The Unpardonable Sin - What is it?

"Therefore I am saying to you, 'Every sin and blasphemy shall be pardoned men, yet the blasphemy of the spirit shall not be pardoned. And whosoever may be saying a word against the Son of Mankind, it will be pardoned him, yet whoever may be saying aught against the holy spirit, it shall not be pardoned him, neither in this eon nor in that which is impending." (Matthew 12:31-32)

This verse scares the crap out of some folks. They are not sure what it means but have been told by Christianity that it is unpardonable SIN, and anyone who commits it can’t be saved and will be tortured in hell forever.

But here is what the above verse means to me in a nutshell:

1. The "Holy Spirit" is the "spirit of truth" (John 16:3)

2. “No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord', except by the Holy Spirit “
(1 Corinthians 12:3)

3. Christ Jesus is "the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).

4. "...when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth..." (John 16:3)

Failing to believe the "truth" about Christ Jesus as revealed by the "Holy Spirit" is never forgiven anyone (Jew, Gentile or Christians) in this age or the next - it is blasphemy of spirit!  However, in the next age ALL HUMANS will know the truth and confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.

"Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)

Fuel For The Fire

“…be filled with the knowledge of His will…” (Colossians 1:10)

19 years ago I began to pray the above prayer for myself. Soon thereafter I began to examine my doctrinal positions.  In doing so I had to face squarely a question I had avoided for the most part - Is it really God’s WILL to separate Himself from unbelievers, keeping them alive eternally to punish and torment them? 

I was determined to be "filled with the knowledge of His will" even if it meant to embrace this doctrine which seemed to me to contradict the love of God. And for 5 years I studied Scripture, and the more I studied, the more it became obvious that this doctrine was not in the original language of His Word.

When the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to punish the people of God who had refused to worship him, he had them thrown into a furnace of fire...

“But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” (Daniel 3:6)

Is our God like Nebuchadnezzar?

When Jesus’s Jewish disciples wanted to reign down fire from heaven and destroy the Samaritans Jesus told them…

"You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:56)

Of what spirit is the doctrine of eternal conscience torment? 

Paul had told Timothy...

"...instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines or devote themselves to myths..." (1 Timothy 1:3-4)

So how did it become a doctrine of the church?

It came by mixing the gospel of Jesus, the Savior of the world with Greek mythology, Greek philosophy and Greek theology - which has brought the institutional churches to a sorry state. Listen to one of the Saints of the Catholic church from the middle ages...

"The blessed in the kingdom of heaven will see the punishments of the damned, in order that their bliss be more delightful for them." - Saint Thomas Aquinas

And hear part of two sermons by Jonathan Edwards, a Protestant preacher whose sermons are still quoted by misguided evangelists in our modern era.

“The view of the misery of the damned will double the ardour of the love and gratitude of the saints of heaven...The sight of hell's torments will exalt the happiness of the saints forever. . .Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell. . . I tell you, yea! Such will be his sense of justice that it will increase rather than diminish his bliss."

These men are insane and their words some of the most heretical blasphemy against God and Christ Jesus ever uttered. We were warned by Paul to avoid these servants of "Satan"...

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

And what will be the end of Saint Thomas and Jonathan Edwards?

"Anathema Maranatha!" (1 Corinthians 16:22; Galatians 1:9)

Meaning - such men are devoted to destruction at the coming of the Lord. They will be judged and cast into the lake of fire for their unbelief (the second death is the lake of fire, not eternal conscious torment although it would be poetic justice).

Paul specifically told Timothy what to "prescribe and teach"…

“As in Adam all die, even so, in Christ, shall all be made alive...this is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…God our Savior WILLS all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who have Himself a ransom for ALL...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL mankind, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Timothy 1:15; 2:3-6; 4:10)

You are not one of the "believers" if you do not teach the above, nor can people be a "believer" who teach the opposite - the myth of eternal conscious torment. 

When I finally became a "believer", it freed me from these "doctrines of demons". 

"But the Spirit explicitly says that in subsequent eras some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)

Rejecting the "doctrines of demons" is the only way to believe the clear statements in the Bible that it is the WILL of God that all be saved and the whole world reconciled to God. Read the Bible with the goal of harmonizing all of it with that WILL.  The truth is that God will be ALL in ALL His creation…according to His grace and mercy!

“...through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross" ... "that God may be All in All.” (Colossians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 15:28)

My faith has not been received well by the institutional church and I have found it is wasting time to argue. However, I will from time to time share my thoughts on the truth they ignore, and I will pray that those who read my thoughts will "ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will"...

“…ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.” (Colossians 1:10)

You cannot please God by believing He will allow eternal torment. Trying to build on Jesus, our "foundation", with such teaching composed of "wood, hay and straw" will fuel the fire that will consume those false teachings when we all stand before Jesus to give an account of what we chose to believe about God.

"Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God...For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved - even though only as one escaping through the flames." (Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

My advice is to stop fueling the fire!

Master of Deception

Satan is the "Adversary" of truth.  God created him to fill that role, and he is really good at his job, having earned a Masters Degree in Deception. Jesus and Paul both warned people about his deception...

"You are of your father, the Adversary, and the desires of your father you are wanting to do. He was a man-killer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, for truth is not in him. Whenever he may be speaking a lie, he is speaking of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it. Yet I -- seeing that I am speaking the truth, you are not believing Me..."..."Satan himself is being transfigured into a messenger of light."  John 8:44-45; 2 Corinthians 11:18 CLNT)

The "Adversary", or Satan, has disguised himself as a "messenger of light", not among the wicked, but among the religious folks.  One of his favorite tools is the mistranslation of Scripture.  For example:

Mistranslation of Greek words into English:

"Aion" and its cognitive adjective "aionios": The Greek words mean "a space of time, an age and age lasting".

Satan, however, influenced theologians to define the words as "eternal" or "everlasting" or "forever and ever" in various places!

"Gehenna': This was a place in the valley of Hinnon, near Jerusalem, where propitiatory sacrifices were made to the god Moloch. It is derived from the Hebrew ge ben Hinnom, the valley of the son of Hinnom.  It was being used as a garbage dump when Jesus was on earth.

Satan, however, influenced theologians to translate the Greek word as "hell", the Greek mythological underworld ruled over by Hades, son of Zeus. 

But his most deceptive victory was getting believers to to mix the good news of the Kingdom promised Israel with the good news of Grace which applies to all mankind. 

Mixing the gospel of the Kingdom with the Gospel of Grace: Paul writes...

"...perceiving that I have been entrusted with the EVANGEL OF THE UNCIRCUMCISION, according as Peter OF THE CIRCUMCISION (For he who operates in Peter for the apostleship of the Circumcision operates in me also for the nations), and, knowing the grace which is being given to me, James and Cephas and John, who are supposed to be pillars, give to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we, indeed, are to be for the nations, yet they for the Circumcision." (Galatians 2:7 CLNT) 

This was not just a matter of to whom Peter and Paul went, but it is a matter of what they taught  - the content of the gospel they were to share.  Both evangels (gospels) are rooted in Jesus but are two different ministries to two separate groups of believers with two separate destinies in this age and the two following ages:

1. Gospel of the Kingdom "for the Circumcision": It is good news for God's covenant nation, Israel. They were to obey the Law of Moses in order to prosper.  They failed but God had promised to send another Prophet like Moses who would restore to earth the Kingdom that God had promised ISRAEL. That Prophet was Jesus, the Messiah.  But they rejected and killed him. And the irony is that his blood that they shed is the very blood that has atoned for their sin.  It is all a part of God's plan, and Jesus promised Israel that he would come again to establish the Kingdom, and bring in the "times of refreshing".

The promises and curses in the Law of Moses, the Levitical Priesthood, the word of the Prophets, and the Pentecostal gifts and miracles are for them and applies directly ONLY to them. As the covenant nation, they are to confess their sin, call upon the name of the Lord, turn from their evil ways, be baptized for the pardon of their sins, and continue to do works of righteousness found in the Law of Moses.  And most importantly, to believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah). His resurrection was the proof to them that he was the Messiah.

"And Jehovah testifies against Israel, and against Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and every seer, saying, ‘Turn back from your evil ways, and keep My commands, My statutes, according to all the law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent unto you by the hand of My servants the prophets."... "Simon Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Now, answering, Jesus said to him, Happy are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood does not reveal it to you, but My Father Who is in the heavens."..."Peter is averring to them, Repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the pardon of your sins...so that the times of refreshing should be coming from the face of the Lord." (2 Kings 17:13 YLT; Matthew 16:16-17 CLNT; Acts 2:38, 3:19 CLNT) 

It is Israel's destiny to rule and reign with Jesus Christ in His Kingdom to be established on this earth during the two ages following this present Age.  The details of the Gospel of the Kingdom for Israel is found in the Books of the Old Testament and the New Testament Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, Jude and Revelation.

2. Gospel of Grace "for the Uncircumcision": It is the good news for all mankind that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again, and the result will be the salvation and reconciliation of all creation . Those of all nations who believe this good news are "placed" in the Body of Christ by God as He "wills". Members of the Body are to share this good news on earth during this present Age and their destiny is in the heavens in the following Ages. Jesus is the Head of the Body and His death on the cross for all sinners, flowing from the love, grace and mercy of God, is the focus of this gospel. Jesus gave the details of this good news first to the Apostle Paul which had been hidden in past Ages. Paul was the worst sinner, and the FIRST member of the Body of Christ..

"To Him who has it in His power to make you strong, as declared in the Good News which I am spreading, and the proclamation concerning Jesus Christ, in harmony with the unveiling of the Truth which in the periods of past Ages remained unuttered." ... "Christ died for our sins according to the scripture, and was entombed, and he has been roused the third day..."... "Faithful is the saying, and deserving of universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; among whom I stand foremost. But mercy was shown me in order that in me as the foremost of sinners Christ Jesus might display the fullness of His long-suffering patience as an example to encourage those who would afterwards be resting their faith on Him with a view to the Life of the Ages. Now to the immortal and invisible King of the Ages, who alone is God, be honor and glory to the Ages of the Ages! Amen." (Romans 16:25 WEH; Timothy 1:15-17 WEH)

All of the details and destiny of the Body of Christ are found in the New Testament Books of Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

Summary of the Deception:

Satan and his "servants" have succeeded in mixing these two gospels to such an extent that the gospels have become "a different gospel, which is really not another". 

"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the GRACE of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ...For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:6-12)

Satan's deception is temporary, for "the truth" of the "redemption" of all mankind will be obvious to all at the end of the ages when all are saved, and all creation reconciled to God.

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins...and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach." ..."This is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things." (Colossians 1:13-22;1 Timothy 4:9-11

Pass on what Paul told us to "teach" so that others might come "to a knowledge of the truth".

"This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-8)

Denied But Not Damned

"...whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)

What is denied is REIGNING with Christ in the ages to come.

"If we endure, we will also REIGN with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:12).

When we are told we are to REIGN with Christ, who are we reigning over if Satan, the fallen angels, and all unbelievers are in hell?

None of God's created beings will be damned forever in the mythological underworld of hell. But they will be reigned over and righteously chastened until all bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord - to the glory of God. 

"As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God...at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11)

And when God's plan for the ages is complete God be "All in all". 

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive...For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet...that God may be All in all." (1 Corinthians 15:20-29).

There has always been a remnant of people who believe God. These all endure to the end of life or the return of Jesus with peace and hope in their heart.  All of them will be raised to REIGN with Christ Jesus over all creation, in perfect righteousness, in the ages to come. Some will reign over this earth and the New Earth.  Some will reign among the heavens.  Their reign will cease only when all creation has been reconciled to God and He is All in all.

Jesus Is Not a Substitute

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sin according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3)

"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross..." (1 Peter 2:24)

The bible does not say sin is a debt that needs to be paid to God, but a result of bad behavior. All die as the result of sin - there are no exceptions, not even Jesus. But Jesus did not die for his own sin, but “for our sins". He “bore our sins in his body on the cross". Jesus IDENTIFIED himself with sinful men to demonstrate God’s love for sinners.

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

In the resurrection of Jesus God has revealed that the death of a sinner will be "swallowed up in Victory" when resurrected - a free gift.

"The wages of sin is DEATH but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD.” (Romans 3:23) 

Almost all Christian theologians teach that when Jesus died on the cross it was as our "substitute" to "pay" for our sin. No, he "bore" the sin of Adam and everyone else, and died "for" Adam's sin and everyone else's, because he had no sin of his own to die for. We will all "die" like Jesus, and be "made alive" like Jesus.

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive...The last enemy to be destroyed is death...so that God may be ALL in ALL....death has been swallowed up in Victory." (1 Corinthians 15:22-29,53)

Did the Rich Man Go To Hell?

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus…the time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.” (Luke 16:19-31)

So is this a historic account of two men, or a parable. A careful examination of the context beginning in Luke 14:7 shows me it is one in a series of parables, and therefore not a literal story. Everyone should be glad for it would teach that rich people who receive good things in this life go into hades, but the poor who receive bad things in this life go to heaven, regardless of the Cross, the Grace of God, or good works.

“So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony…”

Being a parable we can only grasp its meaning if “to us it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”, according to Jesus...

“And the disciples came and said to Him, Why do you speak to them in parables? Jesus answered them, to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted…" (Matthew 13:10-11)

So if you are a disciple you know what it means, if you are one of “them” however, you don’t and can't. One thing for sure, the context is the promises of God made to Israel…and nowhere in those promises within the word of God does he affirm Hades, the underworld of Greek mythology!

Do not fret too much if we don't understand all of the parables for at present we only see "dimly"...but one day we will know all...

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)

For now we should concentrate on strengthening our faith, hope and love.

Four Dreadful Judgments

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says...I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!" (Ezekiel 14:21)

DEATH by various natural phenomenon are God's four dreadful judgments. Note that there was not even a hint of eternal conscious torment after death.God has and will continue to send those four judgments ending in death during this present evil again which we live.

At the Cross, however, God through Christ Jesus revealed His plan to save all from the DEATH caused by His judgments. This salvation is the result of the LOVE of God for the "ungodly", all of whom are "powerless" to save themselves from His "wrath" - DEATH.

”You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life…” (Romans 5:6-11)

In the days of Ezekiel the Jewish religious teachers were falsely testifying that God IS NOT ANGRY and will not bring judgment. And now, after the Cross, religious leaders of all professions are saying God IS ANGRY and in His wrath He will not only bring DEATH through His Judgments, but will add ETERNAL conscious torment in hell thereafter.

Religious men are getting worse.  They have always been wrong about what God has said, adding to what God actually says, or denying what God says. Jesus might say - "of what Spirit" are they?

"And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him...his disciples James and John...said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them...But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save." (Luke 9:54-56)

God has "justified" sinners to Himself by the "blood" of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his death "we were reconciled" to God. That is the gospel...the good news...the opinions of religious men notwithstanding.

Killing the Soul

"And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” (Matthew 10:28 CLNT)

Your translation of the Bible probably renders the word "Gehenna" as “hell”. That is unfortunate and an example of how the Bible was translated into English according to the bias of the translators to promote the vain "directions of men" rather than the Word of God.

"Yet in vain are they revering Me, Teaching for teachings the directions of men." (Matthew 15:9 CLNT)

"Gehenna" refers to the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem where trash and dead bodies of animals and criminals were burned. Among that garbage, the worms did not die and the fire was not quenched until it had accomplished the job of destroying the body.

"And if your hand should ever be snaring you, strike it off. It is ideal for you to be entering into life maimed, rather than, having two hands, to come away into Gehenna, into the unextinguished fire where their worm is not deceasing and the fire is not going out." (Mark 9:43-44 CLNT)

So what is Jesus saying to his fellow Jews about "fear" and "Gehenna"?

Remember that while on earth, Jesus preached only to ISRAEL about their promised Kingdom. The Kingdom they once ruled on the earth was now in the hands of the Roman Empire. He told them that they needed to “repent! for near is the Kingdom of the Heavens”, referring to the restoration from heaven of their Kingdom.

"Thenceforth begins Jesus to be heralding and saying, Repent! for near is the kingdom of the heavens!...teaching in their synagogues and heralding the evangel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:17,23)

Jesus was presenting himself to Israel as the Jewish Messiah who would restore on earth the Kingdom promised to Israel. But he told them that to follow him as Messiah could result in his followers being treated as criminals and could result in their death, with their dead body being cast into "Gehenna".

This would and did bring fear to the Jews. Jesus said they need not fear men who kill them because that is all they could do. Jesus said for them to "fear" God, not those who kill the body and can then do no further damage. For God only could raise both body and soul out of the ashes of the fire of "Gehenna" to reign with Messiah during the Kingdom.

The “souls” of those Jews who did not receive Jesus as Messiah would not be revived until after the Kingdom and would therefore miss out on the reign of Messiah during the 1000 year Kingdom Age.

"And the souls of those executed because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who do not worship the wild beast or its image, and did not get the emblem on their forehead and on their hand- they also live and reign with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead do not live until the thousand years should be finished." (Revelation 20:4-5 CLNT)

Those who use the above verse to teach eternal conscious torment in hell show either their lack of study, or that they are intentionally deceiving people for the purpose of growing their institutions. They will one day be "ashamed" to have tried to save souls from the Greek mythological hell of eternal conscious torment…they should fear that they themselves may not be raised to the free gift of eternal life "until the thousand years should be finished".

"For whosoever may be wanting to save his soul will be destroying it, yet whoever shall be destroying his soul on account of Me and of the evangel will be saving it...For whosoever may be ashamed of Me and My words in this generation...the Son of Mankind also will be ashamed of him whenever He may be coming in the glory of His Father." (Mark 8:35-38 CLNT)

You Are Not Born Again - Yet

"Jesus answered and said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot SEE the kingdom of God…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot ENTER into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:3-6)

In the zeal of Christian apologists to have people join their particular branch of Christianity, they have equated the term "born again" with being saved. It amazes me that almost all Christians buy into this teaching when the above passage says no such thing.

Jesus was simply stating that no one can SEE or ENTER the Kingdom of God until he is RESURRECTED to spirit from the death of the flesh. Just as we all were born when our mothers WATER broke, so shall we be born again of SPIRIT after we have died and are resurrected to new spiritual life. Nicodemus, like most Christian teachers today thought Jesus was talking about something that happens in this life. Jesus rebuked Nicodemus and told him he was talking about heavenly things...

"If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:12)

1 Peter 1:3 is the only other place in Scripture that uses the term “new birth” and Peter was clearly thinking about our "living hope" of resurrection from the dead so that we can claim our inheritance that is now kept in heaven …

“In his great mercy he has given us NEW BIRTH into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

And Jesus, after his resurrection, instructed Paul to teach both Jews and Gentiles about this new "spiritual" creation in great detail in his letter to the Corinthians...

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory...it is sown a natural body, it is raised a SPIRITUAL body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving SPIRIT. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual." (1 Corinthians 15:42-45)

No one, except Jesus, has yet been born again to become "a life-giving Spirit", but we all can die with that hope and expectation. For me it is clear that the term “born again” refers to our hope of being resurrected just as Jesus was resurrected, and at that time we will be saved from death to enter the "kingdom of God". Quoting Psalm 49:15 Luke speaks of Jesus in Acts 2:27...

"Thou will not leave my soul in hell (sheol - the grave)..." (Psalm 16:10)

My faith is that God will not leave anyone in the grave, but will changed from a former "living soul" into a  "live-giving Spirit".

Friendship With God

"For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:10-11 NLT)

I was a City Councilman at one time when a disgruntled man came to a meeting and expressed his displeasure by telling us that he hoped “we would all burn in hell”. At least he was honest in expressing his feelings. 

Mankind does not have the capacity to love those we deem our enemies, in spite of the pious, self-righteous rhetoric of some folks. We generally prefer to “nuke” our enemies. There is nothing wrong with expressing our feelings. I like an honest view.

The problem is assuming that God feels the same way about His enemies.

However, unlike us, God actually LOVES His "enemies" , SAVES them, and calls them FRIENDS.

Religion makes friendship with God a matter of submitting to a god or gods they have created. But to realize that you are a friend of God, you just may have to free yourself from the religious dogma of men. And as Christ Jesus put it….

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:32)

The End of the Age

"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:49-50)

I find it hard to believe that bible teachers cannot seem to understand the context of the above passage. If they would just read and study the above along with Mark 13, Luke 21, Matthew 24 and 25 and the books of Daniel and Revelation they would not apply the above verses to their horrible views about a mythological “hell” being the "furnace of fire" and a place of eternal torment for all mankind except Christians.

The above passage and those related to it deal with Israel as a Nation, the chosen people of God among all the people of the earth, most of whom rejected Jesus as their Messiah at his first coming.  And at "the end of the age" (this age in which we are still living) most in Israel will still be rejecting Jesus as they are today.  All who reject Jesus are wicked for such rejection and will be excluded from reigning with Jesus when Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom on this earth. Instead, they will be cast out into the figurative “furnace of fire”, and they will be “wailing and gnashing of teeth” because they have been excluded from reigning with Jesus. They will all die during that age and not resurrected until the end of that 1,000 year Kingdom Age. Those who followed Jesus and have believed during this age will be resurrected to immortality at the beginning of the Kingdom Age to rule and reign with Christ for the ages of the ages.

However, God is not done with unbelievers, for they will later be “made alive” and “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”, all to the “glory of God” who will then make “all things new”.

"As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive...every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father...Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, Write, for these words are faithful and true." (1 Corinthians 15:22; Philippians 2:10-11; Revelation 21:1-5)

The Truth About Hell

"And if your foot offend thee, cut t off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, then having two feet to be cast into hell (Gehenna), into the fire that never shall be quenched." (Mark 9:45)

Below is a paraphrase of an article I once read.  I have found to be true in my own study.

"GEHENNA: This word occurs twelve times in the New Testament, and is translated "hell" in English Bibles. But since the Gospel writers repeat the same discourses, Jesus did not really use the word more than six or seven times in all His ministry. Matthew, Mark, Luke and James are the only books where the term is used.

Here is a summary of why Christians should NOT teach the doctrine of endless torment based on the use of the term "Gehenna", translated "hell" in Scripture.

1. Though Gehenna occurs twelve times, Jesus actually used it only on four or five different occasions. If the use of Gehenna by Jesus was intended to reveal the terrible doctrine of endless punishment, how is it possible that he would only mention it four times?

2. Jesus and James are the only persons in the New Testament who use the word Gehenna. John the Baptist did not use it once. Peter nor Jude use the term, and John, who wrote his gospel, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation, never employs it in a single instance. And most astoundingly, Paul, who wrote about half of the books in our New Testament also never mentions it. Surely, if “Gehenna” (hell) really reveals the terrible fact of conscious and endless torment, why this strange silence? And remember, in all of the Old Testament there is no mention of conscious endless torment at all.

3. The Book of Acts contains the record of the first apostolic preaching, and the beginning of the Body of Christ consisting of both Jew and Gentile. It covers a period of about thirty years from the ascension of Jesus Christ. In all this history and in all the preaching in the book of Acts, there is not one use of the word Gehenna. In thirty years of missionary effort, the followers of Jesus addressed people all over the known world and never, under any circumstances, threaten them with the eternal conscious torment in Gehenna, or allude to it at all! In the face of such a fact as this, can any man believe that the word “Gehenna” signifies endless punishment, and that this is a part of divine revelation, a part of the Gospel message to the world?"

Nevertheless, Christian churches have been passing it on from generation to generation for centuries causing all sorts of guilt and heartache for mankind on top of all the other crap we suffer in this life. As a have repeatedly posted, the good news is summed up in Romans 6:23..

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord".

In other posts I have addressed what Jesus meant when he used the word "Gehenna"..

Don't be "Myth-taken"

“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord...instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths… It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:1-20)

You can search all you want but you will not find a single verse in the Old Testament that even hints of a penalty for sin consistent with Christianity’s morbid concept of “hell” (eternal conscious torment). It is a myth.  The penalty for sin is DEATH in the Bible.

In the New Testament the references of Jesus to Gehenna (translated "hell" in English) refers to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem where trash and some dead bodies were burned up. He was not talking about some never ending mythological torture chamber. In the garbage dump the worm does not die nor is the fire quenched until its job of consuming it contents is done.

Why Christians would make Gehenna a figure of speech for the Greek mythological hell is beyond my comprehension.  The only explanation is they were deceived by the one whose job it is to deceive...Satan.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners from DEATH - the penalty for sin. But for more than 1900 years there have been an abundance of leaders in the church like “Hymenaeus and Alexander” shipwrecked in regard to their faith by strange doctrines and myths. In embracing the myth of eternal conscious torment they blaspheme God it seems to me.  In effect they deny that Jesus is the Savior of the World.

It is not that anyone will escape judgment or condemnation.  It is just that all of God’s dealings with mankind in regard to judgment is with a view to the eventual reconciliation of ALL...even Hymenaeus and Alexander and their modern day counterparts. That is if you read and study the Bible, not some commentary or sermon of "Myth-taken" men (pun intended).

“…through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not counting their sins against them and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...” (Colossians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5)

There is absolutely no thought in the minds of the writers of Scripture with regard to eternal conscious torment in hell.  Such punitive retribution was introduced centuries ago by corrupt theology and is being passed on as truth by many today. Churches are full of good people doing some good things...but teaching myths and strange doctrine is not among them.

God will do what is necessary after the resurrection to set everyone right with God and changing us into His image.

I understand the frustration of Paul with these men, and why Paul simply had to hand “Hymenaeus and Alexander" over to Satan. They refused to listen to the Scripture and preferred their own religious doctrine to the truth. That is why I write this blog and quote Scripture to back up my thoughts. Too many are simply unaware of the mythological guilt trip these false teachers impose on people...

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness..." (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

The Wrath of God

“Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning…” (Psalm 30:4-6)

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.…” (Psalm 103:8-10)

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His loving kindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, for His loving kindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His loving kindness is everlasting…” (Psalm 136)

Those of you who insist on believing God will consign anyone to a place where "their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched" to be "tormented day and night forever and ever" should meditate on the above verses for a while. Then go to these and other verses of Scripture to which the Greek Mythological hell was applied by religious men to control their followers and “study to show yourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Don't misunderstand me.  The anger and wrath of God is real and it is addressed and applied to all mankind for “the wages of sin is death” and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and "each of us will give an account of ourselves to God".  However, when I study all of the places where God’s wrath is poured out in the Bible I find that it is kindled slowly, lasts but for a moment, and then His love trumps His wrath.  Joy and blessing follows as the morning comes and a new day begins, or "this present evil age" ends in a new age, or when the "former things" are past and the “new heaven and a new earth" arrives.  When the plan of God is finished, He will not have lost even one of those He loves...which is the whole World! So forget the past and be confident that the best is yet to come...

“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.” (Isaiah 43:18-21)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, WRITE, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

Correctly Handle the Word of Truth

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. Keep reminding God’s people of these things… Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:11-15)

I appreciate those people who have concern about my thoughts and views, at least those who love me and may sincerely think I have fallen into error.  And of course I am referring to my view that all will eventually be saved and reconciled to God.  And that no one will be subjected to eternal conscious torment in the hell of Greek Mythology. 

Most of them have not tried to change my mind, but they do express their concerns to others from time to timed.  I UNDERSTAND and do not feel bad about them doing so. I just wish they would read the Scripture I quote and come to me and explain why it does not mean what it says.

What they do not understand I am sure is that I share my views because I know that they must one day give an account for what they believe about God. I am concerned about them as much as they are about me. My venue for sharing my thoughts is Facebook and www.jrwlakey.blogger.com because it is the only venues I have.

It is not that I have some egotistic need to be correct or listened to, but I really, really, really do not want them be “ashamed” before God in the day of accounting for teaching or endorsing error. Especially the particularly awful heresy of eternal conscious torment in hell. That error says that our God and Father plans to, or allows, the eternal conscious torture of billions of people. And it is accepted and taught without a firm biblical foundation.

I have shown, and continue to show, through my blog and Facebook postings, that those passages of Scripture seeming to imply “everlasting punishment” or reading “tormented day and night, forever and ever”, or mention the “lake of fire”, etc. are either figures of speech, poorly translated into English or can be explained within the context of the clear teaching of the gospel given to Paul concerning the eventual salvation and reconciliation of ALL.

But most importantly, I want my children and grandchildren to hear and meditate on my views should they want, and read the Scripture backing up my views. Then they can make an informed decision whether what they hear in Church is true or not. I encourage them to compare what they hear in Church with what Paul taught in the Scripture like the "Berean Jews" did before they decide whether Christian traditions of men are valid...

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

All Must Give Account To God

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (1 Timothy 1:15; Colossians 1:20)

I think I am sometimes misunderstood by being so adamant about the final Salvation and Reconciliation of ALL mankind to God. I am adamant about it because it is what the Bible teaches and it is not being taught by mainstream institutional Christianity. If I do not share this good news, then who will?

That being said, it is not correct for people to assume that I do not believe there are and should be consequences for sin, including the sin of unbelief, both in this life and in the next.

Bad people should be punished for their sin in this life by enforcing the laws of the Land. Evil people like abusers of children and the Terrorists of this world should themselves be killed and removed from society in my opinion. But even if they are not caught in this age and punished, all of those evil people must give an account to God and endure whatever judgment God has determined is just after their resurrection.

However, His punishment will not include the awful and sadistic punishment of being tortured in hell forever and ever. That is a lie and should be exposed as such.

And even believers must give account to God after they die if we are to believe the Bible. Christianity implies that if one has accepted the “offer” of salvation then the person is saved and will never have to “account” to God for their actions after they die. They seem to believe that saved people just go to heaven when they die and all is well. Nevertheless, they will give an account as do the unbelievers because that is what the Bible says...

“For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God...For this reason also, God highly exalted Him (Jesus), and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father...(when) the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.” (Romans 14:10-12; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Corinthians 4:5)

So when I emphasize the Salvation and Reconciliation of All, I am referring to the final condition of all mankind after God dishes out the chastening and discipline of a righteous Father. This may last for thousands of years but when God is finished, all will agree that the chastening that they endured was JUST. The final result will be that all creation will "bow" and "give praise to God" and all will "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father". 

God will then be “All in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

God is JUST

“The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

I often hear or read from evangelists that God must assign unrepentant sinners to HELL because God is JUST.  By Hell they mean eternal conscious torment and their reasoning is that this is what a JUST God must do.  Think about that.  And it is humorous to me that many of them are against Capital Punishment.   I wonder how anyone would listen to such a person.

Following is the best commentary on the difference between the LOVE of God and the truth that God is JUST. Note that the complete Commentary of the Concordant Version of the New Testament is available on the right side of this Blog.  If you must read a commentary on the New Testament this is the one you should read.

“We are never told that God is justice, or God is power, or God is wisdom. These are His attributes, not His essence. The distinction is of vital import, in the conflicting maze of reasoning concerning God’s ways and words. Justice and power and wisdom are relative, but LOVE IS ABSOLUTE. He is never so just as when He justifies the unjust, for that is in line with His love. He is never so strong as when His weakness overpowers human strength, for that links it to love. He is never so wise as when His foolishness confounds the wisdom of men, for that glorifies love.

All His attributes appear and withdraw at the beck of love. All serve it and never go counter to its commands. We cannot reason that God will do thus and so because He is JUST, or strong or wise. Love may not give leave. But we can safely lay our heads on the bosom of His love and there learn the great lesson that He is love, and has both the power and wisdom to carry out the dictates of His affection. What clearer proof can be given that all that He has done and is doing is leading up to that grand ultimate when He will be All in all, and love will rest in being loved?”  A.E. Knoch (1874-1965) Concordant Commentary page 371

“God is love….Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…” (1 John 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Building on a sure Foundation

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

This was written almost 2000 years ago by the Apostle Paul. Several years ago I decided to learn from Paul’s letters exactly what he, the wise master builder, had laid upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Then compare it to the doctrines of Christianity, both Catholic and Protestant. The result was surprising and disappointing and I had to “renew my mind” and rid it of much false doctrine which the church had built upon Jesus Christ. In my opinion there are five such doctrines, two of which are the worst of the “wood, hay and stubble” that need to be deleted from the mind in the renewal process. For in my view they will bring the most “loss” of “reward” in “the Day” when the truth of what we believed are “revealed with fire”. 

1.  Eternal conscious torment in hell

2.  Self-determination (free will) with regard to the salvation of mankind. 

The above are doctrines of men which have been built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Jesus, nor Paul the “wise master builder”, taught any such doctrines. These institutions of men which have built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ with this "wood, hay and stubble" will be consumed in the flame in my opinion. 

The "rock" and “sure foundation” of our faith is obvious…

"Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily…He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved…Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead…He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builder, but which became the chief cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 62:6; Acts 4:10-12)

So is Jesus your savior or is your free will choice your savior?

Will the rock of your salvation assign those who do not join your institution to eternal conscious torment, or will he save ALL sinners?

Are you going to build upon this ROCK with the "wood, hay and stubble" of men, or with precious "gold, silver and costly stones" of God and exalt the Savior of all mankind?

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…God our Savior wills ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth… there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for All, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, I am telling the truth, I am not lying, as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth...it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL men, especially of believers. Prescribe and TEACH THESE THINGS.” (1 Timothy 1:15, 2:3-7; 4:9-11) 


I have renewed my mind and placed the destiny of all those I love in the hands of the ROCK, the "sure foundation" and "Savior of ALL mankind" - and it has set me free!

“If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will…" (John 8:31-32; Romans 12:2)