The Neglected Kerygma of Christ (Lecture 2)

[Rebbe]

THE NEGLECTED KERYGMA OF CHRIST
a series of lecture essays on the biblical concept of a universal salvation in Christ

LECTURE TWO

Copyright © BRI/IMCF 2020 All Rights Reserved Worldwide by Les Aron Gosling, Messianic Lecturer (BRI/IMCF)

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Audio Lecture is now available for members: THE NEGLECTED KERYGMA OF CHRIST [2]: Lecture Two
http://www.bripodcasts.com/KerygmaLectures/KerygmaLectures2.MP3

“I believe that justice and mercy are simply one and the same thing; without justice to the full there can be no mercy, and without mercy to the full there can be no justice; that such is the mercy of God that he will hold his children in the consuming fire of distance until they pay the uttermost farthing, until they drop the purse of selfishness with all the dross that is in it, and rush home to the Father and the Son” – George MacDonald

“The grandest exercise of justice is mercy... Confusion comes from the fancy that justice means vengeance upon sin, and not the doing of what is right. Justice can be at no strife with mercy, for not to do what is just would be most unmerciful” – George MacDonald

The Scot, George MacDonald, is one of my favourite authors of all time. A Universalist, and close friend of C.S. Lewis, his children's books left a lasting and indelible impression on me. MacDonald taught that the Messiah came to save people from their sins, and NOT from a Divine penalty for their sins. In his worldview, the problem was not the need to appease a wrathful God – but the disease of cosmic evil itself.

Unlike other contemporary Christian Universalists, MacDonald did not sidestep the existence of hell-fire. Rather, he recognised that as a physician uses fire and steel in specific medical procedures in order to save a patient, so God may use hell-fire if necessary to heal the incorrigible sinner. MacDonald declared, “I believe that no hell will be lacking which would help the just mercy of God to redeem his children.” MacDonald posed the rhetorical question, “When we say that God is Love, do we teach men that their fear of Him is groundless?” He replied, “No. As much as they fear will come upon them, possibly far more... The wrath will consume what they call themselves; so that the selves God made shall appear.”

MacDonald's writings are always thought-provoking, and inspiring to a fault. The peculiar thing about Macdonald though is that he wrote children's books, but not for children. It was always his purpose to write for adults. He insisted that a righteous God would not be just to us if He did not love us. For, he explained, “God IS love.” God's very character is love. Therefore God's punishments “without love” are unjust. I thoroughly enjoy MacDonald's literature and sermon material because he was a thinker. He thought seriously about theological and biblical issues as well as the “whys” and “why nots” of daily routines.

Certainly, like MacDonald, I am a firm believer in a “universal salvation in Christ” and unlike many of my comrades/colleagues who hold to similar sentiments of “God's love” (however they may struggle to define it) I am not just a believer in the ultimate outcome of Infinite GRACE but my stand on it is ABSOLUTE.

In contrast to the creatively energised George MacDonald's who amplify the GRACE of our loving God, the Christian church seems filled to the brim and overflowing with the mindless chorus-thumping “Sunday-keepers” whose theological advances are on a level with the words of this children's hymn:

“We’re going to a mansion,
On the “Happy Day” express,
The letters on the engine
Are J-E-S-U-S:
The guard calls “All for heaven,”
We gladly answer “Yes;”
We’re going to a mansion
On the “Happy Day” express.”

Toot toot!

My library contains many volumes penned by lackadaisical pseudo-intellectual pew-warmers who, elucidating from their arm-chairs or passionately obfuscating from their coveted pulpits (and as respected and highly regarded as many may well have been, or are presently considered to be) poison eager and sincere minds who would attempt to challenge centuries old traditions about the Nature and Character of God and the apparent Divine threats of eternal hell-fire and/or “outer darkness” that as a consequence of either ignorance or rejection of the “Gospel” will descend upon the Christ-rejecters on Judgment Day.

Despite their rantings against the proposition of a “renewal of all things” – “all things” in biblical Greek intending the entirety of the universe – our Lord Yeshua himself spoke of the very same “renewal of all things” (or “the restitution of all things”) in Mt 19.28. Peter's sermon on Shavuot (Pentecost) repeated his Saviour's reference to the 1st century CE expectation of the Messianic “restitution of ALL things [i.e., the universe] which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3.21). This “restitution” is nothing less than the SALVATION OF ALL. Isaiah was confident that “ALL flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord” (Isa 40.5; 52.10; 62.2) an echo concerning which Isaiatic prophecy is uttered by the evangelist Luke in direct connection with the calling of the Immerser John (Lk 3.6). Paul's expectation was to visualise God's intention “to bring ALL things in the heavens and on earth together under one head, even Messiah” (Eph 1.10; cf Col 1.20) and that at the conclusion of the aeons “EVERY knee should bow... and EVERY tongue confess...” (Phil 2.10-11). God gave Paul his declaration of intention to “put ALL things – EVERYTHING – under his feet” (1 Cor 15.27,28) in order for God the Father “to be ALL in ALL” (1 Cor 15.28). A careful reading of the sacred Scripture informs us that death – “the last enemy” of humankind and all creatures – is represented as not merely being vanquished but as being swallowed up, entirely subdued, conquered and thoroughly annulled in the eschaton (1 Cor 15.26; Rev 20.14). If death at that time is considered “dead” – let's call it “the death of death in the death of Christ” – what we have left is nothing less than LIFE.

On a lighter note, and as an aside, I am reminded of the evaluation of an early universalist Christian teacher –  Johannes Scotus (“the Irishman”) Eriugena (d. circa 877 CE) – to his critic's question as to how he could reconcile his belief in a universal salvation with that of the apparent biblical revelation concerning eternal punishment of sinners. He thoughtfully responded that sinners will be punished through all eternity by having their desire to be wicked frustrated. I'm sure his curt reply was intended to be amusing.

Whatever the case, those who would argue for everlasting misery and torture for sinners “outside of Christ” should consider the following thoughts in sequence.

1. It is true that the Bible speaks of the wicked as being “cut off.”

“For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 37.9).

“For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off” (Ps 37.22).

“For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off” (Ps 37.28).

“Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it” (Ps 37.34).

“But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off” (Ps 37.38).

HOWEVER, was the Messiah Yeshua also “cut off”?

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined” (Daniel 9.26).

YES, Messiah was “cut off” only to be resurrected from the dead to live eternally again.

2. It is true as we have just read in Ps 37.38 that sinners are to be “destroyed.” This is again repeated in Ps 143.12. King David requests of God the following:

“In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant” (Ps 143.12).

HOWEVER, the nation and people of Israel were also “cut off” and “destroyed.”

“It is thy destruction, O Israel, that [thou art] against me, against thy help” (Hosea 13.9 Darby).

“Therefore the Lord has cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and reed, in one day” (Isa 9.14).

YES, Israel was cut off – destroyed – yet there she is presently revived and thriving in the Middle East as the only democracy in that entire region and Jewish people continue existing even today with enormous prosperity in various nations scattered around the world.

3. It is true that Christ spoke of LOST sheep and LOST coins.

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 15.24).

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”  (Lk 15.4).

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” (Lk 15.8).

YES, the sheep were lost and the coin was lost, but then they were FOUND. It is folly to suggest that the lost are beyond the GRACE of our God.

4. It is true that the lost – the unbelievers – are considered as “dead” in Scripture (interpreted as beyond hope because they died in their sins). But consider,

“And do not present your members as instruments [or, weapons] of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments [or, weapons] of righteousness to God” (Rom 6.13).

“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God” (Rom 7.4).

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins... even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Eph 2.1,5).

“And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death... Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful” (Rom 7.10,13).

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has made me free from the law of sin and death... For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom 8.2,6).

“But she who lives in pleasure [or, indulgence] is dead while she lives” (1 Tim 5.6). 

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Col 2.13).

“And to the angel of the ekklesia in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev 3.1).

YES, we Christians are just like the “unbelievers” in this world who are themselves DEAD, but we are considered dead in certain ways as well yet we have been “made alive in Christ” though miraculous means and “will never see death.” God is no respecter of persons – what God has done for others He will do for all. Salvation, remember, is ALL of God and none of us.

Without exception – all arguments against universal salvation in Christ including the argument that the Bible speaks only of generalised (and not) universal salvation – are based on a lack of understanding 1st century CE Jewish thoughtform and the prevalent ignorance of theologians regarding (and specifically in reference to the festivals of Israel) the representations of God's plan of salvation in those same festivals, and annual feasts as revealed in Leviticus 23.

Read the works of theologians Roger Nicole, David F. Wells, Neal Punt (who reinterpreted and dramatically and coherently emphasised universal salvation in terms of generalised salvation – “everyone is saved except for those who reject Christ”), Kenneth Kantzer (“I wish I could say God is too loving to condemn anyone to eternal punishment”), R. B. Kuipers, and John Benton – to name just a few – again, all without exception fail to grasp that today is not the only day of salvation. They also fail to grasp that God is a God of salvation and that God has willed that all will come to Him through Christ even if it takes more than one age or eon to accomplish this enormous undertaking.

These five keys have not been “lost” but they most assuredly have been IGNORED. Rehearse them again and again until YOU have determined IN YOUR OWN MIND an understanding and comprehension that without these keys we cannot grasp the appropriate teaching of a “universal salvation in Christ.” Remember,

1. Today is not the ONLY day of salvation. Christians today are “Firstfruits” of a coming general harvest in the plan of salvation.

2. God is a God of SALVATION. His very Name represents SALVATION.

3. God has already WILLED that all will come to Him, by His Spirit, of their own free will.

4. God's Work of salvation may take more than one age or eon to accomplish the result He intends.

5. The ultimate salvation of all will be accomplished in, by, through and for Christ.

The objections we have discussed in today's lecture are as simple as they are popular, but they can be assessed as without any merit as we have illustrated. As Catholic theologian and German Jesuit priest Karl Rahner says (and he is in accord with the brilliant Karl Barth on this matter) Christian faith in an ultimate universal salvation in Christ may well be defined in a believer's faith as little more than “hope.” But according to Rahner (and I am most certainly in agreement with him as I distance myself from Barth on this issue of knowing with clarity that God's final salvation will actually be accomplished)...

“Hope creates its object because it is created by it. That is not a cheap paradox but simply another way of expressing the fact that one can only hope when this hope in God's saving will, which is God himself, is supported by God's prevenient, efficacious Grace, which itself once again is God himself.

“It states the fact that hope (in love) hopes that the real saving will of God is truly operative, that it operates by being hoped for as incalculable.

“God's salvific will acts by causing it to be hoped for precisely as what is the incalculable.

“Because the salvific will wills a salvation which is God himself, he has made a creature to attain it.”

The first scroll of the Torah (Genesis) informs us that we are created in the divine Image of God himself and the New Covenant Scriptures confirm that the ultimate IMAGE of God – Yeshua the Messiah, Son of God and Son of Man – became a human being as the “Elect” of God. But if Christ is the “Elect of God” then Yeshua is at once the Elect “Righteous Man” for all human beings, and the utterly “Reprobate Man” for all human beings. “He became sin for us,” writes Paul. “He died for all for all were dead in sins.” It follows, for Karl Rahner and especially for Karl Barth (and for all of us associated with the IMCF with whom I share this teaching ministry), that if there is a doctrine of predestination – not a perverted Calvinistic “double predestination” – then that predestination is “the non-rejection of man.”

One thing is absolutely certain! Once we thoroughly examine the astonishing life of Yeshua as revealed in the four Gospels, man cannot place limits on the loving kindness of the heavenly Father as discovered in the kenotic self-sacrificial nature and character of Yeshua the Messiah. For, “God was IN Christ reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5.19).

God has declared himself FOR humankind, for all men and women everywhere and at all times. The converted may well be the “Firstfruits” of God's Salvific will in time and space but the Lord Yeshua is at once elected for all. For us and for Barth, the Christian and non-believer stand together in common need.

It is the Salvific God who stoops down to both. It is to this singularly spectacular act to which the precious shed blood of Christ points.

It is high time to return to -- and RESTORE (Isaiah 42.22) -- the biblical and “theological” belief system of the earliest centuries of the Christian Faith which sprang from the Yeshua Messianic Movement of the late Second Temple period. In doing so we will come to realise that “universal salvation in Christ” was the prevailing doctrine in Christendom as long as Greek – the Gentile language of the Semitic New Covenant Scriptures – was the language of Christendom (See Robert Wild, A Catholic Reading Guide to Universalism, 2015).

Everything doctrinal changed when Latin was introduced and men began to discover a revulsion and horror of the Roman god.

THIS CONCLUDES LECTURE TWO