2:10) – “The creation was subjected to futility, not of its own choice but because of Him who subjected it, in the hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. That whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only they, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit – we also groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption, being the redemption of our body” (Rom8:20-23).

This is not my gospel, it is Paul’s. Some of his teaching was new revelation; none of mine is, nor can it be. Rather, it is new interpretation that will appear alien to many. That is to be expected – for the Roman Church has long regarded Augustine as their preeminent doctor whilst the founder of the Protestant Church’s introductory statement for his 95 theses at Heidelberg declared Augustine to have been “Paul’s most trustworthy interpreter”. The Spirit has shown me something very much to the contrary, the supernatural aspect of the revelation testified to in several earlier posts.

The resulting synopsis has been set out in The Little Book of Providence, made freely available to all as a PDF. What is more, I believe that such a course of events was foretold in Scripture – cryptically so in Revelation chapter ten, more overtly so in the non-canonical yet inspired and biblically quoted Book of Enoch.

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Gen2:7 God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul

 Eccles12:7 – Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

 Heb4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

1Thes5:23 – Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom8:16 – The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

Gal6:18 – The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

COMMENTS

 I comment a number of times on soul creationism and the tripartite nature of man in my book. Here is one such reference:

Primarily through Augustine’s influence and his prosecution of the Pelagian controversy, the post-Nicene Church defected from the orthodox tripartite understanding of most earlier Fathers who believed man to be comprised of body, soul and spirit [note#1]; the latter being provided directly from God and the means by which one receives sound reason and a pure conscience, the Light of Christ by which little children cannot but “believe” in Jesus the Word (Mt18:6). This has exacerbated difficulties when interpreting Paul’s epistles; the “spirit” not being conceived by most readers to be a separate entity (a component of human nature) distinct from the Holy Spirit. Paul refers more frequently than others to the human spirit because of his substantial handling of the inner struggle concept. On one occasion he refers to body, spirit and soul together (1Thes5:23) in terms of sanctification. Likewise, the writer to the Hebrews speaks of the word of God penetrating between soul and spirit as it does between the joints and marrow (Heb4:12). The latter two materials of the body are closely related yet distinct, as are the soul and spirit.

 In terms of the witness of the Apostolic Church, Justin Martyr spoke of the soul housing the spirit just as the body houses the soul (ref#2) the latter being a kind of ethereal interface formed in the outline of the body enclosing the spirit – invisible when it leaves the body at death yet clearly visible in the realm it inhabits prior to resurrection (cf. Lk16:23). Irenaeus concurred: the soul possessing the figure of the body in which it dwells (ref#3) whilst “the complete man is composed of flesh, soul and spirit. One of these does indeed preserve and fashion the man – this is the spirit; whilst as to another it is united and formed – that is the flesh; then comes that which is between the two – that is the soul which sometimes when it follows the spirit is raised up by it but sometimes it sympathises with the flesh and falls into carnal lust“ (ref#4). In the New Testament the Greek word for soul (psuche) is often translated as “life” for it more often relates to the physical: “Take no thought for your “psuche” what you shall eat or what you shall drink” (Mt6:25).

 Ref#1 Historical background to trichotomy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripartite_(theology)

Ref#2 Justin on the resurrection chap. 10

Ref#3 Irenaeus against heresies Book II chap. 19 (6)

 Ref#4 Irenaeus against heresies Book V chap. 9 para 1

 [Quote from The Little Book of Providence chapter two].

 As a bishop in the 4th/5th century Catholic Church, Augustine cannot have been a total maverick, but without doubt he was the most influential voice (and pen) the Church possessed during its most formative period in terms of doctrinal development and biblical interpretation. Most of his distinctive teachings were accepted by the Catholic Church of his day and built upon later by the Protestant Reformers. Denying the existence of the human’s spirit was such an example, even though I have just demonstrated from Scripture and the testimony of earlier Church Fathers that it was initially well understood that man consisted of body, soul and spirit (the ditty in thesis#13 (“Aug’s twos for threes” refers). For Augustine, the idea that God directly created the souls of fallen human beings or that they possessed any spiritual enlightening or enabling faculties didn’t fit with his interpretation of original sin, namely that through Adam’s disobedience, every soul was doomed to perdition apart from an act of sovereign grace, reserved for the minority. Effectively, soul creationism in the context of Augustinian theology implied that God created what was sinful and unclean, provided it to mankind at birth and then punished us for possessing it.

Such seemingly inexplicable justice, undermining as it does God’s munificence and self-declared salvific intentions, stemmed in part from a misunderstanding of what the bible actually means by “salvation” – i.e., what it is from and what it is for. These early theses are focussing on the former: what man by nature must be delivered from, not to avoid perdition but to relate to God whilst in human flesh. Later theses shall touch upon the especially glorious destiny awaiting those who do embark upon such a relationship through a divinely orchestrated encounter with Jesus Christ so as to be sanctified in body, soul and spirit (Jn6:44; Rom8:29; 1Thes5:23). In the meantime, note Paul’s closing benediction to God’s chosen people in Galatia: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen” (Gal6:18).

Author’s Facebook page HERE

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Ps51:5 – Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Rom5:13 – Until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

1Cor15:56 – The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.

 Eccles12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth that it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

 COMMENTS

 I commented in thesis #12 on Augustine’s teaching that infants who died unbaptized must experience mild sensual pain through eternity. Thankfully this is one of his teachings the Catholic Church did not fully endorse, instead teaching the more palatable notion that such souls would be in a state of limbo – happy and at peace but not fit to experience heaven itself. But as the Church readily acknowledges such a concept had “no clear foundation in revelation”. Their 1992 catechism progressed to the position that “infants who die without baptism are entrusted by the Church to the mercy of God”. Still more recently, in 2007 the Church’s International Theological Commission concluded (no doubt in the light of historical cultural and religious formation), we might “hope that infants who die without baptism may be saved and brought into eternal happiness even if there is not an explicit teaching on this question found in revelation.”

My two related theses demonstrate that the whole matter should never have been an issue in the first place, causing as it has, unnecessary distress for many of the faithful through the centuries, not to mention incredulity from many outside the Catholic Church. The problem largely arose from the Western Church’s interpretation of original sin which deemed that not only Adam’s corrupted nature but his personal guilt was imputed to his offspring, resulting in spiritual death and alienation from the light of Christ from birth. As explained in recent posts/theses, not only was Adam’s sin not imputed but the corrupted nature that has been passed on to his offspring pertains to the procreated intellectual vessel (fleshly body and brain) that the soul inhabits, not the spiritual essence itself, i.e., that part of us that returns to God at physical death (Eccles12:7).

 As the same verse affirms, that spiritual essence was given to us by God – it is innately pure. But it is also pliable, i.e. liable to corruption from the morally degraded fleshly intellectual components with which it is temporarily associated. Hence the need for gospel salvation for those God elects to relate to Himself in Christ and become conformed to His image whilst in mortal flesh (Rom8:29; Jn6:44). But in terms of infant baptism, substantive corruption of the soul cannot occur before a person attains the age of reason. For in Paul’s language, sin is not imputed when there is no law, in this case an infant’s sense of right and wrong. As Paul also wrote concerning the progression of his own pre-Christian life: “There was once a time when I was alive without the law, then the commandment came, sin came to life and so I died” (Rom7:9).

Once these principles are grasped, infants dying unbaptized cease to be an issue. And the fact that the temporary body/brain rather than the eternal soul/spirit is the source of mankind’s problem with sin (covered in the previous thesis) is a truth that has broader and yet more favourable implications for humanity’s destiny that we shall continue to unravel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Ps51:5 – Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

1Cor15:54-56 – When this corruptible puts on the incorruptible and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN, and the power of sin is the Law.

 Rom8:23 – Even we who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, being THE REDEMPTION OF OUR BODY!

 COMMENTS

One needs to observe carefully what the apostle writes concerning spiritual death. Regarding my illustration, some might well think he is putting the cart before the horse:  “The sting of death is sin(?!) and the strength of sin is the law”. The converse idea, namely that the sting of sin is death is better understood and Paul quotes as much from Hosea. But once again the apostle intends exactly what he writes. It confirms among other things that when Paul speaks of death it cannot be a reference to a state of damnation for in this case sin results from death, not leads to it. Something being spiritually dead has resulted in sin, that something being the mortal body and brain. In responding to the body’s natural inclinations, the soul rebels against the divine light of conscience and so disrupts the relationship with the Source of its spiritual life.

For what had been conceived in sin (Ps51:5) has “died” leading in turn to sin that destroys Life once the “law” (a sense of right and wrong) is perceived and inevitably breached (Rom7:9). That is why Paul added “the power of sin is the law“, which at the universal level are those principles of right living which God has written on every heart, aka the conscience (Rom2:15). Hence also the need for heavenly grace so as to  be spiritually purified and receive ongoing cleansing of the soul so that those predestined to it may know, love and serve God whilst in mortal flesh in preparation for greater glory in the ages to come (Rev3:21; 19:7).

The apostle had further asserted that “death will be swallowed up in victory”, yet even celestial grace does not fully resolve the problem of mortal embodiment. God intends to save our soul and body, but He does not do so simultaneously. So even the Christian is tempted to sin whilst in mortal flesh which is why it is his body that is to be offered as a living sacrifice “so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk after the flesh but after the spirit” (Rom8:4).

For it is the human’s spirit that having been supplied by God (Eccles12:7) loves His law and wishes to serve righteousness. Not until “this corruptible” (body) has been transformed at resurrection will death (physical and spiritual) finally be swallowed up in victory when the body itself is redeemed (Rom8:23). [Note – to Paul, salvation’s apotheosis is not the soul going to heaven but bodily resurrection].

The soul’s vessel in its current degenerative state is the cause of the human problem being the outworking of ancestral sin; the final solution will not be for the soul to lose a body altogether and be eternally at rest in the spiritual realm (a spurious dualism), but to be re-clothed in a new body which is from heaven (2Cor5:2) and to be united to the Man who is God and actively participate within His realm. That will be joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Author’s Facebook page HERE

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Gen2:17 From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT FROM IT you will surely die.

 Rom2:14-15 (New Jerusalem Bible) When Gentiles, not having the Law, still through their own innate sense behave as the Law commands, even though they have no Law, they are a law for themselves. They can demonstrate the effect of the law engraved on their hearts, to which their own conscience bears witness; since they are aware of various considerations, some of which accuse them, while others provide them with a defence.

 Rom13:8-10 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilment of the Law.

 Heb9:14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

 COMMENTS

The four references above and the two in the picture cover the essential meaning of this thesis. Paul’s teaching pertains to humanity as a whole and to natural law. The New Jerusalem Bible translation of Rom2 is amongst the more accurate. In terms of Protestant bibles, NASB for example is fine, whereas KJV/NJKV are not so – they amongst others imply Paul is being condemnatory towards the Gentles’ response to conscience whereas it is quite the contrary – they “behave as the Law demands”. Indeed, with the exception of the children of the devil featured in earlier theses and cited in Paul’s rebuke to Elymas, the rest of humanity possess a working conscience and often act upon it. Quoting Paul “through their own innate sense (Gentiles) behave as the Law commands, even though they have no Law, they are a law for themselves”.

 Anyone who shows compassion to another does just that – fulfilling the spirit of the Law (Rom13:8-10; Mt25:40; 1Jn4:7). Note, the previous paragraph already covers two spiritual/soteriological categories – those who defer to the faculty of the human spirit we know of as conscience, and those who do not. That correlates with those for whom truth, compassion and integrity matter (albeit they do not consistently practice it) and those who are narcissistic psychopaths. This in turn correlates with those who retain something of God’s image and those who have entirely lost it (1Jn3:8-10). Secular society may apply different language, but they generally recognize such a distinction. Regrettably many Christians are less inclined to, thanks to the binary theology referred to in the previous thesis‘ ditty.

 According to their understanding (and mine in the past), whilst they may acknowledge degrees of wickedness and resulting punishment, all who do not respond to the gospel (as the various denominations interpret it) are deemed to be bound for perdition. Repudiating such a notion is central to this work; for it is an offence to God’s nature and providential care, and a misrepresentation of humanity’s standing before God. Nevertheless, what is true about the above two categories of people is that neither is saved in the gospel sense. But what is such salvation from and what is it for?

The “from” was covered in the last few theses: it is to be delivered from what Paul refers to as the body of this death. For whilst through the faculty of conscience working within their spirit, the first category may “joyfully agree with the law of God in the inmost being”, they are aware of “a different law (principle) in the bodily senses waging war against the law of the mind, making them a prisoner of the law of sin within the bodily members” (Rom7:23-24).

 The second category on the other hand knows nothing of such inner moral turmoil, nor any guilt or shame for their sin. Their whole being (like Elymas) is united in evil – they are quite different from the rest, for they are not “of God” (1Jn3:10). But thanks be to God, there is a third category who are being saved. And what are they being saved for? The Hebrews text I have quoted refers: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Such are to be the servants of God on earth – they need to know Him, love Him and serve Him NOW whilst in mortal flesh, and be fashioned for still nobler service in the future, i.e., immediately Christ returns in glory.

 For such honourable service they need to be cleansed in Christ’s blood. Peter describes them as “the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through a hallowing of the spirit leading to obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus” (1Pet1:2 – to be clarified in later theses). As Hebrews affirms, that is so that their consciences may be cleansed from the works that result in death (as previously defined). Again, this is indicative of the spiritual nature and origin of the faculty of conscience – being as Paul stated, the witness to the Law of God written on the heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Gen2:17 From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.

 Rom8:20-21 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own free will, but because of Him who subjected it, in the certain hope that creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

 Rev10:7 In the days of the voice of the seventh messenger, when he starts sounding off, then the mystery of God will be completed, as has been announced to His servants the prophets.

 COMMENTS

Humanly speaking, the Little Book of Providence and these theses related to it arose from applying a highly literal (some might say overly pedantic) approach to scriptural interpretation. Every word, including how it is parsed in its original language has been taken into consideration. Usually, such a literal approach results in seeming contradictions with other passages, indeed many passages of the bible. But that is not the case with The Little Book; interpreted in the way that I have been shown the bible should be results in total coherence, at least to the author’s satisfaction.

 The current issue is an example: “In the day you eat from it you shall surely die” (Gen2:17). Eating the forbidden fruit, being that which gave them the knowledge of good and evil for which they were not ready, did not result in our first parents merely becoming mortal and liable for punishment, they died on the day the fruit was eaten [Heb: בְ יֹ֛ו םאֲכָלְך ]. What they experienced that very day is what Paul was referring to in my earlier thesis with regard to his reference to individuals by nature being “dead” in trespasses and sins – a defiled conscience resulting in a disruption in their relationship with their Creator. For as we know, Adam went on to live for centuries, and as the earliest Church fathers rightly testify, he was neither cursed nor damned. The first man to experience that fate was Adam’s firstborn son Cain (Gen4:11).

As a consequence of his parents’ folly, Cain’s soul like everyone else’s must inhabit a corrupted intellectual vessel (body and brain) with instincts alien and opposed to God’s law (Rom7:23-24). But in Cain’s case he was also dead in spirit, i.e., twice dead (Jude1:12). Body, soul and mind had become united in evil, hateful towards God and humanity. He had succumbed to the Evil One (Gen4:7); become a child of the devil (1Jn3:12) and the archetype of a theologically eluded third soteriological category of humanity. Counterintuitively, this is great news for the rest of us, as is the related Rom9 passage regarding vessels fitted for destruction considered in thesis#10. If you’re not yet acquainted with The Little Book of Providence, that is likely to appear 🤣 . So, it’s time for a ditty:

 “A snake and trees,

 Aug’s twos for threes,

 Disaster now at last shall please”

 יִצְחָ֔ק

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Rom5:14 – Death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

 Rom7:23-24 – I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God, it is through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 Rom8:23 – We who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body!

COMMENTS

By “a form of original sin” I mean that the effect of Adam’s sin has been passed on to his offspring (i.e. all humanity) through procreation, that effect being “death” as described in the previous thesis/post. This is assuredly not original sin as Augustine defined it in which, partly through a mistranslation of biblical Greek, he believed that all humanity was deemed to have sinned in Adam and that his guilt had been imputed to all. Augustine’s misreading of Paul is no longer such a matter of controversy and is perhaps most clearly contradicted in Paul’s statement that “death reigned from Adam to Moses even over those who had not sinned in the manner of Adam.” (Rom5:14).

The father of Western theology’s error here, as with so many of Augustine’s distinctives, disfigures divine providence and depicts human nature as innately abhorrent. It was typified by his assertion that God’s intention for those made in His image was that “many more are to be left under punishment than are delivered from it, in order that it may thus be shown what was due to all” (De Civitates Dei XXI chap. 12). Even little children who died unbaptized must endure “mild sensual pain” for all eternity (New Advent Catholic Encyclopaedia -“Unbaptized infants – teaching of Augustine”). Such perversions of divine providence and the underlying goodness of the human spirit will have delighted Satan’s heart, especially as it has impacted upon the presentation of the gospel to this day.

The reality is so very different: God IS love and He created the universe and especially those creatures made in His image so that He might lavish His love upon them; ultimately to unite them to Himself starting with those He chooses to become associated with His Son whilst still in mortal flesh. Theological resolution occurs when the source of mankind’s problem with sin has been rightly ascertained. It is not the God given soul/spirit but the procreated intellectual vessel (body and brain) that temporarily houses it, referred to by Paul and Peter as our tent or vessel (2Cor5:1-4; 2Pet1:13-14). The outworking of original/ancestral sin is in fact what Paul is depicting in Romans7, as this quote from The Little Book of Providence explains:

Quotation

 “As a result of original sin, the divinely created human spirit finds itself within a morally sickly environment. Expressed another way the soul/spirit is required to operate through an impure medium – the procreated body of death. Physiologically the physical and spiritual entities (body and soul/spirit) are in union, yet they have opposing moral impulses. Paul exemplifies this in Romans chapter seven: the material (fleshly) and spiritual components of man have opposing moral inclinations as a result of which the human mind becomes a battleground, receiving conflicting advice or motivations from each: the selfish creaturely inclinations derived from the bodily members processed through the brain on the one hand; the more idealistic sometimes altruistic impulses arising from the conscience that governs the God-planted spirit on the other.

 It is not that the immaterial part of man (the soul and spirit) is in any Platonic sense generically superior or purer than the material housing or “vessel” (the body) because the former happens to be immaterial. The dualism in the form of moral antagonism arises from the immediate source of the component parts; the spiritual components are pure not because they are immaterial but because they are from God; the body is impure not because it is material but because it originates from the loins of fallen Adam and carries the contagion of sin. Paul explains how precisely that affects human morality and how for Christians the matter is partially remedied by gospel salvation, yet not wholly so for anybody until resurrection.

 Such anthropological duality was recognized by the very early Christian writers. In the epistle to Diognetus (c. AD130), Mathetes, the anonymous disciple likens the soul’s relationship to the body to that of the  Church to the world: the latter (equating to the flesh) wars against the former (the soul) and hates it because it is perceived to restrict its worldly enjoyment, whereas the Church (the soul) loves the body (the world) and seeks to preserve and sanctify it. Likewise, Cyprian (A.D.200-258) recognized the body to be of the earth and the human’s spirit to be from heaven and that through the Fall they have opposing natures. He affirms that Paul’s references to the spirit being opposed to the flesh are not (as many translations infer) referring to the Holy Spirit but the human’s spirit; similarly, the fruits of the spirit.

 The consequence of original sin is that the physical component’s latent instincts as they are processed within the brain are intrinsically corrupting, tending to concupiscence (disordered desire), and will inevitably gain the upper hand over the divinely planted spirit unless aided by divine grace. The inner struggle is not between human nature in its entirety and the Holy Spirit as most have come to understand Paul in Romans 7, for it applies equally to those who do not possess the Spirit. Rather it is a conflict between the inclination of the bodily members (Paul and Peter’s temporary vessel or tent) and the influence of the human’s spirit; the one governed by concupiscence, the other by conscience; the one having been created after God’s own nature, the other created originally from God’s good earth but degenerated through the Fall and procreated therefrom. “O wretched man  that I am; who can deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God it is through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Truly, this is the essence of Christian salvation, for in the believer that battle is aided and can be turned into victory by becoming one spirit with Christ.” [Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence – chapter two]

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Eph2:1-2: “And you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the pattern of this world”.

Rom7:24: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” [Greek: ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου]

Col3:2-5 “Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is effectively idolatry”.

 Jn6:53: Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves“.

COMMENTS

 Regarding what Paul actually means by death in the context of the gospel, in Romans 7 he describes the temporary vessel our souls inhabit as “the body of this death”. Regrettably, “τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου” is often inadequately translated, for example in the New Jerusalem Bible utilized by Catholics where it is “the body doomed to death”. That is not what the Greek relays and entirely misses the point. The apostle is not referring to the human body’s fate but its current condition that he had outlined in the previous verses. Hence his reference to the body of this death, as the KJV, NASB and Greek literal translation among others rightly relay “τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου” .

The effect of that condition is summarized in his earlier statement: “Whilst I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner man, I am aware of a different law in my bodily members waging war against the law of my mind, making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my bodily members” (vv22-24). For Paul is affirming that it is the degenerative procreated intellectual vessel that leads the divinely planted soul into death (i.e. disruption in divine communion).

Such deprivation is what the apostle means by “this death”. He is not alluding to reprobation or total depravity, which would pertain to the soul or whole person. The mortal body is indeed “doomed to die”, an obvious fact but not the point Paul was making; for that issue can and will be resolved at resurrection. The body of this death on the other hand requires a more immediate remedy (aka gospel salvation) for those chosen to relate to God whilst still in mortal flesh – so that their soul may be fashioned for a still greater destiny.

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Rom9:22 – What if God, willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His authority known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath designed for destruction?

 Mt15:13 – Jesus answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted”. 1Jn3:9 – No one who is born of God (continually practices) sin, because his seed REMAINS in him; and he cannot continually practice sin, because he is born of God.

COMMENTS

In Rom9 Paul refers to vessels of wrath and vessels of God’s mercy, making clear the latter refers to elect Jews and Christians (v24). It is therefore assumed there are two groups whereas in fact there are three. The third are the bulk of humanity who are neither destined to be co inheritors with Christ, nor those Paul defines as having been fashioned/designed/adjusted (Greek: καταρτίζω) for ultimate destruction. Like their archetype Cain, these “vessels of wrath” (σκεύη ὀργῆς) were souls created by God (the Potter) but not planted by Him (Mt15:13). They were destined for satanic use to fulfil God’s wondrous purposes, such as having His own Son betrayed and executed for the salvation of mankind and the ultimate defeat of His archenemy.

This is typified in the example Paul himself provides in Romans9 regarding the exaltation, hardening of heart and final humiliation of the Egyptian Pharaoh to display JHWE’s power to save and deliver His people from their oppressors. It would surely be an affront, both to divine providence and humanity as a whole if Paul were identifying such hateful, accursed vessels with the souls of everyone who would fail to respond to the gospel. For the Potter analogy is indicating that these people were specifically fashioned or designed (Greek: καταρτίζω) so as to act in a God-grieving way resulting in their eternal ruin. Yet such a dire providential perspective is unavoidable applying the Augustinian derived binary soteriology that these theses are vehemently repudiating.

The Potter illustration becomes still more unpalatable once Paul, Jesus and John are taken at their word regarding election, namely that those who are chosen for Christ are appointed to gospel salvation by unmerited grace and that no one of their own resources is able to attain to it. Again, my Little Book’s tripartite soteriology resolves the matter entirely. Even then, it will still be problematical for many that a God who the bible defines as love personified would create such hateful beings for any purpose. But there is a hint to the solution in the Romans 9 passage itself: “He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon the objects of mercy, which He is ready-preparing for glory” (v24).

But that’s only a part of the story. The writer to the Hebrews elucidates further when to the astonishment of many he writes: “For it was fitting for (Christ) for whom are all things, and through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the Originator of their salvation THROUGH SUFFERING” (Heb2:10). This pertains to the ultimate, long sustained mystery of divine providence and God’s extraordinary Plan for humanity (Rev10:7). More light is shed on this mystery in the final (seventh) chapter of The Little Book of Providence.

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Mt25:41-46 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his agents (Greek: ἀγγέλοις); for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into age-enduring punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.”

 Jn8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

 1Jn3:10 “By this the children of God and the children of the devil may be identified: anyone who does not live uprightly (ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην) is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother”.

COMMENTS

My thesis #9 is really another way of expressing 1Jn3:10 in combination with the teaching of Jesus regarding lies and the truth. In the providential context, it is as much concerned with who the children of the devil are not as with who they are. Scripture is not referring to the unsaved or non-Christians. That is a notion derived from the Augustinian dualism on which Western theology has so long relied.

In the definitive passage on final judgement (Mt25) quoted above, religion or religious practice is not the issue (it is not even mentioned). Rather, it is compassionate love or the lack of it that determines who are “sheep” or “goats” together with their respective post-mortem fate. St John concurs – those who fail to love are “not of God”. What? – those who fail to love perfectly? No, we all fall into that category – Christian or otherwise. It is not a question of degrees: certain people cannot love at all in the agape sense.

 For “love is from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God; whoever fails to love does not know God because God is love” (1Jn4:7-8). Likewise, such people never do what is right – they no longer possess any inclination, for the light of conscience has been extinguished. Of course, such may give a fortune to charity or the like, but it will never be out of compassion, duty or reparation. It will only be to impress others and enhance their own reputation so they might attain their heart’s desire. Jesus pointed out that such people are also devoid of truth (Jn8:44). They are compulsive liars, being the sons and daughters of their spiritual father, the Father of Lies.

 So (as ever), there are three categories in this regard at the human level, and three-in-one at the divine:

1. children of the devil, who have no interest whatsoever in telling the truth – they will say whatever suits their narcissistic purposes;

2. man by nature, who has an inclination to lie but will never feel entirely comfortable about it. That is in view of a functioning conscience (a faculty of the spirit – a prompting from “the inner man” – cf. Rom7:23);

3. the elect of God who avoid lying like the plague – even an exaggeration is abhorrent to them, for they are governed by the Spirit of Christ;

3-in-1. Father, Son and Holy Spirit – who are incapable of lying. That is the best news the universe has to offer, in view of the promises God has made to those who love Him. More shall be said regarding the children of the devil in the next thesis, a misrepresentation of which has allowed the mystery of God’s munificent providence to be sustained to this day (Rev10:7).

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

 Jude11 – Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Jn8:44a You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.

COMMENTS

 It’s that man again! In theological terms, Cain is as significant as Adam and Abraham, but this has been eluded just as the covenant in which he was a participant was eluded (thesis #2). The Little Book of Providence elucidates:

“Those who go in the way of Cain are in effect an inverted image of that other vocational group called out from the world to go in the way of Christ. Like Christians, the devil’s children are also no longer their own; they are in the ownership and service of another[1]; they too are spiritually directed and empowered by the effectual working of their lord[2]; they too are no longer one of the lost: the “sheep without a shepherd” upon whom Christ will have compassion[3].

These are not lost for they have found their herdsman or rather he has found them. He had been prowling around seeking whom he may devour[4]; he had crouched at the portal of their souls desiring to possess them. It looked promising, and so he had sifted them as wheat to see if there be any underlying faith within them[5]. Such an analysis will appear obscure and arcane to many: but it is scripturally based and pertains to the mystery of evil; by far the most intriguing aspect of divine providence required to unlock the Mystery of God”.

 [1] 1Jn3:12 [2] Eph2:2 [3] Mt9:36 [4] 1Pet5:8 [5] Lk22:31-32

[Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence chapter six]

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

^.

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

1Cor15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive”

 Jude12 “These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about[a] by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots”.

COMMENTS

A key motif running through The Little Book of Providence and therefore apparent within these 95 theses is an affirmation of trichotomy against duality (3 not 2). That starts with the Godhead as most Christians would agree, but equally applies to soteriology/spirituality (see below), anthropology (body, soul and spirit) and the ongoing witness to God’s saving work on earth (Spirit, water and blood – 1Jn5:8). In Romans7, Paul speaks of an inner tension between the moral impulses of the flesh (“the body of this death”) and the spirit or inner man. Only those who come to know Christ as Saviour, being empowered by the Spirit are able to overcome this so as to experience spiritual Life even whilst in mortal flesh (Rom7:25; Jn6:53).

However (and as ever), there is a third category: In Jude’s language they are the twice dead, devoid of fruit (without any compassion, moral integrity or respect for the truth), having been “pulled up at the roots”. Such, like Cain, have given in to evil and the Evil One. Their fleshly mind like everyone else’s is dead (in the Pauline sense) but their spirit (encompassing conscience) is also dead or at least non-functional such that the material and spiritual components of the person are no longer in tension. Dead (flesh) versus dead (spirit) results in a chilling serenity in which the soul is unhindered in its response to the instincts of the flesh. Such a soul may satisfy its worldly, carnal appetite by any means.

Unlike all who are to be liberated as the children of God (Rom8:19-23), these desolate ones have no Pauline “inner struggle” for what is dead does not struggle. They therefore may be cool, calm and at peace with themselves as they pursue evil. This is death of the soul; this is total depravity, and these are the children of hell (Mt23:15). They are the wicked and godless who must be despatched at the renaissance, for they (i.e. their spirits) were not planted by God but by His enemy (Mt13:25 & 15:13). This pertains to the mystery of providential evil, considered more fully in chapters six and seven of The Little Book.

BIBLICAL REFERENCE

 1Jn3:12 Do not be as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s deeds were righteous.

 COMMENTS

 These first few theses focus on Genesis, and it should already be evident that Cain features as much as his father Adam. Cain’s parent Adam is several times referred to in Paul’s epistles. For at the human level it is through Adam and his partner Eve that sin came into the world. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1Cor15:22). Adam is our federal head; his fate is our fate – but that is the point being made in this thesis. We are in Adam, not Cain. Quoting from The Little Book of Providence on the subject:

“The historical error of mainstream Christian theology since its systemization in Late Antiquity has been a failure to distinguish between disobedient Adam and his psychopathic eldest son. That was not the case amongst the earliest Fathers such as Irenaeus [ref1] and Origen [ref2] who classified fallen Adam with righteous Abel not Cain. Adam was the first man to be created; Cain the first to be born of woman; the one was the federal head of humanity and the progenitor of “the body of this death”, the other was the type of the damned, being those who through an act of free will leave the intuitive path of sound reason and deference to God’s still small voice speaking through the conscience “to walk in the way of darkness, and rejoice in evil and delight in the waywardness of the wicked, whose ways are perverse and devious” (Prov2:13-15).

Sound reason, even the spiritual faculty of conscience will not instruct a man how to be a disciple of Christ – His demands go well beyond such faculties. They require special revelation, spiritual empowerment and the means of sanctifying grace. However, innate human reason, informed by conscience is effectual and normative regarding what is to be pursued and what is to be avoided in the cause of being humane, and that is the basis upon which everyman is judged, being without excuse if he has opposed and rejected the light that he has received (Mt25:31-46).

Cain did just that, killing his innocent brother in cold blood and so was cursed, whilst Adam had never received such a curse. Cain became alienated from such light, Adam did not. Cain came under Satan’s mastery, Adam did not. Cain was a plant of the devil, Adam a lost child of God: for whom Christ came to die – providing pardon for the many and fulness of salvation for those destined to partake in His life (Rom5:10; Rom8:29; Jn6:53-54). [From The Little Book of Providence chapter two]

Ref #1: Irenaeus against heresies Book III chap. 23 (5)

Ref #2: Origen de Principiis Preface (4) 194 Mt25:31-46

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

Thesis #3 of 95 – Abel was not “saved” by anticipating Calvary when he sacrificed an animal (Gen4), he remained justified within a de facto covenant for fallen humanity by exercising faith/faithfulness, offering the best of his produce with a good conscience.

Thesis #4 of 95 Cain defaulted from this Universal Covenant after killing his brother

Thesis #5 of 95 Such an inclusive covenant is indicated by the fact that Cain was neither entirely alienated from God nor cursed by Him until after his fratricide

BIBLICAL REFERENCE

Gen4:13-16 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me THIS DAY from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden

COMMENTS

 Whilst there may have been a prophetic connotation to Christ’s Passion, the idea that Cain and Abel were expected to anticipate a future Sacrifice for sin by killing an animal is unsustainable. Cultic sacrifices were not clearly  established as a religious system until the Law of Moses. Even Jesus’ own disciples had no idea that their Master and Saviour of the world was to die and become a Sacrifice for sin, still less would the immediate descendants of our first parents have such an understanding. Apart from which, no one in the Old Testament is declared to be justified based on offering an animal sacrifice, so Abel cannot be an exception.

Abel exercised faith and produced fruit in the form of good works. Abel didn’t “get saved”, he remained accepted (justified) and was acknowledged as righteous within the Universal Covenant. Cain reprobated (became rejected) and was brand marked for Satan, and as a warning to those who would cross him. That was not at the point he failed to offer his first-fruit in sacrifice, for although God was not pleased with his offering, He still held out an olive branch. Rather he was called to account immediately AFTER he had killed his brother, showing himself to be psychopathic: devoid of conscience or compassion – as later categorized, a child of the devil (cf. 1Jn3:12).

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What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*31/10/17 being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Gen4:7 (Masoretic) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, Sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

1Jn3:12 Do not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

COMMENTS

“Will you not be accepted?” (Gen4:7) might also be translated “will your countenance not be lifted?” which is utilized by some versions of the Bible. The King James Version quoted above rightly understands “sin” to be referring to a person (the Sinful One), for he is lying or crouching (Hebrew: rabats) at the door and has a desire to control Cain. Sin per se could hardly be at the door in Cain’s case, it’s already in Cain’s heart and about to wreak havoc. Cain is described elsewhere as “of the evil one”, confirming that the Sinful One was indeed at the portal of his soul and was able to master Cain and thereby control him, in fact own him. From the human perspective, that would not have been so if Cain had responded differently to the challenge JHWE presented to him in Gen4:7, so the verse effectively reflects a Universal Covenant for fallen humanity; for Abel was fallen but he was accepted.

The focus of the Cain and Abel story which is drawn upon in the New Testament is not concerning Abel’s salvation but Cain’s reprobation (rejection), indicated by the vital yet typically glossed references to “this day” and “now” regarding the elder brother’s fate. Whilst there may be a prophetic connotation to Calvary, the idea that Cain and Abel were expected to anticipate a future Sacrifice for sin by killing an animal is unsustainable; cultic sacrifices were not clearly established as a religious system until the Law of Moses. Paul, James and the writer to the Hebrews make it clear why Abraham had been counted as righteous, being a belief in the God he had encountered evidenced by obedience, in his case that he would be rewarded with a great family. No one in the Old Testament is declared to be justified based on offering an animal sacrifice, so Abel cannot be an exception. Abel exercised faith and produced fruit in the form of good works.

 Abel didn’t “get saved”, he remained accepted (justified) and was acknowledged as righteous within the Universal Covenant; Cain reprobated (became rejected) and was brand-marked for Satan, and as a warning to those who would cross him, but that was not at the point he failed to offer his first-fruit in sacrifice, for although God was not pleased with his offering, He still held out an olive branch. Rather he was called to account immediately he had killed his brother. The issue was never the brothers’ religious observance per se for as always God delights in compassion more than religious offerings as Jesus Himself affirmed. This historically eluded universal covenant is fundamental to the misrepresentation of divine providence within Western theology.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

What’s this?

^{I am briefly commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were first published on Halloween 2017*, so I suspect most current visitors to my website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

Gen1:27 So God created mankind in His own image. In the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Gen9:6: Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.

Jn14:9: Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

COMMENTS

Given that God is invisible, the image referred to in Genesis cannot be God’s appearance but His NATURE. That nature has been besmirched by the fall, but as Gen 9 indicates, by no means obliterated. Every virtue that man is still capable of exhibiting such as compassion, mercy, a sense of fairness and justice, humour, tolerance and the desire for the wellbeing of others, is derived from God.

A key corollary to that statement is that God must possess ALL the above qualities, and to a superlative degree. Any theology that infers, especially through its eschatological outworking, that God’s nature is alien to that of man when he is at his best (as perfectly portrayed by Jesus, even whilst in human flesh – Jn14:9) needs to be revisited.

CONTEXT

^{I am currently commenting on each of the 95 theses that summarize key outcomes from The Little Book of Providence. These were originally published in 2017*, so I suspect more recent visitors to Richard777’s website’s Homepage (latest posts) will not have seen them…   [*the original publication date being Halloween 2017, the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s version].}

⁹I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.¹⁰I was in the spirit (or Spirit) on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,¹¹saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches that are in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea” (Rev1:9-11).

Firstly, a brief word about how John describes his relationship with his fellow believers in the churches to whom he wrote. He doesn’t describe them as “fellow believers” although they are that, but rather as “fellow participants in the tribulation, kingdom and perseverance in Jesus”. That is indicative of that to which I have recently testified – that a true disciple of Jesus Christ, unless he/she shares in the Lord’s earthly suffering/tribulations, is none of His; nor shall they attain the glorious privileges that go with being a co-heir with Christ (e.g. Rev3:21😲). For as Paul indicates, such will be the case “if and only if^NOTE1 we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him (Rom8:17). Jesus Himself had been just as adamant on the matter, typified by His caution to would-be disciples in Lk14:26-33 – the ultimate challenge to any form of easy believism or so-called prosperity gospel.

The sustained mystery

Moving on to verse 11, this points to a mystery within a mystery. An angel tells John to “write in a book whatsoever you see”. The resulting book/scroll has become the final book of the New Testament, and most would rightly regard that as something of a mystery in view of the heavy symbolism. Yet there is a still deeper mystery within it, for in accordance with divine instruction, John did not in fact go on to record everything he saw – namely a mystery revealed to him by the seventh angel/messenger (Greek: ἄγγελος) . And it was to remain a mystery, for chapter ten records that “when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them.’”(v4).

Yet its opening verse had indicated that Revelation was to be an exposé (albeit often expressed symbolically) of what was to occur up to and including the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. But there was something quite crucial that was not to be revealed to the churches, at least not at the point of their inception. Rather it was to be “sealed up” until the very last days. As we shall see, that pertained to “the final mystery of God” (10:7) – It relates to the “Little Book”.

Regarding the rest of Revelation, it contains mysteries and symbolism, concerning which, unlike the rest of Holy Scripture, I do not claim to have received enlightenment. Unless and until that situation changes I shall not attempt any further posts on this wondrous apocalypse. Rather I intend to recapitulate those matters concerning which I believe I have received divine illumination, namely regarding the true nature of the Gospel and the scope of God’s broader benign providence – “the width, length, height and depth of the love of Christ” (Eph3:18-19).

NOTE #1  “εἴπερ” (Rom8:17) – an infrequently used strengthened conditional clause meaning “if it is indeed the case that” or in modern parlance “if and only if” (we suffer with Christ)   

FREE PDF of The Little Book of Providence available HERE

⁷Behold,He is coming with the clouds, andevery eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth willmourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen (Rev1v7).

Revelation affirms the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ to be a literal and physical event. So one is bound to wonder, how is it that “every eye shall see Him”. As little as a hundred years ago, the only way such an event could be conceptualized is in terms of some kind of miraculous transmission of the Saviour’s image  to people throughout the world. Now that we have television, but more especially mobile phones and the internet (the cloud?!), that is no longer the case.

As ever, even in Revelation, I am seeking to take Scripture as literally as possible, but refer also to what was relayed by angels to the Lord’s disciples at their Master’s ascension: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts1:11). Apart from our Lord’s defiance of the rules of gravity as He ascended into the sky there was no miraculous relaying of the event to the populous, it was seen only by His disciples. The event took place in one particular time and location,  and such could the case with His return, with modern technology enabling virtually everybody to know about it very quickly.

What happens then?

I am by no means certain of the above scenario, still less the precise detail of what happens immediately after the Lord’s return, other than it is certain to include an element of judgement and separation. I say “separation”  for the wicked are to be “severed from amongst the just” (Mt13:49), remembering also that the elect have already been raptured and shall come with their Lord and His angels to put the world to rights. That infers three categories, and as I hope to show, Revelation will later go on to confirm as much. But even in my featured verse (1:7) it is to be noted that the nations “mourn over Him“.

Yet not every individual shall express sorrow and regret for not having known Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Some shall stick their fists in the air, hating everything Christ represents and has done on humanity’s behalf, even after the latter is made clear to them. Christians with wisdom should discern that that cannot not be the case for the majority of people. They delight in their inner being in the qualities Christ possesses, even though through the weakness of the flesh they have invariably failed fully to live up to their ideals (cf. Rom7:22-23). They may not have had a knowledge of the Saviour in life, but once He is revealed in all His glory, they shall gladly bow the knee to One so highly exalted, exemplary in character and worthy of their lasting praise and gratitude .

But I say again, that will not be the case for all. That is in view of what they have become or always were (1Jn3:12) – the children of the devil. Such are devoid of compassion, without a functioning conscience, indifferent to truth and with no compulsion to do what is right and just other than for selfish, narcissistic reasons. Three categories of humanity more explicit in an even earlier Jewish apocalypse’s take on final judgement, having been written several centuries before John penned Revelation:

“The righteous shall be victorious in the name of the Lord of Spirits and He will cause the others to witness this that they may repent and forgo the works of their hands. They shall have no honour through the name of the Lord of Spirits yet through His name they shall be saved, and the Lord of Spirits shall have compassion on them, for His compassion is great. And He is righteous also in His judgement, and in the presence of His glory unrighteousness shall also not maintain itself: at His judgement the unrepentant shall perish before Him” [Book of Enoch ch.50:1-4].

I will always place canonical Scripture before the Book of Enoch, but it was regarded as genuine and inspired by the earliest Church Fathers and, as considered a few posts ago, directly quoted in the Book of Jude. I am bound to reference such tripartite soteriology as it is a key component within my biblical synopsis. However as acknowledged a few paragraphs ago, unlike much that precedes it in the Bible that I believe with the Spirit’s help I have been able to expound and reconcile with itself, some of the symbolism within Revelation remains a mystery to me.

Nevertheless I shall persevere in the hope of  attaining and providing some enlightenment within this extraordinary book, especially in view of its prologue: “Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (1:3).

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⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— ⁶ and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (Rev1:4-6).

The greeting to the seven churches in Asia is from John – he wrote the words of the Apocalypse that those ancient churches and we today are reading. But as is the case in Paul’s epistles, John opens with a divine blessing from God, the Father: “Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come”. Regardless of the magisterial supremacy of the Father within the Godhead considered in the previous post, that depiction, referred to in Greek as the “alpha and omega”, is later utilized by Jesus regarding Himself (chapter 22). For as John wrote in his gospel prologue: “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (Jn1:2). That is, nothing apart from God Himself existed before the pre-incarnate Word of God. And having been incarnated as a Man: “Regarding the Son (God) says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever’” (Heb1:8).

However, in this instance alpha and omega, the One who is, was and is to come is referring to the Father. That is evident from the conjunction in verse 5 “and from Jesus Christ” whom John describes as anointed (i.e. the Christ), the faithful witness (to God’s Person and Revelation), the Firstborn from the dead (having died and risen as a Man), and ruler of the kings of the earth (albeit not currently in an executive sense).

Most importantly from the Christian’s perspective, He is also the Saviour – “who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood”. Those who have a personal saving interest in that blood are not only pardoned but released (Greek: λύω) from the power of sin. That is in order that they might become “a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (v6),  echoing Peter’s description of the Church (1Pet2:9). A royal priesthood according to that apostle, for Jesus Christ is not only her High Priestly Head (Heb4:14), but as shall later be revealed in Revelation (19:7), He who has just been described as the “ruler of the kings of the earth” is the Church’s Bridegroom-to-be.

Like its predecessor, this is a deliberately brief post; for the implications of the last point made provide expansive scope for reflection, not to mention awe and wonder.

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And so I arrive at the last book of the bible. For the last few years I have been progressing through the New Testament chapter by chapter – not attempting to provide an exhaustive commentary but focussing on narrative that directly, or more often indirectly, deals with the subject of matters I believe has been revealed to me concerning God’s broader benign providential intentions for humanity. The background to the revelatory aspect is briefly summarized in the postscript at the foot of the post.

So, I am claiming to have had revelations concerning how Scripture should be interpreted, but that does not mean that I am able to explain the meaning of every verse in the bible, and that is especially the case with Revelation. It is riddled with symbolism, much of it cryptic in nature. Yet as its prologue affirms, “Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy andkeep the things which are written in it;for the time is near”. That surely means it cannot be ignored or disregarded by any who claim to take the bible seriously, and as the word of God.

In terms of chronology, reference to time being near may be true from a divine perspective in which as Peter affirmed, “onedaywith the Lord is as a thousandyears, and a thousandyearsas oneday” (2Pet3:8). Not so for us, so much has happened in the 1900+ years since Revelation’s prophesies were written, yet in view of the affirmations of its prologue, it still has relevance for us today, especially if as many Christians believe, its culmination may arrive in our lifetime.

Whose Revelation?

The very opening verse is noteworthy in the context of that to which I frequently and of necessity refer. The Apocalypse is sometimes referred to as John’s Revelation or the Revelation of John, rather it is a revelation to John from Jesus Christ. Yet even He was not its Originator: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicateditby His angel to His bond-servant John” (Rev1:1). The fact that the Father needed to impart information of His future intentions to His glorified Son is another (and final) affirmation concerning the magisterial status of the Father within the Godhead.

This is surely in accordance with our Lord’s and Paul’s depictions, for example in Jn14:28, Acts1:7 and 1Cor8:6. In the context of these posts and my book it is also crucial to understanding what I have been expounding regarding the Gentiles’ unforetold and unexpected  spiritual inheritance (cf. Eph3:1-11; Rom11 vv11,12,15&30). The apostle’s barely understood disclosure in turn has wondrous providential as well as dispensational (millennial) implications that shall also be affirmed later in Revelation.

Such distinct ordering within the Godhead is anyway expedient given that, as Revelation shall also later affirm, God’s human elect are corporately to be wedded to the Lord Jesus Christ (19:7), having been conformed into His image (Rom8:29). Such a betrothal is nevertheless a staggering concept given that Jesus here describes Himself as “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth; (the One) who loved us and released us from our sins by His blood and made us into a kingdom – priests to serve His God and Father” (vv5-6).

As will become increasingly evident, this mighty Apocalypse is not only from the Lord Jesus Christ, it is primarily about Him.

POSTSCRIPT

_{[These posts pertain to an expansive revelation concerning divine providence. That was the result of a prophetic insight received by the author, who in view ofrecent personal phenomenahas come to understand the process he is involved with is itself a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy, both canonical and extra-canonical, more particularly Revelation chapter ten and two related passages from the Book of Enoch (ch93:8-10 and ch104:11-13 Charles edition numbering). The full picture has been set out in “The Little Book of Providence”, freely available asa PDF file, summarized in 95 thesesHERE}.

¹⁴ It was also about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His saints, ¹⁵ to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” ¹⁶ These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. ¹⁷ But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸ that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” ¹⁹ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on some, who are doubting; ²³ save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. ²⁴ Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jud1:14-25).

Another reason Jude’s epistle is important in the context of what I am disclosing is his direct reference to the Book of Enoch. That citation is one of the reasons many of the early Church Fathers regarded that writing as inspired, indeed some believed to be  a genuine product of that patriarch, the great-grandfather of Noah who according to Genesis “walked with God” (5:24). Even Augustine believed Enoch to be divinely inspired, initially at least, albeit he later did more than anyone to ensure that it was rejected from the Canon of Scripture that was formalized around the end of the fourth century.

That was a decision with which I largely concur, albeit for different reasons. For example, contrary to some aspersions, the Old Testament confirms that angelic beings did have sexual relationships with women (Gen6:1-2 cf. Jude1:6) and that the consequential hybrid offspring existed in the form of giants (frequent OT references affirm as much, albeit sometimes obscured in the translation). However, canonical qualification may have validly  been breached by an excessive number of manuscript variations.

God’s intentions for the Book of Enoch

Also, in terms of divine/providential intentions for its utilization by believers, its opening verse indicates it was not intended to provide enlightenment to the Church throughout her historical  pilgrimage; rather it was to be “the blessing of Enoch, by which he shall bless the elect and the righteous who will be living in the day of tribulation when all the wicked and godless are to be removed” (1Enoch1:1). Indeed, one of its prophecies which I believe pertains to the 16^th century Protestant Reformation, infers the existence of the mid-second millennium invention of the printing press, by which “they will alter and pervert the words of righteousness in many ways, and will speak wicked words, and lie, and practise great deceits and write books concerning their teachings” [Enoch chap. 104] . Whilst another prophecy, concerning which I dare infer you may currently be encountering, would require the late 20^th century capabilities of the internet and digital printing (e.g. pdf downloads) to be enacted.

For how else could “books are to be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom. To them shall the books be donated, and they shall believe in them and rejoice over them, and then shall all the righteous who have learnt from them the true paths of righteousness be recompensed”? [En104:10-14]. As little as 50 years ago, it would not have been possible for books to be freely and universally distributed to “the righteous and the wise” who clearly must exist amongst most if not every country in the world.

Regardless of whether or not Noah’s great-grandfather wrote this Jewish apocalypse (in which case it would have to have been by some means preserved through the Flood), there is no controversy regarding it having been written before the time of Christ, given it is quoted verbatim in Jude, where he wrote: “Behold, the Lord shall come with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (vv14,15).

Related posts

As to the nature and content of the book(s) to be “given to the righteous and wise” that were so extraordinarily envisaged in this ancient Jewish apocalypse cited by Jude, these earlier posts may provide further insights:

Re: Enoch as the final piece of the biblical jigsaw  

Re: the age to come

Re: digital printing prophecy:

Re: the fallen watchers/rationale for the Flood.

⁸ In the same way these people also, with their vein imaginings, defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of glorious beings. ⁹ Michael the archangel, on the other hand, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and all the things that they know from their base instincts, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have given themselves up to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. ¹² These are the ones who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring only for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; ¹³ wild waves of the sea, churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved for all time (Jude1:8-13).

This middle passage from Jude’s epistle is significant in the context of what I’m presenting, being among other things the fact that in terms of the soteriology that determines a person’s present and eternal estate, there are not two but three categories: saved (cat#1), damned (cat#3) and the vast majority who are neither (cat#2). Confusion arises (just as it was foretold to arise – next post) because as far as most  bible/gospel narratives are concerned, the usual demarcation is between the called/chosen/faithful whom the New Testament refers to as “saved” on the one hand, and everyone else on the other. Paul for example describes non-believers as “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph2:1; Col2:13) or “lost” (2Cor4:3). Jesus sometimes refers to them as “lost sheep” (Mt15:25), being those whom as Son of Man He came to save (Mt18:11).

So in terms of the lost/saved dichotomy, no obvious distinction is made been between my category 2 and 3. However, there is an alternative dichotomy that Scripture identifies, and it has different dividing lines. In the Old Testament, especially the wisdom literature, it is the righteous versus the wicked, whilst in the New Testament, especially the Johannine epistles, it is those who are “of God” and those who are the children of the devil. In Jesus’ definitive parables regarding this mystery, in terms of their origins category 3s are represented by tares/darnel/weeds in Mt13 , whilst in terms of their characteristics and post-mortem destiny, they are the goats in Mt25.

Misplaced categorizations

Such reprobates have traditionally been lumped in with or deemed indistinguishable from “the unsaved”. However, our passage from Jude throws light on the matter where he refers to those who have gone in the way of Cain (v11), in particular that such are twice dead and devoid of fruit (v12). The unsaved (my category 2s) do not all fit that criteria – they are by nature in Adam, not Cain. Nevertheless, in Paul’s language they are dead in trespasses and sins, by which as I explained in this earlier post, he means they are currently alienated from the life of God in terms of having a living relationship with Him. In the language of the writer to the Hebrews their consciences have not been “cleansed from dead works to serve the living God” (9:14).

However, unlike category 3s they are not “dead” in both flesh and spirit, merely in flesh, i.e. body and brain: “For I joyfully agree with the law of God in my inner being, but I see a different law in my bodily members waging war against the law of my (spiritual) mind, making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin” (Rom7:22-25).

Misinterpreting Romans 7

Since Augustine’s rejection of any soteriological role for natural law, most commentators have interpreted that vital passage from Rom7 as referring to the Christian. But anyone who is still “a prisoner to the law of sin” (v23) has not been spiritually regenerated, and that is spelt out in the chapter that follows (Rom8). This earlier post explains in more detail. In view of traditional teaching, many (especially Evangelicals) will question how any non-Christian could possibly “delight in God’s law in the inner man (v22)”. But anyone (Christian or otherwise) who recognizes that kindness, compassion and consideration for others is a good and noble thing is “delighting in God’s law”. For “if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Rom13:9). Indeed, writes Paul, “the whole Law is fulfilled in one statement, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Gal5:14)

 Yet the many (category 2s) to whom this applies would have to acknowledge (no doubt using different terminology from Paul!): “However, I see a different law in my bodily members waging war against the law of my (spiritual) mind, making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts”. In other words, they may delight in what is good, right and noble, but they do not and cannot consistently practice it. That is in view of mankind’s fallen, unregenerated nature – what Paul refers to as “the flesh”. That is no longer the case for category 1s (the elect):  “However, you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Rom8:9).

A chilling serenity

But then there are those who (writes Jude) go in the way of Cain (my category 3s). They do not “see a different law in my bodily members waging war against the law of my (spiritual) mind” for they are twice dead – in flesh and spirit. Their physical and spiritual components are at peace with each other and united in evil. Having no working conscience they have no internal compulsion to do what is lawful and right, except  for the purpose of being accepted or praised by others. They possess a chilling serenity in the face of evil, being entirely at peace with themselves when they lie, cheat and hurt others. This is absolutely not the case for all non-believers, whom Paul observed as being “Gentiles although not having the Law yet  perform by nature the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, they become a law for themselves” (Rom2:14). And that is because  “they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts either accusing or defending particular actions (next verse).

So category 2s, although not currently knowing Christ as their Lord and Saviour, do know Him and His law through the Light He has provided to everyone’s conscience (cf. Jn1:9 strictly KJV). In category 3s that light has been extinguished (cf. 1Tim4:2), as a result of which they can be said not to know God at all.  Unlike all other human beings (Gen9:6) they do not in any sense reflect His image. In Jude’s language they are not only “twice dead” but are like “Autumn trees devoid of fruit” (v12). That is in contrast to the Mt25 “sheep” who showed care, concern and kindness to their fellow men and women in need (aka Christ Mt 25:40). Not having been planted by the Father, the reprobates (i.e. rejected ones) shall be uprooted (v12 cf. Mt15:13) and entirely alienated from the life of God, having no positive role in His coming Kingdom.  

The most disturbing aspect from a Christian perspective is that such people not only exist within the world but also  in the Church. That is the context of Jude’s observations here: “These are the ones who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear” (v12). As Jude later indicates (v19) it is partly as a result of such people’s influence that the Church is in the divided and confused state that is today. But take heart, everything is as God knew it would be at this stage, and resolution is at hand (next post).

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¹ Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: ² May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. ³ Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints. ⁴ For certain people have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into indecent behaviour and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ⁵ Now I want to remind you, though you know everything once and for all, that JHWE, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, ⁷ just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire (Jude1:1-7).

Jude aka “Judas, not Iscariot”, typical of New Testament Apostolic writers describes the believers he is addressing as those whom God has called and chosen to become associated with His Son, Jesus Christ (v1). It follows then that Christians are not those who through knowledge (of the gospel), wisdom or personal virtue have  chosen Christ to be their Saviour, but ultimately are  those whom God  in accordance with His sovereign will has chosen for Christ (cf. Jn6:44 & 15:16). Those with wisdom should discern that this indisputable biblical truth would make God out to be a Monster if it were the case that individuals are either saved or damned. As I am in the process of testifying, such is categorically not the case – most people are in neither category. The previous post on 2&3John hopefully provides elucidation, whilst The Little Book of Providence sets out how such tripartite soteriology is derivable from Scripture as a whole.

In these opening verses, Jude is warning that even humans being who have been chosen  to be amongst the assembly of God’s people, indeed even the angels of heaven cannot rely on their favoured estate to evade God’s righteous judgements. In terms of the Old Testament, Jude reminds us that “after saving a people out of the land of Egypt (God) subsequently destroyed those who did not remain faithful” (v5b). And in terms of His angels, those “who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (v6).

This pertains to Gen6:1-2, which many Christians scarcely comprehend or chose to disregard, yet it is crucial to understanding God’s rationale for the worldwide flood and the ethnic cleansing of the Canaanite territories that became the promised land^NOTE#1. It is explained in some detail in the Book of Enoch to which Jude will shortly make reference (next but one post), and I have commented on the matter in this earlier blog.

NOTE#1 God had insisted that all men, women and children of the giant-infested territories be destroyed in His peoples’ battles with the Canaanites (e.g. Deut3:6). The Old Testament certainly makes reference to such hybrids but unlike the Book of Enoch does not clearly explain their origins. Even relying on canonical Scripture it should be evident the matter is directly linked to the angelic-human sexual relationships referred to in Gen6:1-2 which Jude references in verse 7.

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In  contrast to John’s first epistle and indeed virtually every earlier chapter of the New Testament, there is nothing in John’s very short 2^nd and 3^rd letters that has direct relevance to the subject matter of my book and posts, being God’s broader benign providence. At least, there is nothing new. Whether the “chosen lady” of 2John that the apostle is addressing is a church or a particular female believer, the point is she is chosen or “elect” (Greek: Ἐκλεκτῇ). That is a key doctrine, taught throughout the New Testament that I have had to focus on a lot in the providential context.

Reconciling divine love with election

That is because the God whom this apostle had earlier defined as “love personified” (1Jn4:8) could not be such if election/predestination pertained to whom God has predetermined should be “sent to heaven or hell when they die”. Still more so given that the New Testament (not least via Jesus and Paul) is adamant that no one is innately capable of coming to gospel salvation unless divinely enabled to do so. That in turn impacts upon divine justice, free will and our Creator’s humanly comprehensible goodness that the psalmists in particular insist upon. All is resolved once the true nature of what the New Testament means by “being saved” and the trifold nature of the soteriological outcomes have been verified – which I trust they have been in earlier posts and more systematically in The Little Book of Providence.

The nature of salvation

In terms of the nature of gospel salvation, that is briefly alluded to in 3John, where the apostle writes with typical Johannine simplicity: “The one who does what is good is of God; the one who does what is evil has not seen God” (v11). Especially in the context of some of my former hero Martin Luther’s outrageous hyperbole, especially “If men only believe enough in Christ they can commit adultery and murder a thousand times a day without periling their salvation”, the Truth is we are to be judged by what we do and what we are, or rather have become – not exclusively by what we believe, nor even in Whom we place our trust or understand ourselves to be serving (Mt7:22-23). Again, this impinges on God’s equitable justice and intelligible goodness – essential qualities recognized by all the New Testament writers, not least our beloved John, the apostle of love.

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¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sin that does not result in death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I am not saying that he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, but also there is sin not leading to death. ¹⁸ We know that no one who has been born of God (continually) sins; but being born of God, God keeps him, and the evil one  cannot lay hold on him. ¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. ²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. ²¹ Little children, guard yourselves from idols (1Jn5:16-21).

Surely, sin is sin?

My earlier understanding and assertion as an Evangelical had been that sin is sin. That is, as far as God was concerned, it mattered little whether one merely “missed the mark” of God’s glory or whether one did what would be hateful and abhorrent in any decent person’s estimation. Either way (I had understood), God  was distinctly aggrieved and determined to punish the offender severely. I now know that is far from the truth and a perversion of divine justice: God (or more specifically Jesus Christ Whom  God has appointed to judge the living and the dead – Acts10:42) regards these matters much as any saintly person would, or rather vice versa. For man was made in God’s image, and in those predestined to be saints, that image is being restored fully, to reflect that of the Universal Judge (Rom8:29). And that is just as well in view of what lies in store for them (cf. 1Cor6:3; Rev3:21).

Distinguishing sins

In terms of differentiating sin or particular sins, John is here indicating the difference to be that between life and death. And that surely must relate to spiritual life/death. For whilst there are a few isolated examples of believers’ sins resulting in immediate physical death (most notably Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5), during my 50+ years as a Christian (Evangelical then Catholic) I have known quite a number of established Church members who have grievously sinned, for example through human adultery, hardened malice towards another believer, priestly paedophilia or turning away completely from the Christian faith, yet none resulted in imminent physical death or even illness.

As I have been outlining in recent posts, life/death in the New Testament often refers to our spiritual state; not (as I once understood) whether we are to be “saved” or “damned” but whether or not we currently possess eternal life (Jn17:3), i.e. have a living relationship with God, even whilst in mortal flesh. Such needs to be the case at physical death or if Christ returns prior to that, for a person to be defined as amongst “the elect” (cf. Mt24:31).

Mortal and Venial

In line with the Eastern Church, I am not inclined to prescribe a legalistic framework/listing of sins that are mortal or venial. Nevertheless, it is the case that some sins lead to spiritual death whilst others do not. But what a particular church might regard as lethal religious misdemeanours, it is evident from Jesus’ ministry and His frequent rebuking of the Pharisees that religious practice and ritual was far less important than the motives of the heart, especially justice, mercy and faith (Mt23:23).

Nevertheless, given that this is virtually the only reference in the New Testament to mortal versus venial sins, it would have been helpful if John had provided some practical examples. Given the literally life and death importance of the subject, I’m sure he would have done so verbally, but such instruction is not recorded in our canon of Scripture. So much for “Sola Scriptura” – once again we are reliant also on Tradition and the Church to function as the “pillar and ground of the Truth” (1Tim3:15), just as God intended.

Those who continually sin.

In terms of the rest of John’s teaching that concludes his first letter, it is generally rightly understood that his reference to those who are of God “not sinning” pertains to the fact that they do not sin continually (v18). For those who are “of God” are distinguishable by the fact that they have a working conscience. That does not prevent them from ever sinning – they just feel guilty and uncomfortable when they do. What is not generally understood, especially in the churches I once frequented is that such a dichotomy is not Christian versus non-Christian but those who are “of God” verses the children of the devil, true Christians being a subset of the former, and a proportionately small one at that.

The really good news

That is indicative of not two but three  soteriological categories of people, which is undoubtedly the major and most propitious aspect of what I am endeavouring to impart. Apart from its wondrous (vastly broader benign) providential implications, such a trifold categorization is the only way by which predestination can be reconciled with free will. Still more importantly, it explains how the biblical certitude of divine election can be reconciled with a God who, as the epistle under consideration has confirmed, is love personified (4:8). This long awaited resolution was explained in a little more detail in this earlier post, whilst its context within Scripture and the Gospel as a whole has been set out in The Little Book of Providence.

⁵ Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not in water only, but in water and in blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is Truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify: ⁸ the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three agree. ⁹ If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. ¹⁰ The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. ¹¹ And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1n5vv5-12).

Water, blood and prepositions

In terms of verse 6 I have highlighted the prepositions pertaining to John’s references to water and blood, for arguably they are significant. The argument being whether or not the apostle is referring (among other things) to the Eucharistic sacrament when he identifies the three witnesses or “testifiers” to Christ’s coming – the Spirit, water and blood. Taking the verses in sequence, the first preposition used is διά (v6a), rightly translated as “by” or “through”, for it denotes the channel of an act.

The related issue concerns John’s reference in verse 6 to Jesus “who came” or more literally “having come” –  ἐλθὼν being an aorist participle that does not specify duration. We (Christians) know Jesus came to earth, but do the Spirit, water and blood testify that in some sense He is still present? – by the working of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives, by the water of baptism and (more controversially) by His mystical presence in the species of the Eucharist? I have become clear that is the case.

John makes a point of emphasizing that (the witness to Christ’s presence) is not in water only, but in water and in blood. Again, I have emphasized the preposition, for it is no longer διά (by or through) but ἐν, meaning “in” – denoting position, a relation of rest. This is not reflected in all the translations (e.g. the NASB who stick with “by”), but is clear in the Greek interlinear. Many commentaries try to explain John’s emphasis on the blood’s witness being to counter earlier heresies questioning the full humanity and divinity of Christ. That may in part be the case but the point about the prepositions still stand.

Life in the Son

The other point I would make from this text concerns that to which I frequently refer – namely the New Testament’s reference to life, or eternal life. “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life”(vs11b-12). This time I have highlighted the verb – “has” (Greek: ἔχει). Life/eternal life pertains to what one currently possesses – not going to heaven when you die but what is the believer’s possession now, for he/she is no longer “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph2:1&5) but has been “raised to eternal life”. That is so as to relate to and serve the living God whilst still in mortal flesh, and by divine teaching and the Holy Spirit’s enabling become fitted for a glorious inheritance in the ages to come (cf. Rom8:17).

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⁸ For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; ¹⁹ in which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who at one time were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. (1Pet3:18-20).

HAPPY EASTER

Having referred to the event we celebrate on Good Friday (v18), Peter moved on to what many understand to be the events of today, that is the day between Christ’s crucifixion and  resurrection, His descent into Hell (cf. Eph4:9). That is, that through the mercy of God, the bulk of humanity alive at the time of the Flood who ignored Noah’s warning and perished have subsequently received a proclamation of hope from Jesus Himself. Likewise, as Peter indicates in the next chapter (4:6) do all the dead have opportunity to hear the Good News so that although having been punished in the flesh “they might live according to God in the spirit”.

WHERE’S THE PROBLEM?

This is (for many) another “problem verse” that becomes thoroughly intelligible once one understands the context of gospel salvation within God’s broader reconciliatory plans. But firstly, in terms of divine justice, these imprisoned spirits were given the opportunity to repent and acknowledge Christ’s lordship; they were not to be betrothed as His eternal Bride, nor did they escape punishment, for in the case of these prediluvians they had been imprisoned for centuries.

THE ELUDED CONTEXT

The key point relates to the context of gospel salvation within God’s broader salvific plans for humanity. That happens to be the core subject matter of “The Little Book of Providence” and these posts pertaining to it. A proper understanding is required of what gospel salvation is from and what it primarily is for. The former can be summarized in one short statement of Paul – Rom7:24-25; its purpose also in Rom8:29 and its eschatology in Rev5:10. Those verses and their context certainly take some explaining (see full verses and related posts below). Once their wondrous implications have been grasped, then no question should remain regarding the relevance and urgent need to preach the gospel to the living with regard to Peter’s teaching here that those who failed to hear or respond positively to it in life should be given hope and the possibility of repentance in death.

THE FOCUS OF THE BIBLE

A related point is that the bible does not set out the totality of God’s plan for His creation but concerns His stratagem for the reconciliation of a people to Himself to act, in Peter’s words, as His royal priesthood. Canonical scripture therefore focuses on  the key structures and players within that Plan: Jesus Christ,  Israel and the Church, whilst God’s rationale and intentions towards the rest of humanity have, in accordance with God’s purposes and timing, remained something of a mystery (cf. Enoch ch93 v10).

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QUOTED TEXTS AND RELATED POSTS

Rom7:24-25a  “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of THIS death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God (it is) through Jesus Christ our Lord! 

Related post: https://richard-777.blog/2020/10/29/the-body-of-this-death/

Rom8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren”

Rev5:9b-10 “You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”

Related post: https://richard-777.blog/2023/01/19/what-salvation-means/

Enoch93:10(Charles numbering): “And at the close (of the seventh “week”) shall be chosen the elect righteous of the eternal plant of righteousness, to receive sevenfold instruction concerning all His creation”.

Related post: https://richard-777.blog/2022/03/21/the-apocalypse-of-weeks/

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. ³ For this is “loving God” that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith (1Jn5:1-4)

Faith, love and assurance

Before coming to the Christian’s attitude to the world, the opening verses affirm what was considered in the previous post – that love or the lack of it is the primary determinant of our standing before God. Faith alone, if it merely pertains to belief, trust or confidence (as Luther insisted) is incomplete for the purpose of assurance of salvation. In John’s words it is “by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments (v2). And as that apostle has made clear, if we do not love the children of God we are not one of them. We may claim to love God, but that is to be determined by whether or not we keep His commandments (same verse).

As to what that entails, be assured by Paul:  “the one who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the Law. For this, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’” (Rom13:8-9). Extraordinarily to some, God per Se is not directly mentioned in this summation of the law. For to Paul it goes without saying that if we keep His commandments, summarized by the apostle as love for neighbour, then we will love God. His Son implied much the same – “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn14:15).

Of course, being fallen human beings, even with the Spirit’s help we cannot fulfil God’s commandments perfectly to the letter, but we can do so in spirit. For the letter kills but the spirit gives life (2Cor3:6KJV not NASB). Contrary to the understanding of many (including the NASB translators who by their casing have taken πνεῦμα to be referring to the Holy Spirit), the correct analogy/dichotomy pertains to on the one hand fulfilling the spirit of God’s law (as did the Mt25 “sheep”) whilst on the other to a slavish obedience to the letter of the law (like the Pharisees Jesus scolded inLk11:42). For the Mt25 “sheep” had obeyed the spirit of God’s law out of compassion for their fellow man whereas the Pharisees had observed its  minutiae for the sake of the Law itself. The “sheep’s” actions pertained to love and therefore faith (previous post), the Pharisees’ to religiosity.

Overcoming the world

So love is a key motif of John’s pastoral teaching, but so also is the Christian’s attitude to the world. As he wrote earlier in this epistle: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (2:15). Now here in chapter five John describes the world as something the Christian needs to overcome/conquer/subdue (Greek: νενικήκατε) (v4). As explained in a related earlier post, this pertains to  John’s reference to the “world” (κόσμος) as not referring to the material planet but the socio-political-ethical system that resides upon it. The latter is currently under the influence of the devil, albeit not his ultimate authority (Lk4:5-7 cf. Mt28:18).

 That is in view of what Jesus has done and said on the matter. In terms of His actions, it pertains to Calvary, concerning which He declared, “Now is the judgment of this world: now the prince of this world will be cast out” (Jn12:31). By that the Lord meant that as a result of His Passion, the prince of this world can in the future be cast out. Satan’s ultimate defeat has been assured, yet he still holds sway over the world, as Paul later made clear (Eph2:2 &6:12). That is why Jesus had warned His disciples: “In the world you have tribulation but take courage, I have overcome the world.” (Jn16:33).

Prosperity not assured

A key point that follows from what John in particular insists upon is that many of the attitudes, mentalities, not least the material aspirations of the current age are at odds with God’s plans for the people He has chosen for His Son. These driving forces and captivating influences need to be overcome by the Christian (cf. 1Jn2:16) – the caveat being that any rendering of the gospel that denies such a dichotomy (between the path to be followed by His people and the ways of the world) is bound to be false.  Thankfully, Christ added to His warning of earthly tribulations in that same verse: “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace”.  And in terms of John’s concerns, this is (the Christian’s) victory that overcomes the world: our faith (v4).

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⁷ Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us (1Jn4:7-12)

It is interesting that the disciple whom Jesus reportedly most loved, wrote (proportionately speaking) the most about love, deeming  it to be the most important and godlike of qualities. That must be the case if the Creator does not just possess love, is loving by nature, but according to John is love personified (v8). Paul had written much about faith, but even he when comparing faith, hope and love affirmed that “the greatest of these is love” (1Cor13:13).

Defining love (ἀγάπη)

It should therefore not be quite such a surprise that John opens this passage by declaring that everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. As is usually the case in Scripture, “love” (Greek: ἀγάπη) pertains to kindly affection, good will, benevolence and compassion. Those “who love” as John categorizes them, must possess and demonstrate in thought, will and deed, all of the above – albeit in measure, rarely to perfection. As with faith, the reason anyone possesses love at all is because it is a gift of God. That is, it is a consequence of how we (i.e. our spirits) are made and by Whom.

 And as should be evident to all, it is a quality that is not restricted to the Christian, albeit the Christian has the potential to be perfected in love:  “Whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected” (1Jn2:5). And “If we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1Jn4:12). And “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment” (1Jn4:17).

Love and assurance

It is notable from that last quotation that love is the key to assurance of final salvation. For sure, saving faith is also necessary but is less easy to define. Luther, for example described it as “a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favour that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it”. This is the same man who declared whilst admittedly employing some hyperbole “if men only believe enough in Christ they can commit adultery and murder a thousand times a day without periling their salvation”. I am not sure John would agree – I certainly do not.

Altogether now…

Love on the other hand is more clearly discernible and demonstrable – to God, others and oneself, as was the case with the M25 “sheep”. “All you need is love”, affirmed John (the apostle that is). “Love is all you need”, echoes Paul (likewise) – and  that is to fulfil God’s law, no less:  “the one who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the Law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the Law (Rom13:8-10).

Likewise in terms of demonstrability and personal assurance, anyone can claim to love God, and may genuinely do so if one believes He has personally been gracious and generous to oneself. But as John points out – “if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. But no one has ever seen God, whereas if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us” (v11-12). And later,  “the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (v20).

As Paul wrote: “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through  love” [πίστις δι’ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη](Gal5:6). I expanded upon this subject in my book, like John making reference to Christ’s atoning sacrifice (v10), but placing that atonement, faith and love in the  context of the broader benign providence I have been setting out, a short extract from which I conclude:  

“At the greatest personal cost God has provided a means by which our inevitable failures and misconduct might be pardoned through reference to an atoning Sacrifice; and in terms of allowance He is prepared to accept someone as justified on the basis of their exercising faith by responding positively or “faithfully” to the divine light that He has provided to them. A common faith or faithfulness (same word in Biblical Greek) is shown to be present when love (agape) is exercised, being a genuine concern and care for another person, which is the heart of God’s law. Since love is the efflux of faith, faith must be present for that love to flow out from it; love and faith being quite inseparable, faith being the agent of love and love being the product of faith.

A person is justified within the Universal Covenant by responding positively to God’s witness to them through creed or conscience regardless of the degree of accomplishment. Providing the person demonstrates agape they are accepted by God, for He knows that agape was derived from Him, being His Own nature. This aligns with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 concerning the sheep and goats. In serving the weakest of humanity through any act of compassion, the “sheep” are regarded as serving Christ Himself even though they have no personal knowledge of Him”. [Extract from The Little Book of Providence ch.3].

It is in the context of the above that it can be said that everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

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4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world. ⁴ You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1Jn4:1-6).

Historical context

It is important to remember the context of this apostolic teaching on testing the spirits, more particularly the time frame (late first century) and the problems that existed in the churches in those early days, not least of which being there was no completed, compiled New Testament. One of the more prevalent heresies of John’s day was Gnosticism and the related Docetism. That was the concept that that which is material is inherently evil or at best inferior to what is spiritual. Consequently, anyone who was understood to be the Son of God must have been a purely spiritual Being who only appeared to have a physical body, thus denying His true humanity. Hence verse 2, John’s assertion that every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

The reference to “every spirit” would be at best simplistic if taken in isolation and apart from the chronological context. For virtually everyone claiming to be a Christian prophet these days, false or otherwise, is likely to meet such a criterion. More tellingly and timelessly helpful is what John goes on to write concerning the attitude of the world to particular spiritual prophecies. If they accord with the spirit and aspirations of the current world order “Κόσμος”,  then they are more likely to have derived from the prince of this world than the Holy Spirit. Such teaching would fall in the category of what Paul referred to as “ear tickling” – an evangelist giving his hearers what they might humanly crave to hear: “For the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2Tim4:3).

Worldly teaching

I suggest the two prime examples of that are what might be described as “easy-believism” and also  any evangelistic teaching that infers that Christian discipleship apart from being spiritually beneficial is advantageous to attaining material wealth in the current age. That is shown to be anti-Christ by the Teacher Himself on both counts in Lk14:25-33. That opened with “If anyone comes to Me and does not (comparatively speaking) hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he is likely to be able  to complete it?”  Jesus concluded: “So then, none of you can be My disciple who is not prepared to keep a loose hold on all his own possessions”.

Jesus is indicating that becoming a follower of His is something that needs carefully to be weighed up, like someone about to build a tower or a king embarking upon a battle. That would be at the least surprising if such a decision determined whether one “goes to heaven when one dies”. In fact it would be a no-brainer, but as I have been continually asserting, especially in the context of Mt25, the soul going to Heaven or Hell is not directly related to whether or not one knows Christ as Lord and Saviour, albeit it does pertain to whether or not one “knows God” and is “of Him” (1Jn again) – to be considered further in the next post.

Also as I have also been recently outlining, prosperity in the age to come and in a resurrected body shall indeed result in material as well as spiritual blessing for Christ’s faithful disciples  (as befits the Lord of the Universe’s corporate Bride – Rev3:21 &19:7). But for the present age, His disciples are walking in the footsteps of the Nazarene carpenter’s Son’s life and experiences during His earthly pilgrimage – heirs of God, yet suffering as their Co-heir did in order that they might one day be glorified with Him (Rom8:17NASB).

What of yours truly?

I am claiming to have received prophetic insights  concerning the interpretation of Scripture in the context of preparing for Christ’s second coming. Such an audacious claim certainly needs to be tested as to which Spirit or spirit (if any) might be the instigator. I believe John and Jesus’ criteria above are met in terms of the gospel presentation as I have come to understand it, but further conditions should also be satisfied for someone making such an assertion concerning biblical interpretation, not least that such an event was foretold to happen. Those conditions were  touched upon in this much earlier post and the latter point in the postscript below.

POSTSCRIPT

_{[These posts pertain to an expansive revelation concerning divine providence. That was the result of a prophetic insight received by the author, who in view of recent personal phenomena  has come to understand the process he is involved with is itself a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy, both canonical and extra-canonical, more particularly Revelation chapter ten and two related passages from the Book of Enoch (ch93:8-10 and ch104:11-13 Charles edition numbering). The full picture has been set out in “The Little Book of Providence”, freely available as a PDF file, summarized in 95 theses HERE}

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¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. ¹⁶ We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. ¹⁹ We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him, ²⁰ because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight (1Jn3:15-22).

The two points I want to bring out from this next section of John’s letter concern two issues that I at least in the past have misunderstood. A right understanding of these is required in order to grasp some of the concepts I have been outlining concerning God’s broader benign providence. They pertain to the nature of “eternal life” and the role of conscience.

Eternal life

When John quoted Jesus as saying “I give (My disciples) eternal life, and they will never perish” (Jn10:28), the Lord  was not being tautological. Eternal life (literally age-life) is potentially everlasting but it primarily pertains to a state of being in the present. I say “potentially everlasting” because it can be lost whilst in mortal flesh, as here in the case of the believer who has come to hate his fellow believer. John writes that such has become a murderer “and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him” (v15).

So “eternal life” in the New Testament rarely if ever has direct reference to whether or not “one goes to Heaven when one dies”. As the word I have underlined in verse 15 should make clear, it pertains to a spiritual quality to be experienced now, for “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (Jn17:3). Speaking of Himself, Jesus declared, “Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me (Jn6:57). Going to heaven when He died was hardly an issue for Jesus yet even He “lived” because of the Father, likewise the Christian lives (i.e. possesses eternal life) by partaking of Christ. In the context of the aforementioned broader benign providence, this in turn indicates what Paul (in particular) meant by death, for example where he writes that mankind by nature is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph2:1). It is not referring to “damnation” but an absence of this spiritual quality, concerning which Christ also said, “I came so that they would have Life, and have it more abundantly (Jn10:10).

The spirituality of conscience

In terms of conscience and related principles of natural law, the second part of this passage also tends to be misconstrued, in particular concerning verse 20: “if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things”. Many commentators take this to provide reassurance to the believer, along the lines “Because God is greater and more merciful, He knows our true love for Him, despite our failures, whereas our conscience is infallible, so we shouldn’t worry too much”. Rather, John is saying “if our weak conscience condemns us in this matter (concerning our lack of love), how much more shall the all-knowing God find fault?” That should be evident from the verse that follows: “if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence before God”.

Our conscience may not be infallible, but it is what we are to obey. As I have earlier demonstrated from Paul’s teaching, conscience transcends all things, even biblical truth. I covered this in an earlier post but it is so crucial to a fuller understanding of faith, natural precepts and God’s equitable justice towards believers and non-believers alike that I have quoted from it at Annex A below.

Returning to John and his concluding statement that “if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight”. Again, “confidence towards God” is clearly conditional on our hearts/inner man/conscience not condemning us, otherwise John would be wasting his ink throughout this passage.

As the Annex below  amplifies, a working conscience is not restricted to the Christian but to most of humanity, bar the subjects of the previous post. The latter (children of the devil’s) inner promptings to be thoroughly selfish, to lie, cheat hate, and if necessary kill, derive from their adoptive father (cf. 1Jn3:12). Consequently their consciences having been rendered inoperative (1Tim4:2) or totally corrupted (Tit1:15). The “sheep” in Jesus’s definitive parable on final judgement had responded to the promptings of conscience, and shown compassion to their more needy fellows (aka “the Son of Man” – Mt25:40). Their actions were acceptable to God and provided them final entrance into His eternal Kingdom. [As Annex A explains, they were effectively justified by faith, in line with the rest of the bible’s teaching]. The Christian’s conscience should be still better informed in view of Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Church, such that we can live a life which is truly “pleasing in God’s sight” (v22).

Annex A – Extract from earlier post on FAITH AND CONSCIENCE

This pertains to Paul’s teaching on whether the Christian should eat food offered to idols in 1Cor8. In the opening verses, the apostle makes clear that it was ok to do so: “Now food will not bring us closer to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (v8). But this followed his proviso in v7:  “However, not all people have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their consciences being weak is defiled. More shockingly (for some), Paul goes on to say that as a result of that believer’s failure to respond to his conscience on the matter he is brought to utter ruin  (v11). 

Yet what had this believer done wrong? He had eaten meat that he was permitted to eat, or more likely today, he had drunk alcohol that a Christian is perfectly at liberty to drink (in moderation). Yet he was brought to a state of ruin. Why? – BECAUSE HE HAD DEFIED HIS CONSCIENCE AND THEREBY DEFILED IT. And that pertains to what conscience is and to Whom it relates (cf. Jn 1:9 strictly KJV^NOTE#1; cf. Mt18:6^NOTE#2). In the same context in Rom14:23, Paul affirms “the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is NOT FROM FAITH; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

RELIGIOUS FAITH AND COMMON “FAITH”

So, what is faith in that context? – it is not faith in God or Christ, this individual had that or he would not be worrying whether or not to consume the particular item. The issue was not God and what He forbids or allows but conscience, showing the latter to be indeed an object of faith. For, writes Paul, whatever is not from faith is sin, which taken with the illustration provided indicates that whatever conscience dictates is what one should do or not do. But given that the conscience is universal, that must apply to the non-Christian as much as the believer. Therefore, whoever seeks to act according to their conscience may be regarded as exercising a form of faith.

As 2^nd century Clement of Alexandria described it – “it is that COMMON FAITH which lies beneath as a foundation that is built upon and consummated in those who come to faith in Christ”^CIT#1. For it effectively pertains to faith in Christ – not as a cognisant personal Saviour but as the One who has provided light to the human spirit, manifested through the working of conscience. Some (indeed most) take heed to it, others such as psychopaths are devoid of conscience, along with a sense of compassion or any compulsion to tell the truth. This is what separates those who are of God from those like Cain who are ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ (1Jn3:12). Likewise, the Mt25 sheep’s distinction from the goats – their innate sense of compassion arising from conscience, causing them (however feebly and imperfectly) to perform acts of kindness to those in need, whom Christ equated to Himself (v40) . [This in turn shows how the Mt25 sheep were justified by faith, not works – but note religious faith was not an issue. It was that common faith, by which, as a fruit of Christ’s atonement, all true humanity can be justified].

NOTE #1 In terms of the translation, it is hardly likely that John writing in the late first century would be informing his readers that the Light (Christ) “is coming into the world” (some translations)

NOTE #2 re  Mt18:6  “The context (v2) makes it absolutely clear that Jesus is not on this occasion referring to His adult disciples that He also sometimes describes in such a way; nor was He anticipating those infants who would go on to “receive Jesus as their personal Saviour” or become baptized Catholics, for it was an inclusive observation concerning all young children who were placed into His loving embrace. Their belief in Jesus refers to what is innate to all very young lives – the internal witness of the light of Christ (the Word/Reason – Logos) through Whom their souls were created, guaranteed in their case not (yet) to have been obscured or distorted by the lusts of the flesh or impurities of the mind, which when combined with a growing awareness of transgressing God’s law defiles the conscience and extinguishes Life (Rom7:9)” [Quote from The Little Book of Providence chapter 3].

CITATION #1 Clement of Alexandria (A.D.153-217)  http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/02105.htm

¹¹ For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another; ¹² not as Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous (1Jn3:11-12).

Introduction

This is a text to which I refer often. Understanding who and what Cain was together with the identity of those “who follow in his way” (Jude1:11) is vital to an authentic understanding of God’s providence. It is also central to my thesis that there are not two but three soteriological categories of people. Accordingly I referred to this passage from John in one my 95 theses, appropriately #6, from which I quote below:

THE THESIS

Thesis #6  of 95: Cain rather than Adam is the type of the damned or reprobate who is  described in the New Testament as derived from the Evil One (Greek: ek tou ponerou).

BIBLICAL REFERENCE

Be not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s deeds were righteous (1Jn3:12)

COMMENTS

The first few theses had focussed on Genesis, and it should already be evident that Cain features as much as his father Adam. Cain’s parent Adam is several times referred to in Paul’s epistles. For at the human level it is through Adam and his partner Eve that sin came into the world. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1Cor15:22). Adam is our federal head; his fate is our fate – but that is the point being made in this thesis. We are in Adam, not Cain. Quoting from The Little Book of Providence on the subject:

“The historical error of mainstream Christian theology since its systemization in Late Antiquity has been a failure to distinguish between disobedient Adam and his psychopathic eldest son. That was not the case amongst the earliest Fathers such as Irenaeus [ref1] and Origen [ref2] who classified fallen Adam with righteous Abel not Cain. Adam was the first man to be created; Cain the first to be born of woman; the one was the federal head of humanity and the progenitor of “the body of this death”, the other was the type of the damned, being those who through an act of free will leave the intuitive path of sound reason and deference to God’s still small voice speaking through the conscience “to walk in the way of darkness, and rejoice in evil and delight in the waywardness of the wicked, whose ways are perverse and devious” (Prov2:13-15).

Sound reason, even the spiritual faculty of conscience will not instruct a man how to be a disciple of Christ – His demands go well beyond such faculties. They require special revelation, spiritual empowerment and the means of sanctifying grace. However, innate human reason, informed by conscience is effectual and normative regarding what is to be pursued and what is to be avoided in the cause of being humane, and that is the basis upon which everyman is judged, being without excuse if he has opposed and rejected the light that he has received (Mt25:31-46). Cain did just that, killing his innocent brother in cold blood and so was cursed, whilst Adam had never received such a curse. Cain became alienated from such light, Adam did not. Cain came under Satan’s mastery, Adam did not. Cain was a plant of the devil, Adam a lost child of God: for whom Christ came to die – providing pardon for the many and fulness of salvation for those destined to partake in His life (Rom5:10; Rom8:29; Jn6:53-54)”.

[From: The Little Book of Providence chapter two]

Citations

Ref1:  Irenaeus against heresies Book III chap. 23 (5)

Ref2: Origen de Principiis Preface (4) 194 Mt25:31-46

⁴ Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁵ You know that That One appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who remains in Him sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or has known Him. ⁷ Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸ the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil; ⁹ No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother and sister (1Jn3vv4-1NASB).

I have quoted this passage from the New American Standard Version, as it one of the translations that rightly recognizes that when John is referring to those who sin (which the apostle earlier affirmed (1:8) in one sense is all of us) he means those who sin continually. That is clearer in verse 4 where he writes of those who practice sin. So, whilst it is true even of a saint that he is not without sin (1:8 again), anyone who practices sin cannot be a saint, indeed he cannot be of God. If you are acquainted with my writing, that last statement will not surprise or confuse you. For I have been establishing that there are not two but three categories of people, and John’s epistles more than any other, aid me in so doing in view of his definitions  of children of God and children of the devil.

 There are three categories for a distinction can be made between those who are born of God (v9) and those born again, to which Jesus referred and John (alone) reported (Jn3:3&7). For note verse 9 where he writes that no one who is born of God practices sin because His seed remains in him. This is not referring to something imputed or imparted, or the result of a conversion , it pertains to what is innate. This is evident from what John writes about Cain – that he was “ἐκ   τοῦ  πονηροῦ” – derived from the Evil One  (1Jn3:12 – next post). His brother Abel was certainly not “born again” any more than his father Adam, but both were born of God. In Jesus’ language Cain was not “planted by the Father” (Mt15:13).

Likewise in the parable of the sower (Mt13), none of the  tares/darnel “got saved” and became wheat, they were planted as weeds by the devil. They were such from birth and incapable of change [note#1]. Devoid of a functioning conscience, compassion or any inclination to speak the truth, they represent those who can do nothing other than “practice sin”. Any seeming virtues they possess or good works they perform are for the purpose of deception or personal adulation. This is not man by nature, these are the children of the devil. This surprising, crucial but largely eluded aspect of divine providence is considered in more detail in this earlier post.

John opened his exaltation to holiness by affirming that sin pertains to lawlessness, and his concluding remarks are equally simple, reasonable and logical: “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (v10). What a contrast to the thoroughly paradoxical teaching of my former hero Martin Luther: “If men only believe enough in Christ they can commit adultery and murder a thousand times a day without periling their salvation”. That could hardly be further removed from the teaching of Jesus Christ, or indeed John: “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (v7).

NOTE #1 – Jesus explains (Mt13:38) that the field represents the world NOT the church as many commentators try to make out

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3 “See how great is the love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and so we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, for the present we are children of God, and it has not as yet been revealed what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we will resemble Him, for we will see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1Jn3:1-3).

This is surely one of the more staggering excerpts of Scripture, but I suspect many Christians will have difficulty relating to aspects of it. For example, the inference that a believer could in a substantive sense resemble the Lord Jesus Christ (v2). For He is the only Begotten of God by Whom “all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col1:16). How could you or I resemble Him (v2)? Yet according to John that will be the case, for example if we live to see His return to earth.

For sure, we can resemble our Lord in appearance, for He is fully a Man, and that was the case even after His resurrection, ascension  and glorification, when He briefly returned to earth to meet with His closest disciples. Yet He is also thoroughly divine and perfect in moral character, and that is not currently the case for any other person born of woman, however faithful  a disciple they may be. That is because even if saved, “we ourselves, who have received the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, being the redemption of our body(Rom8:23). For as I have been explaining, whilst the soul requires healing and restoration, the body and brain ultimately need to be replaced, and so they shall be : “He will transform the body of our lowly estate into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil3:21).

Resembling Christ’s nature

But regarding the soul, being that current part of us which continues into eternity, does John mean we can actually resemble Jesus in nature whilst still in mortal flesh? His comments suggest that is the case, for alluding back to the opening of his gospel, he writes that people of the world do not know us (v1) just as they did not know Jesus (Jn1:10).  That is, to “know” in the sense of comprehending or recognizing – Greek: γινώσκω. So if non-believers with whom we are well acquainted do “γινώσκω”  you or me, i.e. they fully grasp or see through what actually makes us tick – why we live, act and speak as we do, then regardless of our beliefs and religious practice, all may not be well with us. If we are truly God’s elect there should be something about us that is inexplicable to the unbeliever; an example being a genuine willingness to love and forgive our enemies, just as Christ did.

For Jesus had (and the true believer has) spiritual resources that others simply do not and cannot access. That is a spiritual empowerment that enables us to live and act as the “children of God” – Paul’s aforementioned “first fruits of the Spirit”. And whilst others’ hopes and aspirations are restricted to the current world, Christians  possess an  expectation of a future glorious existence that transcends physical death. Whilst some non-believers do keep an open mind about the possibility of an afterlife, the child of God knows in his heart that he or she can never really die.

But far more than that, the children of God are such by adoption (Rom8:15&23). They attain a familial association with the Godhead, the precise nature of which John could not describe. For,  writes he, “it has not as yet been revealed precisely what we shall be” (v2). But given the resemblance and maritally defined association with the Lord of the universe (Rev19:7), those He is also not ashamed to call sisters and brothers (Heb2:11) must surely  be destined for something very special indeed. And according to John, this is the test of where you or I currently stand: “Everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (v3).

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¹⁵ Do not love the world nor the things pertaining to the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that pertains to the world – an inordinate desire of the flesh, an inordinate desire of the eyes, and flaunting with regard to one’s manner of life is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away together with its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues forever (1Jn2:15-17)

This passage is liable to be understood in at least two aspects. Firstly, John is not saying it is wrong to find delight in what is pleasant and  desirable upon God’s earth. For example, the beauty of nature being God’s wondrous creation, the various gifts and talents that the Father of lights gives to men and women: music, poetry, art, artisanship  and the like. These are the evidence and outworking of a good, benevolent God towards beings made in His own image. As Paul preached to a pagan audience at  Lystra.  “(God) did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts14:17).

John further clarifies his meaning in verse 16 – he is not speaking of the good gifts  provided to mankind. Indeed, our planet is to be loved and cared for – those who most contribute to its ruin face serious consequences (Rev11:18). Rather John is referring to κόσμος, being the current world order and the traits and attributes pertaining to it. When we speak of someone as being  “a man or woman of the world”, we generally understand what is meant, and that is in line with that to which John cautions. More particularly, “an inordinate desire of the flesh, an inordinate desire of the eyes, and flaunting with regard to one’s manner of life”.

The latter is not speaking of wealth per se, but rather out attitude towards it. For many of the world’s inhabitants, gaining material riches is a prime motivation in life, but that is not to be the case for the Christian. In Jesus’ words, you either serve God or mammon. This, more than any moral or legal consideration, can be the most challenging aspect of discipleship, as the otherwise devout rich young ruler that Jesus encountered recognized and acknowledged  (Lk18:18-23). The “desires of the flesh” also of course relate to sexual fidelity – to one’s spouse if one has one or  maintaining undivided devotion to the Lord if one is single.

Materialism the problem, not what is material

The other way this passage might be misunderstood is to over-spiritualize what John is teaching. Again it relates to his reference to the “world” (κόσμος) as not so much referring to planet earth, concerning which the prophet Isaiah wrote “the whole earth is full of God’s glory” (Is6:3). The κόσμος on the other hand is currently under the influence of the devil – influence I say, not ultimate authority (Lk4:5-7 cf. Mt28:18).

God’s good earth also contains much that is material, but then so does the Christian’s destiny, starting with the constitution of our eternal being. That was illustrated by the resurrected Jesus, breakfasting with His disciples (Lk24:41-43) with wine to follow (Mt26:29). As for the apostle Paul – he was adamant that the Christian’s apotheosis is not the soul going to heaven at physical death (aka “sleep” 1Thes4:14). Rather, wrote he, “Not only (the rest of creation), but also we ourselves who have received the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, being the redemption of our body! (Rom8:23).

The supremacy of the age to come

Even at the physical level, the glories of the age to come shall surely surpass anything we can experience here and now in our aging, sin-prone bodies, especially for those who are to be corporately betrothed to the Lord of the Universe, even to share His throne (Rev3:21 &19.7). It is only Old Testament saints and those who have subsequently been faithful to the gospel calling who shall enjoy such privileges in the future, the greatest of which undoubtedly will be a close association with the Lord Jesus Christ. In the meantime Jesus and John in this passage make clear that those called out from the world to be saints are to not focus their efforts and priorities on acquiring wealth and societal prestige in the current age. For “κόσμος  is passing away together with its lusts; but the one who does the will of God shall continue forever” (v17).

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⁷ Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. ⁸ On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. ⁹ The one who says that he is in the Light and yet hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. ¹⁰ The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. ¹¹ But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes (1Jn2:7-11).

In the previous passage/post John concluded that the way we know we have a saving knowledge  of Christ is if we keep His commandments, and  that in those who do, “the love of God has truly been perfected (v5)”. This in turn, writes John in our latest passage, also determines whether or not we are walking in the light. Those who love their brethren and sisters are doing so, whereas those who hate, whatever else might be said or observed concerning their life and religion, remain in darkness (v9).

Genitive of origin

For this brief post I will focus on John’s reference to the love of God being perfected” within the believer. It is something concerning which Paul also referred when he wrote “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom5:5). I have come to understand that both John and Paul’s references to the “love OF God” is a genitive of origin. It refers not so much to God’s love for us or ours for Him but to the impartation of the divine quality of love (cf. Jn17:26) engrafted by the Spirit such that we come to love others more as God loves them. This genitive of origin is more obviously affirmed when John writes later in the chapter (next post) that those who love the world  “do not have the love of the Father within them”(v15).

An aspect of the divine nature

This is in the context of partaking of the divine nature by which we come to possess more of what God possesses: especially holiness aligned with love; God being love and thrice holy. Loving the Lord in our hearts, thrilled by His goodness and coming ourselves to possess the love of the Father towards the rest of humanity, we may be confident we are being saved and heading for victory.  Yet John had also said that it is “by this that we know that we are in Christ, if we keep His commandments“. But as Paul affirmed (to the surprise of some): “the whole Law is fulfilled in the one statement, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’” (Gal5:14).

Love is the key, and as Paul’s reference to “neighbour” should indicate, it is not confined to our relationship with our fellow believers (cf. Lk10:29…). So John was right to say he was not issuing a new commandment – it was Christ’s also, and it is not burdensome (1Jn5:3).

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2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you might not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; ² and He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; ⁵ but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶ the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, to walk just as He walked (1Jn2:1-6).

John  wrote what he did in chapter one (previous post) so as to exhort his readers not to fall into sin. But as and when they inevitably do, Jesus Christ is described as their “παράκλητος”, variously translated as advocate, comforter or counsellor (v1); also as the “ἱλασμός”, that is a propitiation, atonement or atoning sacrifice (v2), being the effectual means to satisfy an offended God. It is effectual in view of what and to Whom the sacrifice pertains – “Jesus Christ the Righteous One” (v1). Such satisfaction for sin  certainly holds true for the Christian, but John intriguingly adds in verse 2 “not for our (sins) only, but also for the sins of the whole world”.

Universal sufficiency or current application?

 The Greek wording and indeed most English translations are most logically taken to infer that the benefits of this atoning sacrifice have application now to the whole world, not as many commentators seek to theologize it as referring to the universal sufficiency of Christ’s atonement for sin. By that they mean that it is sufficient for everyone in the world to benefit from the Atonement providing they come to know and trust in Christ as their Saviour. But John knew full well that this will not happen and cannot happen, for God’s sovereign will has ensured that such shall be the case. For it was John who quoted Jesus  saying “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him” (Jn6:44). And those who do receive Christ, do so because “He gave them authority to become children of God  – those who believe in His name who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn1:12-13). Paul of course affirms the elective nature of gospel salvation throughout his epistles.

As I have expressed the matter in the past, God wishes all people ultimately to come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved (1Tim2:4) – He unsurprisingly has not decreed that all should marry His Son and share His throne (Rev3:21 &19:7). The latter, who are divinely elected to embark on such a course must be made ready in the current age so as to fulfil such a destiny in the next.

That requires more than God’s pardon and appeasement – it needs His spiritual empowerment and sanctifying grace, but also the commitment, self-discipline and perseverance of those He has called. Scripture suggests that a relatively small proportion of those who were baptized at birth or respond later to the gospel are truly faithful to their calling. But then the demands are high: “whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for (Christ’s) sake shall find it” (Mt10:39; Mk8:35; Lk9:24).

The context of gospel salvation

It should therefore be no surprise that  “many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt22:14). Chosen for what? – to go to heaven when they die? Truly, many of those who do, such as the Mt25 “sheep” were never “called” in the first place. The New Testament’s frequent and inescapable references to God’s calling and elective choice pertain to the gospel and those whom the Holy Spirit enlightens such that they come to attain “an inheritance with the sanctified” (Acts20:32).  That is a living relationship with the Saviour in the present followed by unspeakable glories in the ages to come (cf. Rev3:21 &19:7). This related earlier post explains in more detail how and why the Atonement functions at various levels: participatory (sanctifying), forensic (pardoning), whilst for some (“goats”/”tares”/children of the devil) it does not avail.

Knowing Christ

Those who are to attain to glory are in the participatory category. In John’s language they have come to know Christ (v3). I have summarized from the gospels what is required of them above: to die to self and live for Christ. Whether or not we “know Christ” in the Johannine sense pertains as much to what we do as to what we believe, as the apostle goes on to affirm: “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected” (vv3-5). And “love” is the key, as John will go on to explain (next post).

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⁵ This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; ⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship, the One with the other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us (1Jn1:5-10)

In terms of the post’s title, I have added a query mark in view of verse 7. Most bible versions and commentaries interpret John to be teaching that if  we walk in the light it will result in true fellowship with our fellow believers. That is indeed the likely outcome, but the converse does not necessarily apply. A person can appear to be entirely at one with the rest of his church congregation and yet be walking in darkness – for example whilst living in a secret adulterous relationship, something I have personally encountered in the past. This of course cannot be so with God and our relationship with Him – nothing can be hidden, He knows our hearts. That is one of the reasons that, along with the Amplified Bible, I take John to be referring  in verse 7 to our fellowship with God.

That is also more logical in the context of the previous verse:  “If we say that we have fellowship with (God) and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth”. I suspect the translators and many Christians will have a problem with the concept of fellowship with God – He is hardly our fellow; the term implies an equivalence that is far from the case. Yet clearly it wasn’t a problem for John in verse 6, but then he was writing in Greek. “κοινωνία^G2842” generally translated as “fellowship” is derived from  κοινωνός^G2844 meaning partnership, participation or sharing. Yet that is still a staggering thought – you or I becoming partners and participators with the One whom the writer to the Hebrews describes as the Majesty on High (1:3 & 8:1).

As my earlier posts have been intimating, that is indeed our future destiny if we are true believers. Yet as John is indicating, such κοινωνία/κοινωνός can start now, at least in measure. For as considered in the previous post regarding  “the Word” and the comprehensive deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, He regards us as His own kith and kin –  “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one God; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Heb2:11).

Divine fellowship

Do not mistake me, fellowship with other believers is crucial, for Jesus Himself said “Just as I have loved you, so you also should love one another – by this all people will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another”. The point I am drawing out is that John is saying something beyond this in his first epistle. He is introducing a concept which is staggering and incredibly exciting. For those who regard the idea of fellowshipping with God as  presumptuous, carefully re-read the letter to the Hebrews, especially with regard to our relationship with God, Jesus and the angels that results from “the Word’s” incarnation as a Man. My earlier post expounds upon this wondrous theme, aspects of which pertains to future glory. But as I am ever endeavouring to internalize myself, κοινωνία with God starts here and now!

As John makes clear, the obvious hindrance to such fellowship is our sinful nature, which as long as we are in mortal flesh cannot be entirely eradicated. Certainly, if we continually walk in darkness, failing to confess and repent of serious sin, we may indeed fool our fellow believers and seemingly relate perfectly well with them, but divinely related κοινωνία becomes quite impossible. However, “if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship, the One with the other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (v7).

Walking in the light involves being faithful to the teaching of Christ, moral integrity and honesty. As John goes on to write, the latter involves acknowledging our failings:  ^“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (v8). We need to confess our sins as soon as we recognize them. But given the nature of our relationship with God (κοινωνία), that does not necessitate the intercession of a priest, at least for venial sin (cf. 1Jn5:16). [Mortal sin requiring reconciliation with God and His Church is another matter and for another post].

The sacrament most holy

Speaking of such sacraments,  John affirms it is the blood of Jesus, God’s Son that cleanses us from all sin– again with the proviso that we are walking in the light (v7). The Greek word translated as “cleanses” is a present continuous tense – it does not pertain to a one-off event. This indirectly links back to our considerations in the previous post – eternal life  being a spiritual quality of life that non-believers do not possess. That is affirmed by Jesus’ statement: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves (Jn6:53). That verse in turn indicates the means by which Christ’s blood is able to provide ongoing cleansing for sin. Some will understand this and be sure to attend the appropriate means of grace. Regrettably others  will not, such as myself for the first 28 years of my Christian life. An earlier post provides some historical background to the obscuration of this issue and briefly testifies to how I came to a better understanding of the blessed sacrament; one that pertains to our sanctification and  spiritual vitality, both of which are a prerequisite for fellowship with the Divine.

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1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— ² and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us— ³ what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete (1Jn1:1-4).

Moving on to the first epistle of John, the apostle, who is spoken of in Scripture as having an especially close relationship with Jesus Christ, is keen that his readers should do the same. To do so they must seek to understand the nature and origins of the One known to Christians as Lord and Saviour. In terms of origins, the Being that was incarnated as the Lord Jesus Christ was “from the beginning” (v1). He is therefore quite distinct from everything that has been created, for as John opened his gospel, “without Him nothing was made that has been made”. And as Paul affirmed, “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things” (Rom11:36). John distinctly  identifies this eternal Being as the Word (Greek: Logos) – in Greek philosophical terms the ordering principle of the universe.

Way Truth and Life

Jesus described Himself as the way, the truth and the Life, and John utilizes the latter description in the opening  verse – the Word of Life. This “life” is what Scripture more often refers to as eternal life. That is not only describing its never-ending nature but its quality; for  “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (Jn17:3). I used to understand references to eternal life in the New Testament exclusively in the context of whether or not one goes to heaven when one dies, but that makes no sense in the context of verses such as 1Jn3:15 : “ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him”.

John is speaking of a quality of life that as a result of the Fall mankind no longer innately possesses. It can be regained by knowing and following the One who told His disciples “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (Jn10:10). Note also from Jn17:3 that having affirmed Christ/the Word’s comprehensive deity, John asserts the Father’s supreme monarchical status within the godhead, the Father being “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (cf. Paul 1Cor8:6 & 11:3).

Called into fellowship

As stated in my opening paragraph, the purpose of John’s exposition concerning the Word and His incarnation as Jesus Christ, is that people, even whilst clothed in sinful mortal flesh, might have a living relationship with this sublime divinity. However, that means sharing in measure what our Lord experienced on earth, and (to put it mildly) not all of it was good. But following in His Way, guided by His Truth and sharing in His Life, those who are so called, have been chosen and remain faithful become conformed to their Master’s image (Rom8:29). And like Jesus, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (Heb12:2), His followers with joy, wonder and a measure of trepidation remember they are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom8:17NASB).

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⁸ But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord ONE DAY IS LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS, AND A THOUSAND YEARS LIKE ONE DAY. ⁹ The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its activities will be shown for what they are. ¹¹ Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! ¹³ But according to His promise WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, ¹⁵ and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. ¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment, ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of that age. Amen (2Pet3:8-18)

The reason for these posts and my book is that I have received a prophetic insight concerning the interpretation of Scripture that is radically different from what most have understood since the time of Augustine. What I do not claim to have received is a clear idea of what shall happen on the “Day of the Lord” and what immediately follows it. That is, other than in the broad terms that the Apostle Peter himself sites in this passage – new heavens and a new earth.

Peter’s and Paul’s perspectives

Paul had emphasized this “Day” as a time of sudden destruction for those choosing to live on the dark side. Like Peter he refers to the Lord “coming like a thief” (1Thes5:2-4). Paul also made reference to the “rapture” in this context (1Thes4:16-17; cf. Lk17:34-35); relatedly that it shall be a time of the resurrection and final gathering of God’s elect (2 Thes2:1-2 cf. 1Thes4:16-17). Unlike Peter, Paul did not envisage or at least make reference to a radical cosmic event. For, concerned as to whether some believers might be under the misapprehension that the Day of the Lord had already come, he referred to the fact that a great apostacy (Greek ἀποστασία)  initiated by the Man of Lawlessness must already have occurred (2Thes2:3-4) rather than a cosmic meltdown having taken place. The latter would surely be the more obvious and unambiguous event to have happened if he believed such were to happen.

What we DO know

Either way, taking Peter, Paul or indeed the Book of Revelation, what I once envisaged would happen is surely not going to play out, thanks be to God. That is that those  and only those who knew Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour in life would be transported to Heaven whilst everyone else would, along with the earth, be burnt to cinder and their souls transported to Hell. For there are to be new heavens and a new earth, and the latter (at least) clearly would be inhabited. Indicated by what I have just written there are three  soteriological groupings. These are clearly delineated in the Book of Enoch’s account of the Day of the Lord (chapter 50), for those who can receive it.

Revelation’s account

Sticking to canonical scripture, in Revelation the largest eschatological group in the age to come are pictured as the “nations of those who are spared”, whose kings bring their treasures to the city in which Christ is enthroned with His saints. The latter are privileged to dwell with their Lord intimately, for He is also their Spouse. (Rev19:7; 21:22-27; 22:4).  Revelation also suggests that the new earth will be substantially changed physically (21:1). It certainly will be in the socio-political and religious sense as it will be under new leadership. For Christ with His people do not currently run the “κόσμος” (the world order – 1Jn2:15-16) in any executive sense – Scripture in both the Old and New Testament indicates they shall do in the age to come.

But not all shall be a part of it – the eluded third category, usually lumped with the unsaved. The “wicked” (Old Testament) or “children of the devil” (New Testament), who currently live amongst us, some of whom have great wealth, authority and influence in the world, shall be no more. It is they who are to be removed from the earth, not the elect or righteous (Mt13:49; 2Thes1:8-10; Rev21:2: cf. Ps104:35; Is11:4; 1Enoch1:1). Only then can the world be a place “where righteousness dwells” – and Jesus Christ is known by all for Who He is and what He has done to bring such eutopia about .

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2 But false prophets also appeared among the people, likewise there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even contradicting the Master who purchased them, bringing impending destruction upon themselves. ² Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; ³ and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. ⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into the deepest abyss and committed them to pits of darkness, to await final judgment; ⁵ and He did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; ⁷ and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people ⁸ (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), ⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority. ¹¹whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. ¹² But these, like brute beast, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and destroyed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,  (2Pet2:1-12).

The need to contemporize

Following on from the close of chapter one where Peter affirms that true prophecy is never a matter of particular interpretation but the words of men moved and directed by the Holy Spirit, he now warns of false teachers that he knew would come into the Church. In interpreting and applying Peter’s teaching, contemporizing is essential. Today and for many centuries previously, as a result of apostacy and division within the churches, the situation exists in which one assembly of sincere, Christ-loving worshippers regard others who are equally sincere and devout but have a very different understanding of the gospel to be false teachers or rather the followers of such. I know this from personal experience having been an Evangelical Calvinist for the first 28 years of my Christian life and a (somewhat unorthodox) Catholic for a similar period subsequently.

Apostolic restraints

Such doctrinally divided enclaves of believers could never have become established in the apostles’ time, not least because of the presence and influence of such men of God as Paul and Peter. Even so, the latter  points out in the next chapter that there were already some Christians who were misunderstanding Paul’s writing and leading their fellow believers astray (3:16). Generally speaking, false teachers of the kind Peter is referring to would have been far easier to spot than is the case today. They appeared to be followers of Christ, the “Master who purchased them” (v1) yet they thoroughly undermined His teaching, especially in the areas of lust, immorality and greed (vv2-3). This is particularly indicated in Peter’s reference to Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot’s experience within those debauched  societies. He later refers to these false teachers as “brute beasts created to be captured and destroyed” (v12), and  “accursed children who cannot cease from sin” (v14).

What of yours truly?

One of the points I’m making is that these do not equate to people who teach the gospel in good conscience as they have come to understand it, even if it contain substantial error. In my Evangelical days I would have considered a Catholic/Orthodox priest to be a false teacher, and (no doubt) vice versa. As one who was briefly a Baptist minister, I now regard myself as having been a false teacher, but hardly a “brute beast created to be captured and destroyed who never ceased from sin”. Such horrors exist within the various churches and breakaway cults today but thankfully are few and far between. Like the vast majority of Evangelical preachers I was seeking to convey the gospel as I understood it, for the glory of God  and the spiritual wellbeing of my listeners. All who genuinely preach and teach to glorify Christ and bring about the salvation of their listeners shall surely be positively regarded by our merciful God and Saviour. For truly, we are not ultimately to be judged on our theological acumen.

Although no longer a recognized teacher in the Church (or any church), I seek to do the same now based on the prophetic insights I have received. In view of the nature and scope of these revelations, aspects of which even fellow Catholics may regard as false, I believe what the Spirit has shown me is  intended to be shared through book publication and via the internet to as many Christians as will receive it. How this came about is set out in a testimonial post.

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¹³ I consider it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by way of reminder, ¹⁴ knowing that the laying aside of my tent is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind (2Pet1:13-15).

I just want to comment briefly on Peter’s reference here to his tent, tabernacle or dwelling (Greek: σκῆνωμα). It is clear from the context that he is referring to his mortal body that the Lord had indicated to him he would soon be discarding – he was shortly to be martyred. Similarly, Paul had described what the spirit and soul currently inhabit as a vessel (Greek: σκεῦος –  1Thes4:4; 2Cor4:7  cf. 1Thes5:23). I tend to expand on that as in my heading – our intellectual vessel. That is to emphasize (what might seemingly be obvious) that such incorporates the brain. The point being that what leaves the body at death, although invisible at that point, is also  a memory-retaining  intellectual entity (cf. Lk16:25).

What might not be so obvious albeit it is the only logical outcome of what has just been observed, is  that human beings possess not one but two minds – the one to be buried or incinerated, the other to return to the God who gave it (Eccles12:7). This is clarified (for some) and greatly expanded upon in Romans chapter seven, where Paul affirmed that these two minds have opposing laws or guiding principles: “For I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom7:23KJV). As virtually all pre-Augustinian theologians recognized, Paul is referring here to man by nature.

The “law in my members” can only be referring to the inclinations and actions of limbs and organs as they are processed and directed by the brain. This is “the flesh” to which the apostle frequently refers. The “mind” in this instance must be the spiritual mind – that of the human spirit, inner man or true self which is informed and directed by the God-given conscience. For those in whom it functions (which is most people but not all), the conscience incites (or at least urges) actions that are in accordance with God’s law, which that same apostle affirms can be summarized in one command – to love one’s neighbour as oneself (Rom13:9).

This anthropological issue is crucial to a right understanding of Paul’s teaching, divine providence, human nature and the very purpose of  gospel salvation – what it is from and what it is for. An earlier post regarding Paul’s teaching on the subject considers the matter more fully.

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⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supplement with virtue, and in your virtue, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you (2Pet1:5-11).

This is a passage that affirms three of the fundamentals of the Faith I have been emphasizing throughout:

1. That saving faith is never alone but is accompanied with good works, the foundation and fountain for which are virtue/moral excellence, knowledge (of Christ and His teaching), self-control, perseverance, kindness and love (vv5-8);
2. Those who have “got saved”, such as the original recipients of Peter’s letter will have been baptized and mystically partaken of Christ’s body and blood, but they are not all guaranteed to persevere and attain the blessings of the elect (vv9-10);
3. That whether or not one has come to the Faith in the first place is entirely a matter of God’s choosing (v10).

These particular emphases will not be good news for those who, à la  Luther and indeed myself in the past, understand that what ultimately matters is how strongly a person believes in Jesus Christ. Relatedly, that they are relying on the fruits of  His Passion and His personal righteousness being applied to their moral account. Such contains truth but is far from the whole picture.

For example, Luther’s definition of saving faith was “a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favour that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it”.  Peter says otherwise here and so did Paul: “know with certainty that no immoral or impure person or covetous man (i.e. an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph5:5). Such an immoral person could fulfil Luther’s requirements regarding belief, trust and confidence yet would not be saved. For ultimately, like everyone else, the Christian is to be judged by how he has lived and the person he has become (cf. Rom2:5-11). I commented on Paul’s teaching in Eph5 on this principle in an earlier post.

This will unavoidably disturb some, but it wondrously affirms God’s intelligible justice, gracious mercy and His fairness towards all. At least, that is the case once the three (rather than two) soteriological categories have been recognized and explicated from Scripture. Such I trust has been provided in The Little Book of Providence.

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1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been divinely allocated a faith equal in honour to that of our own, by the saving act of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ whose divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, by means of a true knowledge of Him who called us (to attain) to His own glory and virtue. ⁴ Through these (means of grace) He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust (2Pet1:1-4).

Translation rationale

In this opening passage of Peter’s second letter I have made a point of translating it in such a way as to draw out the distinctive (and glorious) facets of being a Christian believer. In particular highlighting the Greek words λαχοῦσιν^G2975 = divinely allocated (v1),  ἰσότιμον^G2472 = equal in honour or value (v1), ἰδίᾳ^G2398 = to (attain to) His own (glory/virtue) (v3) and κοινωνοὶ^G2844 = partakers (of the divine nature) (v4). Those who share Martin Luther’s distrust of “a theology of glory” might wish to read any further – this is about as glorious as it gets, and the Christian’s personal effort is heavily involved in the process.

Chosen by lot?

Firstly, λαχοῦσιν^G2975 (v1) which, as it’s translation elsewhere demonstrates, is related to the drawing of lots. Human lotteries usually depend on luck, not so the drawing of lots in the bible. Back in Acts, Matthias was appointed 12^th apostle to replace Judas by the casting of lots – not a question of good fortune but divine decree. Likewise the elect of God Peter was addressing in 2Pet1:1 were “λαχοῦσιν”. But as his fellow Apostle Paul in particular has emphasized, such divine choosing has nothing to do with innate virtue – the Christian slaughtering zeolite Saul of Tarsus himself being the prime example (1Tim1:15-16).

That most valued faith

But to what gift or commodity does this divine allocation pertain? It is a faith “equal in value and honour” (ἰσότιμον) to that which the apostles had received. For as I  set out in an earlier post, there is faith and there is FAITH. In terms of the former, all who respond positively to the light of Christ as it functions within their conscience exercise a form of faith, and one that, to a degree, justifies in the sight of God. This innate quality was described by second century Clement of Alexandria as “a common faith which lies beneath as a foundation that is built upon and consummated in those who come to faith in Christ”. It is of itself  insufficient to “attain to Christ’s own glory and virtue” that Peter’s alludes to by his use of ἰδίᾳ^G2398 in verse 3. Such holiness, says Peter, requires “a personal knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord  whose divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness”.

Escaping worldly corruption

Without this “exceedingly abundant grace which is in Christ Jesus” (1Tim1:14), we cannot whilst in mortal flesh “become partakers [κοινωνοὶ^G2844] of the divine nature”.  For except we die in infancy, we shall not entirely  “escape the corruption that is in the world on account of lust” (v4; cf. Rom7:22-25). And as the Apostle John later indicated, that “lust” does not just pertain to inordinate sexual desire but “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, (which) is not from the Father but is of the world (1Jn2:16).

Co-operating with grace

Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial death  provided the means by which such deliverance can be attained. But clearly, “escaping corruption” cannot merely be a matter of guilt or pardon – something that can be imputed by a Saviour. Rather, that Saviour by His death, resurrection and the divine teaching that preceded it has provided the means by which those “called to glory and virtue” (v3) can become conformed to the image of Christ, and so fulfil their destiny (Rom8:29).

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5 Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a PARTAKER OF THE GLORY that is to be revealed: ² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness; ³ nor yet as domineering over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. ⁵ You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT HE GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE (1Pet5:1-5).

Peter’s teaching in this short passage primarily concerns the duties and attitudes of those who have oversight of God’s people. They should not be domineering or haughty but  set an example of humility, as indeed does Peter, describing himself as a “fellow elder”. As Jesus and Paul indicated, Peter aka Cephas (the Rock) could have boasted of being rather more than that (Gal2:7-8; Mt16:18). But as is often the case, in the context of what I am expounding I am drawn to narrative  and phrases that do not necessarily pertain to the  key message of a particular passage but provide insights concerning the true nature of the gospel, the destiny of the elect and God’s broader benign providence.

In this case such comments pertain to the glorious destiny of God’s elect. For not only was Peter a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings but “one who is also a PARTAKER OF THE GLORY that is to be revealed” (v1). The apostle is of course referring to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ who most assuredly will be the focus of that glory.  However, God’s elect (and only they) are to be κοινωνός^G2844  with respect to it. As Bible Hub’s word study indicates, that means they partake or share in that which is κοινωνός’s  genitive, in this case δόξης (glory). Peter is not merely saying they are fellow partakers in the sense that he describes himself as a fellow elder, they share in the glory itself.

That is in accordance with Paul’s teaching that “if (we are) children, then heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs WITH Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified WITH Him” (Rom8:17NASB). One might have expected Jesus Christ to be sole heir-apparent to such glory, but whether or not we are comfortable with it, that is not the bible’s teaching. God has appointed fellow-heirs who will have a share in Christ’s glorious destiny as his corporate spouse. That is why “those whom (God) foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Rom8:29NASB). As Peter goes on to write, such conformity to Christ’s nature required that His joint-heirs, even whilst in mortal flesh,  “become partakers (κοινωνός again) of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust” (2Pet1:4).

Whilst the elect may have been conformed to Christ’s nature and will have shared in His suffering, unlike Him they are not destined to be what they shall become by sovereign right or personal merit; their evolution was shaped by God’s mercy, His sovereign choice and an abundance of grace, with which they have willingly cooperated. The latter (personal application) particularly applies to Peter’s reference to “escaping the corruption that is in the world on account of lust”. Paul also, when he is rightly understood, makes clear that that is something that requires our personal attention and effort.  Nevertheless, just as Sarah had been obedient to her husband Abraham, calling  him lord (1Pet3:6), so shall the Bridegroom always take precedence over His corporate Spouse (Rev19:7).

If, like me, you feel unworthy even to be considered “a partaker of the glory” as I have defined it, then I’m sure even Peter will have felt the same way. For Jesus once cautioned him, “Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Lk22:31). That is why Peter and all true believers are genuinely “clothed with humility” as they contemplate these matters, as well as in their dealings with their fellow believers and all people of good will – not least “because God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble” (v5).

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4 Therefore, since Christ has suffered (death) in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because the one who has suffered (death) in the flesh refrains from sinning, ² so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God. ³ For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of orgies, lusts, debauchery, drunken revelry and abominable idolatries. ⁴ In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you; ⁵ but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they might however live in the spirit according to the will of God (1Pet4:1-6).

The Christian life can be defined in many ways and Peter’s opening statement provides a key element to what should be the believer’s mindset. That is to live as one who has “died to the flesh”  resulting in  “πέπαυται” with regard to sin. Some bible versions (e.g. KJV, NASB) translate the Greek as “ceased from sin”, which is fine as long as it is understood that it is we who stop sinning, not (as I once imagined) that because Christ has died for me, I am no longer regarded as sinning even when I do. Not that any believer can go on to live a perfectly sinless life, but that he/she as far as possible refrains from wilful sin. Or as Peter perfectly expresses the matter, the true believer “lives the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God” (v2).

The unbeliever’s nature

In terms of what the apostle goes on to write concerning his readers’ previous life as Gentiles it needs to be remembered that this, like all epistles, is a pastoral letter to specific communities, not an evangelistic sermon. “Orgies, lusting, debauchery,  drunken revelry and abominable idolatries” is absolutely not a valid depiction of the typical non-Christian’s life style or mindset. But clearly it had been in the case of some or perhaps many of the believers to whom the apostle was addressing or he would not have written it. But as Paul in particular has made clear, what is true of all unbelievers including the many who seek to live decently and worthily, is that as long as they are in human flesh they can never be entirely free from its dominating influence. That is what Paul described as “the body of this death” (Rom7:24), being the worldly, materialistic and sometimes lustful  inclinations of the bodily members as their senses are processed by the brain.

The preceding passage in Rom7 better described what Paul meant: “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my (spiritual) mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts” (vv21-23). This earlier post explains this in more detail, but the point in the context of 1Peter is that this Rom7 scenario is not the case for the Christian, who as Paul followed up that statement affirmed “However, you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you” (8:9).

The lust of the flesh

Relatedly, whilst the Christian (hopefully) is not involved in orgies, drunken revelry and debauchery, the “lusts of the flesh” also pertain to more seemingly respectable activities and mindsets considered in Peter’s earlier teaching regarding worldliness, materialism and self-centredness. These are also not “in accordance with the will of God” (v6). That brings us on to the more contentious issue regarding the gospel being preached “even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they might however live in the spirit according to the will of God” (v6).

The principles and arguments concerning this concept were considered a couple of posts ago concerning Christ’s descent into Hell. Contrary to the many commentaries that would say otherwise, that certainly pertained to people who have died and whose spirits resided in Hell/Hades. And so, I am clear, does the reference here. As defined earlier, among other things the Christian is one who “lives the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts but for the will of God” (v2). Those who have not heard or responded positively to the gospel cannot entirely have done so, for such requires not only self-discipline but spiritual resources and graces that are only available to the Christian. But remember,  God’s “elect” are those whom God has “predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom8:29), and in Christ’s words “no one can come to Me accept they be drawn by the Father” (Jn6:44). As I trust I have shown, God’s elective choice of individuals to become intimately associated with His Son is a central tenet of New Testament teaching – reject that and you might as well dismiss the bible, starting with the Pauline epistles that are permeated with this doctrine.

God’s merciful intentions

Once the tripartite context of predestination has not only been proven but understood, it will be both unsurprising and expedient that the God who is described as love personified (1Jn4:8), the Saviour of all men (1Tim4:10) and the Desirer that all people are ultimately saved/healed and come to a knowledge of the truth (1Tim2:4) also is merciful towards the vast majority who have died devoid of the resources of gospel grace. I ask you, should not the spirits of these dead, having been  judged and appropriately punished for avoidably sinful activities whilst in the flesh, have the opportunity to repent  and submit to Christ’s Lordship in order  that for the rest of eternity they might  “live in the spirit according to the will of God”?

Of course they and indeed all of us will not always be in the spirit, for human destiny is to be reclothed in a physical framework that is not to be depicted as the “body of death”, into which every newly born spirit is currently planted in accordance with God’s will. Why the Father chose to act in such a way in response to the Fall has been made  very clear to me and is set out in my book, together with how what many are likely to regard as speculative and overly optimistic on my part is entirely reconcilable with Scripture as a whole.  

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²¹ Corresponding to (the deliverance of Noah’s family through water), baptism now saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not through the  laying aside of the pollution of the flesh, but through an appeal to God from a good conscience— ²² (Christ being) at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him (1Pet3:21-22).

This short text closing 1Pet3 is widely regarded as difficult, and in this instance I agree with that assessment. That is primarily because it concerns baptism, its precise nature and effect, and whether or not it should be practiced on infants. At the one extreme, some believe infant baptism to be crucial for salvation, Augustine typically (for him) asserting that all unbaptized infants who die in infancy must endure “mild sensual pain” for all eternity^[NOTE#1] . Others, including myself in the past, regarded paedo-baptism as unbiblical and purposeless, and that even as an adult it was purely symbolic – I was converted at 18, and not untypically of others in the Evangelical Calvinist congregation I attended, I did not get baptized until five years later.

Unlike the majority of later Evangelicals, Martin Luther supported paedo-baptism, validly asserting that “Were child baptism wrong, God would certainly not have permitted it to continue so long, nor let it become so universally and thoroughly established in all Christendom”. The same principle would surely also apply to the real presence of Christ at the Eucharist, which Luther continued to affirm, but most within the breakaway and fragmented movement that he unwittingly generated do not.

The witness of Scripture

For those relying upon Scripture alone, it is difficult to be clear on the matter of whether babies born to Christian parents should be baptized. This passage from Peter implies that is not the case in view of its reference to conscience, and by implication faith, neither of which normally apply to babies. I say “normally”, for John the Baptist was leaping and praising the Saviour whilst still in Elizabeth’s womb – surely the exception to prove the rule. However, keep in mind that faith in Christ is a gift that God gives when and to whom He chooses (Eph2:8). There are also passages that refer to a believer’s household being baptized, which may suggest but does not positively affirm the inclusion of young children.

The witness of Tradition

In terms of Church history and Tradition, the situation is nearly as murky. I’ll let a robot do the talking:

“Paedobaptism (infant baptism) was not the norm in the first century, where baptism was typically for adult believers. However, it emerged gradually from the late 2nd century, becoming more common in the 3rd century, and was eventually considered universal by the 4th-5th centuries. Early church writers like Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Origen debated its propriety, and theological developments, particularly AUGUSTINE’s views on original sin were crucial in cementing its widespread acceptance.”

 [Google AI overview in response to “paedobaptism in the early church?”– my highlighting].

Theological architect and influencer extraordinaire

It’s that man again! Since the expansive prophetic insight I received regarding the interpretation of Scripture that led to the writing ofmy book together with these ongoing posts, I have come to repudiate virtually every distinctive teaching of Augustine.  I’m therefore wary of any doctrine he has heavily influenced, and he is cited in the AI overview as the major influence in the Church establishing the practice of paedo-baptism. Thankfully, he upheld the Church’s teaching and practice concerning the real presence of Christ’s body and blood and the sacrificial nature of the Holy Eucharist. As ever, his testimony to its reality is supremely erudite.  For, do not mistake me, the clue’s in his name, Augustine was certainly august. His writings concerning the Divine Liturgy/Mass were also thoroughly orthodox, biblical  and in accordance with the living Tradition of the Orthodox/Catholic Church.

However, that was not the case with some of his more novel perspectives: on the economy of grace, the role of Torah under the Old Covenant, the depth of human depravity, the nature of original sin, and his rejection of effectual free will, natural law, premillennialism and (crucially when interpreting Paul’s writings) trichotomy – the existence of the human spirit. Much of his novelties  turned the teaching of the  2^nd and early3^rd century theologians on its head. Whilst Augustine was not the initiator of all the theological perspectives to which I have referred, an examination of each will show that he more than anyone else ensured that such formularies and their outworking formed the basis of the theological dogma that was established in the early middle ages, especially in the Western Church. Even for later Roman theologians, their mantra would invariably be “if Augustine taught it, it must be so”.  [This earlier post refers].

The comparison with circumcision

In terms of the case for paedo-baptism, Paul compares it to circumcision, which was practiced on babies, where he writes: “In (Christ)  also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faithfulness of the operation of God, who has raised Him from the dead” (Col2:11-12). Circumcision was a sign that a person, whether adult or baby, had entered a  covenantal relationship with God. This of itself did not guarantee their eternal wellbeing, which would be up to the individual’s future conduct. In terms of the Christian, in Paul’s words “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love (Gal5:6).

No silver bullet to sainthood

In other words, the same surely applies to baptism. To take an extreme example, Adolf Hitler was baptized (and confirmed) as a Catholic but evidently did not go on to  lead a saintly life or walk in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace. And I am convinced that Peter is saying here, not only that baptism does not refer to bodily cleansing, but that it does not of itself materially change a person’s nature i.e. “the laying aside of the pollution of the flesh” as I have legitimately translated “οὐ σαρκὸς ἀπόθεσις ῥύπου”. Also, contrary to the Roman Church’s Augustinian inspired teaching that the Orthodox Church rightly rejects, a baby does not bear the guilt of Adam’s Edenic sin, rather man by nature suffers from the moral and spiritual effects of ancestral sin, which is where Peter (and Paul’s) “pollution of the flesh” comes in. As the latter taught, even if Christ be in you “the body is (still) dead because of sin whereas the spirit is alive because of righteousness (Rom8:10NASB).  In view of that, a Christian should become morally better than others. But if he or she does so, it is not down to infant baptism per se, but to the subsequent sacraments of grace, the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, divine teaching  and by faithfully following in the footsteps of Christ.

An open-minded conclusion

In terms of adult baptism, the book of Acts in particular indicates that being baptized does result in the forgiveness of past sins (2:38), which in view of the previous paragraph is not an issue for babies. And. Peter indicates, it is not the water itself that initiates salvation, but the response of a good conscience, which in the context must incorporate faith in Christ as one’s Lord and Saviour.

Whether as an infant or adult, baptism is certainly not an optional extra but a necessary act of initiation into the Christian faith.  Parents who are personally convicted, or more likely in the case of Catholics and Orthodox have been taught by their church to baptize their newly born children should surely do so. They should see it in the context of placing their child under the covenantal care of the Church and their  own parental teaching. That is in the hope and expectation (but by no means certainty) that  their child will pursue the path of Christian discipleship through life.

Broader context

In terms of God’s providential care and intelligible justice that I have been continually focussing on, everyone is to be judged according to their own righteousness or lack of it. An unrepentant evil man’s baptism or indeed any church sacrament he subsequently receives will be of no avail.  As for those whom God has called to become “conformed to the image of Christ” such that they become His joint-heir and corporate spouse, baptism is the gateway by which all the  means of grace necessary to accomplish such a destiny become accessible. 

Notes

#1 – Latin: paena sensus . (cf. New Advent: Catholic Encyclopaedia under headings “Unbaptized infants”, “Limbo” and the “Teaching of St Augustine”).

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; ¹⁹ in which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who at one time were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. (1Pet3:18-20).

Moving on to 1Pet3, and as ever I am not providing a systematic commentary but focussing on text that has direct relevance to the broader benign providence I have been outlining. This has been placed in context in the above abstract (verses 18-20).

Easter Saturday

Having referred to the event we celebrate on Good Friday (v18), Peter moves on to what many understand to be the events of the day between Christ’s crucifixion and  resurrection, His descent into Hell (cf. Eph4:9). That is, that through the mercy of God, the bulk of humanity alive at the time of the Flood who ignored Noah’s warning and perished have subsequently received a proclamation of hope from Jesus Himself. Likewise, as Peter indicates in the next chapter (4:6) do all the dead have opportunity to hear the Good News so that although having been punished in the flesh “they might live according to God in the spirit”.

Where’s the problem?

This is (for many) another “problem verse” that becomes thoroughly intelligible once one understands the context of gospel salvation within God’s broader reconciliatory plans. But firstly, in terms of divine justice, these imprisoned spirits were given the opportunity to repent and acknowledge Christ’s lordship; they were not to be betrothed as His eternal Bride, nor did they escape punishment, for in the case of these prediluvians they had been imprisoned for centuries.

The eluded context

The key point relates to the context of gospel salvation within God’s broader salvific plans for humanity. That happens to be the core subject matter of “The Little Book of Providence” and these posts pertaining to it. A proper understanding is required of what gospel salvation is from and what it primarily is for. The former can be summarized in one short statement of Paul – Rom7:24-25; its purpose also in Rom8:29 and its eschatology in Rev5:10. Those verses and their context certainly take some explaining (see full verses and related posts below). Once their wondrous implications have been grasped, then no question should remain regarding the relevance and urgent need to preach the gospel to the living with regard to Peter’s teaching here that those who failed to hear or respond positively to it in life should be given hope and the possibility of repentance in death.

The focus of the bible

A related point is that the bible does not set out the totality of God’s plan for His creation but concerns His stratagem for the reconciliation of a people to Himself to act, in Peter’s words, as His royal priesthood. Canonical scripture therefore focuses on  the key structures and players within that Plan: Jesus Christ,  Israel and the Church, whilst God’s rationale and intentions towards the rest of humanity have, in accordance with God’s purposes and timing, remained something of a mystery (cf. Enoch ch93 v10).

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Quoted texts and related posts

Rom7:24-25a  “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God (it is) through Jesus Christ our Lord! 

Related post: https://richard-777.blog/2020/10/29/the-body-of-this-death/

Rom8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren”

Rev5:9b-10 “You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation.  You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”

Related post: https://richard-777.blog/2023/01/19/what-salvation-means/

Enoch93:10(Charles numbering): “And at the close (of the seventh “week”) shall be chosen the elect righteous of the eternal plant of righteousness, to receive sevenfold instruction concerning all His creation”.

Related post: https://richard-777.blog/2022/03/21/the-apocalypse-of-weeks/

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¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. ¹⁵ For such is the will of God, that by doing right you silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Act as free people, but do not use your freedom as a  cloak for evil, but as bond-servants of God. ¹⁷ Honour all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the king.¹⁸ Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For this finds favour, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person endures grief when suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favour with God. ²¹ For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps, ²² He who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ²³ and while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed. ²⁵ For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls (1Pet2:13-25).

Pilgrims to be good citizens

The previous post concerned what Peter had been teaching regarding the need for Christians to  live as “strangers and aliens” in the present world, looking towards “a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells” (next chapter). Not conforming to the ways and attitudes of the majority, such pilgrims were in danger of being regarded with suspicion, even hostility by the Gentile people and authorities amongst whom they lived. Hence Peter wrote:  “Behave commendably among the Gentiles, so that with respect to the things through which they slander you as evildoers, they may in view  of your good works that they have witnessed, glorify God on the Day of Visitation” (v12). The apostle is now indicating how that is worked out in practice.

Kings and civic leaders should be respected and submitted to (vv13-14). They have been appointed in accordance with God’s will so that they might punish wrongdoers and commend those who do what is lawful and right. Paul had written on similar lines in Rom13:5-7, describing such leaders as the servants of God, even though as a  Roman citizen he was likely under the authority of the manic Christian-hating Emperor Nero at the time of writing. So there may be an element of generalization in the teaching, but for most Christians, in most places, most of the time, the truth holds that the authorities are there to uphold the good and supress lawlessness, in accordance with God’s wishes for an ordered society. Believer need to be those who, regardless of whether or not they receive it, are worthy of commendation for their behaviour within society. As well as “loving the brotherhood”, Christians are to “honour all people” and “honour the king” (v17), regardless of the latter’s religion or lack of it.

Called to suffer

Just as much as Paul, Peter is aware that Christians are what they are because they have been called of God (v21). Likewise, he confirms that as followers of Christ, they should expect suffering, ill treatment  and persecution, just like their Master. As a result of  sacramental provision and divine teaching, the true Christian has inner resources that others do not. If others who do the right thing are ill-treated or maligned for so doing, they understandably may feel aggrieved, upset or bitter. But as Peter indicates here, the Christian should “patiently endure it” (v20). Jesus went further, saying that when we are persecuted  or ill-treated we should “jump for joy!” (Lk6:23), especially if it is “for the sake of the Son of Man” (same verse). And the latter is not confined to evangelistic activity, but to anything we do in order to be faithful to the Lord’s teaching that others may oppose.  Here indeed is a test of faith and discipleship: following in the Master’s footsteps (v21) resulting in eternal rewards that the Christian’s abusers and disparagers shall never attain.

The penultimate verse speaks of Christ taking our sins upon Himself on the cross – not only so that we might be pardoned but “in order that we die to sin and live for righteousness”. Continuing a life of sin is not an option, as the writer to the Hebrews particularly made clear (10:26-30), a passage I covered in a previous post. As Peter affirms in the final verse, whilst we once strayed as sheep, we have now returned to the Bishop of our souls.

All sheep are “of God”

In terms of the broader benign providence I have been outlining regarding the majority who have not been called of God to serve His Son (v21; cf. Jn6:44), there’s something of a clue in Peter’s expression “we once strayed as sheep”. We can only have strayed from something existential, that being the light of Christ in the human spirit that governs the conscience (cf. Jn1:9 strictly KJV^NOTE1). Whilst most, but not all^NOTE2 defer to conscience, attaining a measure peace when they follow its guidance and guilt when they do not, the “fleshly lusts that war against the soul” (1Pet2:11) are ever inclined to lead the non-believer astray.

Whilst I would not wish to push the animal analogy too far, “sheep” in the New Testament, especially in Jesus’ illustrations, consistently refer to those who are “of God”^NOTE3, whereas wolves and particularly goats, the latter most definitively in the bible’s definitive judgement passage (Mt25), represent those who are of the devil. Just as tares cannot become wheat (Mt13), goats don’t convert to sheep, rather some of the lost sheep get found and “return to the Shepherd of their souls”. And by that Good Shepherd’s wounds, His personal flock have been healed/saved so that they might indeed die to sins and live for righteousness (v24).

Notes

NOTE#1  In terms of the translation of Jn1:9, it is hardly likely that John writing in the late first century would be informing his readers that the Light (Christ) “is coming into the world” (some more modern translations)

NOTE#2  Devoid of compassion, truth and a functioning conscience, these are the children of the devil.

NOTE#3  Check all New Testament references to “sheep” HERE

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. ¹²  Behave commendably among the Gentiles, so that with respect to the things through which they slander you as evildoers, they may in view  of your good works that they have witnessed, glorify God on the Day of Visitation (1Pet2:11-12).

There is plenty more on which to comment in the next couple of verses of 1Peter. Firstly, his reference to his readers as “foreigners and strangers”. In his second letter Peter will expand on that idea when he speaks of the disciple of Christ “looking for new heavens and a new earth [Greek: γῆ] where righteousness dwells” (2Pet3:13). In the same passage, which (God willing) I shall come to in a future post, Peter’s language if taken literally suggests that he anticipates  our cosmic landscape to be somewhat transformed at or after Christ’s coming. That is why I have highlighted the Greek in his reference to a new earth, γῆ^G1093   emphasizing the physical, solid, material, earthly nature of at least a part of what is to follow in the age to come.

Foreigner and strangers

The main point the apostle is making concerns the fact that the true disciple of Christ should not regard himself as being entirely at home – not so much with respect to planet earth, but concerning what the bible refers to as the κόσμος^G2889 , being the current world order and its values.  St John had expressed the matter quite adamantly: “Love not the κόσμος, neither the things that are in the κόσμος – if any man love the κόσμος , the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the κόσμος , the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the κόσμος. (1Jn2:15-16).

This is a hard saying, and Jesus is no easier (e.g. Mt16:25). It is unlikely to be lived out by the many who are Christians in name only, but by true disciples of Christ, whom Scripture affirms shall attain to the first resurrection (Phil3:11; Jn6:54; Rev20:5-6) or if alive at the time be “raptured” (Lk17:34-36; 1Thes4:16-17). In Paul’s words  such individuals are  “pressing on towards the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil3:13-14). My book explains the context of God’s elect  within His broader salvific agenda, whilst this earlier post focuses  on the passage from Philippians.

Flesh versus spirit

Regarding John’s teaching I have highlighted “lust” as  it takes us on to Peter’s second point. As foreigners and strangers we should “abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul” (v11). Highlighting here is to point out that what wars against something cannot be derived from it. It is affirming my interpretation of that pivotal passage in Rom7 concerning the battle between the flesh and the spirit. Paul was not referring to the Holy Spirit as so many infer but the human spirit which pertains to the soul. With Peter there is no lexical confusion; with Paul, in view of the fact that the Greek text was written without casing or punctuation, there unfortunately is. Peter and Paul (when the latter is rightly interpreted) affirm that the source of human sin is not the God-given soul (the spiritual part of us that returns to God at physical death – Eccles12:7) but  what I refer to as the procreated intellectual vessel (body and brain) that is finally buried or incinerated. This has profound  implications regarding the nature and outworking of original sin, also covered in an earlier post.

All true humanity shall glorify God

Peter’s final point in this short passage is about as far removed from my former “Reformed” theological perspective as it is possible to get. That is that Gentiles/non-Christians shall glorify God on the Day of Judgement for the good works Christians have performed (v12), and (by implication) endorse the rewards and honours Christ’s true disciples shall receive for so doing. Jesus spoke along similar lines in Mt5:16: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.

That is because unlike the Protestant Reformers, Jesus and Peter knew that mankind (most but not all of it) is not rotten to the core, but has an innate sense of justice and fairness. But then is it not an observable reality that most people regardless of any religious faith genuinely applaud and delight in people past and present who have performed acts of bravery, heroism or made substantial contributions to humanitarian wellbeing and the like? And the latter virtues should certainly apply to  God’s elect, who are assuredly not intended to be merely “an assembly of justified sinners”. As Paul told Titus, they are those who have been “redeemed from all iniquity and purified to God as a peculiar people with a zeal to do good works” (Tit2:14).

The Day of Visitation

How much more then shall all men and women of good will glorify God for Jesus Christ when He comes to judge the world with His saints (1Thes3:13; Jud1:14), especially when it is shown and understood what our glorious Saviour and Lord has achieved though the victory of the Cross. This will occur on what Peter describes as the “Day of Visitation”. More usually referred to as the Day of Judgement, it is also depicted as the Restoration of all things (Acts3:21), the Regeneration (Mt19:28) and the dreadful Day of the Lord (Mal4:5). Of those alive at the time only God’s elect shall be entirely delivered from it  (1Thes4:16-17).

The rest of humanity will need (so much) to be enlightened, in many cases rebuked, and in the case of the truly wicked, despatched for age-enduring punishment. The latter are the children of the devil, described by Jesus in parables as goats or tares. Such could never worship or serve the One who is the pinnacle of Goodness, Truth and Light, concerning all of which they know nothing. The rest shall embark on yet to be disclosed activities (1Jn3:2) within Peter’s longed-for new heavens and new earth. Righteousness shall certainly dwell there, for Satan and his minions will have been despatched and John’s “κόσμος” will have been replaced by the rule of Christ with His saints.

REFERENCED TEXTS (in order quoted)

Mt16:25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Phil3:11 in order that by some means I (Paul) may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Jn6:54 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has(present tense) eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Rev20:5-6 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Lk17:34-35 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. ³⁵ There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 

1Th4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who remain, 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.

Ecles12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

1Th3:13 So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

Jud1:14 It was also about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His holy ones

Acts3:21 (Jesus) whom heaven must receive until the time of restoration of all things, about which God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets from ancient times

Mt19:28  Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mal4:5 Behold, I am going to send you “Elijah” the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord

1Jn3:2a Beloved, we are now children of God, but it has not appeared as yet what we will be.

⁴ And coming to (Christ) as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is elect and precious in the sight of God, ⁵ you also as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and the one who entrusts himself to Him will not be put to shame.” ⁷ This has great value then for you who believe; but for unbelievers, (He is) “a stone which the builders rejected that became the chief cornerstone,” ⁸ and, “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”. They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed. ⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellent qualities of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light (1Pet2:4-9).

The main point I want to make from this next section of 1Peter pertains to the context of God’s royal priesthood within broader benign providence. As is often and intentionally the case within these posts, the points I draw out from a particular passage are not necessarily the main theme that the author, in this case Peter, wished to impart. His narrative primarily focuses  on Christ being the most precious and important component  of the “household of God”. Also the fact that many people, most notoriously members of God’s chosen people under the Old Covenant, have rejected that “chief cornerstone”, whereas blessed are those who entrust themselves to Him, themselves becoming “living stones” of that metaphorical house of God.

But I am not here primarily to exegete the passage – others can do far better, including the  artificial intelligence (AI) analysis that is available these days. Rather, I am forever looking for clues and insights regarding  the broader benign providence that I believe I am intended to draw to the churches’ attention, together with the related  negative but necessary deconstruction of certain established theologies by which God’s munificent plans for broader humanity have been obscured.

In terms of this particular passage, by “broader humanity” I refer to the many people who are NOT “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession”, nor could they be apart from an act of sovereign grace on God’s part (cf. Jn6:44 and the explicit or more frequently implicit references to predestination by Peter, John and Paul in particular). If alive at the time, such people (the vast majority) shall not be “raptured” so as to be delivered from God’s awesome “Day of Wrath”. Nor shall they be corporately married to the Lord of glory (Rev19:7), still less come to share His throne (Rev3:21). But many, not all, shall finally receive admittance into God’s eternal Kingdom, having demonstrated by their actions and attitudes in life the reality of their true humanity (cf. Mt25:31-46), a passage  devoid of so much as an implicit reference to religion or religious faith, “merely” to compassionate love – the essence of God.

 There is much more that could be said on that point, and it has been, but with reference to the royal priesthood, its members are intended to offer spiritual sacrifices to God but also to “proclaim the excellent qualities of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (v9). Many translations translate ἀρετὰς ἐξαγγείλητε along the lines “show forth the praises” (e.g. KJV, NKJV, NIV, EHV). Of course, those privileged to be amongst that blessed assembly should praise God for the grace that has been shown to them, but as in the NASB translation I have utilized Peter is also if not primarily referring to proclaiming and expounding to those who have not been so blessed, the truly excellent qualities and intelligible goodness of God’s character and actions.

That will virtually be impossible for some (including myself in the past) who understand God to have chosen them regardless of any inherent merit on their part to enjoy unimaginable privileges and eternal joy, whilst for the rest of humanity, in view of the fate that awaits them it would have better if they had never been born. From the more prevalent Arminian or “moderated Calvinist” Evangelical perspective,  God is One who will deliver people from eternal miseries providing they are fortunate enough to have heard and understood a faithful and accurate presentation of the gospel.

That of course very much depends on their cultural, religious and societal heritage, the historical formation of which our sovereign God has (seemingly) passively overseen and thereby facilitated, along with a proliferation of Christian sects and denominations with their varying accounts of what is actually required for salvation. Even having lived in the nominally Christian United Kingdom for 70+ years, there are very few people I have met outside my particular  church circles who have instinctively understood  what was required of them to be “saved”, still less could those billions brought up as (say) Muslims or  the myriads of souls who have  lived within  unevangelized pagan or dictatorially atheistic regimes.

 Of course, many more liberal Evangelical, Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox Christians do believe and are able to declare from the heart that God is good and loving, but regrettably only by themselves or their churches rejecting, obscuring, rationalizing or at best “holding forth in mystery” some essential gospel truths, such as the bible’s irrefutable teaching on predestination and post-mortem punishment. That together with the unintentional but unavoidably dire depiction of God’s nature and providential intentions depicted by those who primarily seek to be faithful to the bible as they have been taught it is the inevitable outworking of the binary (saved or damned) soteriology that I am systematically adducing to be in error.

The God I have come to know and have delineated in The Little Book of Providence most assuredly can be proclaimed to all humanity as excellent, magnanimous and gracious in character. And although His ways are indeed  at times difficult to fathom, their rationale has been made much clearer to me, which I have also set out in that book and some recent posts. For God must be shown to be both fair and just, if from a human perspective He is  also perceived to be loving and kind, let alone accord with the bible’s depiction as love personified (1Jn4:8). As I showed in the previous post, He is the very image of Jesus Christ, or rather vice versa – our gracious loving Lord is the very Eikon of God (Heb1:3), of Whom the Psalmist prophetically wrote that “All the earth shall worship You, and shall sing to You; they shall sing to Your name (Ps66:4).

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2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and slander, ² and like new-born babies, long for the reasonable and unadulterated milk of the word, so that by it you may advance in respect to salvation, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is kind (1Pet2:3 – my translation)

The Lord IS kind (honest!)

I merely want to pick up on the highlighted phrase in verse 3: “the Lord is kind”. The Greek text  χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος could also legitimately be translated as “the Lord is gentle” or “the Lord is pleasant”, even “the Lord is useful” but the latter would hardly do Him justice. A point of grammar is that “the Lord” ( ὁ κύριος) is nominative (i.e. the subject) and kind/gentle/pleasant or whatever (χρηστὸς) is the adjective describing that Subject. “The Lord” could be referring to Jesus Christ – it almost certainly would be if Paul were writing (cf. 1Cor8:6), but Peter could be referring to God (the Father). In a sense it doesn’t matter, for if you have seen the One you have seen the Other – in terms of nature, that is. Disciple Philip needed to be enlightened about that (Jn14:9), and note that Jesus was referring to Himself as He had revealed His character during His earthly ministry (“How long have I been with you, Philip?”).

Jesus – the Eikon of God

As I pointed out in a much earlier post pertaining to that passage in John, Jesus’ gentle rebuke of Philip challenges a lot of theology, not least the Calvinism I grew up with. The idea that the Man Christ Jesus was “the exact representation of (His Father’s) nature” (Heb1:3NASB) challenges so many  tenets of Reformed and other traditional bible-based theology. For Jesus Christ, as He amply demonstrated in His earthly ministry was kind; He was compassionate towards all who were needy, tolerant towards the genuinely ignorant, and intelligibly reasonable and fair in all His judgements (cf. Mt7:2). The God of the Bible as so many have come to understand Him is none of those things, and indeed the likes of Augustine, Luther and the Protestant Reformers regarded God’s nature as barely comprehensible to human reason, even in the case of those who were being sanctified and according to Paul already possessed the mind of Christ.

The usual translations

So coming back to our opening point about the translation of χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος, it is perhaps no surprise that most bible versions are reluctant to translate the phrase literally and simply as “the Lord is kind”, as can be demonstrated using Biblegateway. Some bible versions refer to “the kindness of the Lord” but in the Greek, ὁ κύριος is nominative not genitive – the latter implies that kindness (or whatever) is a quality God possesses and may choose to exercise rather than what He is by nature. John’s statement that “God is love” (1Jn4:8), for example, is even more powerful – both words are nominative: love is what God is, and love (ἀγάπη) assuredly incorporates kindness.

Echoes of Psalm 34

Many simply translate the phrase as “the Lord is good”, no doubt with Ps34:8 in mind: “Taste and see that the Lord is “טוֹב”” As to what the Hebrew טוֹב^H2896 actually means, check out Biblehub – it translates as “good, pleasant, agreeable, beneficial, beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, favour, fine, glad, goodly, graciously, joyful, kindly, loving, merry, pleasant, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, well-favoured” . Take your pick! The Greek χρηστὸς^G5543 specifically emphasizes kindness, gentleness and pleasantness.

Other versions such as the King James take the phrase to be “God is gracious” – but then that is perhaps as close to kindness as the early Reformer translators dare get, but it’s not really a valid translation of χρηστὸς. If Peter intended “grace” or “gracious” he more likely would have employed  χάρις or its derivatives, as he did on eight occasions in his first epistle. Apart from which, grace as the KJV authors understood it was for the chosen few; towards the rest they understood the Creator to be anything but kind, gentle or pleasant.

Pardon my literalism

My task has been to show that such sincerely held perspectives (which were mine also for 28 years) are a misinterpretation of Scripture and a travesty of the truth concerning God’s nature and especially His providential intentions. If I appear to be over-literal and pedantic in the task of proving it, so be it.  It has been the method I’ve employed throughout this process, and (I am clear with the Spirit’s help) it has enabled me for the first time in my life to understand Scripture such that it becomes thoroughly coherent.

Why we got it so wrong

Very briefly to close, there are two main reasons why God’s nature and providential purposes have been misunderstood. The first is the interpretation of Scripture as a whole, for which reason I believe I was intended to write The Little Book of Providence (see small-print postscript). The second reason is the fact that whilst God’s nature should be intelligible to those created in His image, God’s ways  are entirely another matter: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts (Is55:9).

The prime example is God’s extraordinary, seemingly detached superintendence of Satan and his empire in the current age, and the related utilization of evil and suffering in the world that He so loves (cf. Jn3:16; Eph6:12). I have been shown the latter pertains to His purposes for those He most loves (because they love and serve His Son) in preparation for their eventual glorification (Heb2:9-11 cf. Rev10:7). This was touched upon in my previous Halloween post and was dealt with in a little more detail in the one prior to that (“Ransomed from Futility”).

[These posts pertain to an expansive revelation concerning divine providence. It was the result of a prophetic insight received by the author, who believes the process he is involved with is itself a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy, both canonical and extra-canonical – more particularly Revelation chapter ten and two related passages from the Book of Enoch (ch93:8-10 and ch104:11-13 Charles edition numbering). The full picture is set out in “The Little Book of Providence”  and summarized in 95 theses HERE ].

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Halloween may not be directly to do with the devil, but for those of us who believe in his existence, the Prince of Darkness is certainly alluded to in the sinister, scary and implicitly evil characters depicted in the festival in the form it is now celebrated. It originates from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain which marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. Those ancient celebrators also believed it to be a time when the spirits of the dead (including evil ones) were most likely to break into the physical world👻. The name itself derives from the Eve of All Hallows, a Christian festival established by the early church to be held on 1^st November, commemorating all “saints” believed to be in heaven, October 31st being a day set apart to prepare for it.

As to why I suggest that it is not entirely inappropriate for the leader of the realm of darkness  be commemorated by Christians, my previous post supplies most of the answers. To summarize, if it were not for Satan, forget Halloween, there would be no Christmas or Easter either. The “Word of God” would not have temporarily been made “a little lower than the angels” and taken on human flesh. If Satan had not successfully deceived Eve and Adam, then mankind would not have had the need of a Saviour. At worst they may have required a divine Leader as their Example, but not One who would go on to die for sin, be resurrected and further glorified.

The ascent of man

But then the stupendous implications of verses, especially some found in Hebrews, could not apply:

“For it was fitting for (Christ), for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the Forerunner of their salvation through sufferings. ¹¹ For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them His own brethren” Heb2:10-11)

I ask you, to which of the angels would Jesus have made that last statement? None, I suggest, not even to the former Arch-Angel Lucifer prior to his rebellion. Indeed, that is likely why he rebelled, i.e. God’s incredible plan to raise the sons of earth to heights that even the angels of Heaven may not attain (cf. Rev3:21 & 19:7😲). For what were the ingredients  for such children of dust to be raised to divinity as Christ’s kith and kin and corporate bride? I have highlighted them above: sin, suffering and sanctification through Christ’s blood, none of which would have been available if evil and oppression had not entered the world.

The Lackey of God

Satan’s treachery has effectively facilitated God’s Plan for the people who were the source of that former angel’s resentment. For God is incapable of sin and could never be legally responsible for initiating evil and suffering in the world. Yet as just demonstrated from Scripture, such was beneficial, even necessary in fulfilling God’s plans for humanity, starting with those God has chosen for Christ (Jn17:6). Satan has thereby unintentinally become the Lackey of God, facilitating the preparation for the glorious ascent of those he most hates and resents.

Nevertheless, he still exercises authority in the world, not through Halloween’s witches, vampires and zombies but via certain human beings whom, like Cain of old, he possesses and controls (1Jn3:12). Satan is still an awesomely powerful being, the ruler of the forces of darkness with which Christians in particular must wrestle (Eph6:12). In terms of the relatively harmless spooky-fun festivities of the season, if Satan is to be thought of at all it should certainly be with a sense of wariness and caution, but in view of the above, perhaps also with a measure of derision and pity.

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¹⁷ If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not RANSOMED with perishable things like silver or gold FROM YOUR FUTILE WAY OF LIFE inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless. ²⁰ For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for your sake ²¹ who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, so that your faith and hope are in God. ²² Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, ²³ for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For, “All flesh is like grass and all its glory is like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, ²⁵  but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And that is the Good News message which was preached to you (1Pet1:17-25).

Λυτρόω?

Probably the most interesting aspect of this passage is Peter’s reference to the Christian being “λυτρόω”, usually translated as “ransomed”, being a payment made to obtain the release of a captive. The context is Peter’s opening statement that the believer who addresses God as Father needs to live and act in the light of One “who impartially judges according to each one’s work” (v17). In terms of the payment for the ransom, it is notable that whilst “silver and gold” are normally regarded as precious and enduring such as when  Paul contrasts gold and silver with wood and stubble in 1Cor3:12, these “precious metals” are nothing in comparison to the yet more precious blood of Christ.

Ransomed from what?

In terms of what the Christian has been delivered from, some might expect it to be along the lines of “going to hell when you die”. But as I am in the business of demonstrating, that is never the context of gospel salvation in the epistles, whereas it is the context of Mt25:31-46 concerning the “sheep” and “goats” and how they  dealt with their fellow man. That is a passage in which religious faith is neither mentioned nor implied. Likewise in Jesus’ parable concerning the rich man and Lazarus (earlier post) in which “Dives” was informed that the reason he was suffering in Hades whilst Lazarus was being comforted pertained to their respective material conditions in life (Lk16:25). Also, by implication, that the rich man (like the M25 “goats”) had done nothing to alleviate Lazarus’s suffering and poverty though he had more than adequate resources to have done so.  

No, what the Christian has primarily been delivered from is referred to by Peter as a “futile way of life, inherited from your forefathers” (v18). Given that the people to whom Peter was addressing are likely to have  predominantly been converted Jews, some commentators believe that to be referring to redundant aspects of Torah observance that were no longer applicable to the Christian. That could be the case in part, but given that “the precious blood of Christ” was not exclusively shed for Jews, there is a much broader perspective  – the whole of humanity. That “futile way of life” resulted from the Fall – Eve and Adam’s disobedience, Satan’s trickery, and (dare I say it) God’s plans for humanity.

The Fall and God’s part in it

 I dare say it for Paul confirmed as much:  ^“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in the certain hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom8:20-21). Note my highlighting: it was God , not the devil, still less mankind who willingly subjected itself to futility, albeit it was the devil’s evil and mankind’s disobedience that were legally responsible for that seeming catastrophe. Note also that Paul speaks of creation as a whole being set free from its slavery to corruption. That cannot be referring to God’s elect, for as Peter is indicating in this passage, Christians have already been set free from such. Yet, writes Paul, God’s intention is that all creation is indeed “set free from its slavery to corruption”.  However, the apostle is even more adamant and quite repetitive concerning the fact  that God does not intend that all come to a saving knowledge of Christ in the present age. That privilege and the responsibilities that go with it falls to “those whom He foreknew and predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son (Rom8:29). They shall be Christ’s bride; they shall share His throne (Rev3:21); others will not. Yet all true humanity^NOTE1 shall in due course be “freed from slavery to corruption” and the futility of existence to which Peter is referring, into Paul’s “freedom of the children of God”.

For truly, the Eden incident was  far from a catastrophe for mankind, but it was so for the devil (and his seed^NOTE2 ), and also had dire consequences for the Godhead, culminating at Calvary. Such a statement, to put it mildly, may appear counter-intuitive, but I speak of the very long term  and God’s ultimate purposes for humanity. If God had not been willing to oversee the introduction of sin and evil in the world, then His Word would not have become flesh, and chosen members of the human race would not have become intimately associated with the Man Christ Jesus as His brethren and sisters and corporate spouse. The people to whom I refer are God’s elect, who (nota bene) are classified in Scripture as the “Church of the firstborn ones” (Heb12:23)  and the “firstfruits of creation” (Jam1:18). As recently considered,  firstborn and firstfruits infer pre-eminence but also the fact that many more shall follow. Whilst God is incapable of evil, the divine principle pertaining to His actions is that the end justifies the means – a willingness for His beloved Son to be  slaughtered at Calvary being the ultimate example.

Rationale for the Fall

 Likewise, the Eden “catastrophe” was the means by which children of dust could ultimately be raised to divinity. Satan’s seeming victory resulted in mankind, starting with God’s elect, being destined for a status superior to angels and former angels such as Lucifer – because they were, as a direct result of the Fall, to become intimately associated with the Lord of Glory. Sinners needed to be sanctified, yet “Both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from One, for this reason (Christ) is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Heb2:11). What is more, the havoc Satan caused provided the ideal environment for those who are to be so raised: a struggle against evil  and the suffering that goes with it – the grist for glory (cf. Heb2:10).

Futility in context

Finally, a point about Peter and Paul’s reference to futility and a futile way of life. This is relative to God’s ultimate purpose for mankind in the current age, which was to have a living and intimate relationship with Himself and prepare for still greater intimacy and glory in the ages to come. As a result of the Fall, such is currently restricted to those whom by free grace He chooses to, in Peter’s words “be born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God” (v23). A part of what such believers have been redeemed from is the devil and his influence on the ways of the world (Eph2:2) and his disruption of the propagation and reception of the Gospel (cf. Mt13:19).

This is not to say that everyone else’s existence is in the usual sense of the word, futile. All who in life have made a difference for good towards others and society effectively leave this world a better place than they found it. They shall gain God’s approval, as Scripture more explicitly affirms shall those like Mt 25 “sheep”, who through their compassion towards those in need (i.e. “Christ” Mt25:40) will gain admittance into God’s kingdom.

Our merciful, magnanimous God is concerned for the wellbeing of all people of good will. He knows the current plight Satan’s treacherous influence on the world has placed us in – as did Paul: “We know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only they but also we ourselves being the first fruits of the Spirit  groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as (God’s) sons and daughters, the redemption of our body!” (Rom8:22-23).

NOTE#1 – By “true humanity” and  indeed “people of good will”, I do not refer to everyone born of woman, only those (thankfully the majority) who retain the seed of humanity (1Jn3:9 strictly NASB). Others, starting with Cain, are ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ = “of the Evil One”  (1Jn3:2). Their spirits were created by God but not planted by Him  but by the Adversary (Mt15:13). They are described by Jesus, John and Paul as “children of the devil”. They were indeed Paul’s “vessels adapted^G2675 for destruction” – if you have understood this post you will know for what purpose. Such in secular terms  would be described as psychopaths, but by no means all are criminal (au contraire 2Cor11:13). Respectable or otherwise, they are devoid of conscience, compassion and truth and shall play no positive part in God’s future Kingdom as far as Scripture permits us to foresee. This is the mystery of evil, considered in more detail in  The Little Book of Providence chapter six.

NOTE#2 – The devil’s seed are referred to in the Protoevangelium (Gen3:15), defined as per note#1.

¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action, remain sober, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behaviour; ¹⁶ because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ¹⁷ If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; (1Pet1:13-17).

Context

The opening “therefore” pertains to the astonishing nature of human salvation within the New Covenant, which as considered in the previous post intrigued the very angels of heaven. A Christian who has at least begun to grasp the stupendous nature of his or her future destiny is the one most likely to comply with Peter’s exhortation to set their  hopes completely on God’s gracious intentions towards them when Jesus Christ returns (v13).

Incentives to be holy

Such that has been revealed to me concerning the wonders of the Christian’s destiny was reviewed in the previous post. But thinking back to my much earlier perspectives, if one regards being a Christian as primarily a form of spiritual insurance policy against future damnation, the sober-minded contemplation and preparation Peter calls for is less likely to be the case; one’s hopes and aspirations are more likely to be focussed on the things of this world that James warned us about in the previous epistle.

God’s impartial judgement

That is especially the case if, as I used to believe, the whole salvation process is “all of grace and all of God”. For sure, He alone initiates it, but thereafter it is very much down to the believer to “work out his own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil2:12). As verse 17 asserts, God judges everyone impartially, according to their own works. That places (or should place) the Christian at a great advantage (next paragraph), but the notion that Christ’s personal righteousness is imputed to the believer would make a nonsense of passages such as this, as it does of so much Scripture, not least that of Paul. As quoted in this paragraph, the latter affirms with Peter (v17) that our conduct as Christians on earth should be regarded with a measure of fear as well as joy and hope.

The privileges and responsibilities of election

Peter refers to “your former lusts (that were committed) in ignorance” (v14). Whilst ignorance is by no means bliss, not least in spiritual matters, I have been at pains to point out from  Scripture, again contrary to what I once understood as a Calvinist, that God is more merciful to the ignorant than He is to those He has called to be His own, who should know better (cf. Amos3:2) . And as recently considered, Christians being under the New Covenant not only have a knowledge of God’s law and the example of Jesus Christ’s life on earth, they have the spiritual resources at their disposal to help transform their former way of life. “So if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every violation and act of disobedience received a just punishment (under the Old Covenant), ³ how will we possibly escape if we are careless of so great a salvation?” (Heb2:2-3)

So, concludes Peter quoting Scripture, “like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behaviour; because it is written: ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’.” That is what JHWE told His people under the Old Covenant: “You shall be holy towards me: for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people, that you should be My own” (Lev20:26). For those like Martin Luther who understood God’s nature to be incomprehensible to human reason, this presents a difficulty. Those who recognize that man has been created in God’s image will know that Peter and the Scripture he was referring to are not asking the impossible.

God’s holiness is infinitely superior in degree, but cannot be alien in nature to those who have been created in His own image. Every good trait that we possess derives from Him. And applying all available means of grace and following the example of our Master and Saviour, the Christian is well able to comply with the requirements of those set apart to be the heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

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¹² It was revealed to (the OT prophets) that they were not ministering (prophecies) concerning themselves, but regarding those things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you in the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels earnestly desire to look into (1Pet1:12).

The superiority of the New Covenant

The featured verse relates to the point I was emphasizing in the previous post, that there are aspects concerning the New Covenant and the Good News (gospel) pertaining to it that wondrously transcend the provisions, promises and revelations provided to God’s chosen people under the Old Covenant.

In terms of spiritual provision, the sprinkling of animals’ blood has been replaced by the precious and powerful blood of the Lamb of God that ultimately shall rid the world of sin (cf. Jn1:29). For the present, the blood of sprinkling (previous post) is only able to both pardon and purge people God has chosen to be united with His Son (cf. Jn6:44). They are God’s elect who “have received the first fruits of the Spirit”. Even so, like Paul they groan within themselves, waiting eagerly  their adoption as sons, being the redemption of the body.” (cf. Rom8:23). Who are these “elect” – heirs to a throne? More than that, they are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom8:17).

A theology of glory?

I make no apology for such a theology of glory, both in terms of the Christian’s destiny and the salvific processes leading up to it. Yet both are entirely predicated by a theology of the Cross. It has everything to do with the Word who became flesh, suffered and died at Calvary, was resurrected and ascended to glory. What is more, if sin had not entered the world, and you and I were not by nature sinners, the only begotten Son of God would not needed to have taken on human flesh to remedy the situation. For it is as a result of our first parents’ disobedience that the One who was second only to God the Father was temporarily  made a little lower than the angels and became Man.

Firstborn and first fruits

Such divine condescension is the origin and ultimate reason for mankind’s glorious destiny – because the One who humbled Himself for our benefit has  become Prince of the Universe (Mt28:18). God’s elect are also described as “those whom (God) foreknew and predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son  so that (Christ) would be the Firstborn (forerunner/leader/representative) among many brothers and sisters” (Rom8:29).

Yet this elect, as the first fruit of God’s earthly creation (Jam1:18), are themselves depicted as “the Church of the firstborn” (plural) [Heb12:23]. First fruit and firstborn are expressions that are indicative of pre-eminence. But as with Christ (the Firstborn from the dead) and His people (the Church of the firstborn), it is an indication that more shall follow, and my book (linked below) sets out how such broader benign providence can be deduced from the whole of Scripture.

Resolving the mystery of evil

In view of the above, is it any wonder that the angels “earnestly desire to look into (these matters)? Yet some of their number, headed by Lucifer, had earlier rebelled on learning their Creator’s plans, especially His intention to elevate members of the human race into a familial, indeed  a marital relationship with One who is superior to the angels (cf. Heb2 vv5,11,16; Rev21:9). [This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church].

Lucifer, that former arch-angel of light whom we now know as the Adversary (Satan) believed he had gained his revenge at Eden. But as God well knew and recent posts have attested, the evil and suffering that resulted from his successful enticement of our first parents into sin were necessary ingredients and grist in the progression of mere children of dust to joint-heirship with Christ and an inheritance in the heavenlies (previous post).

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^{[These posts pertain to an expansive revelation concerning divine providence. It was the result of a prophetic insight received by the author, who believes the process he is involved with is itself a fulfilment of scriptural prophecy, both canonical and extra-canonical – more particularly Revelation chapter ten and two related passages from the Book of Enoch (ch93:8-10 and ch104:11-13 Charles edition numbering). The full picture is set out in “The Little Book of Providence”  and summarized in 95 theses HERE ]}

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen ² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by sanctification of the spirit so as to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great loving kindness has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in the heavens for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, ⁷ so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ⁸ and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ¹⁰ Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: ¹¹ Searching exactly what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow (1Pet1:1-11)

Moving on to 1Peter, the apostle’s opening verse concerns the fact that those who become the disciples of Christ do so because they have been chosen of God. This of course concurs with Paul and every other New Testament writer who refers directly or indirectly to predestination. In Jesus’ words, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (Jn6:44). Given it is all God’s work, it happens by a person’s soul/spirit being sanctified (v2), in the sense of being set apart for Christ and having been spiritually enabled to discern that He is the Way, Truth and Life.

The blood of sprinkling

Ongoing sanctification in terms of purification is a work of the Holy Spirit, but also involves being “sprinkled with Christ’s blood” (v2). That expression harks back to  the sprinkling of animal’s  blood upon congregations in Old Testament times. That was a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, which in turn infers that Peter (along with the writer to the Hebrews in 12:24)  were referring to a ceremonial act in which Christ’s blood (or that which contains it) is received, not merely a remembrance or symbolization. The latter also fails to satisfy the obligations of John chapter six concerning the need to eat Christ’s body and drink His blood in order to be raised to eternal Life (v53) and attain the first resurrection (v54).

Such is  “the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses  us from all sin” (1Jn1:7), “καθαρίζει” (cleanses) being a present indicative active verb; such forgiveness and cleansing also being subject to our walking in the light as Christ is in the light (same verse). Surely the Apostle John was being prophetic when he cautioned concerning how the Spirit still testifies to Christ’s presence on earth:

“This is the One who has come through water and blood, Jesus Christ; not in the water only, but  in the water and in (ἐν^G1722) the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are into the one (1Jn5:6-8)?

Chosen to be heirs

After Peter’s opening blessing (vv1-2) the narrative proceeds by affirming again that it was not the believer’s choice to “get saved” but that we have been born again because God has caused it (v3), and that it was made possible through Christ’s resurrection from the dead. God’s initiation is evidenced again by reference to an inheritance (which is rarely if ever the recipient’s choice). And what an inheritance! – one that is “reserved in the heavens (plural -οὐρανοῖς )”. If you have been following my posts you will know that I do not take that to be referring to the soul going to heaven, particularly in this instance, because as Peter goes on to write, it pertains to a salvation that is “ready to be revealed in the last days” (v5).

Salvation within the New Covenant

In the meantime, Peter was aware that like himself and his Master before him, the believers he was addressing were likely to experience trials and tribulations (vv6-7). As recently considered, these were both necessary and beneficial for those with such a destiny, and would result in “the salvation of their souls”. But note what follows – “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you” (v10). Salvation within the New Covenant sealed in Christ’s blood was not merely to avoid going to Hell. That would hardly have been an issue for the aforementioned prophets, still less for the angels, who Peter goes on to write “desire to look into these matters”.  It rather pertains to the “glory that should follow the suffering of Christ” (v11) and the precise nature of the New Testament’s Good News  that so intrigued the angels (v12 – next post), the more stupendous aspects of which have not generally been acknowledged or taught by the churches, for reasons I suggested in a recent post .  

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5 Come on now you rich people, get weeping and howling for the miseries that await you! ² Your wealth has rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! ⁴ Behold, the pay of the labourers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies. ⁵ You have lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and put to death the righteous person; he offers you no resistance. ⁷ Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord (James5:1-7).

Unlike the previous related warning from James (ch4) regarding loving the world resulting in being at enmity with God, this yet more ominous tirade almost certainly concerned people outside the church, members of which may have suffered at their hands. That is suggested by verse 7: “Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord”. Note incidentally that this is typical of apostolic appeals regarding what the believer should be looking forward to: not so much “going to heaven when you die” but the return of the Lord Jesus, or particularly in Paul’s case, the resurrection of the body (note especially Rom8:23). As that verse explicitly states, it is not until that point that the Christian becomes a fully adopted member of God’s family.

What about Job?

Returning to James’ tirade, one might wonder whether God  intrinsically has a problem with people who are materially wealthy? Not so, the prime example being (in today’s terms) a millionaire named Job. God delighted in him, to the point of challenging the devil to find any fault in him. And after Job’s well chronicled ordeals God rewarded him by making him wealthier still! But then man has been made in the image of the Lord of the universe, and as we have just seen, God’s elect who are a kind of first fruits of humanity (Jam1:18) and the “firstborn” (leader/representative) of the human family (Heb12:23 ) are currently being conformed into the image of their Firstborn (Rom8:29) so as to be adopted into the bosom of God’s family, where untold wealth and privilege both spiritual and material must surely abound.

The current world order

No, the problem with earthly riches is who currently possesses them and how they are utilized. It’s back to the previous chapter/post concerning the “κόσμος”,  i.e. the current world order and its way of thinking and acting. That’s why James was insisting Christians should not be taken up with it – to do so opposes God’s plans for His people in the current age. Whilst, as just considered, it is possible to be both wealthy and virtuous, James well knew that that was not generally the case, certainly in his day. Hence verses 4-6, asserting that most of the super-rich were dishonest, stingy, unjust tyrants, either in the way they had obtained their wealth or in their defrauding of those who had laboured for them. They weren’t just accumulating riches, they were heaping up trouble for themselves come Judgement Day, starting at the point of their death (cf. the rich man and Lazarus).

The mystery of providence

As was the case with “Dives”, many of the people James was slating will have enjoyed a lavish, relatively untroubled life. That, as Jesus had warned, could be a problem in itself . This pertains to a separate but related issue, and is a key component of the providential mystery I have been unravelling in my book. I won’t expand on it here other than to say that it pertains to God’s supremely equitable nature on the one hand and humanity’s ultimate destiny on the other. Jesus’ esoteric comments in Lk6:24-25 taken alongside Lk16:25, Mk9:49 and Heb2:10 provide a clue to this mystery, which is considered in a little more detail in this earlier post.

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What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?  Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? ² You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴ You ADULTERESSES, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “the spirit that He has made to dwell in us yearns with jealousy”? ⁶ But He provides greater grace, for which reason it is said, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives such grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you (Jam4:1-10).

Within the opening verse there are echoes of Paul in Rom7 where he wrote of the conflict between the spirit and the flesh (wrongly understood by many to be referring to the Holy Spirit and the flesh). There are no lexical ambiguities in Peter’s brief reference to this subject where he speaks of “fleshly lusts that war against the soul” (1Pet2:11). James is citing this internal battle between the God-given spirit and the lusts of the body to be the cause of the fighting, disputes and hostilities that had arisen amongst the believers to whom he was writing.

Note the feminine

James’ accusations, referring even to lusts that result in murder, might suggest he was addressing a pagan audience, but that simply cannot be the case. Firstly, because like all the New Testament epistles, this is a pastoral letter, but secondly because he refers to his audience as “adulteresses”, i.e. in the feminine. This is obscured in some translations, e.g. the King James Version, which translates Μοιχαλίδες as “adulterers and adulteresses”, and the International Standard Version as simply “adulterers”. Frankly such translations are theologically inept, implying that James has inter-human adultery in mind. That may have been another of his addressees sins but it is not what James is referring to here. As just stated, the use of the feminine (adulteresses) affirms that it is God’s chosen people to whom James is referring. In the Old Testament, Israel was often depicted as an adulterous wife,  whilst in New Testament terms, the Church is regarded as the bride of Christ and in Revelation becomes His wife.

Befriending the world

Such an understanding of what Christians are (and one day shall be) can be a helpful prerequisite to the key message of this passage, which for many is the most challenging. That is what James writes concerning believers who are “friends of the world” becoming the enemies of God. Don’t misunderstand James: Christians should be friends of the earth (cf. Rev11:18b), but not friends of the κόσμος^G2889, i.e. the current world order and its way of thinking and acting. For those who are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” are unsurprisingly intended to be pilgrims in this spiritually barren land. As Peter also wrote: “we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2Pet3:13). I have highlighted “new earth” for reasons that will follow shortly.

In explaining his statement concerning loving the world being at enmity with God, James adds the statement in verse 5 which I believe is best translated as “Do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “the spirit that He has made to dwell in us yearns with envy”? Given that he is addressing Christians, James could be referring to the Holy Spirit, for JHWE declared Himself to be jealous concerning Israel’s idolatry – so might the Holy Spirit be aggrieved at the believer’s love of money and possessions which the bible on several occasions refers to as idolatry. The quoted scripture (from where, no one seems to know) could equally be referring to the human spirit á la Rom7. That is the God-given spirit provided to everyone (cf. 1Thes5:23) that continually strives with the flesh within Paul’s “body of this death”. In either case the Holy Spirit is able to give more grace to the Christian, at least to those who show humility by acknowledging their need of such divine enabling (v6).

The physicality of the Christian’s destiny

In terms of why I highlighted “new earth” in Peter’s statement, it is to make the point that it is not morally wrong to wish for material comforts and pleasures. We are material beings, and after a temporal period of what the bible describes as “sleep” following physical death, shall always be so. “For I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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 will be changed”. In terms of exactly how we shall be and what we shall do, the Scriptures provide limited information. But we do have the witness of the One described as the firstborn from the dead (Col1:18). We know that in His resurrection body Jesus ate breakfast with His disciples and moved around in an extraordinary fashion. He had earlier stated that He looked forward to sharing wine with His disciples in His Father’s kingdom (Mt26:29).

So whilst in the age to come, God’s elect (in particular) will no doubt encounter unfathomable spiritual blessings, given that they are the corporate Bride of Christ they shall no doubt also enjoy material privileges and benefits, superior but not necessarily alien to what the privileged and wealthy within the current world order experience. The point James is making to his readers is don’t strive for, still less live for such material benefits right now. In the case of those who are being prepared to be the Bride of Christ, that is a form of idolatry. Strive rather for God, for Christ, His kingdom and His righteousness, trusting that the One  who feeds the ravens and clothes the lilies will ensure that the essentials of life are provided for as long as God intends us to sustain our pilgrimage on earth.

I am the first to acknowledge that much of this is more easily said than done, but an awareness of the eschatological matters I have raised hopefully makes James’ exhortations more intelligible and with God’s grace more attainable.

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3 Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that such will potentially be liable for  greater condemnation. ² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble IN WORD, he is a perfect man, able to control the whole body as well. ³ Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. ⁴ Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small part and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue IS a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, as if set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea has been tamed by humanity. ⁸ Yet no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people WHO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. MY BROTHERS, THESE THINGS SHOULD NOT BE SO. ¹¹ Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh (Jam3:1-12).

James’ teaching here is profound and aptly illustrated. Ships’ rudders and horses’ mouth bits are tiny in comparison to what they control or steer, and yet they do just that. Similarly a single dropped match can initiate a forest fire. And, writes James, such is the human tongue. At the individual level it can morally corrupt one’s whole life (v6). Morality is more usually judged by what one does, or in the religious sphere what one believes. But James infers that an essential test of a person’s integrity is what and how they communicate. As is clear from vv9-10, James is not exclusively speaking of pagan society, he is referring to at least some of the people to whom he is writing – believers who bless their God on the one hand and curse those made in His image on the other.

In James’ day, human speech was by far the most usual form of communication. Not many could write, and what was written could not easily be disseminated – there was no printing press. All that has changed, hence my title: tongue, ink and keyboard.

The power of print

Fast forward fifteen centuries and we see the Church and the world turned upside down by the spoken word and the power of the printing press. The transformation brought about by Luther’s Reformation movement could not have happened without that revolutionizing technology. Remarkably (at least to those who refuse to acknowledge the book to be inspired), Enoch1, which few if any academics deny was written at least 2000 years ago, appears to have foretold such an event – the passage I have in mind is recorded in the opening verses (7-8) at note #1. The idea of large numbers of people writing books and widely distributing them would have been an alien concept at the time Enoch was written – and it is followed by something even more extraordinary (below).

Internet & Social Media

As is becoming increasingly evident, the power of words propagated through the internet is a still more potent influence – potentially for good, but also for evil. In terms of James’s teaching, if he were writing in the present day, I am sure he would have referred to “trolling”. The tongue and the damage it can cause has been amplified, firstly by the printing press and more recently by the internet. In particular, social media when it is utilized to slander or malign others or wilfully distort societal or religious realities. Where Christians are involved, as regretfully is sometimes the case, James would no doubt again conclude; “brothers and sisters, these things should not be so” (v10).

Digital Printing

Also relating to the word and how it is propagated, the passage from Enoch’s ancient prophecy at note#1 continues in a still more extraordinary vein (vv11-13). For it refers to books being given (i.e. freely distributed) to “the righteous”, who clearly must be scattered throughout the world. That effectively would require digital printing, such as  PDF downloads, an invention of the 1990s! I have written more on this in an earlier post. It may not be directly related to the passage in hand or the subject of this post, but I dare believe, it does relate to the process to which they pertain.

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Note #1 – A Prophecy of Enoch

7 And now I know this mystery, that sinners will alter and pervert the words of righteousness in many ways, and will speak wicked words, and lie, and practise great deceits and write books concerning their words...
 11. However, when they write down truthfully all my words in their languages, and do not change or minish ought from my words but write them all down truthfully- all that I first testified concerning them. 12. Then, I know another mystery, that books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom. 13. And to them shall the books be given, and they shall believe in them and rejoice over them, and then shall all the righteous who have learnt therefrom all the paths of uprightness be recompensed (Enoch104: 7-14 - Charles translation - my highlighting).

The Little Book of Providence:

Free PDF https://richard-777.blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/b5b48-cnu.pdf

Large-print version suitable for mobiles  https://richard-777.blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/5d6bc-mnu.pdf

⁴ What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith also, if it does not possess works, is DEAD, BEING BY ITSELF. ¹⁸ But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to acknowledge, YOU FUTILE PERSON, that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS USELESS? ²¹ Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was brought to completion; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. ²⁴ You see that A PERSON IS JUSTIFIED BY WORKS AND NOT BY FAITH ALONE (Jam2:4-24).

Be in no doubt, James is referring here to faith that justifies before God, asserting that unless it is accompanied by works it does not avail for that purpose. Saving faith therefore cannot be merely a matter of belief or trust. As James points out even devils believe in the one true God – and shudder (v19). Nor, as I once believed, is it sufficient to trust in Jesus Christ and that He died for my sin. A psychopath could do that, indeed some have confessed as much – without any repentance on their part. Still less is saving faith as Luther defined it – “a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favour that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it”. Less still: “if men only believe enough in Christ they can commit adultery and murder a thousand times a day without periling their salvation”. Of course that “table talk” statement was hyperbole on Luther’s part, but it cannot remotely be extrapolated from saving faith as James understood it. More troubling for Luther and his followers, such a notion diametrically opposes the teaching of the Apostle Paul: “Know this with certainty – no immoral or impure person or covetous man has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph5:5).

“Trust” is insufficient; faith is required, and the point James is making is that saving faith by its very nature cannot be devoid of works. What is implicit to such a definition, and is also the point being made in the context of the broader benign providence I am presenting, is that genuinely good works such as the Mt25 “sheep” exhibited must derive from a form of faith. This pertains to natural law (innate spiritual faculties) and is set out in detail in chapter 3 of The Little Book of Providence from which I will briefly quote to finish. The extract also indicates how James’ and Paul’s teaching on faith and works are essentially the same – they just approach it from different angles.  

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“The apostle James makes it clear that works are relevant to (or referenced within) the process of justification, but unlike Paul, he is not referring to the outward requirements of Torah, but the practical outworking and evidence of a formed faith:

“How does it help, my brothers, when someone who has never done a single good act claims to have faith?” (Jame2:14)

And again:

“You believe in one God; that is creditable enough, but even the demons have the same belief, and they tremble with fear. Fool! – do you not realize that faith without works is useless?” (James2:19-20)

James goes on to the give examples of how Abraham and Rahab the harlot were justified by their actions. He concludes:

“You see now that it is by works and not only by believing that someone is justified” (Jam2:24)

By that he means there needs to be a reference to works, i.e. to see that fruit is produced confirming the faith to be formed. It is not really the work itself that justifies but the faith from which it springs, for an evil person may perform the very same act for self-centred reasons but it will never be from faith and they will not be justified. James is not contradicting Paul, who was addressing the problem in the churches initiated by the Judaic exclusivists that Peter had also had to contend with in Jerusalem that were insisting that Christians be circumcised and keep Torah (Acts15:7-11). We know Paul is referring to the Torah when he speaks of the Law in this context when he says elsewhere that the Law was given 430 years after God’s Covenant with Abraham.

James would agree with Paul that only perfection would suffice if justification were on the basis of perfect obedience to the Law, and then it would no longer be by grace, it would be a wage.  Likewise, Paul would agree with James when he insisted that nobody can be justified without the good deeds that flow out from faith, showing that it is formed. For deeds in the form of kindness and compassion are not merely the evidence of faith, they are its efflux.

Expressed another way there cannot be love (agape) without formed faith being present, for love flows out from faith; they are effectively a part of the same. James affirms with Paul, the Jewish Law has been replaced for the Christian by the royal law of love for neighbour (Jam2:8), a law which the Christian himself must fulfil (Gal6:2), by which he shall be judged. It is a law of the spirit rather than the letter and is written in the heart.  Paul regarded himself as being outside the Law, yet at the same time under a law; that of Christ (1Cor9:21).

Anyone who shows kindness to his “neighbour” out of compassion or a sense of duty is justified by faith within the Universal Covenant being a “doer of God’s law” as both James and Paul have re-envisaged it (Rom13:9-10); and that applied to many Gentiles who did not have the Law (Torah) but are a law for themselves (Rom2:14) which they endeavour to obey, whereas as shall be shown in chapter six, some people (the children of the devil) do not”. [Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence chap.3]

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8If you truly KEEP THE ROYAL LAW FOUND in Scripture, “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF,”  you are doing the right thing. 9But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT (Jam2:8-13).

βασιλικός = royal/preeminent

The law in question; “love your neighbour as yourself” is βασιλικός^G937 in at least two senses. It is royal in that it is behaviour that befits people who are royal or one day shall be. For those whom the King of kings regards as His own brothers and sisters (Heb2:11), and also as His corporate wife who shall share His throne (Rev3:21 & 19:7), are destined for royalty and divinity. Indeed, His chosen people already serve as what Peter described as God’s royal priesthood (1Pet2:9).

“Love your neighbour as yourself” is also βασιλικός in the sense of being preeminent amongst all of God’s laws. According to Paul, the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command “Love your neighbour as yourself. It is therefore a summation of God’s laws: for, says Paul, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and IF THERE IS ANY OTHER COMMANDMENT, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Rom13:9).

Duty to God?

 It may astonish many that duty to God is not directly mentioned in Paul’s summary of the Law – it all expressed in terms of our relations with other human beings. Likewise in Jesus’ definitive passage on final judgement, there is no mention of religion or any knowledge of Jesus Christ as Saviour, only one’s response to one’s fellows. Hence, “When did we help You Lord when you were so in need?” “Truly I tell you in as much as you helped the least of these whom I regard as My own kindred, you did it to Me” (cf. Mt25:40). This pertains to what I have described earlier as the Cosmic Christ – a key element to the vastly broader benign providence I have been outlining.

 According to Jesus (who should know), loving God is in fact the first commandment, but He who told certain Pharisees that “if you were blind (i.e. ignorant) you would have no sin” (Jn9:41) well knows one can only love or delight in what is known and understood concerning the Object of one’s love.  And unless the matter has been faithfully and accurately presented through a hearing of the gospel, that will certainly not be the case. Regretfully and for all sorts of reasons,  the vast majority of people will either be ignorant or misinformed concerning God’s nature and providential intentions, which is ultimately what my writing is intended to address.

Duty to mankind – No excuses

However, we all know ourselves and how we would wish to be treated by others. Failure to comply with the first commandment is excusable  – you cannot possibly “love with all your heart and mind and soul” what you do not know or barely understand. No such proviso can be made with the second – Paul’s summation of the Law and James’ royal law – love for neighbour. As Mt25 indicates, those who by their acts of compassion have fulfilled the spirit of Law#2 are effectively treated as if they had also fulfilled Law#1, being finally received into God’s kingdom. For effectively they have served “Christ” as representative Son of Man – v40), albeit unless they have known Him as their personal Saviour they cannot receive the same inheritance as those who have  been sanctified (Heb2:11; Acts20:32). That is why I have been outlining three soteriological categories, for there is a further grouping who couldn’t give a toss about God or man, only themselves – narcissistic psychopaths (criminal or otherwise), devoid of compassion, conscience or truth, depicted in the New Testament’s definitive passage on final judgement as “goats” and elsewhere as “children of the devil”.

Paul vs James – different approach, same principles

 James approaches the matter of law keeping from a different angle to Paul, albeit still affirming love for neighbour to be preeminent. Let those, writes James (v10), who imagine themselves to be keeping God’s law remember that if they fail in even one respect, they are lawbreakers. And as the context indicates, that is most likely to be in the more subtle area of favouritism. Whilst being careful to observe their religious duties, never so much as contemplating theft, murder, adultery and the like, God’s law can breached by a derisory or condescending attitude to people less materially or intellectually gifted than oneself.

As James concludes this section, the most serious breach of all  is to lack both compassion and mercy, “because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful” (v13). And as the previous verse (12) indicates, that “anyone” includes the Christian, who in view of the divine mercy and kindness he/she has already received has less excuse than anyone. Jesus makes this clear in a parable (Mt18:21-35). The unforgiving servant was shown mercy by the king who forgave all his debts, yet that servant was unwilling to show any mercy towards others who had much smaller debts owed to him. This greatly angered the king as a result of which the unmerciful servant ended up (albeit temporarily) in a place he would rather not be “until he had paid back all he owed” (v34).

Blessed are the merciful

And with broader providential implications in mind, Christ’s rendering of the beatitudes affirms that all who are merciful shall be shown mercy. Anyone who imagines that non-Christians are incapable of genuinely exercising mercy and compassion towards others and/or that God does not pay regard to such matters is profoundly in error, as once was I. Jesus’ extended teaching in Mt25, devoid of any reference to religion, surely affirms as much, as does James’ brief conclusion: mercy triumphs over judgement.

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1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ MUST NOT SHOW FAVOURITISM. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: HAS NOT GOD CHOSEN THOSE WHO ARE POOR IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD TO BE RICH IN FAITH AND TO INHERIT THE KINGDOM He promised those who love Him? (James2:1-5)

The first four verses of James chapter two largely speak for themselves. Christians should not show favouritism, especially to those who come into their places of worship. Judging people by their wealth of apparel or lack of it is far removed from how God considers these matters. Indeed, James goes on to suggest, it is almost diametrically the opposite – and that is the aspect on which I will briefly focus.

In verse 5, James, like all other contributors to the New Testament who make reference to the matter (most profusely Paul), affirms that those who are to inherit God’s kingdom do so as a result of God’s sovereign choice. And whilst Paul in particular is careful to maintain that divine election is not on the basis of merit, there is a general observation to be made. Both Paul and James make it, as indeed does Jesus in His comments regarding the rich young ruler who declined to follow Him in view of his personal wealth (Mk10:17-22). Whilst (nota bene) the narrative records that Jesus nevertheless loved him (v21), He comments to His disciples concerning how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom, applying the well-known analogy of the camel and needle.

Paul made a similar observation to James when he wrote, “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before Him” (1Cor1:26-29).

Referring back to the rich young ruler, his folly was to imagine that what he would ultimately attain as an inheritor of God’s kingdom could in any sense be inferior to what was available to him in the present as a wealthy mortal man. On reflection how could that be the case? But then, unlike ourselves, he did not have access to the teaching of the New Testament which speaks of barely imaginable glory, both spiritual and physical, for we shall have a material body. Glories such as being corporately betrothed to the Son of God, even to share His throne and (by implication) His domain (Rev3:21). For in Paul’s language we become “joint-heirs with Christ, providing we share in His sufferings in order that we might share in His glory” (Rom8:17).

Such stupendous prospects have tended to be obscured and over-spiritualized by the churches, partly I suspect through neo-platonic influences such as possessed by arch-influencer Augustine of Hippo. And yet I believe this to have been in accordance with God’s purposes for the Church (and its evangelism), which I allude to in my book and from which I will briefly quote to finish:

“If the stupendous benefits and holistic (spiritual and material) nature of future service in God’s Kingdom had been historically appreciated, all and sundry may have wished to force their way into it once again (Mt11:12). That is why certain inessential mysteries of the Kingdom have been veiled through much of the gospel age even from the Church: so that the rich, the mighty, the proud and the glory-hunters might be detracted by the shame of the cross of Christ and humble cruciform service as His disciples; whilst the humble, the gentle, the poor in spirit and in material possessions who are rich in faith will be the true inheritors of the Kingdom and the earth. Such is the teaching of James and such is the wisdom of God”. [Quote adapted from “The Little Book of Providence” chapter three].

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19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the WORD PLANTED IN YOU, which IS ABLE TO SAVE you. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 26Those who understand themselves to be religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James1:19-27).

Completing our comments on the first chapter of James, I have headed the post “The Implanted Word”, for the adjective ἔμφυτον is significant. I remember from my Evangelical days this passage from James primarily being used evangelistically. The mirror illustration (v23-24) was utilized to be referring to someone hearing the gospel regarding their own sinfulness, reflecting upon it but instantly forgetting what they have perceived about themselves and their need of a Saviour. That could be a suitable illustration but it is not what James is referring to here.

The word (or Word) in question cannot be referring to the bible or the gospel, which are external entities. The word James is referring to is implanted (Greek: ἔμφυτον). That may indeed be the result of hearing the gospel or reading the bible but James’ “word” is something that has already been received by the individual, having been divinely implanted in his heart. It relates to the spiritual gift referred to in the previous post where James wrote “He chose to give us (Christians) birth through the word of truth” (v18). And as suggested at the start of this paragraph “word” might well be capitalized for it is divine in nature, being the light of Christ, who described Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life, and who John actually depicted as the Word of God (Jn1:1). As James also wrote (v25), it can also be regarded as a law or governing principle by which we order our lives. It is something that has been implanted within the Christian under the New Covenant:  “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Heb10:16).

As all will agree, hearing a sermon or reading the bible does not of itself make a person a Christian – unless and until they receive into themselves what has been heard or read. That becomes the implanted word that James is referring to here. That will be a problem for some Christians because James writes that this word is able (δυνάμενον) to save you (v21). Not that it has saved you or is bound to do so, but that It has the power and potential to attain to it. But as the remainder of the chapter indicates, the rest, albeit aided by grace, is rather up to us. That is the context of the mirror illustration – not an unbeliever hearing the gospel or reading the bible and then rejecting what it says about them, but a Christian accepting or rejecting something that has already been divinely implanted by the Spirit.

Regardless of what Luther might have intimated, James is in line with Jesus, Paul and every other New Testament writer concerning what is required of those who by the grace of God and as a result of His sovereign choice have received the implanted word of truth. It pertains to what we say and do as much as our religious activity and beliefs. As the chapter concludes: “Those who understand themselves to be religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to have concern for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (vv26-27).

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16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Every good thing that is given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the FATHER OF LIGHTS, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created (James1:16-18).

Moving on to James’ epistle, the first 15 verses speak of a matter concerning which I have already written much. That is the nature of the Christian life being something of a trial. Counterintuitively, James teaches that when the believer is tested and tried, he/she ought to be joyful – for such testing is necessary for perseverance which in turn leads to perfection in the sense of completeness (vv2-4), albeit we can never be entirely perfect as long as we are in this earthly body (Rom8:23).

Continuing the counterintuitive theme, those who are materially poor should delight in their exalted status (v9) – that pertains to what was considered in the previous post concerning Christians being the firstborn, reiterated shortly by James (below) in terms of being the first fruits of creation. Wealthier believers need to take care however, not to delight in their material prosperity, for that aspect of their existence may be taken away at any time and certainly will be at physical death (v11). Seemingly having more to lose, the prosperous may be tested all the more should hardship come, whereas for  poor and afflicted believers things can only get better. And ultimately they  surely will – in the form of a crown of Life (v12).

But the short passage I want to focus on in this post, quoted at the start, concerns a comment James makes concerning God being the Father of lights. He is also the Father of Light (singular) but that is not the point James is making; nor does the Greek refer to heavenly lights as the NIV augments the translation. James is referring to gifts God provides for us that I am clear are not restricted to matters of the spirit. I commented on the statement in my book from which I will briefly quote:

“As well as the light of reason and conscience, the loving Creator also works through His Holy Spirit in the gifts and talents He provides to mankind, for “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights (Jam1:17). These gifts are by no means all religious in nature. The Father of lights can reveal something of Himself and His all-embracing providence in music, art, poetry and many aspects of human endeavour. An artistic creation or composition that inspires or elevates is likely to have been the result of its human creator being themselves inspired. Anyone who genuinely admires and appreciates such work is honouring and welcoming something of God into their heart; for everything that is truly worthy, every good and perfect gift has derived from Him. Within the literary arts, any play, book, drama, even comedy that challenges people’s prejudices and encourages a more considered, open-minded or compassionate way of life is a preparation for the gospel.

And it was God, not the devil who provided wine to gladden the hearts of men (Ps104:15)for as Paul had affirmed in one of his sermons, our loving Creator wishes His human creation to be happy as well as holy (Acts14:16-17). An artistic outpouring that creates a sense of longing and wonder that people would not otherwise experience creates the void which ultimately can only be filled by God Himself. Science and learning are also gifts from the God who would not only have all men to be healed and restored but come to know the truth (1Tim2:4).

At the natural level of revelation, something of God’s providence and power are seen in the magnificence of creation and in the more wholesome aspects of human talent and industry described above, to which much could be added. The Christian is assuredly not to “despise everything pertaining to the senses” as Augustine had asserted^Cit#1 for not all that is sensed in the mind merely excites the flesh but can also uplift the spirit. These are gifts to be appreciated and cultivated; albeit not to be embraced as if they themselves were the culmination of beauty or joy, for the Christian should discern that their Apotheosis is to be perceived through them not in them.  [Citation #1 Augustine “Of the morals of the Catholic Church” chap. 20].

[Quote from The Little Book of Providence – chapter 5]

Of course, as our short extract from Hebrews concludes, the greatest gift God has given to mankind is spiritual in nature: “He chose to give us birth through the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created”(v18)

That “birth” is to be born again of water and the Spirit and is currently restricted to those who are the elect of God. But then as the passage concludes, such are a kind of first fruits of the created order, the wondrous providential implications of which I considered in some detail in the previous post concerning the Church being the assembly of the firstborn.

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18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”  21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”  22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23TO THE CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS MADE PERFECT, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Heb12:18-24)

The writer to the Hebrews is contrasting Mt Sinai with Mt Zion the heavenly Jerusalem. Sinai was where the children of Israel rested having been divinely delivered from slavery in Egypt. The mount before which they encamped is described in the opening verse as burning with fire, darkness, gloom and storm. It was a scary prospect for sure since God would manifest Himself upon it and deliver His Ten Commandments, but as the account in Ex19 sets out it was not all bad news. For God had commanded Moses to tell the people:

“Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be MY OWN POSSESSION among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;  and YOU SHALL BE TO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the SONS OF ISRAEL.” (Ex19:5-6)

The context and role of “God’s people”

Note, all the earth is God’s, but the people of Israel were to be His own special people – a holy nation that would be a beacon for the world and act as His Kingdom of priests. That was the context of Israel within God’s providential care of the world – and that is the role the Church has today. In Peter’s words:  “You are a CHOSEN people, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, God’s SPECIAL POSSESSION, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1Pet2:9).

My thesis in context

The primary theme of this section of Hebrews undoubtedly focusses on the superiority of the New Covenant over its predecessor, both in terms of approachability and efficacy. But as is often the case within this process, subsidiary or seemingly incidental statements within the text are drawn to my attention, and as above I highlight them in capitals. For I am here to establish and demonstrate that God’s chosen people of both the Old and New Covenants are not the totality of those He loves and for whom He has wondrous plans. Rather, Israel succeeded by the Church are, as quoted from Exodus and 1Pet, chosen, priestly and royal: God’s own special people. And as our passage from Hebrews affirms, in terms of how the elect of God  relate to the rest of humanity, they are its FIRSTBORN (v23). The firstborn as Scripture uses the term have a superior, overseeing and representative role, but it is amongst people who are familial and shall ultimately come to share their destiny. James also refers to this concept when he writes: “Of His own will (God) brought us (Christians) forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of those He has created” (1:18).

“First” in every sense

“FIRSTborn” / “FIRSTfruits” – first in rank but also first in time and first in sequence, i.e. many more shall follow. But how to prove this? In terms of rank/superiority, God declared of His servant David, “I will appoint him as my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth” (Ps89:27). In terms of time and sequence, we have seen earlier in Heb12 (v2) that Jesus is the pioneer/leader of His disciples, yet He is also described as the firstfruit of them that sleep (1Cor15:20) and the “firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy (Col1:18).

So crucially, and with wondrous providential implications, the Church is described here in Heb12 as the assembly of the firstborn (plural). But equally so, I believe, where Paul wrote “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; but everyone in his own rank (Greek: hekastos de en to idio tagmati): Christ the first fruits; afterwards those who are Christ’s at His coming (1Cor15:22-23). Paul also describes the Church as the body of Christ or simply “Christ” (1Cor12:12). The first fruits cannot be referring to Jesus – He cannot be made alive in the future. For note also from our text, indeed the same verse (23), the writer when contrasting Sinai with Zion, speaks of the latter comprising God, Jesus, the firstborn (elect), the angels and the spirits of the righteous having been made perfect. Most Christians assume the latter is referring to the elect but they have already been mentioned (as the firstborn). Even God and Jesus are only referred to once! This is no tautology but (to those who can receive it), the many to whom I have been referring who are not the elect of God (cf. Rom8:29) but those like the Mt25 sheep, whom I have shown in a previous post were justified by “faith” evinced by love, being an aspect of natural law^Note#1, as defined in the post before last (re Heb11).

For the many who in view of their mistaken understanding of what Christian salvation is from^Note#2 and what it is for^Note#3, will not accept such broader benign providence, they need to be able to explain why the Church is described as the assembly of the firstborn and the first fruits of creation, given how those terms are used elsewhere in Scripture, i.e. pre-eminent but familial and with more to follow. As for my thesis, it cannot be proven in this or any other brief post on a particular passage, but has I believe with God’s help been systematically proven from Scripture as a whole in The Little Book of Providence.

NOTE#1 – “NATURAL law” – something of a misnomer given that its author, enlightener and beneficiary is respectively Christ (Col1:16), Christ (Jn1:9KJV) and “Christ”(Mt25:40).

NOTE#2 What salvation is from – Not to nullify ancestral sin and a depraved soul but to rectify what Paul describes as “the body of this death”, being the procreated intellectual vessel inherited from our first parents (cf. Rom7:24,25 & 1Thes4:4)

NOTE#3 – What salvation is for: Not “so that we might go to heaven when we die” but so as to receive an inheritance with those who are being sanctified, corporate marriage to Jesus Christ and a share in His domain (cf.  Acts20:32; Rev19:7; Rev3:21😲)

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12 Therefore, since we also have such a great crowd of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the pioneer-leader and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ⁴ You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; ⁵ and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are punished by Him; ⁶ For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He flogs every son whom He accepts.” ⁷ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. ¹¹ For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb12:1-11).

Focussing on the phrases I have highlighted, I am reasonably certain that Paul is not the author of Hebrews, but whoever is the author employs Paul-like language with regard to the course the Christian has been set. He regards it as a race/struggle/conflict (Greek: ἀγῶνα). Paul went further, equating the Christian’s life to an athlete competing along a race-track (σταδίῳ). What? “Didn’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win!” (1Cor9:24).

Verse 2a is often translated as Jesus being the author of the Faith – more accurately He is the pioneer-leader, in the sense of being the first in the procession of many who would follow Him. As we know, His life involved much suffering culminating in His crucifixion at Calvary. So, given Jesus’ status as  pioneer-leader, the Christian’s life should not be expected to be a bed of roses. I commented on this passage in my book, explaining also the rationale behind our suffering:

“Suffering and consequently the existence of evil is a necessary part of deification which requires human beings to be, as it were, stretched or go beyond themselves in order to be fitted for such a destiny. The Son of Man set the pattern: He tasted death for every man for our salvation, but there is something else we are told about His death:

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb12:2)

The highlighted phrase is not the one on which one would normally focus. The Godhead’s love for humanity and the Son of God’s obedience and suffering to deal with our sin are rightly the usual focal points. But Jesus’ awareness of the joy and glory awaiting Him is nevertheless referred to and it hints at what is being adduced in this chapter: the divine principal that suffering is beneficial, indeed necessary for those who are to be glorified. Jesus might appear to be the exception, for He is worthy of glory through divine birth right. Nevertheless:

“It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering, for both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb2:10-11).

And later in Hebrews:

“Though He were a Son, He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and having been perfected He became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him (Heb5:8-9)”   –  [Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence – chapter 7 (theodicy)]

Returning to the text, the Christian’s suffering also takes the form of divine discipline, as “for whom the Lord loves  He disciplines” (v6). The rest of the verse could literally be translated as “He straps to a pole and flogs (Greek – μαστιγοῖ) everyone He receives as a son”. Or in Jesus’s own evangelism – “follow Me and prepare to be crucified”, for why else would you “take up your cross” (cf. Mt16:24)? Or in Paul’s language: “If we are children, then we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, providing that is that we share in His sufferings in order that we might share in His glory” (Rom8:17).

That is probably not the kind of evangelism many are used to, and I am employing some hyperbole. But the same people probably understand that Christian discipleship is primarily the means by which we avoid going to hell when we die, which is what I am in the business of showing misrepresents what Christian salvation is for. Jesus deals with that issue in Mt25 (sheep and goats) and Lk16 (rich man and Lazarus). That in turn pertains to natural law and common faith as considered in the previous post. The Lord (in His references to becoming His disciple), Paul (in reference to who are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ) and the writer to the Hebrews here in reference to being accepted as a son of God (v6) pertains to the proportionally few that the Father chooses, ultimately to be corporately married to His Son (Jn6:44; Rev19:7) and come to share His domain (cf. Rev3:21).

I have explained above why suffering is needed, which in turn explains why God permitted sin to enter the world (cf. Rom8:20). In terms of chastisement,  “He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (vv10-11).

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11¹Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a conviction about things not seen.  ²For by it the people of old gained approval…  ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him  (Heb11:1,2,6) [Full chapter HERE ].

The bible isn’t arranged systematically like a catechism, but if you want a definition of faith, Hebrews chapter 11 is the place to go. Faith is special, for it justifies a person before God and it is something that pleases Him (v6). The rest of the chapter provides examples of men and women of old whose faith caused them to do exploits, all of them good and pleasing to God. Yet as many commentaries point out, Heb11’s definition and outworking of faith is not exhaustive – faith, even restricted to the religious sphere, is multifaceted.

Broader context

So given that the primary purpose of my writing is to demonstrate that God’s benign providence extends beyond the Jews of the Old Testament and Christians of the New, I will rehearse from Paul’s writings a facet of faith that has universal implications, being an aspect of natural law – the role of conscience. That is a human faculty that some, most notably, the 19^th century Evangelical-turned-Catholic St John Henry Newman described as “anterior to the Gospel and supreme over all other human faculties providing everyone with a clear and sufficient object of faith”^[CIT#1]. The passages I have in mind from St Paul I believe show that to be the case.

Faith and conscience

That is regarding his teaching on whether the Christian should eat food offered to idols (1Cor8). In the opening verses, the apostle makes clear that it was ok to do so: “Now food will not bring us closer to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (v8). But this followed his proviso in v7:  “However, not all people have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled”. More shockingly (for some), Paul goes on to say that as a result of that believer’s failure to respond to his conscience on the matter he is brought to utter ruin (v11). Yet what had this believer done wrong? He had eaten meat that he was permitted to eat, or more likely today, he had drunk alcohol that he was at liberty to drink. Yet he was brought to a state of ruin. Why? – because he had defied his conscience and thereby defiled it. And that pertains to what conscience is and to Whom it relates (cf. Jn 1:9 strictly KJV^NOTE#1; cf. Mt18:6^NOTE#2). In the same context in Rom14:23, Paul affirms “the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Religious faith and common “faith”

So, what is faith in that context? – it is not faith in God or Christ, this individual had that or he would not be worrying whether or not to consume the particular item. The issue was not God and what He forbids or allows but conscience, showing the latter to be indeed an object of faith. For, writes Paul, whatever is not from faith is sin, which taken with the illustration provided indicates that whatever conscience dictates is what one should do or not do. But given that the conscience is universal, that must apply to the non-Christian as much as the believer. Therefore, whoever seeks to act according to their conscience may be regarded as exercising a form of faith.

As 2^nd century Clement of Alexandria described it – “it is that common faith which lies beneath as a foundation that is built upon and consummated in those who come to faith in Christ”^CIT#2. For it effectively pertains to faith in Christ – not as a cognisant personal Saviour but as the One who has provided light to the human spirit, manifested through the working of conscience. Some (indeed most) take heed to it, others such as psychopaths are devoid of conscience, along with a sense of compassion or any compulsion to tell the truth.

This is what separates those who are of God from those like Cain who are ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ (1Jn3:12). Likewise, the Mt25 sheep’s distinction from the goats – their innate sense of compassion arising from conscience, causing them (however feebly and imperfectly) to perform acts of kindness to those in need, whom Christ equated to Himself (v40) . [This in turn shows how the Mt25 sheep were justified by faith, not works – but note religious faith was not an issue]

The limitations of natural law

Yet for those like the Hebrews addressees who are to “gain an inheritance among those who are being sanctified” (Acts20:32), a good conscience alone is insufficient – a knowledge of Christ as personal Saviour, acting as their High Priest and Sanctifier is required. Such fulness of salvation is what the gospel, the New Testament and Hebrews in particular are primarily concerned with. The broader providential picture concerning God’s dealings with His whole creation has, in accordance with the divine Will, been obscured and barely understood, at least until these very last days (cf. Book of Enoch ch93:8-10 and ch104:11-13 Charles edition numbering).

NOTE #1 In terms of the translation of Jn1:9, it is hardly likely that John writing in the late first century would be informing his readers that the Light (Christ) “is coming into the world” (some translations)

NOTE #2 re  Mt18:6 [Little ones who believe in Me]  “The context (v2) makes it absolutely clear that Jesus is not on this occasion referring to His adult disciples that He also sometimes describes in such a way; nor was He anticipating those infants who would go on to “receive Jesus as their personal Saviour” or become baptized Catholics, for it was an inclusive observation concerning all young children who were placed into His loving embrace. Their belief in Jesus refers to what is innate to all very young lives – the internal witness of the light of Christ (the Word/Reason – Logos) through Whom their souls were created, guaranteed in their case not (yet) to have been obscured or distorted by the lusts of the flesh or impurities of the mind, which when combined with a growing awareness of transgressing God’s law defiles the conscience and extinguishes Life (Rom7:9)” [Quote from The Little Book of Providence chapter 3].

CITATION #1 John Henry Newman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar_of_Assent

CITATION #2 Clement of Alexandria (A.D.153-217) The Stromata Book V chap. 1

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²⁶ For if we go on sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God… ³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised (Heb10;26-31&36).

Whoever said the bible was easy? The Protestant Reformers claimed it was “perspicuous” regarding essential doctrine – I no longer believe that, and Hebrews chapter 10 is a classic case. Those of my former ilk (Calvinist Evangelical) have difficulty explaining the above passage in the context of their doctrines of grace alone and perseverance of the saints in particular.

I will briefly comment on the phrases I have highlighted and attempt to reconcile this with rest of the chapter. We may not know who wrote Hebrews, but we do know that whoever  wrote vv1-25 also wrote vv26-31, yet the way the earlier section is often understood, they may appear to conflict.

The addressees

Firstly, to whom is this dire warning addressed? I am afraid (for many) there is no question but that it is addressed to Christians – those who have “received a knowledge of the truth”, i.e. they have laid hold ( λαβεῖν) of it. I have emphasized the verb as this does not refer to those who merely hear the gospel but to those who take it to their hearts and act upon it. Apart from which, mere hearers and rejectors cannot have “profaned the blood of the covenant by which (they) were sanctified” (v29) for they never where sanctified. Likewise v30, “The Lord will judge His people” – those who have never heard,  have not understood or rejected the gospel  are not in that category.

Which gospel?

It will have been less of an issue when this epistle was written, but in the above context we also have to ask “to which gospel are we referring?”. Having been an Evangelical for the first 28 years of my Christian life and then a Catholic for 25 years to date, I know there to be substantial and potentially soteriologically fatal differences in terms of what it means to be a Christian, both psychologically (in terms of what must be believed) and sacramentally.

Surely we all continue to sin?

Equally problematic for many is the writer’s reference in verse 26 to there being no further sacrifice for sins for those who continue wilfully to sin. As most commentaries I have read rightly suggest, “continuing wilfully to sin” is not referring to a Christian on occasions falling into temptation, yielding and thereby sinning. Even serious sins can be dealt with where there is genuine repentance. Apostatizing in this context is returning to a sinful way of life, that having been enlightened and consecrated by the Spirit, one knows to be displeasing to God. Applying other biblical terms it is wilfully to depart from the Light that is Christ’s Way, Truth and Life and returning to darkness and spiritual death. What further Sacrifice therefore remains, given that even the ultimate and Perfect Solution for sinfulness attained by Jesus Christ has been of no avail to such a person?

Resolving conflicts

In terms of the seeming conflict within chapter 10, it is necessary to reconcile the above warning with the  earlier section regarding Christ’s perfect and once-for-all sacrifice for sin. In particular verse 10: “By (Christ’s obedience to God’s will), we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all (time).” Also v17-18 regarding the promised new covenant: “ ‘(My people’s) sins and lawless acts I will remember no more’ – and where these have been forgiven there is no longer any sacrifice for sin”. Many (like myself in the past), epitomized by Martin Luther, believe that once one comes to put one’s faith in Christ as Saviour, then any sins committed in the future, i.e. as a Christian, will not be counted against the believer, even (said Luther on at least one occasion) should they repeatedly rape and murder. Admittedly, that was hyperbole on his part, but it indicates he has misunderstood not only the writer to the Hebrews but (as I spent a number of posts demonstrating), also his more favoured Apostle Paul. And it goes without saying, such sentiments can scarcely be reconciled with the teaching of Christ.

Reconciliation within Heb10 occurs when one understands “sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth” (v26), to be referring to an overall way of life that utterly opposes the Way and Life that the disciples of Christ are intended to have. And as the same writer referred to earlier, it applies to those “who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have apostatized, (cannot be) restored again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame” (Heb6:3-6).

Implications good and bad

This surely puts paid to “guaranteed perseverance of the saints” and salvation being all of God and all of grace. Don’t misunderstood me, it is all thanks to Jesus Christ and His obedience to God’s wondrous plan of salvation for humanity – but those who in Jesus’s language “overcome” and in Paul’s terms “gain the prize” play their part in it. For as I have been showing in many earlier posts, this is as much Paul and Jesus’ teaching as it is the writer to the Hebrews.

Bad news and a salutary warning for some, but in accordance with expectations for those like myself who know our God to be not merely merciful to the few but fair and magnanimous towards all. And not least to those who through ignorance and for cultural reasons have never been enlightened to the truth of the gospel. That is anyway a matter of sovereign choice, restricted to those whom the Father has foreordained to draw to Christ so that they might be re-formed into His Son’s image and fitted for imminent glory (cf. Jn6:44; Rom8:29; Rev3:21😲).  So we “all have need of endurance such that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised”(last verse).

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Hebrews Chapter 9 – Key Themes and Points

SUMMARY: Heb9 contrasts the old covenant tabernacle and its sacrificial system with the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice and the new covenant, showing that the former were shadows pointing to the heavenly reality found in Jesus. Christ, as the ultimate High Priest, entered the heavenly sanctuary once with his own blood, achieving eternal redemption and providing a way for all believers to approach God, thus ending the need for repeated animal sacrifices. 

THE EARTHLY TABERNACLE AND ITS SERVICES:  The tabernacle had a “holy place” accessible to priests and a “holy of holies” (the most holy place) only accessible to the High Priest once a year to make a sacrifice for sin.  Inside the Holy of Holies was the ark of the covenant, containing a golden jar of manna, Aaron’s rod, and the Ten Commandments, all under the cherubim symbolizing God’s presence.  The tabernacle’s rituals and laws, including the sprinkling of blood, were external regulations designed to point to Christ. The Old Testament required blood for cleansing and the forgiveness of sins. 

CHRIST’S SUPERIOR WORK AND THE NEW COVENANT: Jesus is the High Priest of a new, superior covenant who entered the heavenly sanctuary, not an earthly one, with his own blood. By offering himself once for all time, Jesus achieved eternal redemption for humanity. His sacrifice and shed blood cleanse both the conscience and the believer from sin, opening the way to God. The physical veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was a symbol of Christ’s flesh; when it was torn at his death, the path to God was revealed. Unlike the repeated animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant, Christ’s single, perfect sacrifice is a permanent and completely effective solution to sin. 

IMPLICATIONS FOR BELIEVERS: Believers in Christ are freed from the need for endless animal sacrifices. His one sacrifice secures eternal redemption, allowing believers to serve the living God. Christ will appear a second time, not as a sacrifice for sin, but for the salvation of those who are waiting for him. 

Once again I have quoted Google’s Artificial Intelligence generated overview of a chapter from Hebrews [The NASB text is available HERE ]. In the context of what these posts are about, this can be a useful exercise regarding the vexatious but necessary negative dimension to this task; that is to identify where and how I believe many Christians have misinterpreted Scripture, particularly that which impacts or obscures the vastly broader (3 soteriological category) divine providence to which I have been testifying. The AI sources are not quoted on this occasion but last time (re Heb8) they were broadly Evangelical and I suspect that is the case here. I have highlighted in underlined green where I believe some clarification or qualification  is required.

QUOTE: “The Old Testament required blood for cleansing and the forgiveness of sins”. RESPONSE: – to which I would add “as in a sense does the New Testament”. I say “in a sense” for unlike the Old Covenant, the physical shedding of blood is indeed no longer required, but a continual and repeated offering pertaining to Christ’s shed blood is provided in Heaven and required on earth. In terms of heaven, “every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that (Christ) also has something to offer” (Heb8:3). So have having suffered on the Cross, Christ still offers up sacrifices pertaining to that Sacrifice, otherwise He would no longer be a High Priest. As to what is required on earth, Luther and his followers came to reject the established teaching of both the Western and Eastern Church that the Eucharist/Mass/Divine Liturgy to be a sacrifice.  And most of Luther’s followers outside the Lutheran Church also rejected the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the bread and wine that is offered. For the first 28 years of my Christian life I did the same, although how I ever squared that with John chapter six, especially verses 51-58, I cannot imagine . What finally affirmed the matter for me was a more detailed study of the early Church Fathers’ writings.

QUOTE: “By offering himself once for all time, Jesus achieved eternal redemption for humanity”.  RESPONSE: “Redemption” in the sense of being “bought back” from the power of sin and its consequence is not provided to all humanity but only to those “foreknown by God and predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom8:29). However Scripture also affirms that “(Christ) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world “(1Jn2:2). For in that act of atonement Christ became sin (2Cor5:21 check Greek). Quoting from my book:

 “If He became sin, it must be human sin in its totality, not an act of substitutionary atonement for select individuals or groupings. Jesus had come in the likeness of sinful flesh so that sin in the flesh should be condemned (Rom8:3). Yet through His resurrection His chosen people can also be set free from the domination and bondage of sin by sharing in Christ’s life. “If the Son shall make you free then you shall be free indeed”. So for the many, including those living before its historical occurrence the benefit of the atonement is expiatory, annulling the penalty of universal sin. For the few (proportionately speaking) it is both expiatory and cathartic through sacramental participation. For the latter it cleanses from sin’s guilt and power by being able to purify the soul and unite it with the life of Christ”  [Excerpt Little Book of Providence ch.3).

QUOTE: “His sacrifice and shed blood cleanse both the conscience and the believer from sin”. RESPONSE: The above quote from my book distinguishes between those who “merely” benefit forensically from the Atonement (1Jn2:2) and those for whom “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanses the conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb9:14).

QUOTE: “Christ will appear a second time… for the salvation of those who are waiting for Him.  RESPONSE: In terms of to whom “those who are waiting” refers, I will leave it to Paul to provide some amplification:  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; but everyone in his own class ^{[Greek: hekastos de en to idio tagmata]}: Christ the first fruits; afterwards those who are Christ’s at His coming [1Cor25:22-23]. The key to that statement being – who is, or rather who are “Christ the first fruits”? An earlier post provides the solution which reinforces the broader benign providence I have been adducing. Such is also inferred from the universal dimension to Christ’s atonement referred to above (re: 1Jn2:2 cf. 2Cor5:19).

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Hebrews Chapter 8 – Key Themes and Points

1. THE TRUE TABERNACLE: It highlights that the earthly tabernacle, built according to God’s instructions, was merely a copy of the true heavenly tabernacle where Jesus serves. This distinction underscores the greater reality of Christ’s ministry compared to the Levitical priesthood.
2. JESUS AS THE HIGH PRIEST: The chapter begins by affirming that Jesus is our High Priest, seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly sanctuary. Unlike earthly priests who continually offer sacrifices, Jesus has completed His work and now intercedes for humanity.
3. THE NEW COVENANT: The chapter introduces the concept of a new covenant, which God promised through the prophet Jeremiah. This new covenant is characterized by internal transformation, where God’s laws are written on the hearts and minds of His people, fostering a direct and personal relationship with Him.
4. INADEQUACY OF THE OLD COVENANT: The old covenant is described as having faults, primarily due to the inability of the people to uphold it. God declares that the first covenant is now obsolete, making way for the new covenant, which offers forgiveness and a more profound connection with God.
5. BETTER PROMISES: The new covenant is established on better promises, emphasizing the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice and the transformative power it brings to believers. This covenant ensures that all will know the Lord, from the least to the greatest, highlighting inclusivity in God’s relationship with His people. [AI Commentary – derived from 5 Sources^NOTE#1 ]

In the many years I have been plodding through the bible, on a chapter-by-chapter basis in the case of the New Testament, this is the first time I have resorted to Artificial Intelligence  to a summarize a chapter. [The NASB text for Heb8 can be found HERE]. I have utilized AI partly because the Hebrews text is quite complex and somewhat repetitive with regard to the current theme (Christ’s Melchizedekian priesthood – covered in the previous post). But it is mainly because I am not primarily here to provide commentaries (a robot might well do better), but to draw out texts from virtually every chapter of the New Testament that are not necessarily the main theme of the passage but nevertheless provide indicators of the broader benign providence set out in my by book  that these posts are supplementing.

Christ’s work not finished

Obviously I have examined Heb8, and I find the AI summary to be broadly in line with my own understanding. Given the five sources^NOTE1   utilized by AI appear to be doctrinally Evangelical, it is not surprising I have at least one reservation. That pertains to point one, and the reference to Jesus having “finished His work”, the context obviously being the salvation of humanity. I would say it is anything but finished – He is working now to that end, and has more to do to complete our salvation in the future (Phil3:20-21). In terms of the present, the writer to the Hebrews employs  what might appear to be a surprising term for our Lord’s current work (which assuredly is continuing)  in order that the Christian might “be saved to the uttermost” (Heb7:25), namely His intercession on our behalf. To that end Jesus has been made a λειτουργὸς^G3011   (verse 2), literally, a worker belonging to the people or “Public Servant”. However the nature of His work is something that no one else could hope to accomplish, even dare I say, YHWE Himself.

Jesus – uniquely qualified

However, God’s beloved Son can act as High Priest – because He is also fully a Man.  “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (Heb2:18). Likewise “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin”. And surely,  “it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Heb7:26).

Although neither Christ nor indeed anybody need to suffer death to atone for human sin ever again, that once-for-all Sacrifice at Calvary is presented/spot-lighted repeatedly in Heaven. For as Heb8:3 affirms: “For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this (High Priest) also has something to offer”. What our Lord offers can only be Himself – as Priest and Victim. Likewise on earth, but that is for a later post.

The monarchical status of the Father

Trinitarianism is not unbiblical but it is non-biblical. The related parlance scarcely fits in with what is being considered here. The Monarch of the universe cannot be a priest, but His only begotten Son can be, now that He has been incarnated as a Man. I frequently refer to this ordering within the Godhead, for the Monarchical status of the Father is crucial to a vital theme in my thesis. That pertains to what Paul as 13^th apostle was chosen to reveal to the world and act upon – (Matthias had replaced Judas as #12). Paul sets that out in Eph3 and Rom11vv11,12,15,30) – the secret plan hidden in God (the Father) that had been obscured from earlier generations and all pre-Pauline prophets, even, initially at least, Jesus Himself (cf.Mt15:22-24; Mt10:5-7; Mt10:23; Acts1:7). Later in His ministry He alluded to it in parables, but it was not clearly understood by His disciples, even Peter (Acts10:9-16 & 11:17-18). That secret being that in the current age, fullness of salvation and spiritual Life should be granted to Gentiles as well as Jews (Acts11:18 again).

There is not space to explain it all here, but it is indicative of two levels of salvation – for Gentiles were to be offered forgiveness, i.e. saved after a fashion, but not “given an inheritance amongst those who are sanctified” (Act20:32) . But then such a concept is illustrated here in Hebrews under point 4 of the AI summary. The New Covenant is superior to the Old – God’s people of the Old Testament could be “saved after a fashion”, whilst those under the New Covenant  experience an internal transformation by which they can “be saved to the uttermost” (Heb7:25). As we will see later in Hebrews, whilst the blood of bulls and goats did atone for sins (e.g. Lev16)^NOTE#2, the blood of Christ not only pardons but purges^NOTE#3 those to whom it is applied. And as just considered, the risen, ascended Christ, following His experience and suffering on earth now acts as High Priest, “having obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises” (Heb8:6).

NOTE #1 AI quoted sources: Executable Outlines, Bible Hub, Talktotheworld, Biblevise, BibleRef.

NOTE #2 When the writer to the Hebrews states later that  “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take awaysins” [10:4], the key word is ἀφαιρεῖν, meaning to take away in the sense of completely remove. That is more than to atone or pardon, which the OT such as Leviticus chapter 16 affirms certain animals’ blood could do under the Aaronic priesthood.

NOTE #3 Some translations of Heb1:3 (e.g. the KJV) try to make out that our sins were purged at Calvary. That is not what the Greek relays:  “Katharismon” (purification or cleansing) is a noun, not a verb. The NIV and NASB better translate the verse as “When He had made (a) purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”. The blood of sprinkling (as Heb12:24 refers to it) must be applied.

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For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. ³ Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. ⁴ Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils… ¹⁵ And this is clearer still(!), if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become a priest not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is attested of Him, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb7:1-4; 15-17NASB)

Don’t get your hopes up

I include this excerpt from Heb7 because I am systematically going through each chapter of the New Testament, drawing out those elements which support my thesis (or indeed might be perceived as challenging it), that God’s benign providence extends well beyond those who are “the elect” – the future bride of Christ (Rev19:7 cf. 3:21). It is not included because I claim to have a full understanding  of this passage – i.e. exactly who (or Who) Melchizedek was or is. But not for the first time it is helpful to refer to the Book of Enoch to fill out some of the detail, which if not entirely to be relied upon at least provides a workable theory, more particularly regarding Melchizedek ’s origins. [We simply cannot do this from canonical Scripture alone].

According to 2 Enoch

2 Enoch suggests Melchizedek was the son of Nir, Noah’s younger brother. Nir would not have been mentioned in biblical genealogies such as in Lk3 as only the firstborns are included. Nir’s wife Sopanima, who had been barren became pregnant in her old age. Somewhat prefiguring Joseph and Mary, her husband believed her to have been unfaithful . His resultant confrontation with his wife resulted in her falling dead at his feet. However her child survived and emerged from her corpse as a fully developed speaking infant. As a result of this miraculous birth, the child named Melchizedek is recognized to be a priest. According to 2 Enoch Melchizedek is then taken to paradise by Archangel Michael to be protected from the coming flood. The text also sets out a succession of priesthood, with Melchizedek being a key figure  extending from Enoch and his descendants (Methuselah, Nir) to Melchizedek himself. 

Enoch – an invaluable reference source

This clearly goes beyond anything recorded in the Old or New Testaments, but does not obviously contradict it. I am open to the 2 Enoch account being accurate in view of what I have discovered in 1 Enoch, namely that it necessarily fills in some important gaps in our understanding of what happened on earth pre-flood, indeed the reason for the flood itself. I also believe it to contain prophecies that have been fulfilled  and are indeed currently being fulfilled. These are set out in the posts linked below.

Superiority over the Aaronic priesthood

Regardless of who exactly Melchizedek is or was, the fact that his priesthood is of the same order as that of Jesus could do nothing to detract from the broader benign providence I have set out. It could only potentially enhance it, especially perhaps for Old Testament folk living before the incarnation and ascension of Jesus as our High Priest in Heaven. The mystery of Melchizedek is intriguing, but has no obvious impact upon Christian faith or praxis. The more intelligible point being made in Heb7 is that the priesthood of which Christ has become High Priest and the Covenant pertaining to it are superior to the Aaronic priesthood of the Old Covenant it replaces. Now that certainly does impact upon Christian faith and the life of the Church and will be considered in the next few posts

My posts pertaining to the Book of Enoch:

ENOCH EXPLAINS GEN6:1-2

BOOK OF ENOCH PROPHECY OF DIGITAL PRINTING

THE APOCALYPSE OF WEEKS (1 Enoch)

BOOK OF ENOCH – FINAL PIECE OF THE JIGSAW

⁹ But, beloved, we are convinced of better things of you – things that accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. ¹⁰ For GOD IS NOT UNJUST SO AS TO FORGET YOUR WORK AND THE LOVE WHICH YOU HAVE SHOWN toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence so as to REALIZE THE FULL ASSURANCE OF HOPE until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faithfulness and endurance inherit the promises. ¹³ For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, “indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.” ¹⁵ And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear an oath by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute. ¹⁷Similarly God, desiring even more to demonstrate to the HEIRS OF THE PROMISE  the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, confirmed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things in which it is IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us. ¹⁹This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which ENTERS WITHIN THE VEIL, ²⁰ WHERE JESUS HAS ENTERED AS A FORERUNNER for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb6:9-20).

Now for the good news

After the writer to the Hebrews’ warning about falling from grace (previous post), he is able to comfort the original readers of his letter with a welcome but/however – “we are convinced of better things of you – things that accompany salvation!” (v9). And the rest of this passage is largely good news also – especially that which I have capitalized above. But firstly note why the writer has confidence about his readers’ eternal estate. In verse 10 the opening conjunction is  γὰρ = for which reason, or “it follows from what I have just been saying” – the reason I have this confidence in you is that “God would not be so unjust as to forget your works and your love (v10). Again it affirms that our salvation (and our assurance of it) is not primarily related to our state of mind (as Luther would effectively have asserted), it pertains to what we do  and how we live. God would be unjust if He did not acknowledge and reward these things, says the writer.

Grounds for assurance

In the next verse (11) he indicates that we can know a measure of assurance, indeed “realize the full assurance of hope”. What? – if we believe strongly enough that Christ died for our sins and look to His finished work at Calvary for our salvation? No, do that by all means, but salvation is rarely if ever expressed in such terms in Scripture. [Such concepts are entirely absent from the evangelistic preaching in the Book of Acts]. Rather this assurance will be attained “if we demonstrate the same diligence” with respect to the aforementioned works of love. And if  you seek more generally for texts regarding assurance of salvation, it is much the same principle (e.g., 1Jn2:3-5; 1Jn3:14; 1Jn3:7). [Contrary to what I believed as an Evangelical and used to sing about (”I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded”… etc – 2Tim1:12), when rightly translated, is not referring to assurance of salvation – see earlier post]. This is actually good news, for it is problematic reliably to assess how strongly and firmly we  believe something, “trust” or “wholly rely” on something or Someone. If you have read a non-partisan Luther biography you will see this is something he struggled with. It’s easier to assess what we love and so act upon, and thankfully that’s Christ’s method of assessment also, as the Mt25 “sheep” found to their delight.

Heirs of the promise

More briefly, the other highlighted good news concerns God’s elect – that they are “the heirs of the promise” (v17). The writer was referring to the promises given to Abraham that were ratified by God swearing by Himself that He would honour them. And, wrote Paul, “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal3:29). “Promises, promises” – but these can be wholeheartedly relied upon, for the even better news concerns the One who gave them.

Jesus – our Forerunner

The God of the Bible can do anything, one might imagine. Thankfully that is not the case. He cannot change (in nature) and He cannot lie. Verse 18 affirms the latter. That is why “we have strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us” (v18). As to the nature of that hope, it is expressed here in terms of “entering the veil”. That is referring to the holy of holies that under the Old Covenant none but the High Priest could enter. It is referring to entering the very presence of God, which as becomes clearer later in Hebrews (ch10) is not just referring to future glories but  is a present reality for the Christian, a mystery to be discussed in later posts. Like everything else relating to such privileges it has become possible because “Jesus has entered as a Forerunner for us” – as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

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6 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, if God permits. ⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.⁹ But, beloved, we are convinced of better things of you – things that pertain to salvation! (Heb6:1-9)

Despite the encouraging last verse, this is a troublesome passage for many Christians, perhaps especially those of my former (Calvinist) ilk. That not only pertains to personal assurance of salvation but to an essential feature of their faith tradition, the final and perhaps sweetest petal of the Calvinist’s T.U.L.I.P – perseverance of the saints. It undermines the all-of-grace theology I at one time understood to be biblical truth. That is why I now delight in this passage, whilst  taking heed of its intended warning. For it has been necessary to deconstruct some of Augustine’s and much of Luther’s distinctive teaching on this subject so as to demonstrate God’s intelligible goodness, kindness and  fairness towards all true humanity, not just those He is preparing to be corporately married to His Son (Rev19:7). For this purpose I have utilized the Apostle Paul’s writings as much as I have the writer to the Hebrews.

In terms of our featured passage, the writer wishes to move on from the basics of “how to get saved” to stronger meat suited to the more mature Christian regarding how she/he might grow in grace and in knowledge of the Truth. He is writing to those whom he knows have indeed “been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come (vv4,5). Be assured that means they were indeed “saved”. They will have understood that regarding their own eternal estate and will have appeared as such to everyone else. In other words, this passage is absolutely referring to “falling from grace”, i.e. not persevering as saints. Such people, says the writer, act as if Christ had never been crucified on their behalf – but since He has, they are effectively “crucifying Him again to themselves” (v6).

The Hebrews writer refers in verse 6 to those who “have fallen away” [Greek: παραπεσόντας]. But how is that to be determined? Contrary to what Martin Luther might have said, it is not exclusively  a matter of belief or conviction, i.e., whether or not one continues “firmly to believe Jesus has died for one’s sins” or suchlike. As the illustration provided in verses 7&8 should make clear, it is a matter of what one goes on to produce in one’s life. Those who have fallen away “yield thorns and thistles” rather than “producing vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled”.

As is always the case whether it be the writer to the Hebrews, Paul or Jesus who is saying it, final judgement is on the basis of works, not beliefs. For faith that saves can never be alone, it is always accompanied by works or “fruit”. But those works are not merely the evidence of faith, they are its efflux. They flow out from it because of what this divinely provided gift  called faith actually is. My definition is not dissimilar to that of 2^nd century Clement of Alexandria who stated that “Faith is that which of itself and from its own resources chooses at once what is best” (my highlighting). How exactly I describe it and how such a definition reconciles the teaching of Paul with James (and indeed Jesus) is set out in chapter three of The Little Book of Providence.

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 ¹For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; ² he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; ³ and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, but also for himself. ⁴ And no one takes the honour to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. ⁵ So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”; ⁶ just as He says also in another passage, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” ⁷In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. ⁸ Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, ¹⁰ being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb5:1-10).

Given that the letter to the Hebrews was written sometime in the second half of the first century (probably pre-AD70), the “high priests taken from among men” (v1) is likely to refer to priests appointed for service in the Jewish temple. Jesus has been made High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (v6), but according to the writer to the Hebrews, the latter existed throughout the Old Testament period alongside (or arching over) the Aaronic priesthood. Likewise priests continue today, to lead (under bishops) their congregations and administer the sacraments.

Priesthood of ALL believers

But is not the whole Church “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (1Pet2:9). Absolutely, but that only becomes truly meaningful in the context of a sacerdotal Church.  Each participant of the Mass/Divine Liturgy^NOTE1 effectively acts as a priest by joining in the sacrificial offering of the Eucharist, receiving the sacrament in prayer and thanksgiving, offered in the hands of the celebrant, who in persona Christi acts as a high priest of the New Covenant, approaching the holy altar to offer the pure gift with incense. Unlike the Great High Priest of Whom the writer to the Hebrews speaks, high priests taken from among men, “since he himself also is beset with weakness is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, but also for himself (v3).  Thereby the Church as a spiritual house and a holy priesthood offers up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1Pet2:5).

Providential implications

As ever I am looking for any broader providential implications, and they follow from what has just been written concerning the priesthood of all believers. For if the Church be a priesthood it cannot be offering sacrifices exclusively for itself. It also exists for the benefit of “the ignorant and misguided” (v2).  The Church shares in the sacrificial offering with her Head. Those outside her therefore must potentially benefit; not just from her enlightenment and good works within wider society but through her priestly intercession and sacrifice. Once the implications of this are worked through, it resolves many biblical tensions and explains the broader reconciliatory picture painted particularly by Paul.

That in turn pertains to justification within the eluded Universal Covenant. It is not directly linked to association with the Church but through an association with the cross of Jesus Christ (cognisant or otherwise) who has atoned for the sin of the world. That leads to an indirect association with the Church as God’s royal priesthood making present that historical Sacrifice. Thereby all people of good will benefit in an expiatory (guilt removing) and propitiatory (God appeasing) sense from the sacrifice that the Christian faithful as God’s nation of priests offers on the world’s as well as its own behalf at the Eucharist. But only those partaking of the body and blood may benefit in a salvific or soul-healing sense, for which reason Catholics say, “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed”.

NOTE#1 Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church regard their Eucharist as a sacrifice, a re-enactment, a means of nourishing the faithful and providing forgiveness of  sins. Luther rejected the sacrificial nature of the Mass, which as well as other consequences of his actions, I proposed in chapter one of the “Little Book of Providence” were foretold in scripture.

4 Therefore, we should fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any of you may appear to have come short of it. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who listened with faith. ³ For it is we who have faith that enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest.” Yet His labours were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His toil”; ⁵ and again in this passage, “They certainly shall not enter My rest.” ⁶ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who previously had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷ He again sets a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” ⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. ⁹ Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his labours, as God did from His. ¹¹ Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience (Heb4:1-11).

In terms of the  “rest” to which the writer refers, it originates in the example he has just given (ch3) concerning the Israelites, who having been delivered from slavery in Egypt rebelled against their God-appointed leader Moses and acted treacherously and idolatrously against their God. In spite of Moses’ plea to God to take the punishment upon himself, it was determined that the culprits themselves rather than Moses should take the blame and  so “not enter into My rest”. Thankfully for humanity the same principle did not apply when Jesus willingly took our punishment upon Himself. Indeed the Father was insistent at Gethsemane  that His Son should undergo such suffering on our behalf. But as I have already demonstrated from Hebrews (for those who can receive it) Christ’s suffering was not only beneficial for us but for Himself. He was crowned with glory and honour because of His suffering [Ἰησοῦν διὰ τὸ πάθημα] and in order that He should be perfected (Heb2:9-10), especially no doubt with regard to His High Priestly and juridical functions (2:17-18).

The writer of Hebrews affirms that the ultimate reason for many of God’s people’s disobedience was that they had not received the message of good news (concerning their deliverance and the promised land) with faith.  He fears that that may be the case for some believers who have heard the Gospel, seemingly acted upon it, but do not continue in the faith. It needs to be emphasized (especially in view of some commentaries I have seen) that this is not just a matter of belief (that Christ had died for their sins) but of obedience. The connection between faith and obedience being that some shall depart from the Way of Christ and His teaching because they never truly believed in the first place. This was clearly what the Hebrews writer was indicating concerning Moses’ dissidents in v2 taken with v11 of our passage. As that final verse affirms, it is not just a case of resting, trusting or believing but striving (“make every effort” ) to enter God’s rest – for “we should fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any of you may appear to have come short of it” (v1). 

As the change of tense suggests in verse 10, there is not just a future but a present sense in which the true believer enters God’s rest. As JHWE assured Moses: “My presence will go with you and I shall give you rest” (Ex33:14). And Jesus: “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Mt11:28). As most will recognize “rest” pertains to peace and security, not inactivity. Likewise regarding a future rest: that could be said to be Heaven for those who (in bible terms) have fallen asleep. Ultimately it relates to what the Apostle Peter sought after, and like “the promised land” it is as material as it is spiritual: “We, in accordance with His promise look for new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells” (2Pet3:13)

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¹² Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another every day,  as long  (that is) as it can still be described as “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ if and only if^note1  we keep the beginning of our commitment  firm until the end.¹⁵ While it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.” ¹⁶ For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? ¹⁷ And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? ¹⁹ And so we see that they were not able to enter because of faithlessness (Heb3:12-18).

The writer to the Hebrews continues to warn against the possibility of the Christian falling from grace “through the deceitfulness of sin” (v13). And, just as I have headed this short post, the catalyst for falling into sin and its consequences can be summarized as unbelief or faithlessness. For the Christian, that is not necessarily that one ceases to believe in Christ as Saviour, but as in Jesus’ parable of the seed choked by thorns one can become distracted by “the deceitfulness of riches” (Mt13:22) such that (ironically) one fails to persevere on the path that actually leads to greater riches (spiritual and material) than this current world could ever offer. For faith (Greek: πίστις) and its derivatives is not just referring to belief but to faithfulness (same word in Greek). That is evident in the final two verses of our passage (above). Those who were destroyed by God  before they could enter the promised land “were disobedient” (v18). Yet the passage concludes “And so we see that they were not able to enter because of faithlessness” (v19)

The example the writer to the Hebrews is using is that of God’s people of the Old Testament whom Moses brought out of bondage in Egypt. They began to mutter, complain and doubt God’s promises – His and Moses’ assurances that they would remain under divine protection until they attained the promised land and “entered His rest”. Likewise the  recipients of the Epistle to the Hebrews had “become partakers of Christ” , that is “if and only if they keep the beginning of their commitment firm to the end” (see note #1 re the conditional clause).

Perseverance not guaranteed

Such warnings concerning falling away from the Faith are not restricted to Hebrews, there is Jesus (too numerous to mention), but also Paul. Referring to the Jews as the natural branches and Christians as those who had been grafted in: “You might well say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. However, do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom11:19-22).

As someone who has always taken the bible very seriously, I wonder these days how I could ever have believed in the guaranteed “perseverance of the saints”. I have subsequently been shown that that doctrine along with the rest of Calvin’s “TULIP” can   be largely^Note2 disregarded, together with the dire cosmic outcomes for the bulk of humanity that result from it.

No ordinary day

Finally, there is an intriguing statement in verse 13  in which the writer to the Hebrews anticipates a Day coming that shall be like no other day. “Today”, he implies, could never do it justice. It is sometimes described in Scripture as a  Day of Wrath, and observing our world as it is now and frankly  has always been, that is no surprise. The truly  wicked who would never bow the knee to Jesus Christ shall be ignominiously dealt with (2Thes1:8 cf. Enoch1:1); many more shall have cause to mourn for their sins and ignorance of their Saviour during their lifetime (Rev1:7), whilst the saints of God who have been raptured or (if deceased) resurrected shall return with their Lord in triumph (1Thes3:13).

But what then shall be initiated? Jesus described such a time as the renaissance or re-birth (Mt19:28), Luke as the universal restoration (Acts3:21) and the liberation (Lk21:28), John as the millennium of Christ’s rule with His saints (Rev20:4-5) and Paul as the restoration of the physical creation (Rom8:21). Whatever precisely unfolds at Christ’s return, those whom the writer to the Hebrews describes as “having becoming a partaker of Christ” (v14) is the best place to be for those privileged (but also obligated) to have been enlightened concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

NOTES

Note #1  εἴπερ – an infrequently used strengthened conditional clause meaning “if it is indeed the case that” or in modern parlance “if and only if”…   

Note #2 – TULIP= Total depravity/Unconditional election/Limited atonement/Irresistible grace/Perseverance of the saints. As considered in the previous post, election is indeed unconditional (in terms of innate merit/deservedness) but pertains to calling and embarking upon the Way, not completing the course.

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3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus; ² He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. ³ For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honour than the house. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. ⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; ⁶ but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if and only if** we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope to the end (Heb3:1-6).

A short passage that provides enlightenment concerning Jesus as High Priest as well as those over whom He presides in that capacity. Starting with the latter, they are the holy ones or “saints”, by which is denoted that they have been set apart by God. Also, that they are not merely “justified sinners”, but a people who are morally and characteristically being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom8:29). These chosen ones are “partakers of a heavenly calling (κλήσεως)” – a Greek word that also has the sense of being invited, the “heavenly” reference indicating by Whom.

The nature of our calling

 Referring back to our considerations of Paul’s writings and his frequent direct or more often indirect references to predestination, the calling/invitation is the aspect of gospel salvation that is “all of grace”. That it is not say it is a matter of random chance, for “whom He foreknew He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son”(Rom8:29). The point Paul constantly makes is that election is not on the basis of inherent virtue or accumulated good works – that apostle, formerly Saul of Tarsus, being a classic example. He had been a fanatical Christ-hating saint-slaughtering zealot. Yet God foreknew that once confronted by the risen Christ  and empowered by the Holy Spirit  he would make a great apostle; for as Paul affirmed, he had been created for that very purpose.

As the writer to the Hebrews more than anyone makes clear, the calling/invitation and divine enabling (cf. Jn6:44) to embark upon the Way of the Cross is where the all-of-grace paradigm ends. Thereafter it is self-effort,  self-discipline and faithfulness aided by the Holy Spirit and sacraments of grace. Thereby, in Paul’s language, one is enabled  to “complete the course” and attain “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil3:14). [I take every opportunity to re-iterate this truth, for it is vital to an appreciation of God’s justice and fairness towards all people, especially when taken in the context of the tripartite soteriology and resultant broader benign providence being outlined].

Christ uniquely qualified to be High Priest

The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect High Priest and the previous post explained why: “Therefore, in all things (Jesus) had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make a propitiation for the sins of the people, since that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb2:17-18).

Moses the servant, Christ the Son

The passage then compares Jesus with Moses. The latter was a great leader, who also effectively acted as a high priest for the people under his charge. He interceded for them, attempted to propitiate God’s anger for their frequent disobedience and faithlessness. He even offered to take God’s threatened punishment of the people upon himself: “Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.  But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” (Ex32:31-32).

So in those regards, Moses might be seen as a “type” of Christ, but the writer to the Hebrews makes clear who is by far the greater of the two. Both were appointed by God (v2) but whereas Moses had been faithful as a servant of God’s house, Jesus had been faithful as a Son over His. More fundamentally, the house that Christ rules over could never have come into existence if it were not for the achievements of its Leader and Saviour.

The House of the Lord

For as considered in the previous post/passage, Jesus was the Archetype and author of His people’s salvation, especially through the suffering that He endured on their behalf (2:10). It is His house and He effectively was its builder, “whose house we are, if and only if** we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope to the end” (v6), which rather goes back to the points being made in my second paragraph.

**  εἴπερ – an infrequently used strengthened conditional clause meaning “if it is indeed the case that” or in modern parlance “if and only if”…   

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For in subjecting all things to (mankind), He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. ⁹ But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honour, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. ¹⁰ For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the Archetype of their salvation through sufferings. ¹¹ For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all from One; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters (Heb2:8-11) 

Firstly note in the opening two verses, the transition of the personal pronoun (him) in v8 to a capitalized version (Him) in v9. This affirms what I wrote in the previous post that vv5-8 is referring to humanity, not exclusively to Jesus . Most bible versions have this right but not all – the latter presumably having a problem with the implication that all that has been created (including the angels)  will be under mankind’s control. As I explained, this has all and everything to do with Jesus and how God’s elect as a kind of first fruit for humanity shall relate to the appointed Lord of the Universe.

ἐξ ἑνὸς ?

To be writing as I do I certainly believe myself to have received prophetic insights, but there are aspects of this passage that go beyond my knowledge. That especially applies to verse 11 where the writer to the Hebrews states that Jesus and His disciples are  ἐξ ἑνὸς  – i.e., either they are both the same or derive from the same source which (in view of LJC) can only be God. So are human beings inherently divine? – one would imagine not. Yet they are made in the image of One who is, and through sacramental participation God’s elect are already “partakers of the divine nature” (2Pet1:4).

In terms of destiny “it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when He appears we shall be just like Him”. (1Jn3:2). As affirmed in the previous post, mankind’s destiny (certainly for the human elect) is inextricably linked to that of Jesus Christ, Lord of the Universe. They are to  be as Man and Wife, once the latter has made herself ready (Rev19:7). Likewise, they are kith and kin, for it is also to be noted from verse 11 that the reason Jesus is not ashamed to call his disciples brothers is because (“for which reason”) He and they are ἐξ ἑνὸς .

The NEED for suffering

What has been made clear to me yet appears a mystery to most Christians is the essentiality of sin and suffering for those who are to be raised to glory. Paul affirms it, Hebrews indicates why, and points to the fact that this principle even applied to our sinless Saviour. Verse 9 states explicitly that it was because of Jesus’ suffering death that He was crowned with glory and honour. What is more: “It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Archetype of their salvation perfect through suffering (v10). And later in Hebrews:

“Though He were a Son, He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and having been perfected He became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him” (Heb5:8-9)

In Jesus’ case His suffering could have nothing to do with personal purification, for He was without sin. It pertained to His personal capacity and office, especially that of High Priest:

“Therefore, in all things (Jesus)had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make a propitiation for the sins of the people, for in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb2:17-18)

His awareness and personal experience of human suffering also prepares Him for His role as Supreme Judge of humanity. It set a pattern and example for those who as co-heirs must support Him as priests, kings and judges; they are to share in Christ’s glory but must firstly share His suffering:

Now if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ; if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory  (Rom8:17)

The PURPOSE of suffering

Regarding the previous few posts, this is the  advantage that human beings have over the angels of heaven: a personal day-to-day experience of sin and suffering. Such might not be advantageous if human destiny were to be confined to the spiritual realm: a blissful stasis beholding the vision of God’s glory, wonderful though that is for those who have “fallen asleep” as Scripture describes the temporary separation of body and spirit in heaven.

But the emphasis from the Old Testament prophesies, the gospels, the epistles and Revelation as far as the next age is concerned is for the elect of God to be “the children of the resurrection” (Lk20:36). For the believer’s destiny once resurrected does not merely consist in beholding but participating with God in eternal union with His Son. But as with any marriage, howsoever the Bridegroom may relate to His Father through eternity so must His Bride for they are now in union; and whatsoever His Son’s activity and domain, so shall His co-heirs share in it.

The Little Book of Providence:

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⁵ For it is not to the angels that God has subjected the inhabited earth that is to come about which we are speaking. ⁶ Yet someone has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You think of him? Or a son of man, that You are concerned about him? ⁷ You have temporarily made him  lower than angels; You have crowned him with glory and honour; ⁸ You have put everything in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to (mankind) He left nothing that is not subject to him. But we do not as yet see all things subjected to (mankind). ⁹However, we do see Him who was (also) temporarily made lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, who  as a result of His suffering death was crowned with glory and honour, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone (Heb2:4-9).

Some commentaries I have seen imply that this passage is all about Jesus. As the opening verses suggest it also concerns the glorious destiny of mankind. It’s not all about Jesus but it is all because of Him, what He did for us and the fact that He became a Man: “The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us” (Jn1:14). Above all it is because He died on the Cross and rose again. The Word of God was incarnated, died, was resurrected and glorified. None of those things would have happened if sin had not entered the world. Satan believed himself to have gained a supreme victory at Eden whereas he effectively shot himself in the foot. I am in the process of explaining why and the letter to the Hebrews is the ideal material.

In terms of translations, οἰκουμένην (v5) might best be described as the inhabited earth. It is the same word used  as when Satan displayed  all the kingdoms of the earth to Jesus during His temptations (Lk4). In terms of vv7-8, some translations infer man (and Jesus) was made a little lower than the angels; others that for a short time or temporarily they were made lower than the angels. I have taken it to be the latter, as the point being made, particularly about Jesus, was that although (as the previous few posts have considered) He has always been superior to the angels, taking the form of a man He became (or appeared to be) lower than they.

Angels are indeed superior in terms of their power, majesty, authority and function compared to man in mortal flesh. The point being made is that this is a temporary arrangement, as was hinted at in the last but one post/passage that concluded: ¹⁴ Are (the angels) not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (Heb1:3b-14).

AUTHORITY OVER WHAT?

But note the passage says that we do not currently see all things under man’s authority, yet purely in terms of the current arrangements on earth that is not the case. Man is supreme over all earthly  creation – he controls it all, albeit in view of the Fall, not terribly well. In Genesis, mankind was given authority over all things: “Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Gen1:28); and that applied, even after the Fall.

However, the writer to the Hebrews declares: “In subjecting all things to (mankind) He left nothing that is not to be subject to him,  but we do not as yet SEE all things subjected to (mankind)”. To which he adds “but we see Jesus!!!” – and we all know what happened to Him in that regard: “Jesus came up and spoke to (His disciples), saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me (Mt28:18). Note also the astonishing (and for some, perplexing) statement that it was as a result of His suffering that Jesus was crowned with glory and honour (v9) – and in the subsequent verse, the writer to the Hebrews writes something even more astonishing (next post).

Paul affirmed that suffering is a prerequisite for glory (Rom8:17; 2Tim2:12), Hebrews shall explain why! This is the mystery of evil – why a God who is love personified facilitated the introduction of sin into the world (cf. Rom8:20), knowing the suffering it would cause for its people and His own Son. And this is why so many angels, headed by Lucifer had a problem with His plan, yet through their vengeful response at Eden and Calvary, they have unwittingly facilitated it!

FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR HUMANITY

As our featured text indicates, there are aspects of creation that are not currently under mankind’s control, but they shall be – not under angels but under man. What are they? May I suggest, the entire universe: everything that has been created and has yet to be established in the universe, or should I say multiverse. Unless, that is, you reject Paul’s teaching that “all things were created by Christ, through Him and for Him (Col1:16). Planet earth, this miniscule spec within a seemingly empty, stunningly enormous and ever expanding universe is of supreme significance  because the Word of God made flesh lived and died on it, so that in the words of our passage, He might taste death for everyone (v9).

And in terms of God’s elect, who are “a kind of first fruit for all creation” (Jam1:18), they are to be the corporate bride of Christ. And if you are a married man, for what do you wish? Surely that your wife should share and participate in all that is yours, which in the case of Christ is His universal domain, not to mention a living, loving  and enduring relationship with the In-Laws (cf. Heb1:5).

If this is currently too wondrous to contemplate, join the club.

יִצְחָ֔ק

2 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to the things we have heard, SO THAT WE DO NOT DRIFT AWAY. ² For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every violation and act of disobedience received a JUST PUNISHMENT, ³ how will we escape if we NEGLECT SO GREAT A SALVATION? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, ⁴ God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will (Heb2:1-4).

I mentioned in my introductory post to the letter to the Hebrews that Martin Luther didn’t like it very much. This is one reason why – the phrases I have capitalized above relating to the possibility of a Christian “drifting away” from the faith . The writer to the Hebrews amplified this warning a few chapters later when he writes:  ^“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame” (Heb6:4-6).

I will comment on that in more detail when we get to chapter six. But briefly, it could be taken to imply that once a Christian falls into sin there is no possibility of repentance. That is absolutely not the case as both human experience and Jesus’s parables such as the prodigal son and the 99+1 sheep typify. What it does however mean is that “once saved, always saved” is a no-no. Either the Protestant Reformers are right and the writer to the Hebrews is wrong or vice versa; both cannot be right. But as I have been consistently demonstrating, Paul when rightly understood teaches nothing different, it’s just that Hebrews is more explicit on the matter.

And, counterintuitively for many, this is great news. It confirms our God to be the fair and intelligibly good Creator the “Little Book of Providence” proves Him to be. That would not be the case if the path to glory were all of grace. God is fair to all and a Rewarder of those who in Jesus’ oft-repeated words “overcome”  (Rev2:7,11,17,26 ch3:5,12,21 ch21:7), or in Paul’s language, for those who “win the race” and “gain the prize” (Phil3:14; 1Cor9:24).

(Jesus) sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become SUPERIOR TO THE ANGELS, to the extent that He has INHERITED A MORE EXCELLENT NAME than they. ⁵ For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He will be a Son to Me”? ⁶ And when He again brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” ⁷ And regarding the angels He says, “He makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.” ⁸ But regarding the Son He says,  “Your throne, O GOD, is forever and ever, And the sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of His kingdom.⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; and BECAUSE OF THIS GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU with the oil of joy above Your associates.” ¹⁰ And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS. ¹¹ They will perish, but You remain; and they all will wear out like a garment, ¹² and like a robe You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.” ¹³ But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”? ¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (Heb1:3b-14)

So having provided a purification for sins (previous post), Jesus sat down at the  right hand of God. The writer to the Hebrews then proceeds to demonstrate how far the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e. as God-Man) is superior to the angels. He does so in terms of statements that God the Father will have been made about His Son that would not apply to any angel. This does not detract from what I have  emphasizing about the monarchical status of the Father within the Godhead, rather it establishes it. Particularly verse 9: “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; and BECAUSE OF THIS GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU with the oil of joy above Your associates.”

But the Lord Jesus Christ’s superiority over the angels (and all of us) is supremely evident in the verse that follows it: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS (v10)”. And as Paul had written: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

So affirming such authority the writer to the Hebrews poses a few questions : “To which of the angels did God ever say, “You are My Son, today I have fathered You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him and He will be a Son to Me”? (Heb1:5). And “To which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool”? (Heb1:13). So regardless of any ordering within the Godhead, who would not with disciple Thomas declare of Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn20:28).

Angels and the elect of God

In terms of the angels’ role, the passage concludes: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (v14)  With that in mind I shall pose some further questions: To which of the angels did JESUS ever say: “I regard you as my own kith and kin” (cf. Mt12:50); “I who sanctify you and you who are being sanctified ARE ALL OF ONE, therefore I am not ashamed to call you my brothers and sisters” (Heb2:11). And to which of the angels has Christ ever said, “My Father has chosen you to be my corporate Bride through eternity, even to share my throne” (cf. Rev3:21; 19:7).

Need I go on?   It largely pertains to the fact that the Word of God has been incarnated as a Man, not an Angel. And if Jesus Christ has authority over the angels, then so (in due course) shall those He regards as His corporate Bride. “In due course” for two things need to happen for that to come about. Firstly, we need to be saved/purged/purified from sins of the flesh (covered in previous post). Secondly (and not currently available), we need a new body. Yes, “even we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit  groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, being THE REDEMPTION OF OUR BODY! (Rom8:23)

Suffering – the grist for glory

No wonder some of the angels rebelled when they learnt of God’s plans for humanity, whilst the rest still long to look into these matters (1Pet1:12). The supreme irony at Satan’s expense is that the rebellion he led and the damage he inflicted on the world, together with the human suffering that resulted from it, has enabled humanity rather than the angels to be perfected for the greater glory, as Christ’s corporate bride. Paul provides further hints to this mystery in Rom8:20-21; the writer to the Hebrews still more so in Heb2:10, whilst the matter is worked out in more detail in “The Little Book of Providence”.

———————————————————-

When (Jesus) had BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb1:3b King James Version)

cf.

When (Jesus) had MADE A PURIFICATION OF SINS**, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb1:3b)

 [**καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ποιησάμενος]

———————————————————

I have focussed on a single verse (in fact half a verse) for this post as it is crucial to a right understanding of the mystery of the Cross and what Jesus achieved for us at Calvary. Most reading this are likely know that the New Testament was written in Greek, whilst those who have studied this dead language with its lack of punctuation will know that texts can be ambiguous in terms of how they should be translated. That especially applies to word order. For example, the above KJV translation (or should I say mistranslation) understands the “by Himself” to be relating to the Hebrews writer’s statement concerning the Cross whereas most translations  assume it more likely pertains to the previous statement regarding sustaining all things (v3a).

KJV – An invalid translation

That anomaly is debatable and therefore excusable whereas how the KJV continues its translation is neither. It has deceived many including myself in the past, inferring that the sins of believers were purged at Calvary. What the Greek actually relays is that a purification for sins was provided by Christ’s death on the Cross. “καθαρισμὸν” is a noun not a verb. Sins were not purged (verb), a purification (noun) for sins was provided. We have to avail ourselves of it – the blood must be applied (Jn6:53-58). And there is no reference to “our sins”. It’s not your sin, not my sin, not His chosen people’s sin – simply SIN! That, incidentally  is why John could write: “Christ Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world” (1Jn2:2).

The multifaceted mystery of the Cross

This is vast subject so I can only briefly summarize. As just quoted from 1Jn, Christ’s death was an atoning sacrifice for all humanity. It propitiated God’s anger at sin in the world. Through subsequent sacramental participation, it provides a means of cleansing (purging) sin in individual believers (1Jn1:7). And more mysteriously for many, it provided the means by which the world and its people could ultimately be reconciled to God. In Paul’s language: “Having made peace through the blood of His cross, God would reconcile all things to Himself by Christ, whether they be things on earth or things in heaven (Col1:20).

🎶Born to raise the sons of earth… 🎶

Jesus’ death on the cross is I believe the most important event in universal history. It  brought about the means by which the seemingly disastrous events at Eden could be remedied. Mankind fell, whilst Satan fell for a trap. That seeming catastrophe for mankind brought about a future re-ordering of species – through the Word of God’s incarnation as a Man. The sons and daughters of earth shall not only be reconciled to God in pre-Edenic innocence, but starting with those who are given a second birth whilst still in mortal flesh they shall ultimately be raised to glory and divinity. This will be considered shortly for it pertains to Heb2:5-12 and will be introduced in the next post concerning Jesus’ standing amongst the angels (1:4-9).

Reconciling with the rest of Scripture:

The Little Book of Providence, freely available as a PDF file at https://richard777.blog/free-download-of-pdf

1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, ² at the end of these last days has spoken to us in the person of a Son, whom HE APPOINTED heir of all things, THROUGH whom He also fashioned the ages. ³ And He is the radiance of God’s glory and THE EXACT REPRESENTATION OF HIS NATURE, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

Briefly, a word on the previous 1-chapter epistle to Philemon, only to say that I won’t comment on it at all, for uniquely in terms of New Testament epistles it has no direct relevance to the subject in hand, being the breadth of God’s benign providence. Written by Paul it is of course worthy of study and I found a useful commentary here for those who wish to do so. I now move on to Hebrews which in contrast to Philemon is packed with doctrinal issues that require study in the context of our subject matter. That is why I have restricted my first passage to just the opening three verses!

Luther’s nemesis?

Martin Luther was not the first to challenge some earlier assumptions that the epistle to the Hebrews was written by Paul, and in this regard he is almost certainly right. But he had more serious concerns that the epistle appeared to contradict some of Paul’s teaching, especially concerning grace and perseverance, and that is certainly the case in terms of how ML interpreted Paul. At best, Luther believed Hebrews needed to be read alongside other scriptures to be properly understood. Rather I suggest it is Paul who needs to read alongside other scriptures (especially the teaching of Christ) in order that Paul should not be misinterpreted. And should Paul contradict Jesus, dump the apostle and hearken to the Lord of the universe – but there is no need, for Paul rightly interpreted contradicts no one!^NOTE#1

Not a favourite with the Reformers

But back to Hebrews, and it will soon become evident why Luther along with other Protestant Reformers had a problem with it. I have agreed with Luther (and virtually all commentators these days) that Paul did not write Hebrews, yet the opening verses concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and His status within the Godhead is in accordance with the great apostle in that it clearly affirms the monarchical status of the Father. For God appointed His only begotten Son to be heir of all things, by which appointment LJC is affirmed supreme over all creation, indeed the One through Whom all things were created (v2). Nevertheless an appointee cannot meaningfully be equated with the appointer yet both can be equally divine and of the same essence.  Just as with human appointments, he who is appointed is equally human to the appointer.  It is a question of order and authority, not essence or nature as the writer to the Hebrews is just about to inform us with regard to our Lord.

An exact representation of the Father

Some may have a problem with my comments regarding an order within the Godhead. I am not concerned, for most of the earliest Church Fathers who had not  been reliant on Scripture alone but had received the Faith from the apostles or their immediate appointees were considered by the post-Nicene church  to be tending to “subordinationism” ^NOTE#2.

However, for Luther and the Reformers a more problematic consideration might be the inverse reality that the Lord Jesus Christ is so similar to His Father in nature – in the writer to the Hebrews words, He is “the exact representation” (v3). And that equally applied to how He  conducted Himself in His earthly ministry (examine Jesus’ response to Philip’s request in Jn14:9 – the telling phrase being “How long have I been with you”).

Thanks to the Gospels we have a reasonably comprehensive account of what Jesus was like as a Person. In certain circumstances and in certain company He could certainly appear fearsome, yet overall most would discern He was compassionate, merciful and gracious. Jesus the Nazarene could be described as saintly-plus, the plus being that unlike even the best of saints He was totally without fault. What is more His justice and judgements were thoroughly comprehensible, His teaching often illustrated by situations from human life.

This accords with God the Father as far as, for example, the apostle John was concerned, who described the Creator as love personified (1Jn4:8). But I know as a former Calvinist it is far removed from God as the Protestant Reformers understood Him in terms of His comprehensibility, kindly nature and equitable dealings with humanity as a whole. I cannot expand upon that here but if you have been following my posts or read my book you will already know of what I speak, and this  will be developed as we proceed through Hebrews.

NOTE #1 i.e. in terms of salvation, moral requirements and judgement. Paul however discloses new revelation with respect to God’s secret plan for the Gentiles which Jesus did not delineate during His earthly ministry (cf. Eph3:9-11; Rom11:11,12,15,30)

NOTE #2  Neither Paul, the Hebrews writer, most early Fathers nor I are ontological subordinationists – study further HERE.

The Little Book of Providence:

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3 Remind (Cretan believers) to be SUBJECT TO RULERS, TO AUTHORITIES, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ² to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration FOR ALL PEOPLE. ³ For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. ⁴ But when the KINDNESS OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR AND HIS LOVE FOR MANKIND APPEARED, ⁵ He saved us, NOT ON THE BASIS OF WORKS which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, ⁷ so that being JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus3:1-7)

Be subject to authorities

Firstly, note how Paul exhorts Titus to remind those believers under his charge to be subject to rulers and authorities.  Just as Christ came not to be served but to serve, so the Church is currently serving with Him, or it could be said on His behalf  – as the Body of Christ on earth. As His future partner and co-heir she is destined for glory, but for now, far from “ruling with Christ” the Church is His suffering Body, servant to the world. Whilst Christians as individuals may attain positions of authority within society, even preside over a country, that will be because  they have been deemed fitted for the task and/or have been voted in by the populace, or in the case of monarchies have succeeded to the throne. It will not be because they are Christian, nor will it necessarily be the case that they are fitted and worthy of their rank.

In the age to come it will be a different matter. God’s elect will rule with Christ because they were His faithful disciples. And unlike the present arrangements, it will always be the case that they are fitted and worthy for such duties –  Rom8:29 indicates why that is the case! Not only fitted, but as the corporate Bride of Christ, of royal pedigree and possessing a divine nature (2Pet1:4). It is to be noted that in Jesus’ parables  relating to rewards, the nature of the rewards is sometimes expressed in terms of increased territorial authority  – e.g. Lk19:17; cf. Rev2:26-28😲.

At peace with the world

Secondly, the believers are to “show consideration to all people”, and the subsequent verse indicates that Paul is referring to non-believers. As he writes elsewhere, as far as it is possible, be at peace with all people (Rom12:18).

The kindness of God

Thirdly, Paul refers to “the kindness of God and his love towards humanity” (v4). But as I have frequently indicated, the apostle well knows and never tires of reminding us that only those predestined to the role can obtain gospel salvation. As Jesus affirmed, no one is innately capable of coming to Him as Saviour unless the Father draws them (Jn6:44). And as Paul asserts in the very next verse, the criterion for gospel salvation is not good works but God’s mercy and sovereign choice. There is no greater “good work” than to hear the Gospel, take God at His word and choose the arduous, self-disciplined path of Christian discipleship. If that were of ourselves it would be salvation on the basis of good works. But, teaches Paul, it is through God’s mercy and sovereign choice that we come to that position – “justified by God’s grace” (v7).

But the principle point I am making  is that God’s “kindness and love for humanity” cannot be referring exclusively to gospel salvation, or else far from being kind and loving, God would be a Monster, wilfully withholding the saving remedy from the bulk of humanity, whom (He well knows) are innately incapable of receiving it. At least that would be the case if gospel salvation pertained to “going to Heaven when you die” – it does not.

Salvation and SALVATION

As I sometimes quip, gospel salvation is not for the  proverbial “world and his wife”, it is for Christ and His (Rev19:7). God desires that all should ultimately be saved and come to acknowledge of the truth (1Tim2:4), not that all should marry His Son or share His Son’s throne (Rev21:2 & 3:21). In other words, there is salvation and there is SALVATION. However, the former (lower case) does not pertain to being “saved” in the present age, and Paul summarizes precisely why in Rom7:24-25 – this earlier post expounds. As for the age to come, not the Father, not the Son but  “the Holy Spirit AND THE BRIDE  say, “Come”. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whoever wishes, let him take the water of life freely (Rev22:17)!

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, BRINGING SALVATION TO ALL PEOPLE, ¹²instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us to deliver us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself A PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION, ZEALOUS TO PERFORM GOOD WORKS (Titus2:11-14).

The first two chapters of Titus are full of good things taught by Paul, but most of it has no direct relevance to what I’m primarily seeking to impart, namely regarding the breadth of our loving Creator’s benign providence. The above passage is a notable exception, especially the capitalized phrases. The first verse summarizes the situation, and the Greek word order indicates it should be translated as I have above, which accords with the NASB and some other translations, but not the KJV. That reads “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” which is very different from “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people (NASB).

God’s personal possession

But in terms of gospel salvation, we know from Paul’s teaching that is absolutely not the case. God has no intention whatsoever of bringing all people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, at least not in the present gospel age. As the last featured verse indicates, Christians, like elect Jews of the Old Testament, are “a people for God’s own possession”, not the totality of those for whom Christ died or who are loved by God. The Church are described in Hebrews as the assembly of the firstborn ones (12:23). They are a “kind of first fruit” for all humanity (James1:18), the first to trust” (προηλπικότας) in advance of the returning Christ (Eph1:12). “First___” indicates order not exclusivity.

For contrary to the implications of the KJV translation, many in the current gospel age will not have had the opportunity to hear a faithful rendition of the Good News. They do not know about “the grace of God” and how it should be applied. Yet as Paul teaches elsewhere, God desires that all  humanity are ultimately saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth (1Tim2:4).

Manner of life

But for those who are given the blessing and responsibilities of being “God’s personal possession”, how are they to live? Paul describes it as living “sensibly, righteously and in a godly manner” (v12). Contrary to the emphasis of my Evangelical days, Paul does not regard the Church as merely “an assembly of justified sinners”  but a people who have been purified for divine service and who  are zealous (ζηλωτὴν) for good works (v14). Notice also that Paul doesn’t here or indeed anywhere particularly urge Christians to look forward to going to heaven when they die (which he describes as “falling asleep” – 1Thes4:13&15,) but joyfully to await the appearing of Jesus Christ from Heaven. For He will herald in the new age, an essential element of which for the Christian shall be “the redemption of the body” (Rom8:23).

God – the Father

Finally, this  is virtually the only instance Paul refers to LJC as God whereas more typically he insists that “for us there is only one God – the Father, FROM whom are all things, and we exist FOR Him; and one Lord – Jesus Christ, BY whom are all things, and we exist THROUGH Him” (1Cor8:6). The monarchical status of the Father and the fact that  aspects pertaining to timing, dispensations and kingdom personnel are under His personal authority (cf. Mt20:23; Mk13:32; Acts1:7)  is essential to understanding certain mysteries that I am unravelling. That especially applies to what Paul was referring to in Eph3:9-12 concerning the secret plan hidden in God (the Father), being the mystery of the Gentiles unforetold spiritual inheritance (cf. Rom11:11,12,15) that has such profound implications to broader providence.

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1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of THOSE CHOSEN OF GOD and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness ² in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, ³ but at the proper time revealed His word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; ⁴ To Titus, my true son in (our) shared faith: Grace and peace from God (the Father) and Christ Jesus our Saviour.

God’s elect

Commenting briefly on Paul’s introduction to his letter to Titus, I am immediately struck once more by Paul’s (in this case indirect) reference to the fact that those who respond positively to the Gospel do so because they are the “chosen of God” or are “God’s elect” (v1). It is not as some commentate, that God favours these people because they have exercised faith in Christ, rather they exercise faith in Christ because God has enabled them to do so. That is not just Paul’s consistent teaching, it is also Christ’s affirmation recorded  in Jn6:44. Likewise in Acts (13:48), Luke records  “When the Gentiles heard (the Gospel), they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed”.

I refer to this matter frequently, partly because I am systematically going through the New Testament chapter by chapter, and Paul in particular constantly alludes to it, sometimes directly (e.g. Rom8:29), other times by his descriptions of believers such as here in Titus. Frankly, if you reject predestination, you might as well reject Paul, albeit as I have just shown he is no maverick; Jesus, Luke and John affirm it also, just not in page after page of holy writ.

Reconciling predestination with divine justice and love

The other reason I highlight the issue is because my primary purpose is to affirm God’s loving nature and munificent providence. Yet if, as so many still believe, one is either saved by the gospel or else damned to perdition, then at best God’s character is incomprehensible to human reason and at worst barbaric, given that a key constituent of the doctrine is that human beings are innately incapable of coming to gospel salvation without divine enabling.

Such condemnation of the incapable is opposed to the God-given human instincts of justice, goodness and fairness, remembering also that men and women were made in the image of the invisible God, i.e. in accordance with His nature. Whilst that nature was besmirched by the Fall, in the Christian at least it is being renewed and restored such that Paul declared “we have the mind of Christ”. Yet the Christian’s instincts regarding justice, goodness and fairness, though restored and refined, remain basically the same. He/she knows these qualities are essential components of love of which Father God is declared to be the embodiment (1Jn4:8).

The only resolution

All is resolved once the three soteriological categories I have been explicating are acknowledged (the Little Book of Providence sets this out). Gospel salvation pertains to embarking upon the road to glory; it is not the means by which the soul goes to heaven after death – Mt25 sheep vs goats, and the rich man vs Lazarus relate to that outcome . The former narrative contains no reference whatsoever to religious faith whilst the latter incorporates other reasons why Lazarus and Dives experience what they did post-mortem – Lk16:25.

One would think that avoiding hell would be a no-brainer yet Jesus cautioned His would be followers carefully to weigh up the pros and cons before embarking upon a course of discipleship, like a man building a tower or a king going to war (Lk14:28-33). Those who follow the Way “must lose their own life for the sake of Christ and the gospel” (Mk8:35). They must suffer with Christ in order to be glorified with Him (Rom8:17).

For the elect are “the heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (same verse) – and history as well as Scripture indicates they are very much a minority. Yet if your current understanding of the Gospel does not match the heralding of the Christmas angels: “Good news of great joy to all people” (Lk2:10), you are currently misunderstanding it. It must at least be potentially good news for all, but that cannot be the case if “predestination” pertained to who goes to heaven or hell; thankfully it does not. This is an error/mystery  that even the true Church has not fully comprehended or articulated (in the RCC’s case until Vatican2).

The endurance of the Church

And yet the Church, as the body of Christ on earth has prevailed and historically fulfilled her primary function. For the Lord “has never ceased to gather a people to Himself so that from the rising of the sun until its setting a pure sacrifice is offered to His name”. As universal sacrament for the world, the Catholic and Orthodox Church in West and East has ensured that the fullness of sacramental provision necessary for gospel salvation has been provided, such that the ones called out to be the people of God may be supplied for divine service now, whilst being prepared for a yet more glorious role in the ages to come. As for God’s broader salvific intentions, canonical Scripture (cryptically) and the Book of Enoch (explicitly) foretold this to be a mystery that would be unfolded in the lattermost days.

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⁹ Make every effort to come to me soon; ¹⁰ for Demas, having loved this present AGE, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Take along Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. ¹² But I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, BRING THE OVERCOAT which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially those parchments. ¹⁴ Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵ Be on guard against him yourself too, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. ¹⁶ At my first defence no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory through the ages.  Amen (2Tim4:9-18)

My text for today is 2Tim4:13 – “When you come, BRING THE OVERCOAT which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially those parchments”. On second thoughts, may be not. Paul’s writing here lacks depth and spiritual profundity. The point I’m playfully making is to demonstrate what I pointed out a few posts ago that Paul would not have regarded himself as composing Scripture. These are pastoral letters and need to be understood in that context.

Humanly speaking, some might wish that Paul (and all NT writers) had written a series of systematic theological treaties such as you would find in a catechism. They would be less open to wildly divergent interpretations. Better still if Jesus Himself had written a Book to be passed on to the Church through the ages. If either were the case I may well have remained a supporter of “Sola Scriptura”, believing also in the related Protestant maxim regarding “the perspicuity of Scripture” – the idea that that the essentials of what the bible was imparting would be understood by everyone. If such had been God’s strategy rather than the bible in the form it has taken, whilst there might still have been heretics and misdemeanours amongst those who regarded themselves as Christian, the Church herself is more likely to have remained one united body through the centuries.

God’s final mystery [cf. Rev10:7]

But that was never God’s purpose or intention, any more than it was that the world should be devoid of sin, evil and suffering (cf. Rom8:20). In terms of the Church, God is bound to have known (as to an extent did Peter in 2Pet3:16) that Paul’s writings in particular were likely to be misunderstood by many and result in division amongst God’s people.

And so history has proven, especially through the influence of Augustine and a certain German Augustinian monk a thousand years later, both of whom construed their theology, anthropology and presentation of the gospel through the prism of their own innovative interpretations of the Apostle to the Gentiles’ writings. As to the mystery of why strategically God appeared to facilitate such divisions within the Church and disasters in the world (cf. Is45:7), it has been made very clear to me and I endeavour to explain the Rationale in the final two chapters (6 &7) of “The Little Book of Providence”.

World/Age/Earth

The only other point of relevance to the project in hand that I can make from these concluding remarks of Paul concerns his reference to Demas as having “loved this present age”, or as it more usually translated “world” (e.g. NASB). The Greek  “αἰών”   is strictly “age” not “world”, but that’s fine providing it is understood in the sense of κόσμος  (world order and its moral state) not  γῆ  (planet earth). God’s good earth is to be loved and cared for – those who most contribute to its ruin have been warned of the consequences (Rev11:18).

The Lord Jesus Christ, on the other hand shall bring an end to “Κόσμος” (the current world order) when He comes with His saints to initiate a new “αἰών”. At that point Christ together with those who have been fitted for the role (Rom8:29)  are to reign within “a new heaven and renewed earth where righteousness dwells” (2Pet3:13; cf. Rev5:10).

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⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; ⁸ in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who long for His appearing (2Tim4:6-8).

I have written before about assurance of salvation, making the point that it is only when Paul was virtually on his death bed that he could speak with the confidence he shows in this passage. If with Paul you can also say (if you spoke biblical Greek) “ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἀναλύσεώς μου ἐφέστηκεν”  – then accept my condolences. You are very ill and about to die. Or as translated above: “the time of my departure has arrived” (v6). As he also affirmed: I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith (v7). It’s over – completed. Paul was no ordinary man, he was an apostle. He may well have been given insights concerning his life, its course and its end. Almost like Jesus on the cross he  is virtually saying to His Father in Heaven “Into your hands I commend my spirit”. For most of us, even if we are very ill we do not know  for certain that our death is at hand.

Perseverance not guaranteed

I labour this point to demonstrate that Paul is not affirming “assured perseverance of the saints”. That is a component of the all-of-grace theology that I am  necessarily deconstructing. “Necessarily”, because Paul frequently makes statements that challenge that hypothesis (including in my recent 2Tim posts). But so did Jesus in His parable of the sower. Seed that fell on stoney ground sprung into life, resulted in joy until hardships came and the person fell away – the point being the individual and those who observed him would regard him as a Christian. Likewise seed that falls on thorny ground reflecting individuals who respond positively to the gospel but “the deceitfulness of riches” detracts them such that they become unfruitful. Paul gives as example  of such a few verses after our passage – Demas “who has forsaken me having loved the things of this present world” (v10).

 It could be argued that the above are examples of Christians who become unfruitful or useless rather than those who lose their salvation, but in other cases Paul speaks of  baptized believers who clearly departed from the Faith altogether – they have reprobated (2Tim3:8) or been “ruined” (1Cor8:11). And as he says of himself, “I have kept the Faith”, indicating that such was not inevitable.

God IS fair

I make an issue of this  also to demonstrate God’s goodness, fairness and providential justice in His dealings with everyone. If salvation were all of grace, that could never be the case. Whatever else God was, He could never be said to be fair. But fairness is an essential component of love, as any good parent knows. Reformation theology implies otherwise, but our heavenly Parent is fair to all as I have consistently demonstrated from Scripture. This will be more evident once it is understood that assurance of salvation and election does not pertain to souls going to heaven but to what happens to the living and dead at the end of the age (cf. Jn6:54; 2Tim4:8).

The Mt25 “sheep” clearly had no such assurance (vv37-40) but were  to their surprise accepted into Christ’s Kingdom. “Assurance” pertains to the attainment of glory.  In earlier writing Paul had stated:  I do not regard myself as having achieved it as yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil3:13-14). That “prize”, “goal” and “high calling” was not merely to go to heaven but at due time to receive the glory that goes with being a joint-heir with Christ as a member of God’s elect (Rom8:17).

WHEN Paul receives his crown

For, note from the 2Timothy passage when he expected to receive his “crown of righteousness”. It was not at the point of death (which he describes elsewhere as falling asleep) but some time in the future (v8). It would not be on his day (of death) but on “that day” which is clearly referring to Christ’s return: “the Day of His appearing”  – the day he knew he would be resurrected. “For I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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 will be changed! (1Cor15:51-52).

A measure of assurance IS attainable

So having insisted and demonstrated from Scripture that perseverance in the path to glory is not guaranteed, a measure of peace and assurance is attainable, even if we are not like Paul on our deathbed. It is ultimately communicated by the Holy Spirit witnessing with our spirit (Rom8:16); the Holy Spirit being given to us to enable our hearts to become filled with love for God, and others (Rom5:5).  Paul’s reference to the “love of God poured out in the heart” is a genitive of origin. It refers not so much to God’s love for us or ours for Him but to the impartation of the divine quality of love engrafted by the Spirit such that we come to love others more as God loves them.

This is in the context of partaking of the divine nature by which we come to possess more of what God possesses: especially holiness aligned with love; God being love and thrice holy. Loving the Lord in our hearts, thrilled by His goodness and coming ourselves to possess the love of the Father towards the rest of humanity, we may be confident we are being saved and heading for victory.

Practical evidence

Yet even this can be subjective; assurance of salvation in Scripture is more often expressed in terms of actions rather than feelings:

We know we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother remains in death (1Jn3:14).

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know we are in (Christ) (1Jn2:3-5).

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4 I solemnly exhort you (Timothy) in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. ³ For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths. ⁵ But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2Tim4:1-5).

Mankind to be judged by a Man

In his opening exhortation to Timothy, Paul typically distinguishes between God and His anointed (“Christ”) Jesus, affirming also that it is the Man Christ Jesus who will be doing the judging – “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son” (Jn5:22). And as I have pointed out in the past, He will be applying criteria that are thoroughly intelligible to human reasoning (Mt7:2 & 25:40).

Itching ears

Paul continues to warn Timothy (and by extension ourselves) concerning future adverse church developments – this time with regards to doctrine and teaching. He knows there will be a tendency for people to reject sound doctrine and desire what is more pleasing to the ear. That in turn would lead to teachers becoming established within the churches who will happily pander to those needs. He describes it as ear tickling (Greek: κνηθόμενοι). In Paul and Timothy’s day, the solution was relatively straight forward – anything that departed from what the apostles and their immediate appointees (such as Timothy) had taught was likely to be suspect. That was especially the case if it made the Christian pilgrimage less arduous and demanding.

The problem today is  more complex in view of the career of the churches in the 2000 years since Paul and Timothy. The divisions and fragmentations that have occurred mean that it is no longer the case that what one has heard and understood in one’s youth, unlike for Timothy, was of necessity the truth. I am clear that is true in my case. Similarly, if my writing appears to be presenting a very different account of the gospel to what you have previously understood, it doesn’t mean it is not the truth. The test to be applied is that which Paul indicates – how does it compare with what the Church understood to be the Truth at its outset? That is, how does it compare (allowing for non-systemic legitimate developments)  with what the earliest Church writers understood to be gospel truth? For they had received such from the likes of Timothy, Philemon and Titus or their immediate appointees (which takes us into the early 2nd century).

Where to start?

But don’t start your comparison with this current nonentity (yours truly), start with 4^th century Augustine and observe how some of what he taught goes beyond what could be regarded as authentic development, but turned key  aspects of that earlier teaching on its head. As I have been  outlining, that particularly pertains to the role of natural law, the depth of human depravity, rejecting the tripartite nature of man, soul creationism and premillennialism, narrowing the scope of God’s benign providence, denying mankind any effectual free will to do good, and redefining the role of Torah and the economy of grace.

Augustine did not initiate all the above novelties but did more than anyone to ensure the Church moved forward on such a basis. He is key because he is undoubtedly the greatest influencer of medieval Western theological developments as well as the darling of the Protestant Reformers – a  doctor of the Church that Luther declared (at the influential Heidelberg Controversy) to be Paul’s most faithful interpreter of the first millennium. This is covered in earlier posts too numerous to mention and summarized in chapter one of the Little Book of Providence.

The ultimate test

So whereas Timothy will have been very clear how to proceed and what to expect after reading Paul’s exhortations, for Christians today it is more difficult. The earlier paragraph suggests a possible approach, which thanks to the internet is not impossibly arduous or expensive. Clearly, what I have been publishing for the last decade or so I believe to be the truth – certainly not infallible but prophetically inspired. The more I read and (I trust) come to understand the Apostle Paul, the less I am inclined to “tickle ears” with talk of simplistic believism, guaranteed perseverance or all-of-grace/all-of-God salvation.

But the ultimate test will be whether or not what I have presented is “owned of God”, such that more and more come to perceive it to be the truth – not entirely new revelation (which it could never be) but a clarification of what has already been revealed in the indisputably Spirit-breathed scripture of the Bible. And that is a process that as recent posts have indicated^[1] I believe to have been foretold in  the non-canonical but nevertheless sacred “words of the blessing of Enoch, by which he shall bless the elect and the righteous who will be living in the day of tribulation when all the wicked and godless are to be removed” (1Enoch1:1).

[1]:  See also  Enoch prophecy regarding current times

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 ¹⁴ You (Timothy), however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and is beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (2Tim3:14-17).

Firstly, one should consider what were the sacred writings (ἱερὰ γράμματα) that Timothy would have known from his childhood. Of course, they cannot have been what all Christians today most rely upon, being the New Testament. None of its writing would have even been penned when Timothy (17-97AD) was a lad. So Paul would have been referring to the Old Testament, and contrary to what I once believed as a Protestant, that would have been 46 books including deuterocanonical writings such as Tobit, Judith, Maccabees and Wisdom.

The latter should be regarded as canonical Scripture for although (unlike Enoch – to follow) it may not be directly quoted in the New Testament, teaching and sayings from it are alluded to, including some by Jesus Himself (see list at Note #1). These books, included within the Catholic and Orthodox bibles, were also used as proof texts by the early Church Fathers (including the mighty Augustine, beloved by Protestants). Much more could be said on the composition of the biblical canon and the concept of “sola scriptura”- and it has been in chapter five of The Little Book of Providence (accessible below).

Defining “Scripture”

Paul describes Scripture as literally being “breathed out by God” (Greek: θεόπνευστος). This is obviously not dictation, rather what is written is as it were infused with divine breadth. The writer will express himself in his own words and style, such that what Paul writes is generally recognized as distinctly “Pauline”. The letter to the Hebrews is deemed by most authorities not to be written by Paul, partly for that reason.

But did Paul regard himself as actually “composing Scripture”? Unlikely, rather he was composing pastoral letters, albeit they  certainly  contained divinely authoritative statements and commands, for he declared them to be so. However, his fellow apostle Peter did effectively define Paul’s writings as Scripture when he wrote:  “as in all (Paul’s) letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2Pet3:16)

The book of Enoch

Finally on this subject, what about the book of Enoch?  I have referred to it on many occasions, for although I am clear it should rightly have been excluded from the canon, I am equally clear that it comes under the category of what Paul referred to as “sacred writings” (v15) that  have been divinely inspired. For Enoch contains prophecies, many of which have come to pass, whilst some may be happening right now😲. This earlier post refers.

NOTE #1 – EXAMPLES OF DEUTEROCANONICAL REFERENCES/ALLUSIONS

• Matthew 6:14-15 and Sirach 7:14
• Matthew 27:43 and Wisdom 2:15,16
• Luke 6:31 and Tobit 4:15
• Luke 14:13 and Tobit 4:7
• John 10:22 and 1 Maccabees 4:59
• Romans and Wisdom, clay and the potter
• Romans 11:34 and Wisdom 9:13
• 2 Corinthians 9:7 and Sirach 35:8
• Hebrew 1:3 and Wisdom 7:26
• Hebrews 11:35 and 2 Maccabees 7:7

“The Little Book of Providence” – a prophetically inspired seven-part synopsis of the Bible

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But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to a form of piety yet negating its power; avoid such people as these. ⁶ For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, disqualified with regard to the faith. ⁹ But they will not make further progress; for their foolishness will be obvious to all, just as was that also of Jannes and Jambres (2Tim3 vv1-9)

“In the last days, difficult times shall come”, writes Paul. This must be referring to that time immediately preceding the return of Jesus Christ. The Latter also warned  of disasters to come at such a time in Mt24:7, and unlike Paul’s warning, that included international strife (wars) and natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes. But before returning to Paul, notice the good news that Jesus signified. For He follows his statement with:  “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains”! (v8).Indeed, a few verses later Jesus suggests that far from despairing, when the Christian observes these things, he/she should rejoice, “recognizing that (the coming of Christ) is near, even at the door!” (v34).

If a woman is approaching labour and doesn’t experience pain, something is wrong – the birth my not happen or may be she imagined it all. Likewise, if everything were currently reasonably hunky-dory with the world and the Church, it would suggest the “restoration of all things”(Acts3:21) that shall occur at Christ’s coming would be a long way off. That is, if Jesus and Paul are to be believed (so count me in).

The intended role of the Church

This will appear rather counter-intuitive for many Christians. For surely, say they, the Church was established to be light and salt to the world – the means of inaugurating God’s Kingdom on earth. Surely, things should be getting progressively better, not worse.  That might be the case if the Church were anything like it was intended to be. It is and has been for many years divided and consequently to a degree corrupted such that it cannot effectively fulfil its intended function. As to why God has permitted such a state of affairs, the final two chapters of my book endeavour to explain. In a sentence God has deemed evil, suffering and division in the world and the Church to be necessary for the fulfilment of His purposes for humanity.

That is a supreme act of love on the Father’s part 😯 – in view of the implications for His only begotten Son . Through His life, death and resurrection, mankind (starting with the elect) is not destined  merely to return to the Adamic innocence of Eden, but through the arduous course set out for the children of dust we shall be raised to the heights of glory as co-heirs with Christ (Rom8:17) . The events of Calvary were central to that outcome, as in turn were the seemingly dire events of Eden, exactly as they transpired. God has always known what He’s doing but few, even if Christian if they are honest, will currently comprehend it.

Context of Paul’s warning

So returning to 2Tim, is Paul referring to unsavoury characters of the world or of the Church? It is surely primarily the latter. Remember, Paul wrote this letter whilst imprisoned in Rome when Nero was emperor. The secular society of his day would have been at least as bohemian and often depraved as anything we might experience today.  Roman unbelievers were not primarily the people Paul was telling Timothy to avoid (except to evangelize), regrettably it was fellow church members he had in mind. This is further suggested by his reference to the fact that such were “holding to a form of piety/religion” (v5) yet some were “characters of a depraved mind” who would be “disqualified (ἀδόκιμοι) from the Faith” (v8). 

Reasons to be cheerful

A depressing prospect for people of the current age whether they be inside or outside the Church? For many of the latter it may be, for whether they use the label or not they are effectively post-millennialist. Not so yours truly and not so the consensus of the pre-Nicene Church, as the likes of Irenaeus and Church historian Eusebius affirm, as of course does the last book in the bible, albeit symbolically. But Paul and Jesus’ prophecies also accord with historical reality, but especially in the Latter’s case also bring reasons to be cheerful. If the labour pains seem to be growing, the baby must be on its way, being “the restoration of all things”.

So, when you observe these calamities, know that it is near, even at the door.

יִצְחָ֔ק

²⁰ Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honour while others are for dishonour. ²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from (what is dishonourable), he will be an implement for honour, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work (2Tim2:20-21).

Paul’s illustration concerns the significance of personal holiness and sanctification. The context is not directly evangelistic (Paul’s teaching rarely is – he is writing pastoral letters). The “large house” is referring to the Church – not a building as such but the people the Apostle Peter describes as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” (1Pet2:9) Those within the Church who diligently cleanse themselves from impurity and sin become vessels (or implements) fit for honourable use by the Master.

This process of purification pertains to turning away from unrighteousness and a  pursuing righteousness in all aspects of life. Those who are sanctified and made holy show themselves to be vessels of honour – instruments useful to the Master. Such usefulness cannot merely be an internal spirituality but also a readiness for every good work that God has “prepared in advance for His people to walk in” (Eph2:10).

As the preceding passage indicates, by no means all within the Church are honourable vessels: “Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place; and they are jeopardizing the faith of some” (vv17,18). Paul goes on to add, “But the Lord knows those who are His”(v19), indicating of course that some within the visible Church are not His.

A misinterpreted parable

Yet neither are all such “children of the devil, yet some may be. That brings me on to a yet more interesting illustration – that of Jesus Christ’s parable of the darnel/tares/weeds planted by the evil one (Mt13:24-30). So many commentators appear wrongly to understand that Jesus is referring to the Church, whereas it is Paul’s illustration above that refers to the Church. There can be no argument, for in this instance the Lord explains the meaning of His parable to the disciples in vv36-43.

The key verse is 38: the “field” is the world, and Satan has planted his seed within it, whom Jesus describes as the children of the Evil One. This mystery is firstly referred to in the bible in the so-called Protoevangelium: “And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel” (Gen3:15) – an  earlier post explains in a little more detail. Jesus later alludes to this issue of satanic planting in Mt15: “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (v13).

Such “planting” and satanic seeding will make little sense to traducianists (who do not believe the eternal/spiritual essence of man is given to him at birth but is derived from corruptible sperm and ovaries). More generally and widely it will be a mystery to the many who understand there to be two rather than three spiritual categories of mankind, i.e. that everyone who has not been called and chosen to be a disciple of Christ is effectively a child of the devil. Read the Mt13 parable again and it will be evident that does not fit the case if the “field” refers to the world. The matter does not pertain to conversion – i.e. soiled wheat being restored (saved) but the planting of juxtaposing seed  from birth. It pertains to who is of God and who is of the devil (cf. 1Jn3:10).

My book** sets out more conclusively why there are indeed three soteriological categories. That in turn has massive implications to divine providence, in terms of God’s stewardship and purposes for all true humanity. That is why I have focussed more on Jesus’ illustration than Paul’s. But it is the latter that is referring to the Church and its perennial composition whereas the earlier parable pertains to a broader providential mystery that I believe has intentionally been sustained until these last days (cf. Rev10).

**The LITTLE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE: a seven-part synopsis of the bible: – available as a paperback from Amazon or FREELY as a PDF file HERE.

(Timothy), my child, be empowered by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him. ⁵ And if someone likewise ++competes as an athlete, he is not crowned as victor unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. ⁷ Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, ^9]for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. ¹⁰ For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory (2Tim1-10).

Moving on to 2Timothy chapter 2,, in the opening passage Paul reinforces what I have been emphasizing in recent posts concerning the active role of the Christian – in order that “they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (v10). The Christian is to be like a soldier (v4), an athlete competing for a prize (v5 cf. 1Cor9:24) and a hardworking farmer (v6).

But the main point I want to make concerns the likes of Timothy himself and men like him. Paul instructed the one he regarded as his spiritual “child” (v1) to “entrust (his teaching) to faithful men who will be able to teach others also”(v2). Such a didactic principle has implications that as a former Evangelical I gave little thought to, yet in view of Church history it is a vital consideration in determining whether or not we are standing in the Truth. I will quote from my book capitalizing those phrases that most pertain to the issue:

“One needs to reflect upon the MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF PAUL in the middle of the first century: their geographical extent and the numerous individuals that would have been appointed by Paul and his fellow missionaries. Firstly, consider such biblical personages as Timothy (c. AD17-97), Titus (c. AD13-107) and Philemon (timeline uncertain) to whom Paul wrote epistles, and envisage the numerous and worthy men they in turn will have appointed to continue the ministry in accordance with Paul’s instructions. Finally, reflect on the second century Church and its writers and perceive that it is quite impossible that ALL KNOWN WITNESSES FROM THAT ERA COULD HAVE BEEN IN ERROR concerning the essentials of gospel truth.  For 2nd century Irenaeus’ testimony (below) affirms the churches at that time had a reasonably uniform understanding of the essentials of the faith:

“The Church having received this preaching and this faith although scattered throughout the whole world yet as if occupying one house carefully preserves it. She also believes these points of doctrine just as if she had one soul and one and the same heart and proclaims and teaches them and hands them down with perfect harmony as if she only possessed one mouth. For the churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain or Gaul. . . But as the sun, that creature of God is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shines everywhere and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth [Irenaeus against heresies Book I chap. 10 para 2]

Even if such a report of ecclesiological unity were exaggerated, the point is surely made: the essentials of gospel salvation were known and taught by the second and third century churches. We may therefore SAFELY REGARD ANTE-NICENE TEACHING AND PRAXIS AS NORMATIVE, at least FOR MATTERS ESSENTIAL TO GOSPEL SALVATION, allowance being made for a progressive deepening and maturing of the faith over time through the action of the Holy Spirit and the collective sense of the faithful. But any subsequent progressive revelation cannot pertain to the requirements for gospel salvation: its means of initiation and any essential provisions for ongoing sanctification.

Given that it was not until the fourth or fifth century that theology was moulded into any precision and doctrines were systematised utilizing a relatively recently agreed plenary canon of Scripture, the particular interpretations that Late Antiquity exegetes came to when interpreting the abstruse pastoral letters of Paul in particular needed to have been tested against the universal witness of the immediate post-apostolic Fathers. For the latter had not been entirely reliant upon the precarious process of biblical exegesis using texts written in a language with which the Latin Fathers in particular were unfamiliar.

The faith “once for all delivered to the saints” had been received by them either from the apostles themselves or direct appointees such as Timothy. What they had received must have incorporated ALL OF PAUL’S TEACHING THAT WAS ESSENTIAL TO THE PRACTICE OF THE FAITH. It follows that there can be nothing essential to gospel salvation that could be discovered, recovered or re-interpreted by Augustine or any of his successors four centuries later, let alone fifteen centuries later by the Protestant Reformers. It is quite impossible that the second and third century churches could have been uniformly in error concerning such matters as the nature of repentance (that it pertained to moral reform, not acknowledging oneself to be morally bankrupt and hateful to the core) or the economy of grace (that God had provided certain spiritual faculties to fallen man: natural precepts by which he had effectual free will to desire and do some good such as exercise compassion and practice justice, albeit not to be raised to eternal life apart from gospel grace).

It will have been necessary to understand these matters, not only to discern the true essence of human nature and the disposition required for saving faith, but ALSO TO GIVE THE CREATOR DUE PRAISE FOR HIS GRACIOUS MAGNANIMITY TOWARDS THE HUMAN RACE. [Excerpt from The Little Book of Providence chapter five (progressive revelation).]

⁸Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all time, ¹⁰ but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. ¹² For this reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what has been committed to my charge until that day. ¹³ Hold on to the example of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Protect, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the good deposit which has been entrusted to you (2Tim1:8-14)

Death is abolished😲

Moving on to Paul’s second letter to Timothy, I have selected the passage which most impacts upon the subject matter under consideration, being the breadth of God’s benign divine providence. Potentially the most exiting statement is in verse 10, that our Saviour Jesus Christ has abolished death. For sure, most Christians understand that by dealing with mankind’s sin, Jesus opened the way by which individuals might attain to life after death. But that death itself should be “Καταργήσαντος”, i.e. totally eradicated is something truly to thrill the soul.

It is almost too wonderful to relate, albeit clearly there are aspects to Christ’s victory over death that have yet to be realized – but they were inaugurated at Calvary. And for the Christian that starts with abolishing what Paul describes as “the body of this death” (Rom7:24), by which aided by the Holy Spirit the believer is enabled to “put to death the deeds of the body and Live” (Rom8:13) – a subject covered in an earlier post.

Elective grace

The other highlighted phrases pertain to matters to which  I have also frequently referred. Firstly (verse 9), that a Christian’s calling is by grace alone. It has no reference to the performance of good works or God’s foreknowledge that an individual would of his own volition forsake the earthly aspirations he had for his own life and choose the narrow, arduous path of following Christ. Now that would be the ultimate good work – never a matter of grace alone. Saul of Tarsus was himself the classic example of elective grace, being the archenemy of Christ and his people up to the point of his conversion.

But the related point being made is that it is only the calling that is all of grace, not going on to complete the course, or in Paul’s language, winning “the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil3:14). What? Did you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win! (1Cor9:24).

Perseverance of the saints?

That leads on to my second point  that the doctrine of guaranteed perseverance of the saints is a no-no. [If you still think otherwise, wait till we get to Hebrews, albeit it should be evident enough from the tenor and tone of Paul’s letters on the subject]. For 28 years I did think otherwise, and in the context of 2Tim as a young Evangelical I remember singing with gusto “I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day”. Refer to verse 12 (above) and see how that statement of Paul’s is better translated (the Complete Jewish Bible and Mounce’s Revers Interlinear concur).

The Greek text and context make it clear – Paul is not referring to what a believer has committed to God but to what God has entrusted to him (τὴν παραθήκην μου φυλάξαι). And that does not refer to all believers – Paul is alluding to his calling as an apostle (v11) – a deposit that God has committed to his charge, likewise the good deposit that Timothy has received to be a leader within the Church (v14). It has no direct reference to personal assurance of salvation.

God’s equitable justice

These points (galling for many) concerning calling and perseverance need to be reaffirmed as they are essential to demonstrating God’s fairness and munificent providence as well as resolving the related  “divine justice/predestination/free will” conundrum considered in more detail in a recent post.

That longed-for resolution also hangs on the fact that there are not two but three soteriological outcomes, alluded to as recently as the previous post  under the subheading “God is good”. But then affirming God’s divine benevolence is pivotal to everything I write, together with the blessings that flows from it towards His whole creation, and “especially those who believe” (1Tim4:10 cf. Enoch93:10Charles).

*The LITTLE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE: a seven-part synopsis of the bible: – available as a paperback from Amazon or FREELY as a PDF file https://richard-777.blog/free-download-of-pdf/

⁶ But (a widow) who indulges herself in luxury is dead, even while she lives. ⁷Give these instructions as well, so that they may be above reproach. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1Tim5:6-8)

⁶ Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. ⁷ For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. ⁸ If we have food and ^[g]covering, with these we should be content. ⁹ But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1Tim6:6-10)

Context

1 Timothy 5 concerns respectful interactions within the church, especially regarding elders and  widows. The final chapter (6) provides instruction and advice to leaders such as Timothy as to how they should minister to their flock.

Unlike Paul’s comment in the previous chapter/post concerning God being the Saviour of all humanity, there is nothing in these final two chapters of the apostle’s first letter to Timothy that directly impacts upon the broader benign providence I am explicating. Having said that I have quoted a couple of short passages from each chapter which do have a bearing on the subject. That is because they indicate the nature of true saving faith as opposed to  what many (including myself in the past) understand by “getting saved”. The all-of-grace, faith-alone, once-saved-always-saved portrayal is  challenged by so much that Paul has written – the above two excerpts from these two chapters are just examples.

God is good

And this is wonderful news for humanity – Evangelicals (in particular) have it wrong. Luther and Calvin were wrong: God is good, even from a human perspective. He is fair to all; we are to be judged by what we do and in light of what we know, not by whether or not we have confidence that Christ died FOR ME, or are “resting in the Saviour’s merits” or “looking to the finished work of Christ and appropriating it to myself” or suchlike. Likewise, Augustine’s assertion that the vast swathe of humanity is to be damned is a travesty. As his Church now acknowledge, all people of good will may “go to heaven when they die”, regardless of their religion. But only those God calls into the true Church  shall receive the divine teaching and sacramental provision such that if they are faithful to the Way they shall be fitted to rule and reign with Christ as His corporate Spouse. The truly evil  will not be pardoned  but shall be punished in  Hell, fairly and proportionately. Of these, the totally unsalvable who have lost any semblance to the divine image (i.e. they’re no longer truly human, so unsaltable) shall be punished and then eradicated. And so, as per the previous post re 1Tim4, God is indeed the Saviour of all true humanity, but especially to those who believe.

Not faith alone

But as just indicated, gospel salvation does not pertain to faith alone. Paul warns in chapter five that the rich widow who lives merely to indulge herself in luxury “is dead whilst she lives” (5:6). That is regardless of whether she believes Christ has died for her sins, or else Paul would be misrepresenting the truth. The man who neglects his own household (still more the needs of others), can “believe” what he likes, but he has denied the Faith (5:8). It is crucial to recognize (many commentaries do not) that Paul is not saying these people are merely ungrateful or set bad examples, they are “dead” and rejectors of the Faith. That indicates that “the Faith” cannot consist merely of believing, but of acting and living out one’s life as a saint (i.e. one set apart to be holy).

Whilst Luther acknowledged that it was appropriate, respectful and an act of gratitude for a Christian to be holy and do good works, he believed these did not in any sense contribute to their salvation. On the contrary, said he,  “if men only believe enough in Christ they can commit adultery and murder a thousand times a day without periling their salvation”. Ok, this was intentional hyperbole, but the point is it totally misrepresents Paul’s writing and turns Christ’s teaching on its head. “The Faith” is not about believing alone, but doing and being, such that men and women who entirely fail to live in accordance with Christ’s teaching have departed from the Faith. Luther’s serial killing adulterer had seemingly not departed as long as he “believed strongly enough in Christ” or was convinced Christ had died for His sins. This, as I have been showing, is a travesty.

Good News for the poor

Moving on to the quote from chapter 6, any version of Christianity that infers that financial prosperity is systemic to Christian discipleship is at best suspect, at worst apostate. Godliness with contentment is the attitude of the true Faith (6:6). If Christians who are rich use their resources well, that is a good thing, but the idea of becoming a disciple of Christ to attain prosperity diametrically opposes Christ’s own teaching – the desire for material wealth in this life being a form of idolatry (Col3:5).

Worthy of praise

I write these things, not deliberately to disturb or annoy people of my former ilk, but because the all-of-grace theology I grew up with results in eschatological outcomes that debauch God’s munificent providence in terms of His dealings and designs for those He has created in His own image. My apologies to any I have offended, but the Psalmist was right: the God of the bible is intelligibly good and worthy of everybody’s praise: “O praise the Lord, all you nations: praise Him, all you people” (Ps117:1).

The LITTLE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE: a seven-part synopsis of the bible: – available as a paperback from Amazon or FREELY as a PDF file https://richard-777.blog/free-download-of-pdf/

Author’s Facebook page HERE

⁹ It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. ¹⁰ For it is for this we labour and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Saviour of all mankind, ESPECIALLY of believers (1Tim4:9-10)

Many Christians, not least those of my former ilk, have problems with these two verses from 1Timothy concerning God being the Saviour of all mankind ESPECIALLY of those who believe. It appears to undermine many Christians’ raison d’être, indeed the very purpose of the gospel as they understand it. As a former Evangelical myself I remember questioning my pastor about the verse. I was assured that theologians were working on the matter; the matter being the meaning of “μάλιστα” rightly translated as I have quoted from the NASB as “especially”. Presumably, these theologians are still working on it for “μάλιστα” is “μάλιστα” – it can only be translated as “especially” or some very similar synonym/phrase such as “chiefly” or “most of all”. It cannot be translated as “specifically”, “exclusively” or “that is” which is what many would have expected Paul to have written in this context. The Greek word’s usage can be verified by examining every occurrence of μάλιστα^G3122 in the New Testament on bible hub and noting that in all cases it can only sensibly mean what has just been stated.

Other attempts to explain this verse in the context of traditional binary soteriology include the notion that Paul is referring on the one hand to human life and on the other to a soul’s eternal destiny. The problem is that whilst God certainly sustains all life, He does not in any sense save everybody from the disasters of life, even from an early grave. A significant proportion historically have through no fault of their own or their parents failed to survive infancy. Paul must therefore be referring to people’s eternal estate. For, after all, why did God create man in His own image in the first place? It was surely that as the pinnacle of His creation along with the angels, we should come to know Him, worship Him and enjoy Him – if not in this life, then in that which follows.

Others argue that Paul meant that God is the only One who can save anyone. But note, Paul is referring here to God the Father as Saviour, not Jesus Christ, who is indeed the only One by whom any can be saved (in the gospel sense). But regardless of that – “μάλιστα” (=especially) simply cannot be made to fit that meaning. Others again (μάλιστα😊 Arminian Evangelicals) say Paul is making the point that Christ’s atonement was unlimited – He died for all. He did, but, as they would agree, only those who come to know Him as their personal Saviour are saved in the gospel sense. So again, μάλιστα” cannot be made to fit the bill.

No, either Paul is being dangerously clumsy with his wording, or he is theologically unsound (in which case we cannot really trust his teaching at all) OR he means exactly what he writes. That is effectively that there is salvation and there is SALVATION – which is precisely the case I have been making throughout. The latter is what I mean by gospel salvation, the sacramental and teaching provisions for which are only available in the Church. But then as I have been reminded of only today watching Pope Francis’ funeral, the Church (Paul’s “household of God”) is itself meant to be as saving sacrament for the world. Not only because it propagates a saving message, but because, as the late Pope’s life and legacy epitomized,  it is intended to be  an expression of God’s love and paternal care for the world.

Through its charitable agencies (such as RCC’s CAFOD), the Church seeks to remedy the consequences of famine, natural disaster and social injustice that have always beset the current age. Yet, as with the Jews in the Old Testament, the Church is described as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession”. A priesthood for whom, do we imagine? It can only be for the rest of the world. God’s intention is to restore our planet, not for His chosen people alone but through His chosen people. Yet in the process the Church (i.e. its true members) are “saved” in a special sense, so that they might be equipped to serve God and be a blessing to humanity in the present age, whilst being fitted for a  yet more glorious role as the corporate bride of Christ in the age to come.

Salvation for all?

My task has been to explicate a vastly broader benign providence than traditional bible-based Christianity has previously envisaged, not to make the case for absolute universalism. Paul on the other hand could be, here in 1Tim4:10 and a couple of chapters earlier regarding God’s wish all people are saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (2:4). He may have been given personal insights concerning what is to happen in future epochs (cf. Eph2:7). Unlike him, I have not been “caught up into paradise to hear unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2Cor12:4). I have to rely on what has been at least implicated in Scripture. So going back to Jesus’s teaching, He indicates that some people are  beyond salvation (Mk9:50). That implies they could never repent or change from what they have become – whatever enlightening or post-mortem processing they might receive. They refuse to be saved.

Yet even if that is the case, God can still be regarded as the Saviour of all humanity. For, if given further opportunity to repent and having been enlightened with gospel truth (which is assuredly not the case for the majority in this life  – cf. 1Pet4:6), a soul still refuses to acquiesce, God, however loving, would not force anyone against their will to act and be what they are incapable of doing and being – most especially to love and serve Christ. But then such a soul might no longer be regarded as fully human – if there is not so much as a flicker of resemblance to the divine image, at the heart of which is love. And so, it could be said, for all true humanity, God is their Saviour, but more immediately and gloriously so for those who having believed (and shared in Christ’s suffering), become the heirs of God and co-heirs with His Son (Rom8:17).    

*The LITTLE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE: a seven-part synopsis of the bible: – available as a paperback from Amazon or FREELY as a PDF file  HERE

Author’s Facebook page HERE

3 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of bishop, it is a fine work he desires to do. ² A bishop, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skilful in teaching, ³ not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. ⁴ He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity ⁵ (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), ⁶  not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil. ⁷ And he must have a good reputation with those outside, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil. ⁸ Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not insincere, not prone to drink much wine, not greedy for money, ⁹ but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰ These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. ¹¹ Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. ¹² Deacons must be husbands of one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵ but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth  (1Tim3:1-15)

Bishops and deacons

In the context of what this project is about I am not especially interested in what is required of a good bishop or deacon. All I will say is that Paul’s requirements are exactly what one would expect them to be. Indeed all, apart from the ability to teach and provide leadership, are qualities one would expect to be realized by those who are the elect of God. Attributes required for those who would be leaders within the Church is undoubtedly the focal point of the passage, but as is  often the case, it is more peripheral comments that draw themselves to my attention, for they more directly affect the issue at hand, being the breadth of God’s benign providence.

The household of God

That must include Paul’s description of the Church in verse 15 – the “household of God” and the “pillar and foundation of the truth”. It is the former for its inhabitants are intended to become the kith and kin of Jesus Christ: “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from One; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers” (Heb2:11). I say “intended to become” for clearly far from all the current members of the “household” shall attain to such glory, for many have been called into the Church but relatively few shall be chosen (Mt22:14).

Paul regarded all within the Church who have been baptized as having been saved – “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life” (Rom6:3-4).

But not all do walk “in newness of life”, for many, not least in the true Apostolic churches (East and West), were baptized as infants and brought up as children of the Church but have subsequently chosen a different path for their life. As for those that remain: “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honour while others are for dishonour. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from (wickedness), he will be an implement for honour, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2Tim2:19-21)

Evaluating the cost of discipleship

But then Christian discipleship is not for everyone. Jesus cautioned about even contemplating it without a careful evaluation of the pros and cons: “If anyone comes to Me and does not put Me before his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ (Lk14:26-30).

Note the Lord’s reference to calculating the cost. In all seriousness, how can this possibly be referring to “avoid going to hell when you die”? What evaluation is need for that? As I have been explaining from the rest of Scripture that is not the issue here. It is not that to which the Gospel pertains. However, to become “an heir of God and joint heir with Christ certainly is (Rom8:17). None shall attain to it unless they are prepared to “lose their life so that they might find it” (Mt16:25)  being one of the proportional few who have been “predestined to become conformed to the image of God’s Son” (Rom8:29).

The pillar and foundation of the truth

In terms of this subheading, I used to regard that as the bible. Not so, says Paul – the Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. And any who have studied the writings of the early Church Fathers will know that that was God’s intention. For the first few centuries of the Christian era there was no unified or agreed cannon of scripture. Even thereafter it was never intended that gospel truth be determined by personal interpretations of the bible but  from a faithful and ecclesiological transmission of the deposit of faith, both written and oral tradition (2Thes2:15). The sole sacred depository of that faith was the Holy Catholic Church. Her task was to guard, preserve and teach that deposit which she rightly asserts is immutable.

Faithful to the Deposit?

But here is where a problem arises, for there are aspects concerning that deposit which I have been shown were not protected but rather mutated, not exclusively but primarily through the influence of one Aurelius Augustinus (AD354-430). He shortly after his conversion (from Manichaeism) became Bishop of Hippo, and is formally recognized within Roman Catholicism as a saint of highest esteem – a Doctor of the Church. Truly, my conscience will not permit me to accede, believing as I do that he subverted the earliest Church’s teaching on key issues such as free will, natural law (innate spiritual faculties), human nature after the Fall, the economy of grace, premillennialism and the role of Torah in the Old Testament, combinedly turning the God who is Love’s munificent providence into a cosmic horror show.  A short summary of my convictions expressed in a thesis is to be found HERE.

Yet I have remained a member of his church, knowing her to be the western flank of the true “household of God”, which as Christ promised to Peter would never be entirely prevailed against. She along with the Eastern Orthodox Churches, regardless of doctrinal differences (i.e. errors) and mysteries yet to be unravelled, provide now and have always provided everything that is necessary in terms of sacrament and teaching for faithful followers of Christ to become fitted for a glorious inheritance as the elect of God.

Scripture – Catalyst for error, arbiter for truth

When one has concluded that even the true church has fallen into error, largely through key theologians misinterpreting Scripture during its most formative years in terms of formalizing doctrine for posterity, one perceives how the bible can be a catalyst for error. But, thanks be to God, it is also an arbiter for truth. If any doctrine appears to make God out to be a Monster, inflicting “mild sensual pain” upon unbaptized infants through the ages (a la Augustine) and predetermining that the bulk of humanity should experience an eternity in hell “so that it might be shown what had been due to all” (ditto), yet at the same time (rightly) declaring that our loving Saviour Jesus Christ was the exact and express image of God His Father in nature and predisposition, we have to conclude certain doctrine to be in error. And whilst the outworking of Augustine’s narrow, fatalistic soteriology may have become abhorrent to post-Conciliar Catholic ears, the scriptural interpretations that lay behind it are still evident in the Bible translations utilized by Catholics and in various references within the Catechism, and  of course the man himself is still highly revered.

This is still more called into question when having examined the writings of those who were tutored either by the apostles themselves, or by the likes of Timothy, Philemon and Jude or their immediate appointees, we find they presented a God who was very different in nature and intentions to Augustine’s. Is this an oversimplification? Possibly, given that I am certainly a simpleton in comparison to the indisputably august Doctor of Grace. Nevertheless, a reading of, say all known 2^nd and 3^rd century theologians and Church historians should affirm that I am broadly correct, and these days such study is easily and cheaply achievable thanks to the internet.

So having said the bible is the final arbiter of truth, it is still not scripture alone. Reference to the early Fathers’ writing is also required to understand what had been explained to them as gospel truth, and (certainly in my case) to determine which is the true “household of God” – the Church where alone are dispensed the mysteries of heavenly grace.

Yours truly

As for what I do and am doing in this post, it is most irregular. I would not dare attempt it if I were not clear I had received a prophetic calling to do so. Here I stand… oh but we won’t go there – my aims could hardly be further removed from the one who famously made that utterance, not merely in terms of theology, but regarding what I intend should be the final configuration of the churches (Jn17:11).

The LITTLE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE: a seven-part synopsis of the bible: – available as a paperback from Amazon or FREELY as a PDF file https://richard-777.blog/free-download-of-pdf/

Author’s Facebook page HERE

⁸ Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and dispute. ⁹ Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel, ¹⁰ but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. ¹¹ A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ¹³ For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was ^[i]deceived and  has become a wrongdoer. ¹⁵ But she will be saved through childbirth—if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation (1Tim2:8-15)

Unlike Paul, I have no pastoral responsibilities in the Church whatsoever, so I will only comment briefly on the apostle’s teaching concerning how women should behave in Church. I keep an open mind as to whether Paul’s teaching should be taken as a timeless injunction or adapted for the world as it is today – the Genesis reference suggests to me it cannot be treated as entirely anachronistic. I am more interested in Paul’s theological reasoning behind his views on women, starting with who ultimately was responsible for the Fall. Humanly speaking it was indeed Eve, but to be fair it was she rather than Adam that Satan targeted for his deception, and she  then went on to persuade her husband. If Adam had been targeted, he might have done likewise, but Satan went for Eve and Paul at least would be clear in his mind why that should be (v13).

Ultimate responsibility

In terms of who was ultimately responsible for the Eden incident I’m also with Paul:

¹⁸“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, ²¹in the expectation (ἑλπίδι^G1680) that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom8:18-21).

The final verse is consistent with the broader benign providence I have been presenting. Verse 20, which must relate to the Fall, does not make God the author of sin. Being sovereign and omniscient He would have foreseen Satan’s deception and our first parents falling for it, but He permitted events to take their course knowing it to be the means by which His purposes for humanity would best be fulfilled. The previous post explains the divine rationale in more detail which I won’t repeat here.

Saved by childbirth

In terms of 1 Tim2:15 and women being “saved by childbirth”, I do not pretend to be certain of the matter, but applying a principle I frequently refer to, including in the previous post, I would make the following suggestions. Firstly, contrary to some bible translations, I believe Paul is referring to gospel salvation – but not getting saved but staying saved. Contrary to what I once believed (once saved / always saved), perseverance is by no means guaranteed – it is not “all of grace” whereas calling and initially responding in faith to the message of the gospel is – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph2:8-9). The women Paul refers to had been saved and were in the Church, that is why he goes on to write “if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity”, etc. That in itself indicates that Paul did not believe in “the perseverance of the saints”, and he believed that in view of Genesis’ creation order and women’s role in the Fall, they were innately more likely to fail in the Faith than men.

Single is better

This is where the contents of the previous post are brought to bear. But firstly, Paul cannot be inferring that it is preferable or essential for women to have children, for elsewhere he writes that ideally, like men, they should remain single in order best to serve the Lord (1Cor7:34). But whether a woman has children or remains a virgin, they have one thing in common through their child-bearing faculties: pain and discomfort. Whether it be the agony of bringing forth a child, or periods and menopause, the result, albeit to varying degrees, is suffering, which Jesus in particular equates to “salting”. As the previous post explains, suffering is the prerequisite for glory, as indeed does Heb2:9-10 with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ and Rom8:17 regarding His followers. Indeed, Heb2:9 states categorically that the Man Christ Jesus, having been made (like us) a little lower than the angels was crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of His death (Greek interlinear), and that is effectively reaffirmed in the verse that follows (10): “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY, to PERFECT the Originator of their salvation THROUGH SUFFERINGS”.

SALVATION and salvation

As I have explained more extensively, the glory that comes with being a joint-heir with Christ is the outcome, purpose and intention of gospel salvation. It results from those who have been predestined to it being enabled to relate to God whilst in mortal flesh and be provided with the spiritual resources and divine teaching to become conformed to the image of His Son (Rom8:29). This is what elsewhere Paul refers to as the “prize of the high calling of God” (Phil3:14) – and far from being all of grace (apart from the calling), he describes it as being like an athlete competing in a race for a prize that few will attain (1Cor9:24).

That is what I mean by “SALVATION”, but it is not the “salvation” referred to in 1Tim that God wishes all to attain, albeit the lower case version is glorious enough and just as gracious and magnanimous on God’s part. All salvation ultimately relates to be delivered from a corruptible body and environment to have a place in God’s eternal kingdom, the salvific distinction pertaining to capacity and timing . Far from detracting from “God’s gospel of grace”, such broader benign providence surely magnifies it – affirming John’s truly Good News that God did not send Christ into the world to condemn the world but that through Him the world might be saved.

The LITTLE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE: a seven-part synopsis of the bible: – available as a paperback from Amazon or FREELY as a PDF HERE  

2 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all people, ² for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a TRANQUIL AND QUIET LIFE in all godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, ⁴ who desires that  ALL PEOPLE ARE saved AND TO COME TO A RECOGNITION OF THE TRUTH. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom FOR ALL, the  EVIDENCE FOR WHICH IS TO BE GIVEN at the proper time. ⁷ For this I was appointed as a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth (1Tim2:1-7).

Saviour of all?

First of all, then, it is to be noted that Paul urges prayer to be made for all people, most especially those in authority. That is because his desire for the Church of God is that it can live peaceably within the community “with all goodness and dignity” – a sentiment to which I would add nothing. What is of course more interesting is what the apostle goes on to write in verse 4 – that God our Saviour desires/wishes/intends that all people be  “σωθῆναι”   which I along with most bibles have translated as “saved”. You will note I have used lower case within the highlighted phrase (above), for as I have been explaining, there is salvation and there is SALVATION – and this is not referring to the latter, at least not in the context of the current age.

God does not intend that all come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in the present; He has ensured that it cannot happen. That is the consequence of Paul’s teaching on predestination, namely that as a result of the Fall men and women are innately incapable of coming to a saving knowledge of  Jesus Christ. It is a matter of grace and sovereign Choice.  Paul was a classic example, he was in the business of destroying Jesus Christ and His people at the point of his conversion. More generally, as Jesus Himself put it, “No one can come to Me except the Father who sent Me draw him” (Jn6:44) – a concept repeated numerous times and  in numerous ways by the Apostle Paul. Those who reject or disregard that teaching cannot really claim to be “bible-believing Christians”. Their problem is, taking on board that scriptural precept makes no sense at all if one believes that one is either saved or damned. Especially with  a God like this, who is described by John as love personified (1Jn4:8), and who desires that all people are “σῴζω”. As in English, the Greek word for “saved” has a range of meanings. Systemically σῴζω^G4982  relates to the idea of  RESCUE, and in our context, as most Christians would agree, it pertains to rescue from the impact of the Fall.

Given that God is sovereign, what He desires or wishes must come to pass. And Paul is saying that God wishes that all eventually come to acknowledge the Truth, especially (no doubt) concerning the Lord Jesus Christ – who He is and what He has done on mankind’s behalf. Most will not have grasped the matter and acted upon it in their lifetime, so they will not have been prepared to receive and experience what the elect of God shall experience as “the Bride of Christ”. Nevertheless, many shall (like the Mt25 sheep) be graciously admitted to God’s eternal Kingdom, in the process being reunited with those they have loved and lost in life. They can then be prepared and fitted for whatever God has planned for the human race in the ages to come, which is assuredly not “Requiem Aeternum” – that pertains to spirits who having cast off their mortal coil and are described in Scripture as being asleep – prior to the resurrection and glorification of their bodies. For those who, by grace alone, were called into the Church and persevered in the faith, their preparation will already have taken place, hence their more immediate role with Christ within the kingdom He is to establish  at His coming (cf. Eph1:10).

The mystery of evil

As ever, there is a third grouping. They shall not acknowledge the Truth even when it is clearly presented to them, nor shall they respond positively to the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ at His coming. For such are “vessels fitted for destruction” that Paul describes in Romans chapter nine. As such they lack the innate capacity or inclination to acknowledge the One who is the summation of goodness, having known only evil and falsehood in their lives. Such shall be punished fairly and proportionally and in accordance with their capability. For Paul clearly states that their souls or spiritual vessels were κατηρτισμένα^G2675 – i.e. adjusted or adapted for the purpose of committing evil (Rom9:22). Though created by God they were not planted by Him but by Satan (Mt15:13; Mt13:38;1Jn3:12).

Believe it or not, their creation was a wondrous act of love on God’s part. That was in view of the consequences for the Godhead: the Word of God condescending to become a Man, who would suffer terrible afflictions and die in His thirties so as to deal with the outcome. But our God is neither a sadist nor a masochist – He permitted the Fall and exacerbated it with the creation of these barely human reprobates because, as we shall see, it was necessary  in order for true humanity to fulfil its glorious destiny. These people, who look like but do not properly act as members of the human race might be defined in secular terms as as psychopaths. In many cases like the example of Pharoah in Rom9, they are people of wealth and privilege. As such, they may well receive the adoration of many in their lifetime  – that is until their true legacy is laid bare.

Being devoid of conscience, compassion and truth, there is no (Rom7-style) inner conflict that the unconverted Saul of Tarsus had experienced. Their flesh (i.e. body and brain) and their ill-functioning spirit being united in evil ensure this eluded sub-category of sinners are free indeed to carry out their narcissistic and invariably destructive activity. Yet like Satan himself they serve an essential purpose within God’s extraordinary plan for humanity, concerning which some of His angels, following Lucifer’s lead, rebelled and fell. The rest accepted the unexpected new pecking order (cf. Heb2:5) which was a direct result of One who was superior to all angels being incarnated as a Man, then sanctifying others such that  “both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified ARE ALL OF ONE: for which cause (Christ) is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb2:11). Faithful angels are nevertheless captivated, ever desiring “to look into the matter” (1Pet1:12).