Week 4 - Mandate for the Nations
2022-09-07
A Man for All Peoples
Don Richardson
- Jesus was astonished the Roman centurion because even with his military background of authority, he still submitted to Jesus as a higher authority. Jesus noted that a Gentile had greater faith than anyone else he found in Israel.
The Supremacy of Christ
Ajith Fernando
- John 14:6-7 teaches us that absolute truth can be known because the Absolute has become concrete in history in the person of Jesus. (184)
- We have lost the abhorrence for sin found throughout the Bible. Yet, in both the Old and New Testaments, wrath is part of the essential nature of God. (188)
Lost
Robertson McQuilkin
- Universalism teaches that none will finallly be lost. None will go to hell since God is “good.” Those who held to this original position happened to also be Unitarians who also rejected the Scriptures as the highest authority
- New Universalism was Trinitarian but claimed that all will ultimately be saved out of God’s provision. This undermines the call to preach the Gospel and undermines the mission Christ gave to His disciples. Jesus taught a reality where an eternal hell exists and where many were on the broad road to destruction.
- “Wider Hope” followers agree not all will be saved but those who have never heard of Christ will be saved because God is just and will not condemn sincere truth-seekers. However, placing sincerity as what grants avoidance of condemnation rejects basic reality. McQuilkin uses an architect designing a building as an example. Though the whole team constructing the building was sincere, its destruction proves sincerety does not atone for error.
- The “New Wider Hope” followers believe all will be given a chance to believe in the gospel at or after death. This demonizes the preaching of the gospel as it makes it seem we hastening their condemnation when in fact they can be saved after they die.
- Luke 10:8-16; 12:47-48, Matthew 13:10-16, and Mark 4:21-25 echo a principle that God’s judgement is based on a person’s response to the truth he has received. Romans 1:18-21 shows that every person has received adequate light to which they can respond to. To the obedient, additional light is given.