Neglected Kerygma -- Lecture 19

[Rebbe]

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

LECTURE NINETEEN

Copyright © BRI/IMCF 2021 All Rights Reserved Worldwide by Les Aron Gosling, Messianic Lecturer (BRI/IMCF)

CAUTION: BRI/IMCF Yeshiva notes are not available to the general public. They are not for distribution. They are not for reproduction. The notes may also bear little or no resemblance to the actual audio or video recorded BRI/IMCF Yeshiva lecture.

I have a sound word of wisdom for any and all who believe in an ultimate “universal salvation in Christ” and who would be troubled by an adamant rejection by fellow Christian travellers who prefer to accept “the god of eternal torment and endless misery.”

Don't lose any sleep over his or her disbelief. After all, God is only opening the minds (by His holy Spirit) of those select FEW chosen from “before the foundation of the world” as “Firstfruits” who would be more than delighted with such precious knowledge concerning the very notion of salvation and a proper understanding of God's Gracious subjecting Salvific WILL.

There will, of course, be even a few carnal individuals here and there who – through little more than their own intellectual prowess – will SEE your arguments as making logical sense and in return will (in their own natural humility) surrender to the living God who sent His Son to be the “Saviour of the world” (even prior to the time allotted at the Great White Throne Judgment). This is entirely in accord with God's free will working in the sphere of our human free will as free images of our Creator. This is why Christ himself encouraged his talmidim to share the word without hesitation to ALL who would give an “ear to hear” to what they (and by extension, YOU) were desirous of communicating. After all it is written:

“This message of SALVATION should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations...” (Lk 24.47a Paraphrased. “Repentance and remission of sins” are details of the salvation experience).

What message? The Gospel of the kingdom of God? No. “The message of salvation.” See also the previous text, verse 46.

“And he (Yeshua) said, 'Yes! It was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day...” (Lk 24.46).

Now consider the balance of verse 47: “There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me” (Lk 24.47b).

Yes, “for ALL who turn to me” – even in their own free will! As rare an incident as that may well be, the free message of salvation is for ALL humanity. Either for now, or later. Today is decidedly NOT “the only day of salvation.”

Again, to lay emphasis on this issue Paul writes, “God was in the Messiah, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others” (2 Cor 5.19).

And yet again: “But I will send you the Comforter – the holy Spirit, the Source of all Truth. She will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. AND YOU ALSO MUST TELL EVERYONE ABOUT ME, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have told you these things so that you will not be staggered by all that lies ahead” (Jn 15.26,27; 16.1).

That's EVERYONE in case you missed it.

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND
The main hurdle for those who want to continue believing in the God who perpetuates eternal misery is the inherent blindness that exists pertaining to THEIR OWN RECOGNITION OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL HEART – the gross ignorance that really thinks the human heart is GOOD. I am speaking of the deceptive yetzer ha'ra – the EVIL inclination which we as normal human beings ALL possess. Recall that Yeshua rebuked his own especially chosen twelve apostles over this very issue involving self-righteousness.

In Matthew 15 we find an episode during which Our Lord Yeshua disengaged from the rabbis speaking of them as hypocrites. In verse 12 the disciples communicate to Yeshua that these religious leaders were offended at what he was teaching. “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?” they asked. He responded: “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots. Leave them alone; they are blind guides leading blind followers” (Mt 15.12-14).

Note that Peter, to whom Christ later gives the keys of the kingdom of God, is himself deluded as to his own nature. He asks the Lord to explain what Yeshua meant about being blind as a spiritual defilement. It's at this point that Messiah states unequivocally to Peter:

“Are you still so dull and unable to put things together? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But whatever word comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans of doubtful sincere motive, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders of verbal abuse, irreverent speech, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile and dishonor the human being” (Mt 15.16-20).

Not a nice and pleasant assortment of natural characteristics. Yet this is Peter, and this is US. Thank God for His holy Spirit! Thank God for His salvation and Grace.

Israel's religious leaders in the last days of the Second Temple period were blind guides to a blind people. That same first century CE span – as I have proclaimed many times in previous lectures – parallels our 21st century epoch that exists right NOW! Nothing has changed. We are LIVING WITNESSES to a time-period where it seems that BLINDNESS afflicts everyone at every level in our world society. Very few (so it seems) are even capable of keeping their eyes and their ears open to the truth. We are SO EASILY DECEIVED – and usually we are deceived by what we want to believe is the truth and its usually little more than shocking unmitigated self-delusion!

Let me say this! We are watching the rapid decline of American power and the plot to destroy Western Civilisation. The “American Empire” is being destroyed right before our very eyes. And many are totally BLIND to it – even though they are witnessing daily to it!

A VISIT BY ONE OF THE TWO WITNESSES OF THE APOCALYPSE
Over a dozen years ago I was contacted by a minister of a seventh day Sabbath-keeping group who wanted to attend a BRI/IMCF Yeshiva with his wife. After everyone had left, and our family shared a love meal with them, this man enquired as to my main emphasis in my teaching ministry. I had been constellating around the “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” that day and immediately prior to departing he urged me to answer his question. Before he heard me out he stated that he was called by God to be one of the last two witnesses of the Book of Revelation and he was on the “look-out” for the second witness as his partner. He was convinced that I was that man and said that God had led him to me. Clearly he was crazy, although he seemed totally calm, thoughtful and deliberate in his communicating skills. 

BUT when I responded that my major theme in all my teaching was the GRACE of God his relaxed demeanour completely disappeared and he became very agitated and couldn't escape quickly enough. His poor wife scrambled for her handbag and they left with acute disappointment (perhaps it was embarrassment) written all over their faces.

Why do I speak of the GRACE of God more often than I do about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God? After all, John the baptiser knew nothing of the Grace of God in his teaching even though he recognised his cousin Yeshua as the Saviour of the world (Mt 3.1,2; Jn 1.29). And the Lord Yeshua himself had the “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” on his lips during his entire ministry (Mk 1.14,15).

I'll explain this in a moment.

HOW BLIND ARE WE?
The priestly John tells us that there was a Sabbath day wherein Our Lord Yeshua opened the eyes of a blind man, and the religious authorities were infuriated. The Lord reacted swiftly. “For judgment came I into this world, that those who are not observing may be observing, and those observing may be becoming blind” (Jn 9.39).

Now THAT expression was confrontational, especially so in the case of the so-called astute credited religious theological authorities. What was the Pharisaical response to such a condemnatory statement? 

“NOT WE also are blind!”

The Lord Yeshua countered, “If you were blind, you would have no sin. Yet now you are saying that 'We are observing.' Your sin, then, is remaining” (Jn 9.40,41).

The natural unregenerate heart is so pathetically ugly, decrepit, hate-filled, vile and debauched, that many folk (particularly religious “Christian” individuals) REFUSE to admit the sad reality of their own personal NEED for a Saviour – and that to the degree that they will make up their own image of what God is actually like based on their own vile putrid reality of their own heart (which they mistakenly believe is loving, considerate, tolerant, accepting and overflowing with enormous understanding) AND THEY APPLY THAT FALLACIOUS FANTASY of their own “righteousness and loving kindness” to the character and nature of the Living Creator. What awful blasphemy.

So, if we encounter a religiously moronic, biblically-illiterate, uneducated Neanderthal, let them be. Let them stay in their own delusional realm of “make-believe.” One day they will have their minds open by the tender hand of a loving, guiding Creator so that they can in that day worship and praise the authentic living God “who will have all men to be saved” – even including themselves.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE EMPHASIS ON “DESTRUCTION” AND “PERISH” IN THE NT?
The word "perish" (apollumi) appears in the pages of the NT and it exists in respect of the teachings of Christ primarily. How can such an emphasis be understood in relation to our belief in an ultimate “universal salvation IN Christ”?

Plainly, verses that speak of “Christ-rejecters” condemned to “perish” and who are to be cast away from Christ's glory to a certain “destruction” have been thrown at me many times in this IMCF ministry by people who read, but do not think seriously or contemplatively, on what they have read.

My answer over the years to objections based on such a premise is simple and straightforward. I take the approach of narrowing arguments down to one single solitary verse: Matthew 10.28 which reads “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (NIV).

The Jonathan Mitchell Expanded, Amplified, Multiple Rendering Translation of the New Testament, 2009, 2013 Edition reads, “Stop being (or: Do not continue being [other MSS: You should not be] made to fear from the one normally killing the body, and yet continuing unable (with no power) to be killing the soul. But rather, be habitually fearing (or, continue being wary of, with a healthy respect for) the person being constantly able and continuing with power to loose-away and destroy (or: to cause to be lost) both soul (the interior life; [note: may refer to the person's reputation in regard to character and other personal qualities] as well as body within the Valley of Hinnom (Greek: Gehenna; Jerusalem's garbage dump the place where criminals and folks with disgraced lives, and thus considered unfit for proper burial, were cast away; the disgraced end of an outcast or criminal).”

The religious opposition usually declares, “The Greek word apollumi is an amplification of the root ollumi and it signifies utter destruction of the personality, and therefore both the soul and body of the incorrigible will vanish into oblivion for all eternity because God has so decreed it.”

Well, God gave us a brain and a mind with which to THINK in contemplation about arguments of this variety. Certainly God – as the Creator GOD – is more than capable of accomplishing such a thing as this. Of course He is! I have zero argument against such a proposition. But the question is: will He? That is the only question that deserves the time of day. The fact that God is Saviour by His very Nature and Character, an identification which is carried in His Name and in the Name of His Son Yeshua, would assess a more brighter picture of the hope of salvation (for not only our loved ones but for a lost world) that lies within us all.

But let me set the record straight in respect of the above Matthean argument. Apollumi DOES NOT carry (nor even suggest) any aspect of “vanish into oblivion for all eternity.” Destruction is contemplated – YES – but extinction as a loss of existence is NOT. It does carry the notion of the utter ruin of any sense of well-being. Even W.E. Vine knew that much! (see his Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, 1952, 302).

If we look closely at Mt 10.28 Christ is speaking of destruction in Gehenna fire. BUT we know from our studies into the Apocalypse imagery that a day will come to pass in which the “Lake of THE Fire” (as it is called in the Greek text) will be healed and turned into a consecrated and sanctified region (Jer 31.40). Again, John sees “hell” (Gehenna) empty itself of anything associated with DEATH. The “second death” will be finally annulled for all will live unto God. The “death STATE” will be no more according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. So those destroyed and who perish in Gehenna at God's command will one day live again at a time-period where death no longer exists. It is death that is finally and totally annulled, and swallowed up into VICTORIOUS LIFE, and which vanishes from God's sight – not humanity.

The END scenario and result is usually ignored, or entirely overlooked, by those who worship “the god of eternal torment and endless misery.”

I might also just quickly mention the twin cities of evil – ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. They too were destroyed, perishing in a fiery holocaust thousands of years ago at the hand of the angels of God. Judah, the brother of Yeshua, wrote of their utter destruction as a warning on Jerusalem “unbelieving believers” in his day and age (Jude 7). Yet the prophet Ezekiel speaks of a time in the near future when the ruins of these Twin Cities will be rediscovered and they will be rebuilt as modern “twin cities of evil” (Ezekiel 16.53-55) -- the Las Vegas of the Middle East. (Incidentally, this is a reason for believing that the Lord is not as yet even close to returning to our planet to rule it as prophesied.)

In the event, Christ told us all to “fear God.” We all need a healthy and deeply reverenced “fear of God” – a healthy respect and highly held admiration tinged with some apprehension. As Tozer recognised, Christians rarely display this regard for God the Father. A Creator so awesome and powerful that could – if He so desired – utterly annihilate the human personality into an oblivion for all eternity should be feared. I have no argument against that proposition. But we praise God because He is LOVE and a tender Father to all His creative images. He will never deny Himself (2 Tim 2.13).

BASIC REASON CHRISTIANS CAN'T ACCEPT UNIVERSAL SALVATION
As distressing as it may be to some of us in the IMCF in relation to a preferred belief among Christians in a popular doctrine of “endless misery” there is an underlying issue which is a basic cause for so much intense distortion of the NATURE and CHARACTER OF GOD the Father which gives rise to such erroneous, diabolical and unfounded biblical teaching. And that is that they have largely accepted “a gospel which is not another” (2 Cor 11.4; Gal 1.7-9).

A “Gospel” which is NOT another! I have mentioned many times in the past that in our initial years I wrote a great deal about the “Gospel of Christ.” I threw doubt, and a great deal of it, onto what I proclaimed to be a false gospel which the churches were preaching. I wrote extensively on this in the early issues of The BRI Newsletter (around 1981/1982) but after a series of issues I came to the realisation under my own cognisance that I had been teaching error – as I had discovered to my embarrassment there was more than one Gospel included in the NT corpus – and I immediately withdrew these publications and contacted everyone that I knew possessed them explaining that I had been led into a greater understanding by the Spirit of God on the matter. I have no difficulty admitting to error when it comes to my understanding or is pointed out (with evidence) by others. All believers in Yeshua ought to behave in this way. Truth is paramount as Christ – who is the Truth – points out on a number of occasions.

The Ruach of God leads us into all the truth (Jn 16.13) – it's never an immediate, complete and total understanding, gained all at once, but truth and enlightenment comes more with a “piecemeal” approach, as we study the Word of God, His Spirit gently persuading us into the larger more awesome picture of heavenly reality.

As we consider the writings of Paul specifically as differentiated from the penship of the original apostles of Messiah – those men hand-picked during his ministry by Yeshua himself – we must come to the conclusion that the contents of Paul's letters are occupied with aspects of the Faith which are totally ignored by the others. So much so is this the case that there can be no comparison between them.

For instance, where in the circumcision letters of the apostles do we find the doctrines of “justification by faith,” “reconciliation,” “the Grace of God,” “the priesthood of all believers,” “the mystical body of Christ,” and all the other factors which are peculiar to Paul? One is greeted with nothing but silence when these letters are closely examined.

In Paul's early years of ministry he preaches the “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” to Jews and Gentiles, as recorded by Luke in his Acts, but as his ministry progresses he largely skims over this Gospel (and in particular this timing occurs after he and Barnabas are severed by the holy Spirit to take what he calls “my Gospel” to the nations apart from Israel) and shares what he calls “justification by faith” – a unique Gospel indeed. (See Acts 13.2; Rom 1.1-6,16,17; 3.21-26; 4.25-5.1,2; Gal 1.11,12).

I have shown in other past lectures how the Jewish people have no idea of an authentic “Grace” but rather grasp Grace as little more than “mercy.” Now, I love God's mercy – make no mistake about that. But Grace is something far greater and much more enriching than a mere mercy. Mercy can be repaid (Mt 6.12) and MUST be repaid otherwise those who pray the so-called “Lord's Prayer” will have their forgiveness – centred in God's wonderful mercy – revoked by virtue of them not being merciful to others who treat them spitefully. In other words, the mercy of God can also be repaid in faithful appreciation of His acceptance and forgiveness and applied by us toward others in need of that same regard of merciful acceptance in our forgiveness. Bottom line: if we desire God to forgive us then we MUST forgive others otherwise God will withdraw that initial forgiveness that came to us through His mercy.

The word “forgiveness” is better translated from the Greek as “pardon.” Again, please review my articles and lectures on this subject by using the SEARCH icon on the IMCF site and read what I have written about the difference between pardon and justification. The subject is too large to once more broach in this lecture and it would be entirely redundant to do so.

You will find as you study the subject, that the “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” which emphasises “pardon” (which can be revoked) as wonderful as it is, is no match for the promises given by Christ through Paul to the Gentile nations summed up in the Gospel of GRACE (which carries with it the incredible notion of “justification by faith” or as Luther put it “justification by faith alone”). In contrast to the “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” the “Gospel of God's Grace” incorporates the ideas of justification, acquittal, and vindication.

The “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” speaks of an earthly Government ruling the nations of the globe under Our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and the twelve apostles (Mt 19.28; Rev 21.10-14) but (while there are only twelve apostles as foundations of the New Jerusalem) Gentile apostles (and there were innumerable personages of both sexes associated in that capacity with Paul) are not included.

In contrast, Paul's “my Gospel” or as it is called in another place “the Gospel of Grace” Gentile Christians are granted a celestial vision of stupendous proportions. Notice it now:

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the CELESTIALS, in Christ” (Eph 1.3).

Where do we locate any of this in the writings of the original apostles of Christ? Nowhere!

But Christians have tended to mix BOTH Gospels (the “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” which is earth-oriented and entirely for Israel AND “the Gospel of the Grace of God” which is centred in and constellates around the Gentile peoples of the earth) TOGETHER to form “a Gospel which is not another.” They were doing this in the last days of the late Second Temple period, and they're accomplishing the same error today. I also have been guilty of doing this and teaching it. I no longer do.

These two Gospels are separate from one another, and they must remain as separate evangels. Only when this is undertaken can the biblical revelation appear non-contradictory and self assertive in authenticity. One Gospel was intended for the Jewish people, and the other Gospel was intended for the Gentiles.

Compare the writings of the Jewish apostles with the writings of Paul – there is not a skerrick of reference in what I would call the circumcision letters (including the Gospels) with an emphasis on Grace, justification by faith, conciliation/ reconciliation, the mystical union of Christians with Christ as the one body, etc. The only exception could be John's remarks about “Grace and truth” introduced by Yeshua the Messiah – but this would be an acknowledgement and concession by John in his later years toward Paul in his own later and more mature ministry.

That Paul was kept at arm's distance from the apostles (read Galatians again in this light) is what the biblical evidence substantiates, and Peter was in his later years when he finally surrendered in harmony –  along with James –  to the apostle to the Gentiles. Certainly even Peter, the apostle to the dispersed remnants of Israel, months before his own martyrdom, spoke of things “hard to be understood” (by Jewish brethren) in Paul's writings (2 Pet 3.16). He nevertheless realised his Gospel was inspired as Scripture and he calls Paul “beloved brother” (2 Pet 3.15).

By mixing the two Gospels as ONE Gentile Christians today (as they also have in the past) find it extremely difficult to accept a universal salvation in Christ when they are confronted (and confused) by texts that are specifically detailed on the one hand toward Jews (with Jewish understanding of the Biblical revelation and their own language) and on the other hand toward Gentiles to whom Paul wrote and ministered (and recall the NT writings are available in the Koine original Greek thoughtforms which are decidedly at variance in some instances with the modern Greek language).

Once this matter is cleared up, however, and the Scriptural Word of Truth “correctly analysed and partitioned” (2 Tim 2.15 Greek) will the entire prophesied WORK OF GOD in the salvation of all humanity be realised, appreciated, grasped, and the God of ALL Salvation PRAISED for it.

May that day dawn soon!

THIS CONCLUDES THE CURRENT LECTURE