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Theology presents three diverse doctrines today concerning man's destiny! (A.) All sinners tormented "for ever and ever."(B.) All sinners to be "utterly destroyed."(C.) Christ Jesus to "draw all men unto himself," rescuing all from death and corruption, granting immortality or "Life" finally to "every creature."(A.) The idea of eternal torment arose chiefly from a misunderstanding of the New Testament word "aion," which, whether used in singular or plural, was mistranslated "ever" instead of "AGE," or "AGES" (except Eph. 2:7. and Col. 1:26. where "ages" is correctly used). At the close of the final Age, called "THE AGE of the ages" (mistranslated 'for ever and ever') all God's enemies (viz.: sin, death, corruption) will be vanquished, Jesus then handing the kingdom to the Father (1. Cor. 15: 20-26). The period of judgment, and the term of His earthly reign, are concurrent, both occupying the same dispensation of Scripture, and both terminating together. That both are finite is expressed clearly by the truth that "He must reign TILL HE HATH PUT ALL ENEMIES UNDER HIS FEET." (B.) The idea of the annihilation of the wicked emanated from such Scriptures as Phil. 3:17-19. and II. Pet. 2:10-12. Here the apostles Paul and Peter show only that the disobedient will not rise and reign in the Millennium, but will "perish ... in their own corruption" until the general resurrection. (C.) If any perish eternally, then the last enemy "death" will not have been vanquished !! God must 'utterly destroy' every man's sinful nature, but He will yet save "every man" from sin, mortality, and corruption, bringing all ultimately into His immortal City, delivering His whole creation from its bondage of corruption into the "glorious liberty- of the "Sons of God." (Rom. 8.2l.).
All MenLuke 2:10. "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL PEOPLE." I. Tim. 4:10. "We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially of those that (now) believe." 1. Cor. 15:22. "For as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive; but EVERY MAN in his own order .... Then cometh the end." 1. Tim. 2:3-4. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." Rom. 5:17-18. "By one man's offence death reigned . . . . Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon ALL MEN to condemnation; even so by !he righteousness of one, the free gift came upon ALL MEN unto justification of life For as by one man's disobedience many ('the many.' Gr. and R.V.) were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall 'the many' be made righteous.- Tit. 2:11. (R.V.) "The grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to ALL MEN." John 12:32. (R.V.) "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw (not the Church only, but) ALL MEN unto myself" II. Cor. 5:15. "He died for ALL." (Rom. 5.8.). I. Tim. 2:6. "Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time." II. Pet. 3:9. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise .... not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come (eventually) to repentance.' Rom. 11:32. "God hath concluded them ALL in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon ALL." Every ManI. Cor. 11:3. "The head of EVERY MAN is Christ." John 1:9. (R.V.) "There was the true light, even the light which lighteth EVERY MAN, coming into the world." Or, as in R.V. margin "The true light, which lighteth EVERY MAN, was coming into the world." Heb. 2:9. "We see Jesus, who .... by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN." Mark 9:49. "EVERYONE shall be salted with fire." Phil. 2:10. (R.V.) "That in the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow (to God - Rom. 14:1l., Isa. 45:21) . . . . and that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Cp. 1. Cor. 12:3 - by the Holy Ghost."). All FamiliesGen. 28:14. "In thee and in thy seed shall ALL the families of the earth be blessed." (Gal. 3.8). All ThingsEph. 1:9,10. -Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself. that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one ALL THINGS in Christ, both which are in the heavens, and which are in the earth, even in him." Col. 1:20. "And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile ALL THINGS unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in the heavens." (Gr.). Rev. 21:5. "Behold 1 make ALL THINGS new." Acts 3:21. R.V. "The times of restoration of ALL THINGS." Rom. 11:36. "Of him, and through him, and to him are ALL THINGS." Heb. 1:2. "His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of ALL THINGS." Phil. 3:21.- Who shall change our vile (mortal) body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious (immortal) body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue ALL THINGS unto himself." 1. Cor. 15:28. "ALL THINGS shall be subdued unto him." (Heb. 2:6-9). Rev. 4:11. "Thou hast created ALL THINGS, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Isa. 46:10., Dan. 4:35.). Eph. 1.11. "The purpose of him who worketh ALL THINGS after the counsel of his own will." The WorldJohn 8:12. "1 am the light of the WORLD." II. Cor. 5:19. "God was in Christ, reconciling (not the Church only, but also) the WORLD unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." John 3:16. "God so loved the WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in (Gr. 'into') him, should not perish, but have everlasting ('aionian') life.--Or, as translated by Dr. Weymouth and others the life of the ages.- (i.e. resurrection immortality). John 1:29. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the WORLD John 4:42. " We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the WORLD.!' John 12:47. "1 came not to judge the WORLD, but to save the WORLD'' John 17:21. "That they all may be one .... that the WORLD may believe.- Isa. 45:22. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, ALL the ends of the EARTH John 16:33. "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the WORLD The Whole World1 John 2:2 ---He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD." The CreationMark 16:15.---Go ye into ALL THE WORLD, and preach the gospel to EVERY CREATURE." Isa. 25:8. 'We will swallow up death in victory (immortality); and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off ALL faces Rom. 8:21. (R.V.). "The CREATION ITSELF and shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God." Joel 2:28. ---I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL FLESH." Rev. 5:13. "And EVERY CREATURE .... heard 1 saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne." Isa. 40:5. -- The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and ALL FLESH shall see it together." Ps. 65:2. "Oh thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall ALL FLESH come." 1. Cor. 15:28. "And when ALL THINGS shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be ALL IN ALL." INESCAPABLE JUDGMENT. A WARNINGWhat do we gather from these Scriptures? Has Jesus taken away the "sins of the whole world"? Will He deliver all creation from its "bondage of corruption ... ? Will He eventually "draw ALL MEN (not a few only) unto himself"? If so, let none be deluded into thinking they can live carelessly because of a so-called Second chance! They will NOT have a second chance to escape God's wrath, for Scripture thunders out the warning that all unpardoned sinners will be "resurrected unto JUDGMENT"; and God's justice, the wrath of God - or the - wrath to Come,' I will come upon them even -- to the uttermost" (Rev. 20:15. Matt. 3.7. 1. Thess. 1:10), every man being judged "according to his works" (Rev. 20:12-13. Rom. 2.6. Matt. 16:27.), giving account for "every idle (Gr. 'pernicious') word . . . . in the day of judgment" (Malt. 12:36). Then there will be no escape for any man: and not until repentance is reached, and cleansing granted, will entry be made into the "Holy City" through its ever-open "Door" (Rev. 22:14-17). What fools men are, not to repent and ask for forgiveness NOW! Those who now "overcome" will assuredly be -delivered from the wrath to come" (1. Thess. 1:10. Rev. 20:6.), and will be "saved from wrath, through him" (Rom. 5:9.). The wrath or 'chastisement' of our "God of love," the -Father of mercies," has a constructive (not destructive) purpose, namely, to bring all unto himself, saving all from sin, mortality, and corruption, bringing all ultimately, through Jesus Christ, into immortality or "LIFE." Bruised reeds will be judged unto victory, not broken. (Matt. 12:20.)
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