Your future is best understood when studying a good translation of the original Greek,
and not a Bible that is just some scholars interpretation of their religious dogma, based on many
mistranslations of the original Greek words to try and support that false belief.
Some Major Things to Consider
The word translated “eternal” in modern translations is actually “aionian,” from which our English word “eon” is taken. It represents an age with a beginning and an end ... not eternity. A thorough search of all instances where this word is used will show that it cannot be consistently translated “eternal.”
The word translated “hell” in modern translations is actually a mixture of three different Greek words, none of which could possibly represent a place of burning, eternal torture. The most common term, hades, literally means “unseen,” and is the place where all go upon death, righteous or unrighteous.
In many cases where God’s punishment is referred to, it is clearly remedial ... to refine the affected individual. It is not destructive, but a means to accomplish God’s will. (Much more consistent with God’s love!)
There is a difference between the “evangel of the kingdom” proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus & Peter ... proclaiming the coming kingdom upon the earth -- and the “evangel of grace” proclaimed by Paul.
If it is God’s will that all mankind be saved (1 Tim 2:4), and if He operates all things in accord with the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11), then neither rebellious mankind nor Satan can thwart His plans.
At the end of the ages, when death itself (the final enemy) is defeated (1 Cor 15:16), and when Christ delivers up the kingdom to God (1 Cor 15:28), and when God becomes All in all (1 Cor 15:28), this is the end of the ages as described in God’s Word. All sin and evil is finally and totally defeated forever, and all mankind is saved thru the work of Christ.
The original manuscript of the Bible is the perfect Word of God. There is much evidence to support this claim.
A translation should strive to relay as closely as possible the pure Word of God. A careful study will show, however, that our modern English translations are not “concordant,” or consistent. While the salvation message is preserved in most every modern translation (salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ), much of God’s revelation to mankind is clouded and misunderstood. A true study of God’s Word must go below the surface of our modern translations to examine the original languages.
“The Concordant Version” is a faithful and consistent rendering of God’s Word. Other study materials available from “Concordant Publishing Concern” help us to examine the Word of God in the original languages, without the benefit of an education in the languages themselves. Other good literal translations include Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (Kregel Publications) and Young’s Literal Translation (Baker Books).
Most mistakes in understanding God’s Word stem from one of two sources:
Use of a “discordant” translation that translates very inconsistently, and has bias built-in to the translation itself. Such translations are not really translations, but interpretations.
Lumping all of God’s Word into one category, without considering the full context. Who is the passage speaking to? What are the circumstances? Is this principle carried over to the present age, or was it strictly for the age during which it was delivered?
Contact us at bob@GraceEvangel.org
Visit us at www.GraceEvangel.org
Is Hell Eternal?
What Does the Bible Say?
Greetings from the church at the house of:
Bob & Jill Evely, Wilmore KY
(See Romans 16:5).
We are not part of any organized church.
We are one small part of the single, world-wide body of Christ.
We meet weekly in our home to study the Bible.
There is only one true Church.
It is not something to join or attend.
No creed or specific beliefs one must agree with.
It is invisible, and is not divided by any boundary.
There is a difference between this one true church, and the many “churches of man” that have organized and constructed belief systems and rules for religious conduct.
Our focus should not be on going to church.
It doesn’t matter if one goes to an organized church or not. What matters is that we who believe live as Christ’s ambassadors.
The Bible is 100% God’s Word.
If one studies the Bible using a concordance, paying close attention to the context for any given Hebrew or Greek word found in the original languages, we will see perfection in God’s plan for His creation.
God reveals in the Bible that He is in the process of reconciling all mankind to Himself.
God spoke to Abraham and he believed.
This belief was reckoned to him as righteousness.
He did not fully understand all that God said, but he believed to the best of his understanding.
We can enjoy fellowship despite differences in understanding.
With open minds, as we help one another better understand what God has revealed to us.
And when we gather in any place and in any setting,
we are a fellowship of believers.
“The Saviour of all Mankind”
1 Timothy 4:9 “Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers.”
The word “especially” would seem to give a special place to those who believe, but Christ is the Saviour of ALL mankind.
The Will of God
1 Timothy 2:4 “God, who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth.”
Ephesians 1:11 “...Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will.”
If it is truly God’s will that all be saved, can the will of man or Satan thwart His will?
For the Sake of the World!
John 3:17 “For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through Him.”
John 1:29 “Lo! the Lamb of God, which is taking away the sin of the world.”
Romans 11:15 “Their (the Jews) casting away is the conciliation of the world”
Israel is hardened for a time, and then all Israel will be saved. And, this hardening (casting away) is for the conciliation of the entire world.
Everyone ... Every Knee ...
Hebrews 2:9 “He (Jesus) should be tasting death for the sake of everyone.”
Philippians 2:9 “Every knee should be bowing .... every tongue should be acclaiming” (Is 45:23)
God’s Word tells us that at some future time, at the end of this age, not only the elect or the Believers will bow their knee, but every knee will bow.
All
I Corinthians 15:22 “As in Adam all are dying, thus also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Romans 5:18 “Through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life’s justifying.”
There are no limitations to the all who die thru Adam. How can we impose a limit on the all who are made alive in Christ? He died for the sake of all, and all will one day benefit. Can God’s purposes be thwarted?
Colossians 1:20 “Through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross).”
Romans 11:30 “For even as you once were stubborn toward God, yet now were shown mercy at their stubbornness, thus these also are now stubborn to this mercy of yours, that now they also may be shown mercy. For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all.”
1 Timothy 2:6 “One Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all.”
John 12:32 “I, if I should be exalted out of the earth, shall be drawing all to Myself.”
Ephesians 1:9 “Making known to us the secret of His will (in accord with His delight, which He purposed in Him) to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ - both that in the heavens and that on the earth...”
Again, no limitation on the word all. At a future time Christ will head up all, for this is God’s will.
The End of the Ages
1 Corinthians 15:26 “The last enemy is being abolished: death.”
The penalty for sin was death. Now death itself is defeated and even abolished. The penalty for sin in God’s Word is not eternal damnation, but death ... now abolished!
1 Corinthians 15:28 “When all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.”
As Eph 1:9 declares, Christ will head up all. Here in 1 Cor 15 we see that what follows is Christ Himself delivering to the Father all who are now subjected to Christ, so that the final outcome is God Himself becoming All in all.
Revelation 21-22 speaks of the kingdom which has come upon the earth .. a kingdom from heaven .. the kingdom promised by the OT prophets .. the kingdom proclaimed by John the Baptist and Jesus.
Christ is seated upon the throne (Rev 21:5).
Lake of fire--the second death (Rev 21:8)
Israel is dominant
Describes a physical kingdom upon the earth
But consider 1 Corinthians 15, the revelation given to Paul. These things obviously occur after the conclusion of Revelation.
Christ yields the kingdom to God (1 Cor 15:24).
Final enemy (death) is abolished (1 Cor 15:27)
Jew & Gentile are joint heirs; neither is dominant
Imperishable bodies (1 Cor 15:42)
1 Corinthians 15 describes The Consummation coming after the end of the ages, when the lake of fire (death) has accomplished its work, every knee is bowing, and God becomes All in all.
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