A Fresh View of God

The Law of Moses was NOT Perfect

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Obsolete Laws, Stop Judging

041A.Moses_Breaks_the_Tables_of_the_Law

How many times have you heard Christian preachers or your church pastor or someone on the radio or TV espousing the dogmatic view that the Law of Moses, delivered by angels to the prophet on the mountain, was “PERFECT” or the “ultimate standard of right and wrong?”

I mean, at first glance, this viewpoint would seem logical. After all, how could God or His holy angels transmit a set of laws or commands that are anything less than perfect?

Well, I’ve got some news for you: Jesus and His disciples did not view the Mosaic Law as God’s perfect, infallible, unchangeable rules for all-time. And before you assume I’m only talking about the so-called “ceremonial laws” or “dietary restriction rules,” let me stop you right there. Most Christians and churches already acknowledge that Jesus cancelled out all the dietary and ceremonial laws having to do with sacrifices, Temple worship, priests, unclean animals, etc.

No, this blog post is focused on the entirety of the Law of Moses, the whole shebang with all its 613 commands, not being God’s ideal standard of right and wrong. Why would I say this? Because Jesus said this:

Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way.  Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:8-9, NET)

Our Lord is teaching us that Moses made at least some alterations to God’s ideal standards, to accommodate the attitudes and tendencies of imperfect human beings, and their proclivity to have “hard hearts,” not doing things God’s way. Jesus is drawing a stark contrast here between certain commands Moses gave, and the perfect way that God intended “from the beginning.” Remember, the Jewish people back then almost worshiped Moses, and they elevated the Mosaic Law higher than anything else. But Jesus came along and is shaking everything up by basically saying, ‘No, look guys, Moses was a great prophet for God, but God’s ways were much higher and better than the rules Moses gave you guys. Moses gave you these rules to accommodate your sinful habits and bad attitudes.‘

But this isn’t just one isolated passage of the Bible that shows this view of the Law of Moses. Check out what the Bible book known as “Hebrews” says:

But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one. But showing its fault, God says to them, “Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” (Hebrews 8:6-8, NET)

Here we can see that God found fault with the Old Testament Law of Moses, also known as “the First Covenant.” God views the teachings of Jesus, His Son, to be “superior,” “better,” and “faultless,” whereas it says God views the Mosaic Law as faulty and inferior.

But the author of Hebrews was not yet finished. Look what he continues to say in chapter 8 regarding the Law of Moses:

When he speaks of a new covenant, he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear. (Hebrews 8:13, NET)

God has made the Law of Moses “obsolete,” and in the 1st Century A.D., this Law was already “aging and about to disappear,” likely either a reference to the Jewish Temple worship ending after the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D., or referring to Jewish Christians putting aside their old customs and burdens of the Mosaic Law.

So both Jesus and His disciple who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews clearly did not view the Law of Moses as God’s perfect, infallible standard of right and wrong for Christians to base their lives around.

Going even further, Christ’s Apostle to the Nations, Paul, wrote this:

He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.  Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.(Colossians 2:14-15, NET)

Paul’s inspired understanding was that Jesus, by His sacrifice on the cross, completely took away and wiped out the decrees and rules of Moses, triumphing over them in His death.

Let’s look at even more of Paul’s views on the Law of Moses:

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God.  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code. (Romans 7:4-6, NET)

When Jesus died for us, and was raised up, He elevates everyone who believes in Him also, causing them, in a sense, to die toward the Law of Moses, and be lifted up to a new life in the Law of Christ, a life of living by His teachings about loving God and loving neighbor, a life in the Spirit and in faith.

My hope is for all Christian preachers or church leaders who are telling people to obey the Law of Moses, or that the Mosaic Law is “perfect,” or “God’s ideal standard,” to meditatively reflect on the words in this blog, and I leave you with more of Paul’s inspired words:

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.  You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!  For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love. (Galatians 5:1-6, NET)

Chosen by God

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Free Will vs Predestination, Uncategorized


Some believers try to turn the teachings of Jesus and Paul into these mystical, cryptic messages that only “the true Christians” can rightly understand. Entire churches, denominations, and religious groups have been built around the “mystic” interpretation of certain Bible verses.

The Truth About John 6:44

For instance, John 6:44 is often explained in a mysterious way– God supposedly chose only certain people to “draw” to Jesus before He created the universe. Then the “drawing” is taught by these Christians to mean “regeneration” or “being born again.”

I want to make something very clear: Read the entire chapter of John 6 and you won’t find any of those things being discussed there. You won’t see Jesus talking about God choosing only to regenerate certain people before the universe was created. This is all interpreted into the text (eisegesis) instead of being learned out of the text (exegesis). Jesus says nothing at all about God’s actions in eternity past here.

Look at John 6:44 AND 6:45. The phrase “The Father draws them” in verse 44 is parallel in meaning to “Taught by God” in verse 45. In other words, God “draws” people to Jesus by ensuring that they are taught the truth about God. When people learn the truth of God’s qualities and character in the Scriptures, and the prophecies of the Hebrew prophets, they will be drawn to Christ as the fulfillment of these things.

This is in full harmony with other teachings in the Bible:

Romans 10:14, 17 (NIV): “…And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?….Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”


John 5:46-47 (NIV): “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

Since the “drawing” is the same as teaching people the truth of God’s Word, we can see why Jesus later says, “I will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32) This does not mean God chose to predestine all people to be saved, but it does mean He has commanded to have the Gospel preached to all people. (Matthew 24:14)

John 6:45 seems to be one of the most overlooked verses in the whole Bible. Next time someone interprets John 6:44 in a “mystic” way, ask them to explain what John 6:45 means.

The Truth About Romans 8:29 and Ephesians 1:11

These passages are traditionally taught by many Christians to mean that God, in eternity past, before He created anything, decided that He would only save certain people, and would condemn all the other people to spend forever in Hell, being tortured and burnt by fire.

There are many reasons why this view is wrong, one of which is that it violates almost everyone’s sense of morality and justice. But an even more convincing reason for Christians to reject this doctrine is that it simply does not agree with the Biblical context of those verses.

Paul does tell us, at Romans 8:29 and Ephesians 1:11, that God predestined certain believers to be saved, even before creation began. Who are these predestined ones? Well, Romans 11:1-7 says they are the remnant of faithful Jewish believers, and Ephesians 1:12-14 shows that they are the first Jewish disciples.

The early Jewish Christians were predestined, to preserve a faithful remnant of Abraham’s offspring, and to ensure that Christianity got off to a great start. These were called “the remnant,” “those whom God foreknew,” and “the firstfruits.” Paul was included among these. That’s why he said God chose him before he was born. (Galatians 1:15)

All other people exercise free will and are not predestined. They are saved AFTER they choose to believe in the Gospel they’ve been taught. (Ephesians 1:13-14; John 12:32; 1 Timothy 2:4; Revelation 22:17).

The Truth About Romans 9:7-16

The context in Romans 9 is speaking of God electing people to continue the bloodline that would lead to the birth of His Messiah on earth, and the people who would be entrusted with the Sacred Scriptures (See verses 4-5).

Romans 9:7-16 is clear that God doesn’t factor in our actions or desires when choosing people for these special privileges, but Romans 9:30-33 does say salvation is based on faith.

So Romans 9:7-16 is referring to being chosen for special privileges, whereas Romans 9:30-33 is about people being saved. Two different topics are being discussed. The confusion comes in when people mix these topics up and claim the entire chapter is talking about individual salvation instead of people and nations being chosen for special privileges.

God didn’t select Isaac, Jacob, or Pharoah for their special privileges and positions based on the same criteria that humans would select them. Paul’s point is that we simply don’t know the reasons God elected these people over other people, for these privileges and positions.

Other reasons we know Romans 9:7-16 isn’t referring to individual salvation:

Paul writes that God elected Isaac over Ishmael. If this election is for salvation, then it would appear to contradict Genesis 21:17-20, which says God listened to Ishmael’s prayers and God stayed with Ishmael as he grew up.

Paul then quotes Malachi 1:2-3 to show that Yahweh “hated Esau,” but in Malachi this is referring to the nation of Edom, Esau’s descendants and has nothing to do with Esau as an individual person. The prophet Obadiah explains why God hated the nation of Esau: 

Obadiah‬ ‭1:10-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬: “Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.”

God hated the nation of Esau because of how they treated the nation of Israel. God’s foreknowledge of what kind of people Esau’s descendants would become *may* have factored in on God’s decision to elect Jacob over Esau to carry on the bloodline of the Messiah and safeguard the Scriptures, but as Paul said, we simply do not know the reasons.

The Truth About Acts 13:48

There are many Christians who use this verse to “prove” that God “appoints” each person to salvation or damnation from eternity past. First off, though, notice that nowhere in the entire chapter does it say anything about God appointing these Gentiles from eternity past. People who teach this are reading their preconceived beliefs into this passage.

Go back earlier in Acts 13 and look at verses 22 and 26. It says God was looking for a person “after His own heart,” and also it adds that the Gentiles in this crowd were “God-fearing,” meaning that they already worshipped Yahweh, just like Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Acts chapter 10.

So given this context, Acts 13:48 is just saying these Gentiles had been appointed to eternal life because they were already worshippers of Yahweh, and they had “hearts after God’s own heart,” unlike the wicked Jewish leaders who were persecuting the disciples of Jesus.

Nowhere in this context will you see anything about God mysteriously electing to save these Gentiles before He created the universe.

The image used at the top of the blog post is considered to be in the Public Domain in the United States, as well as the country of origin, according to Wikipedia.

Calvinism portrays God as a Monster

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Free Will vs Predestination

Calvinism, or Reformed Theology, also known as the doctrines of TULIP, portrays God as a monster who takes delight in the pain, suffering, torture, misery, and death of human beings He made in His image.

Calvinism stands in direct contradiction to what the Bible says about God, His character, and His views on morality, justice, and love.

The Sovereignty of an Insecure God

In the simplest terms, Calvinism claims that in order for God to remain sovereign over all things at all times, God was required to predestine / foreordain every single event and every single thought that has ever taken place and that ever will take place. Anything that happens only happens because God has predestined it to occur.

A God Responsible for All Evil in the World

This means that the actions of Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Adam & Eve, and Satan the Devil, were all planned and predestined to occur by God before He ever created the universe.
This God made Satan turn evil and this God made Adam and Eve eat the fruit, all for some kind of weird plan so God could show off His sovereignty, manipulation, power, and control.

To me, this is a God who is very insecure about His own power and His own authority.

Billions Born Doomed to Hell

Not only this, but God, according to the doctrines of Calvinism, predestined that billions of human beings would never believe the Gospel of salvation, and would be doomed to eternal torment in a fiery Hell. There is simply nothing these doomed people can do to escape this. They were born damned and doomed because God planned it. This includes many children too.

A God who Takes Pleasure in Torturing People

Furthermore, Calvinism says that God takes pleasure in the deaths and eternal torment of the wicked, and that every evil thought a person has, has been predestined by God. Nothing takes place outside of God’s plan, since otherwise, this would mean God is no longer sovereign.

A Double-Minded God

Finally, Calvinism portrays God as having two competing desires, two wills which are diametrically opposed to each other– one will to save everyone and one will to doom billions to torture in Hell for eternity. 

Calvinists say that God’s public will is to tell everyone He wants to save them, but His hidden will is to damn sinners to Hell.

Somehow, one of His wills is stronger than the other will, so His hidden will wins out, and He chooses to damn sinners to Hell instead of saving everyone.

No One Can Resist God’s Will

Along these same lines, Reformed Theology (Calvinism) also states that no human being has the power to resist God’s Holy Spirit when He chooses to save someone.

God Only Wants to Save the Few Elect

This results in the TULIP belief system that says God has only chosen to save a select few people over the ages, and that Jesus only died to save these few, and that secretly, God and Jesus were planning to doom everyone else to Hell.

The Bible vs. Calvinism

James, the brother of Jesus, tells us never to say that God is responsible for evil, and also James points out that our Heavenly Father only gives out good gifts. Please read James 1:13-17.

The godly prophet Ezekiel emphatically tells us that God gets absolutely no pleasure from the death of wicked people, and God strongly desires that they repent and choose life instead. Please read Ezekiel 33:11.

Doctor Luke, Paul’s companion, writing the Book of Acts, says that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Jewish religious leaders were always resisting the Holy Spirit. Please read Acts 7:51.

The Apostle Paul himself said the Jews were rejecting the kindness of God that God wanted to use to save them. Please read Romans 2:4-5.

James says that you’re weak and unstable if you waver between two different thoughts or opinions– he calls it double-minded and shows it to be a sin. I don’t think we should say that God wavers between two opposing wills. Please read James 1:6-7.

The Bible repeatedly says that God wants to save all people and that Jesus died for all people. You can’t get much more clear than that. Please read 1 Timothy 2:1-5, 2 Peter 3:9, Hebrews 2:9, 1 John 2:2.

The spirit moves me

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Rethinking the Trinity, Simplified Scriptures Series

The Hebrew and Greek words for “spirit” have the basic meaning of “invisible force.”

The inspired prophet Isaiah said that God’s “spirit” would rest upon the future Servant-Messiah, and that this “spirit” would be a “spirit” of wisdom, understanding, counsel, mightiness, knowledge, and deep respect for God. (Isaiah 11:1-2)

In that context, “spirit” means “attitude,” “disposition,” “deepest thoughts,” or “inclination.” The Apostle Paul used “spirit” in the same way several times in his inspired letters to the early congregations.

For example, Romans 8:15 says “You did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of adoption as sons.” 1 Corinthians 4:21 says “Shall I come to you with…mildness of spirit?”

The best example I can think of is 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, where Paul says that God’s “spirit” is just like a human’s “spirit” inside, and that it is by this inner “spirit” that a person examines his own thoughts. This “spirit” is not a separate person but is a part of yourself, your deepest thoughts or attitude.

Paul uses “spirit” in a different way in 1 Corinthians 14:14-16, where he uses that word to mean either his deepest feelings and emotions or the invisible “soul” that resides inside.

James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, said that “the body without the spirit is dead.” (James 2:26) Here, James is using the word “spirit” just like Solomon did in Ecclesiastes 12:7, referring to the invisible inner “breath of life” or “soul” (Genesis 2:7) that God has placed inside living beings which keeps them alive.

Over and over again in the entire Bible, we can see the word “spirit” referring either to (1) the deepest thoughts/attitude of a person, (2) the inner emotions, or (3) the “breath of life” that God uses to keep us alive.

The word “spirit” also can mean the nature of existence or the nature of a body which is different from humans (i.e., invisible, has no flesh and blood, etc.) This is why demons and angels, God, and Jesus are all called “spirit” in the Bible.

Tradition within Christianity causes many Bible translators to overlook or ignore the context of a verse, and render the vast majority of “spirit” references as being “The Holy Spirit,” “the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.” But, as you can clearly see, we should always look closely at the context to get our beliefs correct.

Matthew 5:17-19 — Simplified Scriptures Series

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Basic Doctrine, For Skeptics, Fusion Theism Movement, Obsolete Laws, Progressive Christianity, Simplified Scriptures Series

The most-often misinterpreted Scripture I see on Twitter, is Matthew 5:17-19, where atheists twist this passage out of context in order to have a pretext to claim the Bible contradicts itself, and provide a reason for atheists to focus 95% of their attacks on the Old Testament instead of the New.

But it’s not just atheists misinterpreting this passage, it’s also Christians who use this as support for keeping the Old Law of Moses.

Here is Matthew 5:17-19 in the NIV Bible:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The Correct Interpretation of Matthew 5:17-19, In Context:

We can find the correct interpretation by comparing Luke’s account of the words Jesus spoke at Matthew 5:17-19:

LUKE 16:16-17 (NET): “The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter in the law to become void.”

Jesus’ words are clearer and easier to understand in Luke’s Gospel than in Matthew’s, on this particular topic. When compared together, we can see Jesus teaching us that (in God’s eyes) the Law of Moses was only in force until John the Baptist (compare Matthew 3:15), and since the time of John, Jesus the Author of the New Covenant, is able to change, edit, remove, or keep any parts of the Law He chooses. That is why we see Jesus editing, updating, and removing the Laws of Moses in Matthew 5:21-41, 19:7-9, and Mark 7:19.

Jesus did NOT say “heaven and earth would be destroyed before the Law is abolished,” no, rather, what He actually said is that it is easier for heaven and earth to be destroyed than for the Old Law to be abolished WITHOUT being fulfilled. Reading comprehension is very important when studying the Bible; equally important is reading in-context.

Jesus is promising to preserve the written words of the Old Testament until every prophecy and allegorical foreshadowing is fulfilled (brought to completion). He came to earth to fulfill the written words and bring them to completion. In Matthew 5, Jesus nullifies some of the Laws of Moses, edits others, and keeps some in force, while giving the true, original, deeper meaning of them.

Jesus did keep many of the Laws of Moses in force (albeit, in somewhat different forms) up until His death and Resurrection, at which time the entire written Law of Moses was “nailed to the Cross,” “taken out of the way,” and “made obsolete.” (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:14-16; Hebrews 8:13)

The Law of Moses was never intended to be permanent, but was always just a temporary stopgap until the Messiah arrived (Galatians 3:23-26; Jeremiah 31:31-33), and it contained things which were NOT God’s ideal standards (Matthew 19:7-9; Hebrews 8:7-8).

The Apostle Paul forcefully and repeatedly drove home the point that Christians are NOT obligated to obey the Law of Moses (Romans 4:13-14; Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:1-14; Galatians 4:8-12).

I’ll wrap this up by quoting Paul’s words from Galatians 5:1-6 (NET):

“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace! For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight—the only thing that matters is faith working through love.“

The Living Word of God — Simplified Scriptures Series

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Basic Doctrine, Simplified Scriptures Series

Many people see a contradiction when they read Psalm 19 or 119, which seem to say that God’s “Law” or “Word” is eternal, and then compare that to Hebrews chapter 8 or the epistle of Galatians in the New Testament, which says that God’s Law from the Old Testament has expired. Upon closer examination, this is not a contradiction at all.

There is a misunderstanding in too many churches today, where they teach that the “Word of God” refers just to the written Scriptures or the Law of Moses.
Let’s look at what the Holy Bible actually has to say about what “God’s Word” really is:
The Living Word of God
  • The Apostle Peter wrote that the “Word of God” created the world, brought the Great Flood, and will one day bring about the Great Tribulation. (2 Peter 3:5-7) The epistle to the Hebrews also says that God’s Word created the universe and that the powerful Word of Jesus sustains the universe. (Hebrews 11:3; Hebrews 1:3)
  • The Psalms in the Old Testament proclaim the same thing: The universe was created by “The Word of God.” (Psalm 33:6)
  • In addition, according to John the Apostle, Jesus Christ’s name in heaven was “The Word of God.” (John 1:1-3; Revelation 19:13)
  • Hebrews 4:12-13 declares that “the Word of God” is alive and powerful, and that we will stand before Him to explain our actions.
So we can see that the phrase “Word of God” or “God’s Word” can have different meanings in different contexts.
In some contexts, “The Word of God” means God’s creative power or dynamic energy to accomplish His purpose, or to His principles and commands He gives us in our consciences. Sometimes it is the intuition or leading of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. In other contexts, the phrase refers to Jesus Christ. In still other places, “the Word” does refer to the written Bible. But none of the verses above make any sense if they are referring only to the written Scriptures or to the Law of Moses. This is why “context is king.”
Now we’ll check out Psalm 19 and 119 to determine what is meant by “the Word of God” in those contexts:
Psalm 19:1-4 (NET): “The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork. Day after day it speaks out; night after night it reveals his greatness. There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth; its words carry to the distant horizon.”
MY COMMENTS: Here is a beautiful and poetical way of expressing the idea that God’s creation reveals His glory. In this context, God’s “Word” is being “spoken” without actual audible words by nature itself. This is not speaking of the written Scriptures. So “God’s Word” can refer to God’s created universe revealing His majesty and power to us.

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Psalm 19:4-7 (NET):“In the sky he has pitched a tent for the sun. Like a bridegroom it emerges from its chamber; like a strong man it enjoys running its course. It emerges from the distant horizon, and goes from one end of the sky to the other; nothing can escape its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable  and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.”

MY COMMENTS: But now the imagery shifts and “God’s Word” or “law” is referring to the laws of nature God established by His Holy Spirit. These natural laws control the rotation of the earth, bringing about the rising and setting of the sun. This same “law” of God’s Spirit also breathes life and imparts wisdom into human beings. This is not speaking of the written Scriptures. So “God’s Word” can refer to the power of the Holy Spirit in establishing the natural laws, giving life to humans, or imparting wisdom to us (for example, through our consciences).
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Psalm 19:8-11 (NET):“The Lord’s precepts are fair and make one joyful. The Lord’s commands are pure and give insight for life. The commands to fear the Lord are right and endure forever. The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy and absolutely just. They are of greater value than gold, than even a great amount of pure gold; they bring greater delight than honey, than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb. Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; those who obey them receive a rich reward.”

MY COMMENTS: The meaning of “God’s Word” shifts again here. Now the discussion changes to focus on the “Word of God” speaking moral guidance into your conscience through the Holy Spirit. This can refer to God’s written Scriptures, but more likely, in this context, is speaking of the human conscience being enlightened by the Holy Spirit (compare also Psalm 19:12-14).
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Psalm 119:89-96 (NET): “O Lord, your instructions endure; they stand secure in heaven. You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations. You established the earth and it stood firm. Today they stand firm by your decrees, for all things are your servants. If I had not found encouragement in your law, I would have died in my sorrow. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have revived me. I belong to you. Deliver me! For I seek your precepts. The wicked prepare to kill me, yet I concentrate on your rules. I realize that everything has its limits, but your commands are beyond full comprehension.”

MY COMMENTS: In this context, “God’s Word” or “Instruction,” is speaking of the natural laws which govern the universe and by which God formed the earth. God established these natural laws by His command. The psalmist here expresses his desire to follow and obey the commands of God, which, as we will see below, include God giving a special message and promise to the psalmist.
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Psalm 119:114-117 (NET): “You are my hiding place and my shield. I find hope in your word. Turn away from me, you evil men, so that I can observe the commands of my God. Sustain me as you promised, so that I will live. Do not disappoint me! Support me, so that I will be delivered. Then I will focus on your statutes continually.”
 
MY COMMENTS: Here, “God’s Word” refers to a special promise which God made to this psalmist, to save his life. So the “Word,” “law,” “statutes,” and “commands” in this passage are God’s messages and promises given directly to this psalmist. This is not speaking of the written Scriptures.
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Psalm 119:122-123 (NET): “Guarantee the welfare of your servant! Do not let the arrogant oppress me! My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance, for your reliable promise to be fulfilled.”
MY COMMENTS: Again, in this passage, “God’s Word” is a special promise of deliverance given to this psalmist. This is not referring to the written Scriptures.
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In summary:
Don’t assume that the expression “Word of God” or “God’s Word” refers to the written Scriptures. Instead, examine the context to see what it actually means.

What the… Hell?

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Basic Doctrine, Progressive Christianity

 I think that the widespread Christian doctrine of literal eternal torment in Hell-fire has caused more people to stumble than perhaps any other teaching.

Why I Object to this Doctrine

  1. I object to this doctrine first and foremost because I don’t believe it is supported by the Bible. 
  2. Secondly, I object because it makes God out to be someone who gets pleasure from torturing and causing suffering to billions of human beings for all of eternity. What kind of parent would torture their unruly children in fire?
  3. Thirdly, it is not logical or just to torture someone for all of eternity who only sinned for 70-100 years.

Below we will be examining the Scriptures to see what they have to say on the topic of Hell. 

Before we start, keep in mind that in the Hebrew and Greek, the word “Hell” is never used in the entire Bible. Instead, the words Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus are used, and these words do not all describe the same place. 

The King James Version and other translations have caused much confusion by translating all of these words as “HeIl.”

Eye for an Eye

God told us His standard of justice in Exodus 21:23-25: If someone injures a person’s eye, the offender’s eye must be injured. If someone injures a person’s tooth, the offender’s tooth must be injured. If someone kills someone, the offender’s life must be taken. The punishment must be equal to the crime, in each case.

How would torturing someone for eternity in fire possibly harmonize with God’s standard of justice described in Exodus 21:23-25?

The Thought Never Entered God’s Mind

God told Jeremiah that the disgusting thought of burning children at “Gehenna” (“Valley of Hinnom“) never entered into His mind, and He was outraged to see Israelites doing this abomination.

Jeremiah 32:35 (NET): “They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do! It never even entered my mind to command them to do such a thing! So Judah is certainly liable for punishment.'”

If God viewed it as a “disgusting practice” to burn humans in fire now for a moment, how could God possibly get pleasure from, or declare it to be righteous, to burn humans in fire for all of eternity?

The Soul will be Totally Destroyed

Both Jesus and Paul used a Greek word meaning “total destruction” or “annihilation,” to describe God’s future punishment on the evildoers.

“Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy [totally destroy; annihilate] both soul and body in Gehenna.” (Matthew 10:28, WEB)

“when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, giving vengeance to those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction [“total destruction; annihilation”] from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, WEB)

Notice, Jesus said both body AND soul will be totally destroyed in Gehenna (“Hell“) at some point, and Paul said the punishment for the evildoers when Jesus returns will be eternal annihilation, not eternal torment and pain.

“Gehenna” means Trash Dump

In the New Testament, the Greek word which is most often translated as “Hell” in modern English Bible translations, is actually the word “Gehenna,” which refers to “The Valley of the Son of Hinnom,” that, in Jesus’ day, was used as a Trash Dump where they would throw the dead bodies of unrepentant evildoers to totally destroy their bodies with fire.

The Jews had developed certain ideas of punishment from God in the afterlife as well, but these were usually limited in nature and not eternal torment– similar to the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory.

I personally can see how it would be just and fair to punish Adolf Hitler 70-100 years for each life that he took and to punish him with the same torture he used on others.

Revelation and Daniel are Symbolic

The book of Revelation does actually speak of God punishing certain evildoers in a Lake of Fire forever, eternally tormenting them. These include a 7-headed dragon, a fiery red beast, a beast that looks like a lamb, and all of their followers.

Right in the first chapter, Revelation announces that it is a book of “signs” and “symbols.”

If you interpret the Lake of Fire literally, why don’t you interpret that Jesus is literally a lamb and a lion or that Satan is literally a 7-headed dragon and a snake?

Daniel is also a book full of symbols and apocalyptic stories, with visions of beasts and horns and giant trees. At first, Daniel 12:2 seems to speak of eternal punishment in the afterlife for the wicked.

Other parts of the Bible speak about the annihilation of wicked cities as being “eternal punishment” because they are destroyed forever and will never return. This doesn’t mean that God is still eternally tormenting buildings or houses, but instead, that the destruction will last for all eternity. Those cities won’t be rebuilt. (Jude 1:7)

Daniel 12:2 may be using this same terminology to describe wicked people. They will receive “everlasting punishment” in the sense that their punishment is final and lasts forever, since they’ll be destroyed and will never return. (Compare 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Jesus told a parable about a rich man who refused to help the poor, going down into the fires of Hades, and suffering thirst in the fire as punishment for his evil. (Luke 16:19-31)

A parable, by definition, is a fictional story used to teach moral or spiritual lessons. Notice there are many things that don’t sound literal in this parable, but instead are symbolic or hyperbolic, such as Lazarus being placed in the bosom of Abraham, or people refusing to believe after witnessing a resurrection.

Given the context in Luke 16, the main point of this parable appears to be that in the new Christian Kingdom of God, the rich and proud Pharisees would be brought down while the poor and humble people would be elevated.

I leave it up to you to decide how much of this parable is literal and how much is symbolic or hyperbole– But notice this story does not say the torment is eternal (never-ending).

In summary, I believe there will be a time of punishment after death for some of the wicked, but I do not believe it will be eternal in a literal fire.

Trinity Doctrine – Simplified Version

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Rethinking the Trinity, Simplified Scriptures Series

Without going beyond what is written in the Bible, we can all put faith in a Simplified Trinity, based solely on the Scriptures:

  • The Father and the Son are different Persons. (John 8:16-18; John 1:18)
  • The Father and the Son are divine and can be called “God.” (John 1:1; John 1:18; John 20:28)
  • They deserve our honor, praise, and homage. (John 5:23; Revelation chapter 5)
  • There may be a mysterious Third Person in certain Scriptures called the Holy Spirit. (John chapters 14 through 16; Matthew 28:19)
  • The Father is the ultimate One in charge and above all and greater than all. (John 14:28; John 10:29; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28)
  • Ever since His resurrection and ascension, Jesus has been granted Almighty power and authority from God the Father. (Matthew 28:18; Revelation 22:12-13)

We can add more to these beliefs from the Holy Scriptures, as long as we don’t drift away beyond what is written.

Who or What is the Holy Spirit? — Simplified Scriptures Series

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Rethinking the Trinity, Simplified Scriptures Series

Tradition within Christianity has long been that any time the phrases “Holy Spirit,” “Holy Ghost,” or “Spirit of God” are used in the Bible (especially in the New Testament), it always refers to the mysterious Third Divine Person of the Trinity, who is fully God, Co-Equal to the Father and Son, yet somehow distinct.

I want to present a simplified alternative view: Let the context determine the meaning!

(One thing to keep in mind is that the meaning of the Bible words used for “spirit” basically is “unseen force” or “invisible presence.”)

The Holy Spirit as the Mind and Personality of God

 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (NIV): These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

In this context, we can clearly see that Paul is viewing the “Spirit of God” as God’s mind, personality, heart, or deep inner thoughts, exactly like he uses the term “spirit of a person within them.” The “spirit” inside of a person is not a distinct person, no, instead it is a part of you. Paul is not, in this context, envisioning the Spirit of God as a Third Person who is distinct or separate from God.

The Holy Spirit as Jesus

2 Corinthians 3:14-18 (NIV): But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. […] But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

In this context, Paul is clearly saying that Jesus is “the Spirit” that he is speaking about. This fits in perfectly with a couple other Scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:45 (NIV): So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

1 Peter 3:18 (NIV): For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

In those particular Bible verses, it is referring to Jesus as “the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit as God the Father

John 4:24 (NIV): God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

There, Jesus refers to His Father as “spirit,” but the context shows He is referring to God’s nature or essence. He was not using “spirit” as a name or title of God here. He was saying God is a spirit being, like angels and demons are called spirits.

Acts 5:3-4 (NIV): Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Here, Peter is using the phrase “the Holy Spirit” as another name or title for God. There’s no hint in this passage that Peter was saying God and the Holy Spirit were two different Persons, in this particular context.

The Holy Spirit as an Angel

Acts 8:26-29 (NIV): Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

In this context, we can see that “the Spirit” was “an angel of the Lord,” not necessarily a mysterious Third Divine Person within the Godhead.

Acts 10:3, 19-20, 22 (NIV): One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” […] While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” […] The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”

Again, we can see that “the Spirit” who was talking to both Cornelius and Peter, was a holy angel of God in this context.

The Holy Spirit as God’s Power or Energy

Micah 3:8 (NIV): But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.

Luke 1:35 (NIV): The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Acts 1:8 (NIV): But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

1 Corinthians 5:4 (NIV): So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NIV): because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

In those Scriptures, we can see that the phrase “Holy Spirit” or “Spirit of God” is linked with the power of God or the power of Jesus. The context in these verses would not require you to interpret this “Spirit” as a Third Divine Person.

The Holy Spirit as a Mysterious Divine Person

There are some Scriptures where the Holy Spirit does indeed appear to be a mysterious Third Divine Person, distinct from the Father and the Son. Could this Person be an angel, such as Gabriel? Or is it somehow a part of God’s nature with its own separate mind? I will let you decide:

John 14:16-17 (NIV): And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 15:26 (NIV): “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

John 16:13-15 (NIV): But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Matthew 28:19 (NIV): Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

In conclusion, the phrase “Holy Spirit” and “Spirit of God” can mean many different things, and it always depends on the context.

(Picture Credit: “Rom, Vatikan, Basilika St. Peter, Die Taube des Heiligen Geistes (Cathedra Petri, Bernini)” by Dnalor 01 – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 at via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rom,_Vatikan,_Basilika_St._Peter,_Die_Taube_des_Heiligen_Geistes_(Cathedra_Petri,_Bernini).jpg#/media/File:Rom,_Vatikan,_Basilika_St._Peter,_Die_Taube_des_Heiligen_Geistes_(Cathedra_Petri,_Bernini).jpg )

The Sacrifice of Jesus — Simplified Scriptures Series

Daniel A Fresh View of God, Fusion Theism Movement, Simplified Scriptures Series

Many Christians have different theories about exactly how the Ransom Sacrifice (also called The Atonement or The Passion) of Christ worked.

Just how did Jesus’ death on the cross 2,000 years ago provide us with salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life?

Some Christians believe that Jesus somehow mystically experienced the full pain and suffering of eternal torment in hell (for every person’s sin who has ever lived), during the 3 hours of darkness when He was hanging upon the cross. Thus, they explain, He “absorbed” all of God’s wrath toward us in Himself, so now God has no wrath left against anyone who puts faith in Jesus.

That sounds really good, until you think about it more carefully, then a few problems come up:

  1. Where does the Bible say anything about Jesus mystically experiencing the torment of Hell for each sinner while on the cross? I haven’t seen that in the Scriptures.
  2. How could Jesus experience an eternity of punishment in just 3 hours? Sounds illogical.

Other Christians think that Jesus made an exchange with God: That He exchanged the perfect offspring He potentially could have fathered, for all of us imperfect sinners instead.

Again though, the problem with this theory is that the Bible doesn’t say anything about this, so it’s just speculation. It does sound logical and plausible though.

The Bible, surprisingly, does not go into detail about how exactly the Sacrifice of Jesus saves us. It does make it clear that it (along with His resurrection) is the most important event in history, God accepted it as an offering, and that faith in His Atonement is what saves us from our sins.

A Fresh View of the Atonement

I propose a fresh view, based on the Scriptures. Christ, at John 3:14-16, said that His Sacrifice saves people just like the Copper Snake on the Pole saved people in Moses’ day.

The Copper Snake itself had no magical or mystical powers. It could not bestow life on anyone. No, rather, it was something God set up as a symbol to test the faith of people, to see who would follow His direction and trust in His way of doing things.

God said that all the people had to do to be saved from the poisonous venom was to trust God’s message and look at the Copper Snake on the Pole. 

In the same way, my view is that the Sacrifice of Jesus didn’t have any magical or mystical powers, but instead, was the symbol that God chose to set up to test the faith of people, to see whether they would humble themselves to accept His message and do things His way, or reject it and do things their own way.

Jesus came to earth to show us the perfect way to live and the perfect way to die, to give us an ideal to strive toward and imitate, and God saves us for having faith in Jesus’ perfect ideal life and death, and in His message of trusting God’s method of salvation instead of our own.

As Paul wrote, God will save those who “follow in the footsteps of the same faith that Abraham had.” (Romans 4:12) Abraham most likely didn’t know all the details of Jesus’ life and death in advance, but Abraham did trust that God’s methods were the best.

God also chose death on a cross as His method of salvation in order to attract the humble and poor, and make a mockery of those who think they are so wise.

I’m not saying there can’t be more to it than this, I’m just saying this is my view, based on what I see in the Bible.

Let’s allow the Apostle Paul to sum things up:

1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭18-25‬ (NIV): For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭1-9‬ (NIV): When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 

No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—