1. WAS THE PLAN OF SALVATION MADE AFTER THE FALL?
2. WAS ADAM WITH EVE WHEN SHE WAS TEMPTED IN THE GARDEN?
Definitely, No! Usual translations seem to say yes, suggesting that Adam was there by Eve at the forbidden tree, as many pictures show. Imagine such “perfect” Adam, that was able to name various living creatures (including the serpent itself), standing now naked and zombified besides Eve, when she is busy negotiating the world’s future with a magically speaking cobra. The tempter totally ignores him, exclusively addressing Madam Eve. He stands there stupidly looking at some point, having no comment to do, or maybe scrolling down his i-phone, until finally she finishes her zoom conference, and shares her good news with him. Such unfallen and holy man, created into God’s image? I don’t want to become such a saint. If this is what Scripture meant by the expression “she gave to her husband with her”, then the Bible is a comedy for entertaining, not the Word of God.
But let’s take seriously the text, in a few interesting translations:
- Vulgate: deditque viro suo qui comedit (she also gave it to her husband who ate it)
- The TANAKH (in English), The Jewish Publication Society, 1985: She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.
- Revised Standard Version 1952: she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.
- Almeida Rev Corr 2009 (Portuguese): e deu também a seu marido, e ele comeu com ela (and she gave to his husband, and he ate with her)
- The French Version Darby 1885 © 1991: elle en donna aussi à son mari pour qu’il en mangeât avec elle (she gave also to ger husband that he would eat with her).
- EDCR (Romanian) „Apoi i-a dat și bărbatului ei*, care a mâncat și el” [*Footnote: Lit. „bărbatului ei cu ea”, cf. verse 12]
- See also the following translations: BBE (The Bible in Basic English 1949/64), LUO (Luther Bibel 1912), SCH (German Schlachter Version 1951), DRA (The Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition), ACF (Portuguese Corrigida Fiel 1753/1995), UKR (Ukrainian), R60 (Spanish Reina Valera Revised 1960), R95 (Spanish Reina Valera Update 1995), The MESSAGE etc. (You can check them on https://www.biblegateway.com).
The reason why most translators understood that Adam was then beside her, is that the Hebrew text says: וַתִּתֵּן גַּם־לְאִישָׁהּ עִמָּהּ wat-tintēn gam lə-ˀīšáh ˁmmáh (lit. “and she gave also to her husband with her”). This is an unusual Hebrew expression, but certainly not the way of saying that he stood there with her, by her, or beside her, or that he was with her. If Moses wanted to say that way, the text would have had at least the relative ˀăšer (= who / which [was]), to announce a subordinate clause [lə-ˀīšáh] ˀăšer ˁimmáh (compare to cases in Gen 24:54; 35:2, 6; Ex 8:18; Deut 29:16; Jdg 9:38; 2Ch 35:21 etc.).
This unusual expression is not about where her husband was then, but it is an archaic manner of emphasizing either the marital relationship between them, or her wish to share with him the same “blissful” destiny that she discovered. Verse 12 of the same chapter (Genesis 3), by the similar unusual expression: ha-ˀiššā ˀăšer naṯanta ˁmmādī (lit. the woman that You gave with me = gave me as a wife) and the like expression lihyoṯ ˁimmáh (lit. to be with her) of Gen 39:10, alluding to sexual union, suggest that the unusual expression in Genesis 3:6, 12 emphasizes their marital relationship / union. In any case, it cannot mean “who was with her”.
3. WAS ADAM DECEIVED BY SATAN?
Was Eve deceived by Satan? Yes, through a snake-medium. Adam was also deceived by Satan, through his wife-medium.
5. DID PRE-FLOOD HUMANS MATE WITH ANIMALS AND GIVE BIRTH TO NEW SUB-HUMAN SPECIES AND RACES?
6. DID GOD OR AN ANGEL SHUT THE DOOR OF NOAH’S ARK?
7. WAS THE TOWER OF BABEL BUILT BEFORE THE FLOOD?
Antediluvian rebels may have built a lot of towers or ziggurats, but if your question refers to an affirmation of Ellen White in SG 3, 301, you should read the good comments on WhiteEstate.Org. It is an accidental mistake in her book (an “and” is missing there). All her writings show that she was aware that the Biblical Tower of Babel was built after the Flood.
8. WAS THE TOWER OF BABEL BUILT TO ESCAPE ANOTHER FLOOD?
9. WAS MOSES’ WIFE ZIPPORAH, A „CUSHITE?”
Normally, the Hebrew adjective kušī (fem. kušīṯ, Num 12:1) means descendant of Kush, Nubian, Sudanese). However, in Hab 3:7, the gentilic name Kušan stand in synonymic parallelism with Miḏyan, indicating that the two are either synonyms or close related. There is also a “Kushite” king named Zerah in 2Ch 14:9, but Zéraḫ is a specific Semitic name, more fitted to one of the peoples surrounding Israel, not for an Ethiopian. The Targum (old Jewish-Aramaic translation) renders the Hebrew term kušīṯ as šaṕirtaˀ “good-looking”, a detail that Jews don’t seem to have kept a tradition about an African wife of Moses. Some rabbis hold that Moses must have married a Kushite princess (his first wife) when he was a ruler in Nubia (Kush) for 40 years. Others say that the term kušīṯ is used figuratively, just because his Midianite wife was dark-skinned.
The seeming contradiction about the identity of Zipporah (Midianite vs Ethiopian) is not between Moses and Ellen White, but it is present within the writings of Moses and separately within the writings of E G White. She just reflects the Moses’ text. Some readers suppose that after leaving Midian and Egypt, Moses took another wife (or a second wife) a Kushite one. But this is very unusual, because:
1. He does not say anything about a second wife (though he is faithful in mentioning such “details” in the lives of all the main characters of his books).
2. The proper Kushite (Nubian / Sudanese) were a people located quite far away South from Egypt, while in the Levantine area they could be met only as slaves.
3. Despite the incident mentioned in Exodus 4 (circumcision of the little Eliezer and the subsequent sending home Zipporah with her two sons in Midian), Moses did not renounce his Midianite family, including his father-in-law. In Exodus 18:1-12 he relates how they all met again when Moses was leading Israel in Sinai. The next day, his Midianite father-in-law gave him good advice regarding administration, which Moses accepted, under the will of God (Ex 18:13-26). Then Jethro went back to his Midianite tents (Ex 19:1), but he must have left his daughter and grandsons with Moses, since Moses doesn’t say that they went back with Jethro. Now, after approximately one year (Num 1:1), the smoldering envy of Miriam and Aharon against their sister-in-law surfaced, and they began to criticize Moses, because his Kushite wife. Now, if Moses took indeed a recent and anonymous Kushite (second) wife, it must have been Zipporah the first to express her discontent, or even God Himself.
4. Modern translations prefer to play on the Kushite (African, Black) race of Moses’ new wife, because it is perceived as a good lesson against racism.
10. WERE THE ISRAELITES DESTROYED BY GLUTTONY?
11. DID GOD SEND RAVENS TO FEED ELIJAH?
12. DID SAMSON DISOBEY GOD WHEN HE MARRIED A PHILISTINE?
13. DID THE HIGH PRIEST CARRY THE BLOOD OF SACRIFICED ANIMALS INTO THE HOLY PLACE EACH DAY?
The current daily service was conducted by the incumbent priests. But the High Priest, as a general overseer of the whole ritual has the right to offer sacrifices more than any other priest. Probably he used to perform the most important ceremonies, or in the special days (Sabbath and feasts). Anyway, the blood of the offerings was sometimes sprinkled before the Holiest, against the curtain, each time that was the legal requirement (Lev 4:6, 17 this was in the Holy Place). Otherwise the blood was sprinkled against the sides of the altar (Lev 1:5, 11; 3:8,13), or even against the tent of meeting (Num 19:4).
14. DID CHRIST RESEMBLE OTHER CHILDREN?
15. WAS THE MAN JESUS CHRIST ALSO TRULY GOD?
Yes, He is and always was eternal God. He is “the true God and eternal life” just like the Father (1John 5:20), He is the Creator (John 1:1; 12:41; 20:28), God forever blessed (Rom 9:5), Our Great God and Savior (Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8-10; 2Peter 1:1), The Omnipotent God (Rev 1:7-8; 19:6-7), He is called Yahweh (John 12:41, cf. Isaiah 6:1, 3, 9-13; see Exodus 3:2, 4, 13-14), Eternal Father or Father of Eternity (Isaiah 9:6), Mighty God (Is 9:6, cf. 10:21) et cetera.
16. WHILE TEMPTING JESUS, DID SATAN CLAIM TO BE THE ANGEL WHO HAD SAVED ISAAC FROM CERTAIN DEATH?
17. WHO CHOSE JUDAS TO BE ONE OF JESUS’ TWELVE DISCIPLES?
18. DID DOGS EAT JUDAS’ REMAINS?
19. DID HEROD PLACE A TATTERED ROBE ON JESUS?
20. DID JESUS FAINT THREE TIMES UNDER THE CROSS?
21. DID SATAN TEMPT CHRIST AFTER HE FASTED FORTY DAYS?
22. WAS MARY LED AWAY FROM THE SCENE AND JESUS’ BONES BROKEN DURING HIS CRUCIFIXION?
23. DID JESUS’ HUMANITY AND DIVINITY DIE ON THE CROSS?
Anything that could die cannot be divinity / deity. Divine nature (divinity) is not like a substance to be produced and destroyed. Divinity is by its definition eternal – no beginning and no end: transcending anything that is created. This truth is so obvious, that it does not need any Biblical evidence.
24. DID JESUS DIE TO GIVE US A SECOND PROBATION?
25. WAS THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN COMPLETED AT THE CR0SS?
It depends how we define the atonement. There are theological discussions on this issue. Etymologically, atonement means a kind of reconciliation, reestablishing unity (at-one-ment). The Hebrew term kippûr is a derivation either from the root k-p-r I “to expiate”, or from the root k-p-r II “to purge” (cleanse). Probably it is used with both meanings (I. Lev 5:6; II. Ex 29:36-37). But under the same reference to “atonement” stands often the Hebrew verb ḥaṭṭēˀ (cleans from sin, expiate) and the noun ḥaṭṭaˀṯ (sin, sin-offering). In Biblical Greek are used the terms ἐξιλάσκομαι (to propitiate), ἐξιλασμός (propitiation, atonement), ἱλαστήριον orἱλασμός (means or sacrifice of forgiveness / of atonement, place of forgiveness / atonement, way of reconciling), ἱλάσκομαι (show mercy, pardon, forgive).
There are Biblical statements suggesting that Jesus’ vicarious atonement is basically synonymous to His sacrifice on the cross (Dan 9:24; Rom 3:25; 1John 2:2; 4:10). As regards the penalty / payment for sin, His work is completed at the cross (Rom 6:10; Heb 1:3; 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10, 12; 1Pet 3:18). However, while the Bible says that He made the cleansing of sins once for all on the cross (Heb 1:3), that cleansing is legally available for every repenting sinner (1John 1:7, 9). But in this our understanding differs from other Evangelicals. While they tend to lean on the saying “once saved — always saved” (OSAS), we are fully aware that God’s pardon, while complete and full, it is still conditional, until it is finally sealed in the day of Judgment (Mt 6:12; 18:27-35; Lk 11:4). While every sinner is justified by God when he/she repents and therefore he/she can have perfect peace by faith in God’s perfect pardon (Lk 18:14; Rom 3:23-26; 4:5-8; 5:1; 5:9). However, our justification is made not only in the name of Jesus Christ, but also “by the Spirit of our God” (1Cor 6:11), involving more than a forensic (legal) verdict, even a work of the Spirit to make us righteous, while we still need the all-pardoning / justifying grace. Thus, because we are naturally prone to sin, our salvation must be experienced every day, our repentance and forgiveness every day, and our sanctification as long as we live. Thus, even martyrs are justified not only in their life, as repenting sinners, but also after their victory, they are justified and rewarded in the Judgment of God, while still in death, awaiting the day of resurrection (Revelation 6:9-11).
Salvation is much more than the best human words can express; salvation is not just a moment in time, but a process in our lives: past, present, and future. And it is worked by Christ at all its temporal phases (Phil 2:12-13).
In the typical system, as regards the individual’s experience, the Bible indicates that atonement was made by animal sacrifice in the day when the sinner went to the priest (Lev 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 18; 6:17; 19:22; Num 15:25, 28). However, once per year there was a Day of Atonement / Cleansing (Leviticus 16), when atonement was made for the sanctuary (House of God), with all its places and belongings, and for the people of God (Lev 16:15-16, 20-21, 24, 30, 33-34). This special, annual atonement was the type of a final salvation from sin. This final salvation came legally at the cross, where the atoning price was paid in full, once for all, when the sin was condemned and any guilt virtually forgiven on that basis. But the final verdict for each one of all saved would be pronounced in the Day of Judgment, by which God will save us from the presence of sin and from all the results of sin. Thus, the Day of Atonement (like Passover) had two main applications: the Cross (Judgment in Christ) and the Final Judgment (Judgment by Christ). One is discussed mainly in Hebrews, the other one is alluded in Dan 7:22; 8:14.
26. DOES THE BLOOD OF CHRIST CANCEL SIN?
When we speak about the blood of Christ, this is only a metaphor, a spiritual / figurative language about His atoning sacrifice. The physical blood in itself is not important (John 6:56, 63). As regards the forgiveness of sin, see § 25 above.
27. ARE CONFESSED SINS TRANSFERRED TO THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST?
If you mean a physical transfer, there is no such “transfer”. But this pedagogic language teaches us that when God forgives us, it is not like cancelling a debt just by authority, or else God could cancel our sins without any atoning sacrifice. But God’s pardon means taking the sins from us and put them on Himself (in Jesus Christ) to be borne (John 1:29; Heb 9:28; 1Pet 2:24, cf. Ez 44:12).
For the idea of “forgiving”, Hebrew uses the verb נָשָׂא naśaˀ (lift, take away, carry, bear, load, transport, carry away, atone for guilt, pay penalty). God took away our sins and put them on Christ to be borne on the cross. Now He is no longer on the Cross, but in forgiving us, He assumes our sins as a Mediator. In the Heavenly Sanctuary, He still intercedes for us based on His sacrifice (Heb 12:22, 24; Rev 5:6, 12; 13:8), thus spiritually speaking, He further deals with our sins. When He forgives them, He bears them on His shoulders and on His Holy name, as the Sovereign Pontif used to do (Ex 28:12, 36, 38).
28. WHO BEARS OUR SINS?
See § 27. But if you allude to the ritual of the Day of Atonement, the final disposition of sin will be on the head of Aza’zel. Some old translations rendered the demonic name Aza’zel as “scapegoat”, that once meant “the escaping goat” (that was sent in the wilderness in the Day of Atonement: Lev 16:8, 10, 26). Unfortunately, the same theologians, by using this term (scapegoat) as an atoning sacrifice, who bears vicariously the people’s sins, naturally applied this symbol to Christ.
But this is wrong. The sacrifice of Christ is symbolized here by the goat whose lot fell to Yahweh (Lev 16:9), and Azazel is here the name of the opposing principle in this cosmic conflict (Satan and his agents), which is usually called Satan — this last one being not a name, but a description (śāṭān = opposer, accuser, adversary). The meaning of the name Azazel is not certain. The name Azazel appears only here in the whole Bible, but it was long preserved in the Jewish tradition (it appears again in Enoch 9:6). See The Jewish Encyclopedia on the name Azazel.
Since many Evangelicals read Azazel as not a demon, but according to their theological tradition (as Jesus the scapegoat) they usually criticize Adventists and caricaturize the Adventist doctrine as if we would believe in Satan as our atoning sacrifice or sin-bearer. But remember that the goat standing for Azazel was not sacrificed, and its blood was not sprinkled in the sanctuary or on the altar. The sins were symbolically placed on its head, then the goat was chased away in the wilderness to be torn away by the wild beasts (Lev 16:21-22). This typifies the destiny of Satan and of his agents at the Second Coming and afterwards (Rev 20:1-3, 10).
Satan will bear the sins of the people not as a sacrifice, but as an originator of sin (cf. Est 9:25; Ps 7:16; Ezek 9:10; Joel 3:4, 7; Ob 1:15). He will be charged as guilty, not only for his own sins, but as the moral author of all sins. Consider, than the goat for Yahweh, in this ritual of Leviticus 16 is the only one sacrificed of the two male goats. But unlike the usual atoning sacrifices, whose heads were symbolically charged with guilt,[1] the male goat for Yahweh was not charged with guilt on its head, since its blood had to be used not for the usual forgiveness (when the sins were symbolically transferred to the sanctuary, including the altar and the priests) but it had to purge the sanctuary from the symbolically “accumulated guilt”.
29. DOES GOD REQUIRE A TRESPASS OFFERING BEFORE HE PARDONS US?
30. CAN WE SAY WE ARE SAVED RIGHT NOW BY CHRIST’S GRACE?
I answered largely to such a question at § 25.
31. CAN THE FAITH OF BELIEVING PARENTS SAVE THEIR CHILDREN?
32. WILL THE SINS OF THE SLAVE BE TRANSFERRED TO THE SLAVE MASTER?
33. CAN IGNORANT SLAVES BE SAVED?
34. CAN WE LEGITIMATELY SAY „I HAVE CEASED TO SIN”?
Sin is not simply what we do wrong, in actions or in our thinking and feeling; it is also what we neglect to do as a duty, and any unlikeness to Christ in ideals, longings and feelings, and good works (1John 2:6, 29; 3:3, 6-10). The sin is disagreement to God’s will. But we eve don’t know fully the will of God. Therefore, even when we feel that we have fulfilled each duty, there are possibly other duties unnoticed or unknown. As long as we live in the flesh, even to the death, we are in danger of sinning. Therefore, while we must daily dedicate ourselves to God, we can never say, “I have ceased to sin” (Prov 20:9; 1John 1:7-10). We always need the grace of justification / forgiveness, even at the highest level of righteousness / holiness in life.
While we are destined to be victorious over sin in this life (Mat 5:48; Rom 16:20; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 21; 21:7), and this is possible, by the indwelling and the complete control of the Holy Spirit (8:1; Gal 2:20), we should never feel that our fight against sin is over, that we have enough of God’s Spirit. This fight is over only at Jesus’ coming, but as regards to the growing into the likeness of God and the heavenly virtues, we will progress for ever and will never attain the perfect character of Christ. We can only reflect it, but never attain it. Neither angels will ever reach the full height of Christ’s character.
35. WILL OBEYING THE COMMANDMENTS EARN ME GOD’S FAVOR?
God’s favor comes first and last. Our performance is not meritorious. Even if it were complete, it is only fulfilling a duty (Lk 17:7-10).
36. DOES OUR OBEDIENCE AND FAITH RECONCILE US TO GOD?
Reconciliation to God was made only through Christ, by His sacrifice. But without faith, we cannot have the heavenly benefits of His sacrifice (immortality etc.), and also without obedience, there is no evidence of true faith (Heb 11:6; 1Sam 15:22; Rom 1:5; 6:16; 15:18; 1Pet 1:2, 22).
37. AS A CHRISTIAN DO I STILL STAND CONDEMNED BEFORE GOD?
If I am a true believer, I don’t stand condemned anymore, as long as I believe and remain in Christ.
38. MUST I BE PERFECT BEFORE CHRIST WILL ACCEPT ME?
This is impossible; therefore, God wants us to come to Him as we are. Even our repentance cannot be perfect from the beginning (AA 5:31), therefore we must come to Him in prayer as we are, and He will help us deepen our repentance, faith and growing experience.
39. DID JESUS ENTER THE MOST HOLY PLACE OF THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE BEFORE OCTOBER 22, 1844?
Your question supposes that the heavenly temple is the physical replica of the earthly temple, with a similar structure, furniture, or at least spatial division (bipartite structure: Holy Place and Most Holy Place). While the prophetic visions (in the Book of Revelation and in the E G White’s writings) show pedagogic illustrations, using the typical and dramatic language of the earthly sanctuary, the Epistle to the Hebrews does not refer to two apartments in heaven. John in Revelation, when finally describes the New Jerusalem, he describes it in the sanctuary language, as it was show to him: the city is God’s sanctuary of the new covenant (Rev 21:2-3, 7), and no sanctuary / temple is in the city (Rev 21:22). So it appears that the City is also God’s Sanctuary. To use the language of Jesus, who called the Temple “My father’s House”(Luke 2:49; John 2:16), including the heavenly home of the redeemed (John 14:2), it results that the heavenly temple and the heavenly city are one and the same.
As Jesus is both King and Priest, as His saints are both kings and priests, the heavenly home is both Capital City and Sanctuary. The heavenly Sanctuary-City is not divided in two apartments. It has many mansions, even the Paradise of God with His throne in its center. Not only that, but the city is not just a city, and not even a “Holy Place”: it is The Most Holy Place of the universe, because it has a cubic form (Rev 21:16), just like only the Holy of Holies was on the earth (1Rg 6:20). Describing the Ascension of Christ, E G White says:
“Still bearing humanity, He ascended to heaven, triumphant and victorious. He has taken the blood of the atonement into the holiest of all, sprinkled it upon the mercy-seat and His own garments, and blessed the people. Soon He will appear the second time to declare that there is no more sacrifice for sin.” {Signs of the Times, April 19, 1905, par. 4; Youth’s Instructor, July 25, 1901, par. 4}.
There are other texts where the entrance in the Most Holy is related to the end of the 2300 days of Dan 8:14. In those cases, she is based on the studies of our pioneers (Crosier, Andrews, Smith etc.) and on her own visions that teach the heavenly things in the sanctuary language of the Day of Atonement. While our pioneers usually imagined the heavenly sanctuary as a physically bipartite (dual) space, with all furniture and even ritual, they just took the inspired visions as videos of the heavenly reality. Therefore, they used to say that Jesus in 1844 entered for the first time in the Most Holy Place. In the present SDA statement of beliefs, the truth about Christ’s service in the heavenly sanctuary is formulated like this:
“In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary.” (Excerpt from the 24th artilce).
(We cannot imagine Christ as separated from His Father by curtains or walls, after Ascension until 1844. Nor can we place them both together in the Holy Place until 1844, and then have them enter the Most Holy together, because no other space than that occupied by God can be called Most Holy).
40. ARE THE FORGIVEN SINS OF THE SAINTS NOT BLOTTED OUT UNTIL THE GREAT DAY OF FINAL AWARD?
The early Sabbatarian Adventists, based on the Biblical study published by Owen Crosier in the Day Star Extra (1845, 1846), began to express their understanding of this issue in the following manner: 1. The sinner is forgiven, when he/she repents; 2. but the sin record is still present until the judgment, when either the sin or the sinner’s name is blotted out. This language seemed to be confirmed in AA 3:19, where KJV has: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when[2] the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord…”. Our pioneers have seen here a confirmation of Crosier’s theology that distinguished the blotting out of sin from forgiveness of sin.
On the other hand, the Bible suggests that the blotting out of sins may be a metaphor of Christ’s atoning death (Heb 9:26; 10:4) and of forgiveness of sin (Neh 4:5; Ps 51:9; 109:14; Is 43:25; 44:22; Jer 18:23; Rom 11:27; Heb 10:11). However, since the Bible speaks of a blotting out of the sinners names, as a judgment against those who are finally found stained, unworthy and defeated / losers in fighting the sin (Rev 3:4-5), it results that the problem of the personal sin is legally not yet solved until the Judgment, no matter what language we use for this final procedure.
While the repenting sinner has perfect freedom and privilege to enjoy forgiveness and have perfect assurance of salvation, one should always remember that this forgiveness / blotting out or how one loves to call it is still conditional. The “official” record is still kept until the judgment day. Otherwise, what meaning has the judgment of the House of God (1Pt 4:5-7, 17-18), or the Court of God, where believers are finally summoned (Rom 14:10; 2Cor 5:10)? What is the meaning of the Book of Life in Daniel 12:1cd and the other records at the Judgment (see Dan 7:10, 22, cf. Ps. 56:8; 69:28; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19)?
There is certainly a judgment of the saints, that is made for the final justification of them (the official heavenly confirmation of their salvation); for their reward and for their partition / separation (of the false believers from the true). The saying “Once Saved – Always Saved” and the invalid and unconditional assumption of the salvation assurance may lead to hell many Christians, who are not troubled with their living and indulging in conscious sins. Faith in Jesus and yielding to sin are not mutually compatible. God granted us His grace, not only to forgive us, but also to conquer our sin and control our flesh (Rom 8:4-9; 2Pt 2:19-22).
The true problem is not so much the language we use (which is conventional) to describe the Biblical truth, but the concepts themselves.
41. DID PAUL LEARN THE GOSPEL FROM MEN IN THE CHURCH?
No, he learned it from God (Gal 1:11; 2:2). However, it is not a special Gospel of Paul. The great apostle received the same gospel as his colleagues (1Thess 1:5; 2Thess 2:14). It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the saving Gospel of the Kingdom (Matth 24:14). When he says “my Gospel”, he doesn’t mean an exclusive Gospel preached by him, but the true Gospel that he proclaimed in harmony with the other apostles and evangelists of the Church (Rom 2:16; 16:25; 2Tim 2:8). He uses much the term “Gospel” (Gr. euaggelia = good news) with the meaning of “preaching the truth of Christ”, “evangelizing”, not so much as an abstract, theological concept. He calls it ”my Gospel” to mean the message he preached, and because he had a special love for the Christian message. Though all the Apostles preached the same Gospel, it is no wonder that Paul understood various aspects of the Gospel probably deeper than others, or at least Peter speaks with special reverence about it (2Pet 3:15-16).
42. WHAT IS „THE SEAL OF GOD”?
There are basically two seals of God. There is a universal sealing of all true Christians, a sealing with / by the Holy Spirit as a pledge (2Cor 1:22; Eph 1:3; 4:30), unto redemption and service. But the Book of Revelation speaks of a special sealing, “on the forehead”, exclusively offered to the last living generation, those who will witness the Second Coming and will be raptured to heaven without seeing death (Revelation 7 and 14, cf. 1Cor 15:51-54; 1Thes 4:15, 17).
This special sealing revealed in the Book of Revelation is necessary to be able to withstand in the time of trouble (Rev 6:17; 7:1-3, 9, 14) and to meet the Lord at His coming. This additional seal is contrasted with the “mark of the beast” (Rev 13:16-17, which is the symbol of a feast, in analogy with the old Passover cf. Ex 13:8-9, 16). It is a specific memorial of God, the Seventh-day Sabbath (Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:8-11; 31:13; Ezek 20:12, 20), the day despised by pagans and most Christians, though it is in the heart of the Ten Commandments, and it was the custom of Jesus and His Apostles (Lk 4:16: Acts 13:42; 16:13, 16a, 20-21; 17:2; 18:4; Rev 1:10). This final seal is called “the Seal of the Living God”, a name of the true God (in contrast with all the gods and idols: Jer 10:10-11; Acts 14:15; 2Cor 6:16; 1Thess 1:9).
43. ARE WE REQUIRED TO KNEEL EVERY TIME WE PRAY?
44. WILL PEOPLE BE LOST BECAUSE THEIR PASTOR IS UNTIDY?
46. WILL GOD PREVENT THE WICKED FROM KILLING HIS PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST?
47. DO THE WICKED TRY TO REPENT AS THEY EXPERIENCE THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES?
48. CAN SATAN ANSWER PRAYERS DIRECTED TO GOD?
Why not? When prayers directed to God become abominations, because of the indisposition to liste, to God’s Word (Prov 28:9), Satan may find an opportunity to manifest his power.
49. WILL WE KNOW THE EXACT DAY AND HOUR OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING?
50. DOES JESUS RETURN TO EARTH AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT?
51. WILL THE SAVED HAVE WINGS IN THE RESURRECTION?
52. COULD JESUS SEE THROUGH THE PORTALS OF THE TOMB?
Jesus knew and predicted His resurrection, years before His passions (Matt. 17:23; 20:19; 27:63; Mk. 9:31; 10:34; Lk. 18:33). But if this consciousness were so simplistic, as many suppose, His spiritual suffering in Getsemane and on the cross would be unjustified. There were many martyrs who suffered horrible tortures in various manners, looking to reward at the day of resurrection, while Jesus seemed completely overwhelmed by suffering. His mind had to suffer a deep paradox: while He knew by faith that His triumph is assured at His Second Coming (Matth 26:64; Lc 23:43), He also knew that He must suffer the death in the sinner’s place, because the Law required DEATH penalty, ׅ“hell”, namely death forever (Rev 2:11; 20:14; 21:8), not a short sleeping. He knew what the sinners’ fate would be, without His atoning sacrifice. And because it was a vicarious atonement, He must pay the full price. It was something similar to Abraham’s dilemma about the sacrifice: there was an apparent contradiction between God’s commandment and His solemn promise. But Abraham believed and also obeyed the commandment (Heb 11:19). He could not understand, but he chose to obey.
Jesus did the same, though the analogy is weak. Jesus had ever been tempted by Satan to abandon the Cross project (Matthew 16:22; 27:40, 42; Mark 15:30, 32, 36; Luke 4:6-7, 13; John 12:27), and especially in His last night and day of passion, Satan’s whispers of temptation, became more and more clever and Jesus was dreadfully tormented and overwhelmed by the thought of eternal death – eternal separation from God.
From Getsemane to His last breath on the Cross, His soul could not see through the portals of the tomb. He didn’t die in the sweet certainty of His resurrection, but with faith in the gracious judgment of His Father, who will do the best for the whole universe. This is the ONLY possible justification of that deep howl of anguish – His final cry on the cross –, before declaring “It is finished!”: “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken Me?”
53. DID ENOCH THINK TO SAVE SODOM?
[1] Lev 1:4; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 15, 24, 29, 33; cf. Lev 24:14; Jos 2:19; 2Sam 1:16; AA 18:6 etc.
[2] The KJV translator took the Greek adverbial expression ὅπως ἂν (here funcționing as a conjunction) to mean “when”, but all other Bible versions corrected this erroneous translation as “so that” (NKJV etc.).
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