Great insight as usual. I think it’s an interesting point that the Holy Spirit came upon John in the womb, since most traditionalists claim that a person must repent before receiving the Spirit.
Once more a great video I can tell your very dedicated to getting the message out there ! And you bring up some good points so good that I’m actually considering abandoning gnosticism for Christian Universalism or whatever denomination supports Apokatastasis
Howsit going there young fella.... A point on Calvinism. Those of the Uni,sal view have a great advantage in expounding scripture to their rightful interpretations. Having said that i percieve arminianism is compelled into Calvinism via a scripture that condemns them as Calvinist !!!! "Faith is not the possession of all men". In other words there are people who cannot be saved as we are "saved through faith". A clear scripture over which there can be no debate. I declare Calvinism the winner ! Or are they??? Actually NO. This scripture helps us appreciate the sanity of universalism and puts Gods love in its proper perspective. All praise to our God of sanity and our beloved savior and Lord Jesus our Christ.🙂😊😃
I was a Calvinist before, and it's interesting when you think about it that universalism is actually oddly compatible with Calvinism. Not specifically as Calvin viewed it, but the universalist would argue that everyone is predestined for salvation (at least in a sense).
Yes Predestination is Biblical, but generally misunderstood. Paul gives us the purpose of predestination in Romans 8:29, but it is partially hidden behind a poorly translated text: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he *foreknew* he also *predestined* to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he *predestined* he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30 ESV) The purpose for God's predestination of the elect/chosen: ...who are called according to His purpose, “this: those He foreknew, He also also predestined to be identical to the image of His Son, into being His firstborn, with many brothers.” (Romans 8: 29 my translation, with the tail end of verse 28 for context) The purpose of predestination is to produce firstborn sons for God, who are all identical in character to His Son, with many brothers who are not firstborn. There is other verses that verify the fact that the elect/chosen by God are counted as firstborn. Paul referred to the Thessalonian church as firstfruits: “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the *firstfruits* to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV) Also James referred to the Church as firstfruits: “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of *firstfruits* of his creatures.” (James 1:18 ESV) Firstborn and firstfruits are essentially the same thing, as being firstborn means that someone is the firstfuit of the womb. This would also explain this verse: “So let no one boast in men. For *all things are yours,* whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future - *all are yours,* and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 ESV) In light of this verse where the father (who is a representation of God the Father) says this to his firstborn son: “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and *all that is mine is yours.* ” (Luke 15:31 ESV) It is the firstborn who inherits everything, not his younger brothers, but the younger brothers are still part of the family.
I can help you with election. The Bible, and specifically Jesus and Paul, are not teaching that God elects some and not others. The unbelieving Jews already wrongly believed that when Jesus came. They’re correcting that bad doctrine. For example, in Romans 8 and Ephesians 1, Paul is talking to the Gentiles in his audience, explaining to them that where it was thought for millennia that they were unloved by God, it has now been revealed that they have been given the same blessings the Jews have. This is how Paul can say in Ephesians that we (gentiles) have been blessed and go on into chapters 2 & 3 and talk about how all people are now 1 people, no longer separate. It’s because everyone has been chosen. Everyone is elect. God has forgiven the sins of everyone. I can help explain Romans 9 and John 6 if you like.
Thanks for the feedback! In Romans 9, then, do you see the point of election and non-election being about the means of receiving salvation, then, and not about double predestination (double predestination being something that I, obviously, can’t get behind personally? And what conclusions do you draw if everyone is chosen and forgiven, then, as you say?
Yes, God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles. God did reveal to Peter and Paul that His plans included the Gentiles as well. Good plans: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV) However the claim that everyone has been chosen is not true: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14 ESV) Chosen/elect is the same word in the original Greek. Nor is the claim that God has forgiven the sins of everyone true: “For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” (Hebrews 10:30 ESV) Those whom God has not elected to have mercy on, they will be punished for their sins. Not forgiven. That includes most of humanity. It is true that Jesus died for the sins of everyone, but that was not forgiveness. That was payment. For the wages of sin is death: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV) Everyone has been saved from death, by the substitutionary death of Jesus. However not everyone will escape the justice of God. Only those whom God has elected/chosen to have mercy on, they will have their sins forgiven. They are the believers of this age. They are especially saved: “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10 ESV) Especially saved, because they have been saved from both death, and God's justice. While all other people are saved only from death. How God's justice works can be seen in the law given to Israel: “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:23-25 ESV) “If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.” (Leviticus 24:19-20 ESV) Since the justice of God is equal to damage done, the recompense always comes to an end. For no one has ever done eternal damage. The shed blood of Jesus was necessary for forgiveness: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV) However, forgiveness comes upon repentance and confession of sin: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV) Only God's elect will do this, because they alone have been given the gift of faith from God, in this age. No one can repent and confess their sins unless they believe God's word to be true. Faith is belief in God's Word. God bless.
@@Paul_Krichbaum Hi Paul, It’s a really long rant, but you’re dead wrong. Go back and re-read Jesus’ parable in Matthew 22. You quoted the closing line but you’ve demonstrated you’re misunderstanding the entire story. Jesus is saying everyone is invited (elect) but only some people will respond and become the “choice meats” and receive eternal life. If you read the story this will become clear.
@@Paul_Krichbaum and yes, God has certainly forgiven all sins, justified all men so that everyone can approach his throne and surrender to his mercy and to those who do he will grant eternal life. Romans 5:18 is about as clear as it gets.
@@orthodoxuniversalist It’s definitely not about double predestination, that’s for sure! Salvation should be really simple to understand. God has forgiven all people and given all the ability and responsibility to surrender to his mercy. Those who do he’ll grant eternal life. Those who refuse Gods mercy and would rather not have eternal life can do that too. Regarding Romans 9, it’s a deep passage, but the context has gotten really badly befuddled and for an understandable reason. Paul is writing to a world that’s in a totally different place than we are. In Paul’s world, the religious leaders taught that God loved Jews and hated everyone else. Imagine a world where the Nazi’s won and took over and where whites were the super race as determined by God himself, and every one else was subhuman. That’s Paul’s world. EXCEPT when the Jewish messiah came he taught the Jews that they were wrong, God loved ALL people, not just the Jews. In Romans 9 Paul is recounting all of his winning lines from his arguments with unbelieving Jews where he has taken their OT stories and he’s reversed all the roles to show how bad their thinking was. It’s a really deep chapter, as I said. Check out my ebook from my website on my about page here on TH-cam. I have like 12 chapters on Romans that explains this in detail.
Calvinism has always been the answer to logically flawed doctrine, and universalism has always been the missing piece to rationalize it with the empathetic.
Great insight as usual. I think it’s an interesting point that the Holy Spirit came upon John in the womb, since most traditionalists claim that a person must repent before receiving the Spirit.
Boom!
God bless you bro!!! Thank you for this videos!!!
Great exegesis, Glad I found your channel. Good word!
Once more a great video I can tell your very dedicated to getting the message out there ! And you bring up some good points so good that I’m actually considering abandoning gnosticism for Christian Universalism or whatever denomination supports Apokatastasis
Thanks for the feedback! Great to hear that you find the videos worthwhile. Praying for your journey my friend!
I like how you explain it. Blessings.
Howsit going there young fella.... A point on Calvinism. Those of the Uni,sal view have a great advantage in expounding scripture to their rightful interpretations.
Having said that i percieve arminianism is compelled into Calvinism via a scripture that condemns them as Calvinist !!!!
"Faith is not the possession of all men". In other words there are people who cannot be saved as we are "saved through faith". A clear scripture over which there can be no debate. I declare Calvinism the winner ! Or are they??? Actually NO. This scripture helps us appreciate the sanity of universalism and puts Gods love in its proper perspective.
All praise to our God of sanity and our beloved savior and Lord Jesus our Christ.🙂😊😃
I was a Calvinist before, and it's interesting when you think about it that universalism is actually oddly compatible with Calvinism. Not specifically as Calvin viewed it, but the universalist would argue that everyone is predestined for salvation (at least in a sense).
There’s definitely a version of Christian Universalism that leans on a Reformed view of Scripture. The conclusions just seem unavoidable.
Are you aware that there are Arminian universalist takes as well?
Yes 💪
Yes Predestination is Biblical, but generally misunderstood. Paul gives us the purpose of predestination in Romans 8:29, but it is partially hidden behind a poorly translated text:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he *foreknew* he also *predestined* to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he *predestined* he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
(Romans 8:28-30 ESV)
The purpose for God's predestination of the elect/chosen:
...who are called according to His purpose, “this: those He foreknew, He also also predestined to be identical to the image of His Son, into being His firstborn, with many brothers.”
(Romans 8: 29 my translation, with the tail end of verse 28 for context)
The purpose of predestination is to produce firstborn sons for God, who are all identical in character to His Son, with many brothers who are not firstborn.
There is other verses that verify the fact that the elect/chosen by God are counted as firstborn. Paul referred to the Thessalonian church as firstfruits:
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the *firstfruits* to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV)
Also James referred to the Church as firstfruits:
“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of *firstfruits* of his creatures.”
(James 1:18 ESV)
Firstborn and firstfruits are essentially the same thing, as being firstborn means that someone is the firstfuit of the womb.
This would also explain this verse:
“So let no one boast in men. For *all things are yours,* whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future - *all are yours,* and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”
(1 Corinthians 3:21-23 ESV)
In light of this verse where the father (who is a representation of God the Father) says this to his firstborn son:
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and *all that is mine is yours.* ”
(Luke 15:31 ESV)
It is the firstborn who inherits everything, not his younger brothers, but the younger brothers are still part of the family.
Thanks for that great effort to enlighten us, your brother's. Amen
I can help you with election. The Bible, and specifically Jesus and Paul, are not teaching that God elects some and not others. The unbelieving Jews already wrongly believed that when Jesus came. They’re correcting that bad doctrine.
For example, in Romans 8 and Ephesians 1, Paul is talking to the Gentiles in his audience, explaining to them that where it was thought for millennia that they were unloved by God, it has now been revealed that they have been given the same blessings the Jews have. This is how Paul can say in Ephesians that we (gentiles) have been blessed and go on into chapters 2 & 3 and talk about how all people are now 1 people, no longer separate. It’s because everyone has been chosen. Everyone is elect. God has forgiven the sins of everyone.
I can help explain Romans 9 and John 6 if you like.
Thanks for the feedback! In Romans 9, then, do you see the point of election and non-election being about the means of receiving salvation, then, and not about double predestination (double predestination being something that I, obviously, can’t get behind personally? And what conclusions do you draw if everyone is chosen and forgiven, then, as you say?
Yes, God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles. God did reveal to Peter and Paul that His plans included the Gentiles as well. Good plans:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
(Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)
However the claim that everyone has been chosen is not true:
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
(Matthew 22:14 ESV)
Chosen/elect is the same word in the original Greek.
Nor is the claim that God has forgiven the sins of everyone true:
“For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
(Hebrews 10:30 ESV)
Those whom God has not elected to have mercy on, they will be punished for their sins. Not forgiven. That includes most of humanity.
It is true that Jesus died for the sins of everyone, but that was not forgiveness. That was payment. For the wages of sin is death:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23 ESV)
Everyone has been saved from death, by the substitutionary death of Jesus. However not everyone will escape the justice of God. Only those whom God has elected/chosen to have mercy on, they will have their sins forgiven. They are the believers of this age. They are especially saved:
“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
(1 Timothy 4:10 ESV)
Especially saved, because they have been saved from both death, and God's justice. While all other people are saved only from death.
How God's justice works can be seen in the law given to Israel:
“But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
(Exodus 21:23-25 ESV)
“If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.”
(Leviticus 24:19-20 ESV)
Since the justice of God is equal to damage done, the recompense always comes to an end. For no one has ever done eternal damage.
The shed blood of Jesus was necessary for forgiveness:
“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
(Hebrews 9:22 ESV)
However, forgiveness comes upon repentance and confession of sin:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:9 ESV)
Only God's elect will do this, because they alone have been given the gift of faith from God, in this age. No one can repent and confess their sins unless they believe God's word to be true. Faith is belief in God's Word.
God bless.
@@Paul_Krichbaum Hi Paul, It’s a really long rant, but you’re dead wrong. Go back and re-read Jesus’ parable in Matthew 22. You quoted the closing line but you’ve demonstrated you’re misunderstanding the entire story. Jesus is saying everyone is invited (elect) but only some people will respond and become the “choice meats” and receive eternal life. If you read the story this will become clear.
@@Paul_Krichbaum and yes, God has certainly forgiven all sins, justified all men so that everyone can approach his throne and surrender to his mercy and to those who do he will grant eternal life. Romans 5:18 is about as clear as it gets.
@@orthodoxuniversalist It’s definitely not about double predestination, that’s for sure! Salvation should be really simple to understand. God has forgiven all people and given all the ability and responsibility to surrender to his mercy. Those who do he’ll grant eternal life. Those who refuse Gods mercy and would rather not have eternal life can do that too.
Regarding Romans 9, it’s a deep passage, but the context has gotten really badly befuddled and for an understandable reason. Paul is writing to a world that’s in a totally different place than we are. In Paul’s world, the religious leaders taught that God loved Jews and hated everyone else. Imagine a world where the Nazi’s won and took over and where whites were the super race as determined by God himself, and every one else was subhuman. That’s Paul’s world. EXCEPT when the Jewish messiah came he taught the Jews that they were wrong, God loved ALL people, not just the Jews. In Romans 9 Paul is recounting all of his winning lines from his arguments with unbelieving Jews where he has taken their OT stories and he’s reversed all the roles to show how bad their thinking was.
It’s a really deep chapter, as I said. Check out my ebook from my website on my about page here on TH-cam. I have like 12 chapters on Romans that explains this in detail.
Calvinism has always been the answer to logically flawed doctrine, and universalism has always been the missing piece to rationalize it with the empathetic.