AMAZING: The Bible Reveals How Jesus Would Respond to the Recent Beheadings of American Journalists

Posted on September 20, 2014 by Ryan Healy

Ever since ISIS/ISIL have released videos that claim to show the beheadings of several journalists, the demands that “something must be done” have gotten louder and louder.

Of course, when Americans (and Christians) demand that “something must be done,” they really mean that the U.S. government needs to go to war with our perceived enemy.

But this raises a question. How would Jesus respond in such a situation? This is the question my friend Carl Medearis recently asked on his Facebook page. Here is how he put it in his own words… Continue reading →

Posted in War | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

#4 – What Biblical Scholars Say about the Word “Aionios”

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Luke Kessler

When most people want to know the meaning of a Greek or Hebrew word in the Bible, they look it up in a Concordance. Concordances are a great tool to begin to dig deeper into Scripture, but they are not the ultimate source. While Concordances do give short definitions, they are not intended to define. Their sole purpose is to show all occurrences of a particular word and how it was translated. To get the best definition of a word, therefore, requires a little bit of research, research which is not usually necessary to the layperson because there are few words in Christian doctrine that necessitate a better definition. But in the case of the two words that are translated “eternal” and “forever” (aion and aionios in Greek), we find it is necessary to do more research. Continue reading →

Posted in Eternal, Word Studies | 9 Comments

#3 – Outline of Series 1

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Luke Kessler

“These will go away into eternal punishment, (Matthew 25:46)

“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 14:11, 20:10)

Never Ending?

To begin with, this 1st series will look at the core of the issue.  (Actually, the crux of the issue of God’s plan to save all men is the Cross [pun intended!] 😉 but that must wait for the 3rd series.)  It all boils down to the question; do the 2 words (and their various forms) in the Bible that we have translated as “eternal” and “forever” (or “everlasting” depending upon the translation) actually mean never ending, or is it possible that they could mean something else?  If these words actually DO consistently convey the idea of endlessness, then I have a poor (if not nonexistent) foundation for my belief.  However, if it can be shown that these words carry another meaning, as I hope to show, and show very clearly, then the counter is true.  Upon these 2 words the opposing doctrines will stand or fall. Continue reading →

Posted in Eternal, Word Studies | 1 Comment

#2 – Profound Biblical Proof for the Restoration of All Things

Posted on August 30, 2014 by Luke Kessler

Before we begin the 1st series of blogs on the Greek and Hebrew words translated as “eternal, forever and everlasting,” I would like to present a small selection of Scriptures that defend my position on Universal Reconciliation.  I do this b/c, like I did when I first encountered it, there are some who will judge it as having no support in Scripture.  But this couldn’t be further from the truth.  For there are so many verses about this that it would astound you.  We simply do not notice them b/c of our presumption that hell is endless.

What follows is merely a small selection.  I have to refrain from sharing all of them b/c it would simply take too long to read through.  Nevertheless I hope that what little I share here blesses you as it has me. Continue reading →

Posted in All, Salvation | 2 Comments

#1 – Universal Reconciliation: Introduction

Posted on August 23, 2014 by Luke Kessler

Universal Reconciliation: the belief that God is ultimately going to save all men. The idea is probably new to most people; which makes it a bit shocking to discover that a fellow Christian holds such a position. I mean… the Bible is pretty clear that hell is eternal… right? I remember the first time that I encountered a Christian holding this view… I was confused to say the least. How could a Christian believe that? I was unaware at the time that I was responding out of a deep-rooted assumption that what I had been traditionally taught my whole life – had to be true.

But my assumption was beginning to be exposed. I had just come across a booklet written by a super sweet elderly lady and out of nowhere she makes a claim that all of God’s judgments were corrective, not punitive! At first I couldn’t quite figure out what she was saying, but I had a gut feeling that I needed to figure it out. And when it finally and suddenly dawned on me I couldn’t quite believe it! “Is she saying what I think she is saying?!” And being the insatiably curious person that I am, I had to look into it. And so I did, and what I discovered astounded me. Continue reading →

Posted in All, Salvation | 3 Comments

How Should Christians React to a Military Threat from Another Nation?

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Ryan Healy

North Korea’s National Defense Commission recently released the following statement:

We do not hide that a variety of satellites and long-range rockets which will be launched by the DPRK one after another and a nuclear test of higher level which will be carried out by it in the upcoming all-out action, a new phase of the anti-U.S. struggle that has lasted century after century, will target against the U.S., the sworn enemy of the Korean people… settling accounts with the U.S. needs to be done with force, not with words, as it regards jungle law as the rule of its survival.

Naturally, this official statement has caused some consternation among Americans, including Christians. The question arises: What should we do about North Korea’s threat of aggression? Continue reading →

Posted in War | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Why Did Jesus Tell His Disciples to Buy Swords?

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Ryan Healy

Most Christians I have encountered believe strongly that Jesus advocates the use of violence for self-defense. To bolster their position, they often quote Luke 22:36, which says:

And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.”

At first glance, it may seem as if Jesus was indeed instructing his followers to buy swords for self-defense against the people who were about to arrive at the Garden of Gethsemane. Continue reading →

Posted in Self-Defense | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

Is Repentance a Requirement for Forgiveness?

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Ryan Healy

Recently, a believer shared his view that a Christian should never forgive another person for sin unless that person first repents. I had never heard this belief before, so I searched the Bible to find a basis for it. Here is what Jesus says in Luke 17:3-4.

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.

The first thing I note is the term “brother,” which refers to a brother in Christ. So Jesus seems to be speaking about a Christian who sins against another Christian. Continue reading →

Posted in Theological Issues | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Hannah Whitall Smith’s Testimony

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Ryan Healy

Hannah Whitall Smith published the book The Unselfishness of God And How I Discovered It in 1903. As Wikipedia points out, many editions of the book omit three chapters in which Smith explains how she came to believe God saves all.

Here is a post from Dr. Stephen Jones’s blog that includes an excerpt from one of these “lost” chapters. Continue reading →

Posted in Salvation | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Where Have All the Bereans Gone?

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Ryan Healy

In the book of Acts, Paul and Silas travel to Berea to preach the word of God.

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. (Acts 17:10-12)

The reason the Bereans are called “noble” or “noble-minded” is because they searched the Scriptures to verify the validity of Paul and Silas’s teaching.

Is careful study a mark of nobility? In fact, it is. Continue reading →

Posted in Theological Issues | Tagged , , | 5 Comments