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I'm sorry, but I don't see a single word in there talking about dooming the majority of humanity for all of eternity.
Sort of. "God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS" God is the one that actually does the punishment.But only those who are unrepentant
I think this verse does make the point that we are the ones responsible for our own fate considering the contrast between eternal life and receiving God’s wrath.
Sort of. "God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS" God is the one that actually does the punishment.
Please remember what I was responding to. A common accusation is that eternal torment is not a reasonable punishment. One response is that God doesn't torment anyone, he just gives them what they want, which is to not be with him.
I'm not sure that's the argument you're making. You're saying that God's punishments are based on people's choice, but you're not denying that God is the one that torments them eternally, or at least arranges for them to be.
Right. But Rev uses these names as insults for people who said just what Paul said.
The point of that post was to indicate that we are responsible for our own fate and the contrast between those who repent, persevere and receive eternal life and those who don’t repent receive God’s wrath makes a pretty strong case.
Hebrews is indeed a wholesome source of doctrine for edification, with Old Testament examples adding strongly to the direction of the teaching.Obviously I do not agree with you. Just one Bible verse - there are others:
Hebrews 10
"28Anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?…"
Mercy and grace are utterly undeserved. God is not obliged to save anyone. That He does is a testimony to His great love. But those who refuse Him in this life will have to live with the consequences in the next.
Not sure I understand his point either...Hi FineLinen,
I'm not sure I'm understanding your point in relation to you quoting my post...
It seems to me that we miss a vital point when discussing the issue of unbelievers. They are dead in trespass and sin. Who would bring a dead person to their party? Who wants to have dead people as house guests? Who wants to adopt dead people into their family?Yes I apologize I didn’t see the post you were replying to. I do believe in eternal torment for unbelievers. As for the question is eternal punishment reasonable we would have to ask the question why is it necessary. Unfortunately we don’t know why God has deemed it to be this way but if we trust that He loves us and that He knows what is best for us then we should trust that there is a perfectly good explanation why He has deemed that the punishment must be eternal. He certainly doesn’t owe us any explanation.
Mocking is not edifying. Whatever the exact fate of unbelievers, it is not a good place to be. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.No no no MM. Your friend has failed to distinguish between the active and passive divine will. God merely abandons unbelievers and sinners to the hideous place of torment they've chosen, like politicians who go to Canberra. Jesus then then employs those keys to lock them down proper.
Can we do a meme with Jesus saying to the doomed, 'I go to prepare a place for you' while holding a flamethrower?
Mocking is not edifying. Whatever the exact fate of unbelievers, it is not a good place to be. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
And if you are wrong? Telling the world that they don't have to worry, they'll make it i to heaven anyway? When the word of god clearly states the contrary? I do not believe in the fire, dungeons and demons depiction of hell. I do believe that the word of God states that man and God can only be reconciled in this life. It is surely a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.There are exceptions. I'll use any and all methods to try to disabuse ppl of the satanic notion that God condemns or abandons unbelievers to eternal damnation. Why? Because it's a nasty slur against His holy name, His divine power, His plan, His sacrifices etc, and it enthrones a normative principle that wreaks destruction on human relationships (as history has amply shown) ie 'If you don't love me back then to hell with you!' Seven times seventy flavours of WRONG.
And if you are wrong? Telling the world that they don't have to worry, they'll make it i to heaven anyway? When the word of god clearly states the contrary? I do not believe in the fire, dungeons and demons depiction of hell. I do believe that the word of God states that man and God can only be reconciled in this life. It is surely a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
People love sin. It is them. It is as natural as breathing and only the power of the Holy Spirit can bring conviction. Then what? You tell them that there are no consequences? You tell them its all OK, that that it is pointless to be born again? Oh, it's so we can have a better life now. Rubbish. Try telling that to a potential Christian in Afghanistan. They put everything on the line for Christ. Oh, big deal. God just whitewashes the murderers and we all become one happy family? No way.
People are born dead. Apart from Christ, they remain dead. There is no second chance.
How come it does not work in reality? There were two thieves next to Jesus. One mocked, the other repented. You don't get much closer to God than those two.Well, if my eschatology is cactus, so's my soteriology. The message I try to impress upon ppl when evangelising is (at least) that the work of the cross is God showing us that no matter how far the forces of evil (both within and without) can go to destroy, He will always go further to save. Now that message is fundamentally incompatible with a God who condemns to infinite exquisite punishment if you don't play by the rules.
God wins by converting His enemies into His friends. Even the hardest heart melts like wax in the divine presence. Cleansed and renewed, the repentance begins, the criminal is transformed and falls down before his victim begging forgiveness in all contrition. And then the healing process begins. It's not rocket surgery, it's Jesus' modus operandi throughout the Gospels.
How come it does not work in reality? There were two thieves next to Jesus. One mocked, the other repented. You don't get much closer to God than those two.
Earthly example:
You are invited to a dinner party hosted by the person on earth with whom you have absolutely no desire to be with. You don’t want to hear what he has say. You don’t want to spend any time with him. You have avoided him your entire life and you don’t even like the people who like him. No matter how good the food and wines are supposed to be, it’s him you detest. Would you still go? Would it be fair if he forced or tricked you into going? Would that be just? Would you even enjoy yourself (with all that good food and wine) if he were there?
I don’t think so.
I don’t believe anyone who rejects God their entire life will have a change in attitude after death. Hell, in whatever form it will be, may bring misery but it won’t bring love for God.
By the way, I used that example because I was forced to attend such a dinner once. The food and drinks might have been good but I don’t remember because I didn’t want to be there for all of the reasons I listed above.
Scripture does NOT say that all will bow "in reverent love for their Maker." etc.....God's grace and kindness eventually overcome all false opposition. The prodigal son returns, the demons submit, every knee bows every tongue confesses. His salvation is the omega plan.
The question is not whether "exomolegeo" is positive or not. The usual UR argument claims that "exomolegeo' means "wholly out from," intensifying 3670 /homologéō, "say the same thing about") – properly, fully agree and to acknowledge that agreement openly (whole-heartedly); hence, to confess ("openly declare"), without reservation (no holding back)."The word "confess" does have some ambiguity. TDNT cites Rom 15:7-13, where 15:9 is clearly a positive meaning of confession. I would cite 1 Cor 15:24-28, where everyone is subject to Christ in the same sense that Christ is subject to God. The enemies have been disposed of before that.
I don't think citing non-Pauline sources is all that helpful in determining Paul's meaning, since there is a variety of concepts of judgement in the NT.
The other two uses of ἐξομολογέω in Paul are Rom 14:11 and 15:9, both of which are clearly positive.
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