Isn’t Christianity just like other religions?

You’ve likely heard such claims. Some assert it is comparable to all or many other religions. They teach that we by our works earn some form of a future or some form of “salvation.” Then they point out how other religions do the same, so we’re all similar. I will examine five major religious systems: Hinduism, Buddhism, Modern Spirituality, Islam, and Christianity.

NOTE: I am not an apologist or an expert on comparative religions. I have examined some of the writings from these religions. I’ve read what they say, not what others have written about them. The following study will consider what their own adherents or teachers say on the following subjects. This is not an in-depth study on various religions. This is a brief survey of how some compare to Biblical Christianity or are different from it. My emphasis is on Christianity. I am biased!

Christian, be wise, no one is saved by our proving that their religion is wrong. No one is saved by a debate on these issues (1 Cor. 1:17-21). I am considering these differences simply to demonstrate for our own sake, that Christianity truly stands distinct.

What do religions teach about “God”?

Not all religions believe in God in the Christian sense of God. As Christians, we think that while other religions worship the wrong god or gods, we assume they worship some god. This is not necessarily true.

Buddhism does not believe in god or gods. Buddhism thinks that all things are involved in a continuing cycle of birth-life-death-rebirth. They think that some people have ascended to a higher level of existence (Buddhists do not agree on the exact nature of the ascent). They do agree that these individuals have not become gods.

Hinduism believes in many gods, thousands of gods to be exact. These gods demand appeasement and worship. They have many sacred texts (like their bibles). Many of those texts often tell the stories of their gods. They tell of the wars and conflicts between their gods each seeking priority.

Modern Spirituality is a godless set of religious activities by which people become more in touch with our world and themselves. Therefore, modern spirituality does not believe in god. They teach that we must work to advance to oneness with all other living things. In this way, it bears similarity to Buddhism.

Islam believes in one single eternal god, Allah. He has no partner, no son, and no daughter. He is a single person, unlike the Christian God who is one being but three persons. This god cannot be the Biblical god because the Biblical God is the Father and the Son, as well as the Spirit.

Christianity believes in one single eternal God who even in the Old Testament presents Himself in a plurality and makes this clear in the New Testament. This plurality is three persons, not two, not one in three versions, but one God who is simultaneously three distinct persons. God is one (Deut. 6:4). God is plural (us, our)(Gen. 1:26). God addresses another who is God as God (Ps. 45:6-7). God is presented as three: “Me” (The Son), Lord Jehovah, and His Spirit (Isa. 48:12, 16; Mt. 28:19). God does not change (Mal. 3:6). God may do different things but does not change or evolve in His nature.

What do religions teach about “salvation”?

Again, as Christians, we likely assume all religions have some version of salvation. This is not necessarily true. If religions teach “salvation,” they do not all use that same terminology. If religions teach “salvation,” they do not all mean the same thing. 

Hinduism teaches that people make their lives better by serving and worshipping these gods. As they serve those gods, the gods help them in their journey of life. If they do well, they can be reincarnated (rebirthed) in a higher caste until eventually they reach the “heaven” where these gods dwell.

Buddhism teaches that we are born, reborn, and reborn to suffering. So we are to work to be better so that our suffering and the suffering of others will be less in the next life (karma). Ultimately Buddhism teaches that our hope is to advance to a state free of suffering, free of what we understand as consciousness. Buddhists do not agree as to whether we reach some universal consciousness blended with all other beings and lose our individuality, or move out of consciousness to a nothingness, a nirvana. 

Modern Spirituality is similar to Buddhism but thinks that we maintain some form of consciousness. We may gain the ability in a future non-corporeal state, like a god or a force to interact and affect things in the world. We achieve this by how we live now (like karma).

Islam teaches that man is born sinless and innocent but when we sin we need to seek Allah’s forgiveness. We do this by repenting and working to be better and do good so we can be saved from the fire. Allah requires devotion only to him. Allah does not require a sacrifice or death for sin, except as punishment for one’s personal sins. Islam teaches that salvation is by works, not faith.

Christianity based on Scripture teaches that man is born sinful, and willingly sins in life. Death is a consequence of sin (Rom. 5:12).¹ All people continue to sin (Rom. 3:23; 1 Ki. 8:46). Physical death follows spiritual death as a consequence. Death is the separation first of man from God and then of man from the physical body. God did not send man away. Rather man attempted to hide from God. Man sinned and tried to stay away from God and continues to reject God. Yet, God sent His Son to bear our punishment so we can be forgiven and do not have to suffer eternal death.

God showed love for us by sending His Son to die for our sins and us as sinners (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-10). Christ died for us while we were weak and defiant to God (ungodly) (5:6). He died for us while we were unrepentant sinners (5:8). He died for us while we were God’s enemies, not seeking His forgiveness or trying to be better (5:10). After Jesus died, God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 4:24-25). The Lord Jesus Christ did all the work for our salvation.

Biblical Christianity teaches that on our part, salvation not by our works, but that God saves us through our personal faith in what Christ did (Rom. 4:5). He declared Abraham righteous by faith (4:3). He declared David righteous apart from works (4:6-8). He declares us righteous by faith in His raising Jesus our Lord from the dead and that He was delivered (died) for our trespasses (4:22-25). Because God declares us righteous by faith, His promise can rest on His grace (4:16).

Christianity rests on One God who provided the means for us to be saved and offers us salvation by His grace through our believing in Christ. This is distinct from “religion” which rests on our works and efforts. One reason Christianity is often thought to be similar to other religions is that we misrepresent it as a religious system. Some teach that works are required to be acceptable before God. 

Is Christianity a religion? 

In our English Bibles, the word “religion” occurs five times. The English word “religion” derives from the Latin word “religare” meaning “to bind” and the French “religio” meaning “obligation, bond, or reverence.” Originally in English, the word religion was used for living under vows. It came into English as duties one observes as a “Christian,” and defines Christianity as responsibilities towards God. 

The Greek word thrēskia meant “holy service, religious service, or observance. It derives from the word thrēskos which meant “fear of the gods.” The fear of the gods drove people to act so as to appease the gods or maintain their favor. The people feared what an unappeased god might do to them. The Greek words thrēskia and thrēskos occur six times in the New Testament. First, The Pharisees were a strict sect of the Jewish religion (Acts 26:5). They attended carefully to the details required of them. Judaism involved fear of God (Deut. 6:1-3). Judaism had many rules for how Israel could approach their God. Second, pure and undefiled religion involves duties such as caring for people (Jas. 1:26-27). Some people impose religious activities upon themselves (Col. 2:18). Strict rules appear wise as they reflect a religion produced by one’s desire (Col 2:23). People think that if they perform well, and attend to duties, God will be pleased with them. 

Christianity rests on God, His work, and His grace. We are not only saved eternally by God’s grace through our faith, but we also live by faith and grace. We are under grace (Rom. 6:14). God guarantees us that nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:38-39). We are called to live worthy of God’s call to us in Christ not to earn it (Eph. 4:1). We already have it. We do not earn our future for even our future comes from Christ bringing to us grace (1 Thess. 5:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:13). Christianity is not a religion. It is not a set of duties. It is not a life from fear of displeasing God. It is a life lived in light of all God’s gracious and sure provisions.

1. This verse is about the sin nature and spiritual death. ↩︎

Walking

We all need to incorporate some form of exercise to get or stay healthy. Do we take up running, weight lifting, cross-fit, yoga, or any of a number of suggested exercise programs? Many health professionals tell us that simply taking a good walk several days a week is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective forms of exercise. But for some, it sounds too simple. So, they adopt some trendy exercise programs that they do not stick with.

…By the Spirit

The New Testament writers use the word “walk” for a part of the Christian life. We are to walk by (not “in”) the Spirit and we will not act on the lusts from our flesh (Gal. 5:16). The word Paul uses is peripateō meaning to walk about or around. First-Century Greek-speaking people used this word not only for physical ambulation, but metaphorically for how we live daily life. Paul explained this idea how this works for the believer in Romans 8:4-5. He looks at two options for the believer: walking by the flesh or walking by the Spirit. He then explains that we walk or live our lives by setting our mind to things from the flesh or things from the Spirit. Paul lists things of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, the works of the flesh. In Romans 8:2, we find one of the things the Spirit wants us to set our minds on, namely our “life in Christ Jesus.”

The things from the Spirit are Paul’s biggest concern. He knows what it is like to live by law, setting up a bunch of DON’T’s. Focusing on a set of rules makes us focus on what we are not to do. So now our minds are set on things below, and things we might say are “off limits.” That leads to failure due to the law’s weakness because our flesh is easily drawn out, even by telling ourselves, “No, don’t do …” So, Paul spends more time pointing believers to our life in Christ Jesus. Rather than thinking about the off-limits things, Christians are to set our minds on who God says we are in Christ. Yes, there are other things on which we can set our minds, such as Christ’s high-priestly intercession for us, our gracious and grand future with Christ, or God’s character and work.

Paul tells us that by walking by the Spirit, we will not fulfill the cravings from our flesh. Following the Spirit’s lead (that’s how we walk by Him), we experience freedom from our struggle with our sin nature. It isn’t complicated.

…In the Light

John adds another element, walking in the light (1 Jh. 1:7). According to Church history, Paul died in Rome about AD 67. The same histories claim that after John’s imprisonment on Patmos, he returned to the area of Ephesus and wrote letters. This is about AD 90. So, John writes over twenty years after Paul’s death. It appears that John had grown further in those years and learned more. He does not alter what Paul and others had written but adds a further development to this idea of walking. We can walk in the light. The closest Paul comes to this is calling the Ephesians to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).

Light is God’s life seen by men (Jh. 1:4). We do not need a philosophical consideration of light and its qualities. Scripture provides its own definition. When Christ walked this earth among people, He demonstrated God’s life, eternal life in His human nature. People could see that life in terms we could understand. John wrote to counter the false claims of the antichrists or people who opposed the truth that Jesus was God in flesh and equal with the Father (1 Jh. 2:22-23). Their teaching was affecting some of the believers so that they were not living out eternal life in love to one another (cp 1 Jh. 4:20-21).

Walking in the Light is using God’s life as God does within the confines of our human limitations (1 Jh. 1:7). That expresses itself in love, and to claim to walk in light and yet hate our brother means we are really walking in darkness (2:9). Walking in darkness does not necessarily mean we do not have eternal life, but that we are not making use of it in daily life. It means we are walking like unregenerate people. If we are loving our brother, we are actively abiding or being at ease in the light (2:10). We love by serving others and meeting their needs. We love by walking or living our lives according to His commands (2 Jh. 6). John summarizes His commands in 1 John 3:23: believe and love. That is what walking in the light can look like.

While Paul told us to walk by means of the Spirit, John adds that we can walk in the light as He (the Father) is in the light (1 Jh. 1:7). One result of walking by the Spirit is that we do not fulfill or act upon cravings from our flesh. One result of walking in the light is that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son is actively cleansing us from all sin. Before we ever sin, there is a whole series of thinking and attitudes that lead up to the act of sin. John refers to them as “sin.” Not that the thinking and attitudes are the sin but they are the qualities that pave the way. Christ’s sacrifice has an ongoing effect on the practical life of the believer who is using God’s life by loving their brothers and sisters in Christ. It keeps cleansing them. It keeps the intrusions of our sinful nature, our flesh from wearing us down until we finally sin. That is a real promise.

Some might wonder how we go from this way of life to sinning. It is simple, we do not always set our minds to our life in Christ, and we do not continue to live eternal life by loving our brothers and sisters. We become mentally lazy. Our mindset becomes distracted by a variety of things, even things that may seem neutral. But, when we allow them to displace our proper attitude or frame of mind, they are anything but neutral. So we need to continue setting our minds, our outlook on life and this world on who we are in Christ.

Both Paul and John encourage us to walk, to live our lives with a certain mindset. Paul points us primarily to our life in Christ Jesus. He is also concerned with believers serving each other in love. John primarily focuses on walking in the light, walking in our eternal life by loving other believers. Interestingly, these two match Jesus’ words in John 14:20, “You in Me, and I in you” and then His charge in 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” We are to walk in both of these relationships.

Questions for the Christian Faith, part 2

Why do we meet?

The very first New Testament believers lived under the law God gave to Moses. They likely observed the sabbath that God required for Israel under the Mosaic Law. A sabbath was a day in which God required His people Israel to stop all work. The sabbath was the seventh day of the week, which we know as Saturday. Eventually, the Israelis would get together with other Israelis on the sabbath and listen to people read from their Bible (the Old Testament) and talk about it. We are not Israelis, and we are not under law (Rom. 6:14). The New Testament nowhere requires us to live by the Law and God does not require us to observe or meet on a sabbath (Gal. 5:18). The New Testament does not prescribe any day on which we must meet. In fact, the earliest Christians met together every day of the week, usually in the late afternoon and evenings after work.

The very first believers met for four reasons, expressed by the verb “devoting: or “holding fast” in Acts 2:42. They devoted themselves to the practical teaching of the Apostles. This was teaching on how to live as God has planned for us. This is expressed by the Greek noun didakē. They devoted themselves to the fellowship. Fellowship means sharing together. Fellowship may involve sharing food, sharing our possessions, or sharing the same experience such as believers using eternal life together, praying together, and encouraging each other to think rightly about God and each other.

These early Christians devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. This probably refers to communion (fellowship). Communion or the Lordian table is a fellowship in the body of Christ. The bread represents the body of Christ, not only His body on the cross but also the Church as His body, because God counts us to share in what Christ did (1 Cor. 10:16b-17). Communion is also a fellowship around a cup of wine or grape juice (in some churches). This cup is identified as the new covenant and the wine represents Christ’s blood that started this new covenant. (A covenant was a promise in the form of a contract. This covenant was made by God and promised to us.) The Christians often shared this event at a meal (breaking of bread).

They also devoted themselves to prayers (Acts 2:42). The believers began to use this word translated as “prayer” for worship. It is the act of consciously and sometimes verbally acknowledging who God is and what He does (cp. Acts 4:24f).

The early believers shared their material possessions to provide for those who were needy (Acts 4:34-35). Later, the apostle Paul explained how we live by grace (cp Tit. 2:11-13). That change also affected how we give. We give as a matter of grace, not law (2 Cor. 8:4). We give with eagerness based on what we have, not on what we don’t have (2 Cor. 8:12). We give as we each decide, not out of necessity (no tithe) (2 Cor. 9:7). Despite the fears of some church leaders that we will not be able to fund our ministries, grace-oriented ministries do just fine.

The Christians met to serve each other with their God-given gifts (Eph. 4:11-12). God gave some gifts to help equip others to serve (4:11). God gave every believer the ability to serve (ministry) in some capacity (4:12; 1 Pet. 4:10). So we meet to prod each other to love and good works (Heb. 10:24). Some of those good works involve the use of our God-given gift to help other believers. We should serve from faith and love (1 Thess. 1:3). Believers serving each other in love is the greatest testimony we have to the world (John 13:34-35). It trumps every apologetic argument we might develop.

Why don’t we meet with everyone?

Not everyone is a believer.

Many groups around the world identify as Christian. However, many are not Christian. Everyone does not believe in Jesus Christ as the Bible teaches. They may believe in a Jesus who helps us but not the Jesus who died to save us. They may believe in a Jesus who did good works but is not the one true God. They may believe in a Jesus who did not rise again from the dead or didn’t become a man. The apostle John told one group of believers that these kinds of people left. They deny that Jesus is Christ (the Anointed One who lives; 1 Jh. 2:18, 22-23). Some deny that He has come in flesh (became a man; 1 Jh. 4:1-6). So, they left the churches. Unbelievers will only sit under proper teaching of God’s Word for a while, but they will eventually leave.

Many do not believe in the Jesus Christ of the Bible. They make up their own Jesus, one who fits what they want Him to be (2 Cor. 10:4). Some do not believe that Jesus Christ did everything necessary for our salvation when He died on the cross and rose again. So they add our good works as a requirement to be saved. Some require water baptism for salvation. Others may tell people that they must be fully committed to Christ and His ways or they cannot be saved. We do not intentionally gather with people who do not believe and teach the Jesus that the Bible reveals.

Some Christians think differently about God’s truths.

Some people believe in Jesus Christ and what He did, but they may hold different views on other doctrines which affect the way we think and live. Most of the New Testament letters respond to problems that cause divisions among believers. Some believers divide over the matter of living by law or grace. Some divide over the relationship of Jewish and Gentile believers. Some divide over the eternal certainty of our salvation. Some divide over the matter of our future resurrection. These are just some examples of teachings that real believers might disagree on. Those disagreements impact the extent of fellowship we can share.

Normally, we meet with believers who think the same way about God’s Word and what it teaches. Sometimes we need to be patient with people as they learn and grow in God’s truth. Often times Christians struggle with some truth, such as eternal security (once saved always saved), because they know just a little bit of Biblical truth. When they learn more about what God has done, is doing, and will do, their problems go away. This is one of the reasons we should emphasize consistent in-depth Bible teaching. 

We want people to understand God’s Word, God’s truth. I do not want anyone to adopt a view because I said it or taught it. I don’t want them to change their thinking because they read a book, maybe a book I wrote. We all need to arrive at truth by examining God’s Word. If we hear someone teach or read a book, we need to test what is said against Scripture. 

If we have believers among us who hold different ways of thinking, we can help in a couple of ways. First, we should continue teaching God’s Word, even if they do not agree (2 Tim. 4:2). We should welcome them and not make an issue of their problem unless it comes up in the course of teaching (Rom. 14:1-9). Paul mentioned two issues in Romans fourteen: being a vegetarian to avoid eating meat sacrificed to idols, and observing one day above the others, that is sabbath keeping. The first was a problem among former Gentiles who used to worship these false gods. The second was a struggle for former Jews. We can be tempted to tackle these issues and people rather than letting them grow. This requires that we be Spirit-filled and direct the fruit of love, joy, peace, kindness, etc. to them as they struggle with their past religious conduct and grow into their life by grace in Christ. 

Three People, Three Examples

“Why do we have 3 John in our Bible?” I was asked this question during our concluding study on 3 John. It is a good question. We could ask that about any book in the Bible. We should ask, “Why did God choose to include this book in the canon of Scripture? What is so important in this book that He thought we would need it?” Some books like Exodus, Psalms, or Romans seem easy to answer. Exodus outlines God’s plans for how Israel was to relate to Him for the next 1,500 years. Psalms gives us examples of others talking to God both about their struggles and their successes. Romans traces God’s work in salvation in order to help believers become stable. But why a short little book like 3 John?

Narcissus Michelangelo Caravaggio, 1597-1599

3 John is a letter from the elder (John)¹ to “beloved Gaius.” He encourages Gaius about how he helped some believers who probably passed through the community where Gaius lived. He warns him about the behavior of Diotrephes a leader in their local church. He points him to the example of Demetrius who has also helped believers passing through.

Gaius was walking in the Truth (v. 3). He was setting his mind to his position in Christ so that he could experience freedom from the dominion of his sin nature (Jh. 8:31-34). Paul explains that we have this freedom when we walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), which we do by setting our minds on things from the Spirit (Rom. 8:4-5). In Romans 6:2-4, 11; 8:2 Paul laid out that our frame of mind involves our sharing in Christ’s death to the sin nature and now our life that we have in Christ Jesus. So, Gaius was doing this. The Truth then allows the believer to do works that are actually been done by God in or through the believer (Jh. 3:21). Others had come to John and gave personal testimony to seeing Gaius walking in the Truth.

God did a work in Gaius and that work was providing support for believers, some of whom Gaius had not previously known, hence they were “strangers” (v. 5). So, these people had experienced Gaius’ walking in Truth through the loving provisions he shared with them. These people appear to have been doing “missionary” work or some form of itinerant service. The importance of believers helping believers is that God does not want us to pay for doing His work by appealing to the unsaved. John writes, “taking nothing from the Gentiles, Gentiles being a reference to unbelievers (v. 7). Knowing this, we should support² these people. By supporting them, John says we are their “co-workers.”

John then addresses a problem of a leader in the Church where we assume Gaius gathers with believers (v. 9). Diotrephes was a leader who liked the first place. He wanted the attention. He did not want to share the work with others. We may classify him as a Narcissist. Paul warned the Ephesians elders of this potential problem in their assembly (Acts 20:30). There are not unbelievers but one of their own, probably even an elder. People who are power-hungry often feel threatened by anyone who might be doing service. So it was with Diotrephes. He would not allow anyone in this church to help these other people (v. 10). If some did help them, he kicked them out of the church. This is not mentioned in Scripture as the authority of an elder.

Having pointed out this problem, John tells Gaius to imitate not the evil, being the activity and attitude of Diotrephes, but to imitate the good (v. 11). John points to a man named Demetrius who Gaius knew (v. 12). This man had a good testimony from the believers who had been in this church or had passed through at some time. We presume that Demetrius was more concerned with helping these people than his notoriety or authority. We should recall that John was witness to Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet and then giving them the command to love as He had loved them (Jh. 13).

Gaius has done the right thing. John encourages him to continue doing so and to even support these believers as they go on their way. Gaius demonstrated genuine love for believers. Diotrephes has not done the right thing. He is concerned only for himself. Demetrius has also done the right thing. I wonder (this is my thought) if John points to Demetrius because he was one of the people whom Diotrephes kicked out of the church for helping these people. I wonder then if this is the reason that John has to assure Gaius that Demetrius is doing the right and he should imitate that same activity, even if it results in his being kicked out of the church.

This short letter reminds us that in any local assembly, we may find people doing God’s will while others are doing their will. In that context, it is important to recognize who is doing what God has told us to do: love one another. We need to beware of those who are self-serving, and if they impose wrong practices on us, we must still do the right thing. Though not allowed by self-seeking, self-important “leaders”, we should still be hospitable to our brothers and sisters in Christ and provide support especially for those who serve.

1. John’s name is nowhere attached to the letter. He does not attach it to the gospel, or 1 and 2 John. Only Revelation has his name. Yet, statements in Revelation are repeated in his other writings arguing for his authorship. ↩︎
2. The word “support” (NASB ’95) is a form of the word “taking” used in verse seven. In verse seven we have lambanō [λαμβανω] meaning “to take or receive.,” and in verse eight we have hupolambanō [υπολαμβανω] meaning “to take up or under.”
   ↩︎

Amillennialism and the Age to Come, a book recommendation

I’m cautious about recommending books. I’ve met too many people who have changed their thinking about God or the Bible because “I read a book,” but did not spend much or enough time reading The Book (Scripture). I reserve book recommendations for those books that address a text or topic and support it with good exegesis of the Scriptures. Though published in 2016, I only came across Matt Waymeyer’s book a few months ago. I recommend this book.

First, I am a premillennialist and so is Dr. Waymeyer. I’ve had several people comment wide-eyed at the title, thinking it was a book in support of amillennialism. The subtitle is A Premillennial Critique of the Two-Age Model. Second, while I have taught briefly on the subject of the millennium, I have never taught in-depth on this subject. In part, I feel I do not understand all the texts that have a bearing on the subject. Revelation 20 and the six references to one thousand years is a very strong, plain statement in favor of a literal thousand years. I know texts such as Isaiah 2, 9, 11, 62, 65, and 66 and the promise of an Anointed ruler on David’s throne (Ps. 2), but, I realize there are a number of other texts, many in the Old Testament with which I am less familiar. Waymeyer has been very helpful in walking through several of these texts.

The two-age model is built on the reading of texts such as Matthew 12:32, “it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” Amillennialist¹ teachers claim that such statements do not allow for an intervening age, that of the thousand years, for there are only these two ages. They interpret these two ages to mean the present and the eternal state. For those unfamiliar with amillennial teaching, most hold to one general resurrection of all people at the end of this present age. This is followed by one general judgment of all people at which people either enter the eternal state with God or are consigned to the lake of fire for eternity.

After introducing the issues, Waymeyer gives four chapters considering key Old Testament texts that anticipate a literal reign of the Anointed Ruler (Christ/Messiah) over the earth (Ps. 72:1-20; Isa. 2:1-3; Mic. 4:2-4; Isa. 11:1-9; 65:17-25; Zech. 8:4-5; 14:16-19; Isa. 24:21-23). These texts not only paint a grand picture of that reign but tell of conditions that do not fit the eternal state such as physical age, death, the need for healing, and the presence of enemies and the poor. He then devotes five chapters to New Testament texts that refer to the future reign of Christ BEFORE the eternal state. Having read different books on eschatology, some of which focus mainly on the millennium, often brief statements are made followed by a Scripture citation. As Waymeyer walks through each text, he interacts with amillennialists and their interpretation, always returning to a plain (literal) interpretation of the text.

The last chapters focus on Revelation 20. He interacts with amillennial interpretation of several issues: when is Satan bound, what does that binding look like, what is meant by “the first resurrection,” how long is a thousand years, and how does Revelation 20 fit with the rest of John’s visions in the book. What may seem plain to those who practice a “plain”² reading of Scripture is not common among many Bible students. For those who are studying or teaching these texts, these chapters can help bolster the plain interpretation of the text.

If the eschatological subject of the millennium is something you’d like to pursue, I would recommend this book as a help in your reading of The BOOK (Scripture). If you haven’t studied eschatology, you should give it your attention. It makes a large portion of Scripture and has a far more practical effect on how we think and live than many modern Christians think or their teachers present.

1. Amillennial means “no millennium” or “no thousand years.” The prefix “a” is a negative. It negates what follows. ↩︎
2. By “plain” is mean an historical, grammatical, contextual interpretation or reading of the text. Sometimes, we refer to this as “literal” interpretation. ↩︎

Questions for the Christian Faith, part 1.

Who are we as Christians?

When we refer to ourselves as Christians, we mean that we are believers in Jesus Christ. Does that mean we’re better than everyone else? No. The Bible tells us that we were weak, but Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6). We were sinners when Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). We were God’s enemies when He reconciled us through the death of His Son (Rom. 5:10). Let’s look at what each of these statements mean. First, we were weak. We could not save ourselves. Second, we were ungodly. This is a tough word in Greek. It referred to those who dishonored a god, in our case, we dishonored the one true God. We did this by refusing to acknowledge God or to do anything God asked of us. In the New Testament, it refers to those who replace God with other gods or even with themselves. Third, we were sinners. Sin is an action that refuses to recognize that God has or can place any restrictions or requirements on us. Sin can be expressed as telling God, “You’re not the boss of me!” So, sinners are rebels against God. Finally, “we were enemies” describes us as hostile toward God. All this means that Christ did not die for us because we were worthy or He saw something redeemable in us. He died for us as helpless, God-rejecting, hostile rebels. Yeah, we weren’t better than anyone else, and this is true of the whole human race. 

How did we become Christians?

So how does God save such people? On our part, He saves those who believe in Him. What does it mean to be a “believer” in Jesus Christ? Just a few verses earlier, we find that it means we don’t work to be right with God (Rom. 4:5). It means we believe in a God who declares righteous “ungodly” people-that’s us (Rom. 4:5). It means we believe God will declare us righteous if we believe in Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:5; Acts 13:38-39). Notice that He declares righteous those who believe. Those who believe are or were ungodly. We have to recognize our lack of worth and that we were these God-rejecting people. This frames our attitude when we believe.

What do we believe about Jesus Christ We believe He is Lord of All (Acts 10:36). We believe He was sent by God (Acts 10:36). We believe that He died on the cross for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3). We believe that He was buried. We believe He rose again on the third day (1 Cor. 15:4). The Bible calls this the gospel or good news. If you recognize yourself as a sinner and hear that someone died for those sins and rose back to life so you can be forgiven and righteous before God, that is good news. This is what we believe.

Are Christians the first to think we are righteous and forgiven by faith apart from works? NO. Many before us believed and were righteous with God. Abraham lived nearly four thousand years ago and was righteous by believing God’s promise to him (Gen. 15:6). David was a king over Israel about three thousand years ago and he believed that God would forgive him not count his perverse activity against him (Ps. 32:1-2). Isaiah was a prophet who lived about twenty-seven hundred years ago, and he prophesied that by “knowledge of Him (Christ), My Servant (Christ) will justify many” (Isa. 53:11). So, God has always counted people righteous by faith. He has always forgiven them based on their faith in Him and because of what Jesus did, even before Jesus died. God planned that Jesus would die for sins, so He could look ahead to Jesus death just as we look back at what He did.

What truths do all Christians believe?

As Christians, we hold teachings that are revealed in the Bible. These teachings define us as well as all true Christians. We believe in one God (Dt. 6:4; 1 Thess. 1:9). We believe that the one God is three persons (Mt. 28:19-20). We believe Jesus Christ (the Son) is God (Jh. 1:1). We believe Jesus Christ (the Son) became man (Jh. 1:14). We believe the Bible is God’s Word and it alone tells us what God has done, is doing, and how He wants us to live (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We believe Jesus Christ is returning for us one day (Jh. 14:2-3). We believe Jesus Christ will judge the world one day (Acts 17:31). There are many other things we may hold that are also true, but these truths have been held by believers through the two thousand years that the Church has existed.

There is a difference between those who believe and those who do not believe in God/Jesus. Jesus judges those who do not believe (Jh. 5:27-29). Jesus does not judge those who have believed in Him (Jh. 5:24). Jesus bore our judgment. Because He bore judgment, we are free of judgment. He will judge our works to see what works are worthy of praise (1 Cor. 3:12-15). Note, the translation “suffer loss” in verse fifteen, simply means he loses something, specifically works he did that were worthless, the text has no word “suffer” in it. God will then praise each believer but He will not judge us (1 Cor. 4:5).

Do Christians agree on everything?

We may also hold some Biblical teachings that all true believers may not agree upon. Every church or church group holds to more than the above truths. This is true of the church where I gather. Here are some truths our church holds, though some Christians may disagree on these. We believe that once we have believed the good news and God has declared us righteous, He guarantees we are always secure in His love and cannot lose this salvation (Rom. 8:38-39). We believe that the Bible and not the Church, a church, or tradition determines God’s truth. We believe that God has planned for us to live by His grace (Rom. 6:14). We believe that the Church is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ, even believers who do not regularly attend a local church (Eph. 1:22-23). We believe that we can live the Christian life by the work of the Spirit (He is also God) (Eph. 5:18ff). We believe Christ will return for his Church and gather us to Himself and take us to be where He is (Jh. 14:3). These are some of the truths we hold, though not all true believers do. We think these truths are important and affect the way we think about God, His plan, and ourselves.

Is Dispensationalism Practical?

Recently someone asked whether dispensational theology has a practical impact on our function. This got me wondering how our church would answer this question. So, I asked them four questions.

• What is a dispensation?
• Who are the participants and what are the elements of a dispensation?
• How does this information affect how we function?
• Do we read Scripture dispensationally?

First, this pastor’s heart was so encouraged by the great answers from nearly everyone who participated. They gave good answers. They fleshed out those answers in very practical ways. So I want to share some of their answers and some of my comments.

_{Clarence Larkin}

What is a dispensation?

A dispensation is a house-rule, administration, stewardship, and management for a set period of time.

A dispensation is God’s dealing with a specific group of people for a set period of time.

My comments In answer number one, the words “house-rule, administration, stewardship, and management” were all given by different people. The second answer adds one more detail: it is for a specific group of people. Both answers also indicated that it is for a set period of time. It is not an eternal situation. I would add that it is a rule of life or standard by which the household lives. I also add that the principle is how the members of the household enjoy benefits that the owner provides to the household. Israel earned benefits under Law. One person added the importance of LAND in God’s promises. That was one of the promises God made to Israel under the Law, in addition to prosperity and good health while in that land.

Who are the participants and what are the elements of a dispensation?

An owner of the household

A manager of the household

The household

The principle by which the household will operate. The owner has the manager explain this principle to the household.

The owner of the household is God. In fact, He is the owner of every household (Heb. 3:1-6).

For us, the manager of the household was Paul. God used him to explain the principle by which we live. We find this in Ephesians 3:2 “The house-rule/dispensation of the grace from God, given to me (Paul) for you (the Ephesian believers, therefore us).”

For us, the household is the Church, the body of Christ.

For us, the principle is grace.

My comments Some people reject anything but Paul’s writings as governing our conduct and some claim that not all of Paul’s writings are valid for us. However, God gave Israel the Law (their dispensation or house-rule) through Moses (Jh. 1:17). But many others wrote after Moses. They were not managers or stewards because they did not alter the house-rule, they only added other details that were consistent with Israel living under the Law. So, James, John, Peter, Jude, and Luke do not alter how we live, they only add other details that flesh out something about living under grace.

Many dispensationalists confuse a dispensation with how we are saved initially. They claim that the dispensation of grace means that God offers salvation freely to all. By making this claim, some err and suggest or plainly state that Israel was saved by obeying the Law. This was never the case. Romans 4 demonstrates that God has always saved people through faith and by grace. Abraham was saved by faith. David was saved apart from works (no law). We are saved by faith. Abraham was before the Law, David under the Law, and we after the Law and we are all saved through faith by God’s grace (cp Rom. 4:16).

This error also leads to misidentifying the present household. It is not the whole world. The definition of a dispensation is a rule of life for a specific household. The world is not the household and is not under grace as a way of life. They must believe the gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-4) in order to become part of the household, then they can live under grace. For us, living by grace means that we have earned nothing from God and we can lose nothing. We are asked only to live in light of God’s sure provisions.

_{C A Chader 1936}

How does this information affect how we function?

*1 We live by grace, not law!!!!

*2 We live by grace, not the sermon on the mount!!!

3 We can mature by God’s principle of grace.

3.1 We can relate to our position in Christ.

3.2 We can relate to God and other believers by God’s grace.

3.3 We can love as Christ loved us.

My comments Everyone got number 1 almost immediately. Number 2 was much harder, but no one disagreed when reached that conclusion. The sermon on the mount is clearly a stricter law, one greater than the righteousness of the religious leaders. Many dispensationalists err on this point thinking that much of what Jesus said applies to us. They fail to realize that He came to Israel to talk about the kingdom God had promised them. Most in Israel were unbelievers and had no part in that coming kingdom, so Christ demonstrated just how strict life would be in that kingdom. This would be true for those who had experienced no change due to God’s promised salvation for Israel. He promised that He would write His law in their hearts (Jer. 31:33). This would only be true for believing Israelis.

The writer of Hebrews (I think it is Paul) states that the Law made NOTHING MATURE (perfect in many Bibles) (Heb. 7:19). Our better hope is how we can mature. Our better hope rests on our position in Christ, the One who has entered in within the veil and sits beside the Father. We sit in Him and have access to the Father through Christ.

We can only truly show grace to other believers when we appreciate being under grace and free of law. Extending grace to others is a key part of loving one another as Christ loved us.

Do we read/interpret Scripture dispensationally?

Some initially answered, Yes.

My comments Dispensationalism is the RESULT of reading the Scriptures in a consistently literal or “normal” (C.C. Ryrie) manner. We read each text in its context. We allow figures of speech to be figures of speech. We take promises to be exactly what God said. We respect the history that the Bible records and read the text in light of that history. We do not impose upon Scripture our theology or philosophy. We allow it to challenge what we think. We take the plain statements of God’s Word over our tradition and theology. Our theology may make us examine a text that does not seem to fit, so we may discern if our theology is off, or our interpretation of the text is wrong, or both.

The result of reading Scripture consistently in this way is the recognition of distinctions within God’s Word. It does not say the same thing in every text. It has different instructions for different people throughout history. This is the foundation of dispensationalism. if we interpret Scripture dispensationally, we run the risk of doing what dispensationalists accuse Covenant theologians and Reformed theologians of doing, imposing their system on Scripture. We might reject a text because it isn’t in the epistles to the churches. We might say, “That’s the Old Testament, so it cannot say anything to us.” We would be wrong on both counts.

Paul quotes Psalm 22:22 in Hebrews 2:12, “I will declare Your name to My brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.” In Hebrews, Paul has used ekklesia (church) for the Hebrew qahal (assembly). The psalmist (David) did not know who this “assembly” or “congregation” would be. He probably assumed it was Israel, but Hebrews indicates it is us. We are His brothers in this context. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my church.” Again, His disciples who heard this did not know what He meant by “church”. They likely thought it was an assembly of or within Israel. The builders rejected Christ “the stone” (Ps. 118:22-24). Peter applies this to Christ in His resurrection (Acts 4:10-11). Peter also ties this to Christ being the chief cornerstone upon which we as living stones are built (1 Pet. 2:4-7). Of what was this stone the key foundation stone? The psalm does not say. Peter and Paul understand Christ as the cornerstone to which the rest of the Church is squared and built. All three texts say something that has to do with the Church, not Israel, and each text is outside the letters to the Church. We arrive at this understanding by reading Scripture in context and allowing other Scriptures (such as the texts that quote the above texts) to inform our understanding. None of the New Testament texts alter the original sense of the texts quoted. None of the original texts state how the statement was intended.

If we imposed our dispensationalism on Scripture, we would miss these Old Testament statements that have reference to what God is doing today. So, read/interpret Scripture in a normal manner and do not impose, even our wonderful dispensational understanding upon it. Then we will see the real distinctions in God’s Word.

Seminary

Before I say anything else, I want to be clear. I went to seminary. It was a three-year graduate program. It was nine quarters. Every quarter I had daily a Biblical Greek class, a daily Biblical Hebrew class, a daily Bible class, a daily Theology class. In addition our chapel worked through most of the other books not covered in Greek, Hebrew, or Bible classes. While it didn’t answer every question I had, it trained me with the tools to study God’s Word and allow God to answer those questions through His Word. So, yes, I graduated from a conservative, Bible-based seminary. I have seldom deviated from what I learned as I have found those truths to stand the test of further exegesis of God’s Word. In the years since, I have expressed my appreciation to the individual faculty members and before others for the sacrifice of their lives so I might know God’s Word better and have a foundation on which to grow spiritually and know God better.

Preaching of Paul at Ephesus
Eustache Le Sueur, 1649

Having said all this, I graduated from seminary about thirty-five years ago. I have pastored for over thirty years and worked with a campus ministry. The church in which I serve contacted me while I was 1,500 miles away. I and my family came and spent two weeks with these people. I spoke eight times, spent hours answering questions, and spent several evenings having supper or dessert with a few of the families. All this was after a lengthy, ten-page questionnaire, several phone conversations, and phone calls to references I had given. It was a great attempt to check us out as thoroughly as possible. However, even after all that, this church didn’t really know me. We were still just barely acquainted. But this has been the pastoral search model followed by many of the churches with which I have fellowshipped. Other church groups may have slightly different versions of this procedure, but it still comes down to a church asking a man to “pastor” them who they barely know, and he barely knows them.

When Paul wrote Timothy and Titus, he listed a number of qualifications for the men who could fill the office of overseer (we use pastor, but that has to do with one’s gift, not the sphere in which one serves)(1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9). In both lists, Paul begins with some idea of the man being without legitimate accusation or reproach. He then goes on to list the areas in which the man must be free of such charges and meet qualifications. He must be a one-woman-man, sober both literally and in general demeanor, an attitude that thinks in terms of our salvation, orderly, hospitable, one expressing teaching, not addicted to much wine, not given to physical fighting, but gentle, not given to fighting, not fond of money, keeping an orderly family who takes him seriously, not a spiritually young believer, having a good testimony from unbelievers.

To this list Paul also tells Titus that he must not be accused of operating without caution or recklessly, not be one who does not submit, not one who authorizes himself for whatever he wishes, is hospitable, fond of what is good or makes for well being, righteous (often expressed in love), one who is fitted for God’s work in faithfulness and kindness, and finally, one who holds to that part of God’s Word that governs our conduct so he can properly use those parts of God’s Word that do not govern our conduct.

How can we evaluate someone for all these? Paul expected Timothy and Titus to be able to do so. But, we have a different situation that has developed in the two thousand years of Church history: seminary, or at least training programs external to the local church. What seminary has done is create a situation in which men who feel they should pastor seek some place to get training so they can do this competently. This may involve moving cross country or only a few hours from home. However, having completed their education, they rarely return to where they came from, but end up in a church a long way from home and with people who don’t really know him and he really doesn’t know them. They cannot evaluate him by the list of qualifications. We’ve probably all heard stories of pastors called to a church only to find out he had a reputation of not paying bills, a fact known in the community he came from, or a man who is a bit or a lot of a flirt, a man who lacks hospitality, but his friends at the last church don’t want to besmirch him even with honest answers. I’ve known respected leaders to withhold information because they fear it will ruin a man’s chances of serving in a church, and later that withheld information creates a major problem in a church. All these and many more are issues that are very hard to discern from a distance.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul tells Timothy to commit what he had learned from Paul to faithful men who can teach these things to others (2 Tim. 2:2). This brief statement is telling. Timothy must know whether these are faithful men. How would he know that? They are in the church where Timothy is serving. Timothy has been watching them serve. He sees their faithfulness. He recognizes in them the habit of passing on to others what they have learned. The word “others” is the Greek heteros emphasizing others who are different, in this case, the teachers teach non-teachers (I want to address this in a future post). This would also be true for others in the church; they know whether these men meet the qualifications. How would Titus know if these men held firmly to the part of Scripture that governs our conduct, that they can make such a distinction? Titus was working with a group of churches on Crete and was intimately acquainted with each group. Timothy and Titus could see these qualifications in these men because they were in the same churches. Who better to recognize qualified men than the very churches where they grew and have served?

For centuries, missionaries have recognized and trained qualified men to carry on the work.

This is my thought on the problem with seminaries, they are doing a work that should be done in our local churches. However, our local churches do not normally operate in a manner that allows the elders to train qualified men to fill their shoes one day. Yet for centuries, missionaries have recognized and trained qualified men to carry on the work. Perhaps, if a church recognizes qualified men, the church could undertake to support such men as they train in a seminary, with the requirement that they return as often as possible to help and return to work with the church upon completion of their training. I also think seminaries should consider programs that allow qualified men to train from a distance in connection with their local pastor/s. The advent of the internet has made this very possible. Perhaps a few local churches can cooperate to share a local training program.

I’m simply calling us to consider some form of training that matches the New Testament model. It is a challenging prospect but the first-century churches did it, and if it is God’s will, He will make it possible. It will require more from pastors than some churches have considered. It will also require churches to remove the unbiblical burdens often placed on pastors. It will require people in our local churches to use their spiritual gifts rather than expecting the pastor to pick up the slack. We need to encourage pastors and teachers to do the work entrusted to them. Part of that work is training the next generation.

Is there a better way to train men to serve in the Church? Yes.

The effects of Christ’s suffering and death for the believer

Christ’s sufferings and death are a past event. When He rose from the dead, they ended. We know that the effects of His death carry forward to today just as they carried back to the sins God had “passed over” prior to Christ’s death (Rom. 3:25). His suffering and death also affect Him now.

“He is a merciful and faithful high priest in things facing God, to propitiation regarding the sins of the people. For in which He suffered, He is able to respond to the cry of help for those being tempted” (Heb. 2:17-18). He experienced the things we experience. God cannot be tempted with evil (Jas. 1:13). So the Son became man to experience our struggle. In this way, He has mercy towards us in our struggles, our pain, and our temptations. Mercy is His pity on suffering as a result of sin, whether our immediate sin, the sin of Adam that affects us all, or another’s sin against us. The verb “propitiate” is in the Greek present tense indicating that He continues to be the satisfaction for our sins (cp 1 Jh. 2:1-2). The words “He has suffered” are in the Greek perfect tense indicating a past act with continuing results or a result. The participle “being tempted” describes the specific area of suffering. When believers are tempted, and Jesus was also tempted, the past suffering is real to Him and He does not stand aloof from our struggle. We see a version of this in people relating to and helping others who are going through something that they at one time experienced. We all can help others even when we haven’t gone through their experience, but there is a unique perspective among those with a shared experience. So, Jesus’ past experiences have an effect on Him in His human nature, glorified human nature, but still human. 

Jesus’ prayers for us

Before Jesus left the upper room, He spoke to the Father about His disciples. “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;” (Jh. 17:9). He did not ask for the Father to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one (17:15). He sent them into the world recognizing how hard it would be and warning them of what was to come for them. He did not ask the Father to keep them from hardships or pain. He had faced both, and in human nature, He learned obedience and matured through suffering (Heb. 5:7-9). As our high priest, does He then ask for us to escape suffering and hardship? He didn’t Himself. His intercession for us is not escape but strength (spiritual/mental) to go through that suffering.

As an aside, these facts need to be taught in our churches. Too many churches present Christ and salvation as believe in Him, come join, and have the best life ever. We try to sell people on Christianity being fun, fun, fun. Christianity is fulfilling with the right mindset. Peter and John could leave the Jewish council after being beaten and go away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ. I can’t imagine the early church ever misrepresented the gospel or taught new believers about the best life ever in terms of fun and material prosperity.

Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane by Jacopo Robusti Tintoretto, c. 1543

Jesus’ prayers in Gethsemane

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to the Father about His coming sufferings. His hour was that stretch of time during which He the Creator submitted to Himself to the creation, even allowing them to mistreat Him, mock Him, and put Him on a cross. He also prayed to the Father about the CUP. “My Father, IF it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You desire.” (Mt. 26:39). The “if” with the verb “is” in this statement form a FIRST CLASS CONDITION, a statement that assumes the first part of the condition to be true. Rephrased, Jesus’ request reads, “Since it is possible…” The Old Testament anticipated redemption through suffering. John the Baptist and Jesus spoke of Jesus providing a redemption and bearing sin. So, was Jesus saying that God’s purpose could be accomplished without Jesus dying? Hebrews 5:7 corrects the common misconception that Jesus was asking to avoid death, “Who, in the days of His flesh having offered, with strong cries and tears both supplications and pleadings to the one being able to save Him out of death and being heard, because of His God-honoring actions.” Note, that the writer says Jesus asked to be saved “out of death” not “from death.” Jesus knew He was going to die. He had prophesied His death. But in His human nature, He did not know how long that death would be. “WAIT,” you say, “He said He would rise in three days.” Indeed. We think only of His physical death, but from noon until three, Jesus experienced spiritual death, separation from the Father and the Spirit. This is the death about which He asked. He did not know how long that death would last. Hebrews 5:7 states that He was heard, meaning the Father did end that spiritual death before His physical death. Yet not knowing the extent of that death, Jesus willingly faced that death. In this same way, He intercedes for us. He sympathizes with our weakness and we can receive mercy and find grace for our cry for help that is well-timed (Heb. 4:14-16). 

Jesus’ example for suffering

On the cross, Jesus responded to others in silence. He left us an example of how we can suffer (1 Pet. 2:21-23). Human nature responds to others in kind. If they treat us well, we treat them well. If they insult us, we tend to insult in return. Jesus spoke no threats. We are reminded of His words, as the soldiers nailed Him to the cross, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34). Many modern Christians need to learn this lesson as we have become quite vitriolic in our reaction to the world, a very non-Christian, non-Biblical response. Christ entrusted Himself to God, who judges righteously. The centurion, the Roman soldier who was likely in charge of the others at the crucifixion, when he observed all these things and how Jesus breathed His last, he glorified God and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son.” (Mt. 27:54; Mk. 15:39; Lk. 23:47). An unbelieving Romans soldier saw a difference in Jesus Christ and it impacted Him. We’d like to believe that he became a believer.

Jesus’ suffering for our freedom

Christ’s suffering is also a call for us to experience freedom from sin’s dominion. Christ suffered in flesh, and we should equip ourselves with the same intent, to cease from sin (1 Pet. 4:1). Christ was sinless, the unblemished and spotless lamb of God (1:19). He did not have to cease sinning because He never sinned. Yet His death dealt not only with our guilt under sin but of sin’s dominion. We are no longer enslaved to sin. Peter is referring specifically to our sin nature, also designated as the flesh. This can be seen in some of the areas of sin Peter refers to in 4:3, acts which are also mentioned among the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). Suffering can sometimes result in our excusing sin because we think we already have it so bad. Referencing Christ’s suffering, Peter points out the fallacy of such thinking. As Paul said, we were put into Christ’s death and should count ourselves to be dead ones to that sin nature, but living ones to God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:3-4, 11). Christ’s suffering and death mean our freedom today.

Many believers have experienced this comfort through the centuries, not by Christ granting us escape from our pain, temptation, and hardships, but by asking the Father for our growth through hardship (Heb. 7:25). 

Did Jesus descend into Hell?

The Apostles’ Creed includes the lines about Jesus “was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell.” This old form of the creed dates to about AD 340. The Old Roman form on these lines reads, “Who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried, on the third day rose again from the dead.” Whatever the original form, why did people make such a claim, a claim which is repeated weekly in numerous churches? 

Hell, Hades, and Gehenna

In the 1995 edition of the New American Standard Bible, the translation “hell” occurs thirteen times. All but one translate the word gehenna.¹ Gehenna gets its name from the valley of Hinnon (Hinnom) to the south of Jerusalem.² It was a garbage dump that always burned and smoldered and was used for disposing of bodies. In Old Testament times it was a location at which people worshipped the Ammonite deity Molech by burning people even sometimes (often times) children (Lev. 20:2; 2 Ki. 23:10; Jer. 7:31; 32:35). The Jews had taken to using this name for the place of eternal punishment for the damned. Daniel prophesied of a time in which some would be raised to eternal life and others would be raised at another time to eternal ruination (Dan. 12:2). Very early in Israel’s history, it is clear they understood that a fire burned beneath the mountains in a place they called the lowest Sheol (Dt. 32:22). So David recognized God’s lovingkindness in delivering him from the depths or lowest Sheol (Ps. 86:13). As Isaiah announced God’s judgment on Israel, he prophesies, “The strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together And there will be none to quench them.” (Isa. 1:31). In connection with the new heavens and new earth, we also find, “Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have rebelled against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Isa. 66:24). The concept of a place of punishment was not a newly developed idea in the centuries just prior to Jesus’ arrival. The burning valley of Hinnon (Hinnom) with its awful history became a picture of the place of future punishment for the Jews. 

Duccio di Buoninsegna, “The Harrowing of Hell” c. 1308

Jesus taught that gehenna was the place of punishment for the wicked. In the sermon on the mount, He warned of actions that would result in one being cast into this place (Mt. 5:22, 29-30; cp 18:9)). Gehenna is where God would destroy soul and body (Mt. 10:28). In this text, “destroy” has the sense of ruining something from its God-designed purpose. He warned that religious leaders would receive the judgment of gehenna namely burning for their actions (Mt. 23:33). Jesus said that He would tell the goats who did not do His will to depart into eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt. 25:41). It wasn’t made for man but for God’s spirits who rebelled against Him As Jesus revealed to John many things that will come, He made John see the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15). The burning valley of Hinnon is an appropriate picture of a lake of fire. The lake of fire is the place for those who have rebelled against God, whose names are not written in the book of life.

Hades and Death and the Lake of Fire

Did Jesus descend to Hell, to gehenna, to the lake of fire? NO. Death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). In the Greek text, “death” has a definite article. “The death” often refers to spiritual death (cp Rom. 5:12). Spiritual death is separation from God. We come into this world separated from God. It is only through salvation that God undoes our separation, giving us eternal life (Jh. 5:24; 1 Jh 3:14). So, the lake of fire will be the place of separation from God. Hades is also thrown into the lake of fire. Hades is a Greek term that corresponds to the Hebrew term Sheol. It is the place of the dead both believing and unbelieving, of righteous and unrighteous. This is why David knew God had rescued him from the lowest Sheol or the place of punishment. Jesus tells the account of Lazarus and the rich man (Lk. 16:19-31). The rich man is in torments (note the plural) and Lazarus is resting in Abraham’s bosom (16:23). Hades/Sheol is a place for both with a great chasm fixed between the two so that those in each cannot pass back and forth (16:26). Hades is the temporary place of the dead, not the permanent.

When Peter proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus in Acts 2, He quotes David speaking not of himself but of Christ, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol.” (Acts 2:27; Ps. 16:10). Peter substitutes the Greek Hades for the Hebrew Sheol. How could Christ’s soul be abandoned to Sheol if He did not go to Sheol? A common error of Bible interpreters is to assume everyone went to heaven at death. However, prior to Christ’s resurrection, no one went to heaven. Even believers went to Sheol, specifically to the place of rest not torment, while they awaited Christ’s resurrection at which time He would move them from Sheol/Hades to the edge of the third heaven. Properly, Jesus descended into Hades at death and awaited the day of resurrection. In the same moments that His physical death took place, He was made spiritually alive (1 Pet. 3:18). In the state of physical death, He went and made a proclamation to spirits in prison, who were once disobedient in the days of Noah (1 Pet. 3:19-20). What He proclaimed, Peter does not tell us. He did not evangelize them or offer them a second chance, that is not the word used here. He may have made a proclamation of triumph over them. Peter is clear, in death, Christ went to the location where these disobedient spirits were. 

Christ’s Descent into Limbo, Albrecht Dürer 1512

Jesus’ Resurrection and Change

When Jesus met Mary, He told her not to touch Him for, “I have not yet ascended to the Father.” (Jh. 20:17). In mere moments He ascended to the Father, and upon returning, appeared to the other women who grasped His feet (Mt. 28:9). When Jesus ascended, “He lead captive a host of captives.” (Eph. 4:8). Who were these? He led those who had been in Hades to the edge of the third heaven, a new location for paradise (2 Cor. 12:2-4). For this reason, Jesus could say of His Church, “the gates of Hades will not prevail over it.” When we die, we go directly into the presence of our Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Paul anticipated Christ saving him into His heavenly kingdom at death (2 Tim. 4:18). We do not go to Hades. There is no one righteous in Hades anymore. He has led them all to heaven. No one ascended to heaven prior to Christ’s resurrection (Jh. 3:13).

So, we can say that Christ descended into Hades. Since our English Bibles use Hell for the lake of fire, we cannot say He descended into Hell. He died on a cross for our sins, His body was buried in a tomb, but He descended to Hades, and upon rising from the dead, He led the captives free. Only the spiritually dead descend to the lowest sheol/hades. Christ’s spiritual death ended at the end of His time on the cross. In His physical death, He descended to the place where the Old Testament saints waited. But now He lives. He has removed the fear of death and opened the way for all who believe (Heb. 2:9, 14-15).

1. The AV was less careful and used “hell” for three other words: hades, sheol, tartaroō ↩︎
2. William Mounce, Mounce’s Greek Dictionary, G1147 ↩︎