Question: What does 1 Corinthians 15:29 mean? What is Paul talking about?

Answer: Good question as our Mormon friends tend to take this to mean that living believers ought to be baptized for their dead (who may not have been baptized). The Bible indicates that baptism is a personal, individual decision that involves accepting the gift of salvation. We cannot be baptized on behalf of another individual any more than one individual can accept Christ for another (Ezekiel 14:14, 16). What then does the text, being baptized for the dead, mean?
A key to understanding the meaning of this text is found in the Greek definition of the word “dead.”
The meaning is both literal and metaphorical. Literally it means one that has breathed his last, lifeless. Metaphorically it means spiritually dead or destitute of a life that recognizes and is devoted to God, because it is given up to trespasses and sins.
The context indicates a metaphorical interpretation as Paul has earlier stated in 1 Corinthians 15:12-17, NKJV:
“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up–if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!”
The idea, as Paul taught it, is that if we are still in our sins then we are “dead” in our sins.
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1, NKJV).
When we are baptized we were baptized into His death:
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:3-6, NKJV).
An additional explanation that fits well with Paul’s line of reasoning revolves around the meaning of the word “for.” The Greek word is “huper” and the general translation is “in behalf of.” But there are exceptions to this meaning. Sometimes the word is used in the sense of “considering” or “in view of.” For example: “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for [in view of] your patience and faith in all your persecutions…” (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Here Paul is saying, “We ourselves glory in you (considering, or in view of)… your patience and faith.” Again in Romans 15:9, “And that the Gentiles might glorify God for [considering] His mercy.”

Please notice that this same word “huper” (for) is used in 1 Corinthians 15:29. “Else what shall they do which are baptized for [considering or in view of] the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized, for [in view] of the dead?”
So Paul’s basic point in 1 Corinthians 15:29 can be understood by this paraphrase:
“Otherwise, what will they [all the believers] do who are baptized for the dead [in view of their old sinful lives], if the dead [those who are united in the likeness of His death by baptism] do not rise at all? Why then are they [believers] baptized for [in consideration of] the dead [old sinful lives]?”
This meaning of the word “for” allows the text make sense and harmonize with the rest Scripture. Paul’s whole theme in the chapter is the resurrection-its importance and necessity. He is saying, “Why even be baptized if there is no resurrection from the dead? The very meaning of baptism would be nullified. With no resurrection the entire symbol of death, burial and resurrection in baptism would be reduced to an empty ritual.

Question: Do you believe that we can overcome sin?

Answer: Yes, we believe in overcoming sin, in fact, to believe otherwise is to toss the Bible. This is because every book and epistle of the New Testament teaches that we can overcome sin – with no exceptions. (Matthew 5:48; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 6:36; John 14:15; Acts 20:32; Rom 8:4; 1 Cor 1:8; 2 Cor 10:5; Gal 5:16; Eph 5:27; Phil 3:15;; Col 3:5-10; 1 Thess 5:23, 24; 2 Thess 3:3; 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 3:17; Titus 3:11, 12; Philemon 5, 6; Heb 12:1, 2; James 1:4; 1 Peter 4:1; 2 Peter 1:10; 1 John 2:1; 2 John 6; 3 John 3, 4; Jude 24, 25; Rev see below). The real issue is not whether the Bible teaches that we can overcome—it does—but the question is whether WE will believe that we can overcome. Many do not and for good reason—they don’t know how. It can be very frustrating to be told you must do something but not know how to do it (Remember algebra). Therefore the real question is not—can we overcome sin— but rather HOW can we overcome sin.
And the answer to that question is both simple and profound. Hebrews chapter 12 gives us the clearest understanding:

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

The solution to overcoming sin is looking unto Jesus. The problem is we don’t. Abiding in Christ, connecting to Christ, united with Christ, this is the secret of success.
Let’s explore this further in the book of Revelation. The call to overcome is given to each one of the 7 churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. This means all of God’s people are called to overcome, but most of them have a problem. The first church of Ephesus has lost its first love (Jesus). The last church of Laodicea has Jesus outside knocking on the door waiting to come in. The point is that we can only overcome by connecting with Jesus. This truth is further illustrated in Revelation 5 where John is told to behold the Lamb who has done what no man in heaven, earth or under the earth can do—He has “prevailed” (overcome, Revelation 5:3-5). In the very next chapter this same truth is illustrated symbolically by the white horse and its rider:

“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2).

The white horse represents God’s church (Zechariah 10:3) and Jesus is the rider. When Jesus takes the reins of our lives and we take His white robe of righteousness we go forth conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:2). The word conquer is the same Greek word for “overcome” in the message to the 7 churches. It is also the same Greek word “prevailed” in the picture of the Lamb who takes the book in Revelation 5:5. So Jesus is the one who has overcome or prevailed. We overcome only as we are united with Him because our overcoming is by His righteousness not ours. It is faith in His blood (life and death Leviticus 17:11) that gives us the victory. This is further illustrated in Revelation 12:11 where it says:

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:11).

It is as we connect with Jesus, as we abide in Him, as we allow Him to direct our lives that we overcome—not us but Jesus in us. The devil knows this. Therefore he does all he can to take our focus away from Jesus. The pleasures of sin, life’s cares, perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others or our own faults and imperfections, to any or all of these the devil tries to direct our minds, anything to separate us from beholding Jesus.

So yes, every book of the New Testament teaches that we can overcome. But even more important, every book and almost every chapter of the New Testament points us to the gospel of Jesus Christ, His life, His death, His resurrection. Even Revelation 13—the mark of the beast chapter—directs us to the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). In the end the call to overcome is all about looking to Jesus, abiding in Him, supping with Him (Revelation 3:21). Contemplating Christ is the secret of success for the believer. Amen.

Question: I have struggled with the “assurance” of salvation for years and have never
had the peace or understanding of what it means. Is there a line in the sand
in which we can cross and have that assurance? I am continually questioning
whether or not I am saved, and I have anxiety about it at times, because it
seems to me that if I sneeze wrong I am lost. We all are sinners so where
does this assurance of salvation fit in? And can I have peace about it
without the constant agonizing question?

Answer: I can certainly relate to you question about assurance and the agony. My own journey for assurance began with whether or not such a thing as assurance of salvation was even biblical—something I had been led to question at one point. Answering this question then led to a clear understanding of why we wrestle with the idea—the devil does not want us to have assurance of our salvation in Christ.

The clearest answer for both of these ideas is found in Christ’s wilderness temptation when the devil questioned three times whether Christ was the Son of God (assurance). And he tried to get Christ to base His response on something (turning stone to bread/works) other than the word of God (This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased).
No true believer wants to have their faith undermined by lacking assurance of their salvation. There is almost nothing as disheartening as not knowing whether or not the believer has salvation in Christ. This is why the Bible affirms both powerfully and positively the absolute surety of the believer’s salvation in Christ. 
In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 God encourages us that there is assurance we can have of our salvation in Jesus Christ. “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.” Assurance is a part of the new covenant experience spoken of in Hebrews 10:22, 23: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful who hath promised).”
God is encouraging us to have assurance because “He is faithful.” God is giving us much assurance, yes; He is giving us full assurance, for He is faithful who has promised. And we need to be encouraged with the faithful promises of God.
“And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13).
The reason that God has given us assurance is so that we may not only know that we have eternal life because we believe in Jesus but also that we may believe or continue to believe on the Son of God.
We can be assured that He will finish the work He has begun in us. Look at Philippians 1: 6, “Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Can we be confident of that? Can we have assurance in that? Indeed we can. In fact, the word “assurance” in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 means “entire confidence” in the Greek.
This is to be the effect of righteousness, even the righteousness of Jesus Christ. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:15, 17). God wants to instill assurance within our hearts so that we may continue to believe in Jesus Christ. He doesn’t want us going about doubting and wondering in darkness and unbelief.  He knows discouragement will press upon us, for he was once like us upon this earth as a man compassed about with temptations. He was “in all points tempted like as we are” (Hebrews 4:15).
The devil came and said, “If thou be the Son of God…” and Jesus went back to the Word: “It is written.” The devil came again and put him upon the pinnacle of the temple and he said “If thou be the Son of God…” The devil was pressing upon him the idea that he was not the Son of God. Have you ever experienced that? You’re not a son or daughter of God! Look at you, look at your weaknesses. Look at your cravings and desires! Look at the bents, the inclination of your heart. You don’t want to remain faithful to the word of God, your whole being craves these things that are out of harmony with God’s word. Isn’t that what Satan was saying to Jesus? You’re not the Son of God! In what could Christ trust? Where could He find the promised security of acceptance with God? 
Look back to Matthew 3:16 and 17. As Jesus was baptized and the spirit of God came upon Him, a voice from heaven said “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Here is Christ’s assurance. Here is given the “much assurance” that He was the Son of God. God spoke from heaven and he said, You are my Son. This assurance was given to Christ so that he could continue to believe that he was the Son of God through trial and temptation. Do we have trial and temptation?  Do you think God wants to strengthen and encourage us? Indeed He does. In fact you are going to find over and over again throughout the life of Christ as he was compassed about with temptations and with trials and darkness, God encouraged him with assurance of His love and acceptance. Christ went through the same struggle that you and I go through with assurance—but He conquered by faith in the Word not in Himself, His works or His circumstances.
Consider also Matthew 17:5, “While He yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” Christ was nearing the close of His ministry. He was about to endure some of His greatest trials. “Now is my soul troubled”— have you ever struggled, have you ever found it difficult to press through the darkness? Jesus knows what that feels like, His soul was troubled— “And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (John 12:27, 28).
Jesus Christ needed assurance and so do we. Don’t we? God wants to encourage us with much assurance. He wants to encourage us that He started the work and He’ll finish the work. He wants us to understand that when we are compassed with darkness and trial; when we see the depravity of our own soul and the desire we have for those things that are of the world, He can and will rescue us. He wants to assure us that we are his children and that we can have hope in Him. Praise God for His blessed assurance

Question: I am stuggling to explain to my friend that Jesus is God because of the
verse found on Colossians 1:15-16.  She states that the verse proves that
Jesus was created by God therefore he can not be God because God has no
beginning.  can you please help me  with an explanation to this verse?
Thank you and God bless.
Answer: When Christ is called the “firstborn” (Hebrews 1:6, Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:15, Revelation 1:5), the term does not refer to a point of time, rather, it emphasizes importance or priority (Hebrews 12:23; Genesis 48:14, 18, 20). In Hebrew culture, the firstborn received the family privileges. So Jesus is the firstborn among men. He won back all the privileges man had lost (Romans 5:14-19). He became the new Adam, the new “firstborn” or head of the human race.
Also, the word “beginning” in some cases means “chief,” denoting more than a created being but the “chief” of creation. (See Strong’s Concordance—#746.)
For example:
The President is Commander in Chief of the armed forces, yet this does not lower his rank as President of the United States and make him an enlisted soldier.

Question: “When Jesus came down, and was born as a human being, unto Mary and Joseph,
and gave up His omnipotence, was this forever, or, when He was raised from
the tomb, and returned to the Father, did He regain His omnipotence?”

Answer: Yes, Jesus did regain His omnipotence or “almighty” power after He was raised from the tomb. He was reinstated with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Revelation 4:8). The word “omnipotent” is “pantokrator” in the Greek and is translated “Almighty” in most Bible translations (see Revelation 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:15; 21:22). It is specifically applied to Christ in the book of Revelation as the following verse indicates. 

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:7-8).

This previous verse says that the Lord is “almighty” or omnipotent (pantokrator) and that He is the Alpha and Omega. The following verses show that Jesus is Alpha and Omega and therefore the Lord being spoken of in the previous verses:

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle” (Revelation 1:10-13).

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:12-16).

Question: “Why does there seem to be such discrepancy about hell? Most denominations seem to believe that there is everlasting or lasting torment in hell. The Seventh Day Adventist Church does not seem to hold this belief. My understanding is that hell or torment is two-fold. One is that it is the separation from God; the second seems to be that those who are separated will be thrown into the lake of fire and destroyed. Hell accordingly does not last forever, only as long as the person lives. Please help clarify what hell is and how to explain the Seventh Day Adventist position, including scripture that supports this! Thank you!”
Answer:
Heavenly Fire
Many preachers hold differing views on this subject of hell. In fact, the biblical teaching on hell is fast becoming one of the most debated issues in Christendom today. For many years, even centuries, hellfire has been used as a motivating persuasive by various religious groups to get or keep converts. Some pastors still argue that the doctrine of eternal hellfire keeps people in the church. In years past, the great majority of pastors had their hellfire-and-brimstone sermon. It went something like this:
“God is not fooling around here. If you’ve heard the message, you had better accept it. If not, you will be tormented forever in hell, a place so hot that it would turn the hottest fires on earth today into icicles. If you don’t repent and believe in Jesus Christ, that’s where you’ll be for all eternity.”
A sample of this type of emphasis is seen in the following statement:
“The smoke of their torment shall ascend up forever in the sight of the blessed…before their eyes…This display of Divine character and glory will be in favor of the redeemed, and most entertaining, and the highest pleasure to those who love God…Should the eternal torment, and fires be extinguished, it would in a great measure put an end to the happiness and glory of the blessed” (Samuel Hopkins, pp. 457, 458).
Well, what do you think of the taste of fire and brimstone? Does the Bible really teach that the redeemed will take pleasure in the torment of the wicked? Consider this verse:
 “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezekiel 18:32, NAS).
Why would a God of love burn sinners in hell for an eternity? Even the world’s most evil men, responsible for the death of millions of people, were never this cruel. Considering what is at stake here, the following admonishment to diligently study the Word of God is very appropriate:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Let’s begin our study by allowing the Bible to answer some basic questions about hell.
 
Question Number 1:
When does hell occur?
Jesus Himself gives us a clear answer on this first question in the parable of the sower:
“Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:24-30).
Now, as soon as Jesus is finished sharing this parable with the people, His disciples  came to Him privately inquiring as to its meaning. In answer to their interest Christ elaborates on the story:
“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and His disciples came unto Him, saying, ‘Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said unto them, ‘He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world’” (Matthew 13:36-40).
There is the answer and in perfect harmony with what we have already studied about the state of the dead. The burning of hellfire takes place at the end of the world. Here’s another text from the book of 2 Peter:
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2 Peter 2:9).
The unjust, the lost, are reserved until the day of punishment. Very clear! God knows how to do this, as we have learned. All the dead, whether lost or saved, rest in the grave. This is what the Bible teaches. This is what Christ taught:
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29).
 
Question Number 2:
Where is hell located?
We can go right to Revelation 14 for this answer:
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb’” (Revelation 14:9-10).
Where is hell located? As far as this verse teaches, it is in the very presence of the Lamb. This is what the Bible teaches. The torment of the lost, (yes there is torment), is not in some far off, under-the-earth fire prison. It is actually in the very presence of God and the Lamb. Hell is in God’s presence and it will actually take place right here on this earth:
“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).
This earth right here is where hellfire is to take place. This may be a surprise to some, but it is the clear teaching of the Bible. Look at another text:
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (Revelation 20:9).
The wicked surround the holy city as it comes to rest upon this earth (see Revelation 21:1-2). Then fire comes down from heaven on this earth and devours the wicked.
 
Question Number 3:
What is the penalty for sin?
The Bible teaches that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
The gift of God is eternal life, but the wages of sin is death—not eternal suffering, not eternal anything, but death. It is simple enough for a child to understand—death is the wages of sin. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
As we have studied, Christ died that none would have to taste this second death, eternal death. Everlasting death, eternal death is death that lasts forever. There is no life in this death, not even a semblance of life.
 
Question Number 4:
How complete is the destruction of the wicked?
“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:46).
Notice the text says, “Everlasting punishment” not “everlasting punishing.” There is a difference. It is the punishment that lasts forever, not the punishing. The lost are not being punished, that is, tormented, forever. They are punished once with an everlasting punishment, a punishment that is permanent. Then they perish and they are no more:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
The lost will perish. They will not be given everlasting life in any kind of form.
“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
The punishment is everlasting destruction, that is, a destruction that is permanent. It is not everlasting torment.
One of the clearest illustrations concerning hellfire is found in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, because the Bible uses the same expression, “eternal fire,” to describe their destruction:
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7).
The Old Testament account also parallels the account we have read in the book of Revelation concerning the destruction of the lost:
“Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (Genesis 19:24).
We could ask,Are these cities still burning today? If suffering the eternal fire of heaven means that the lost will burn for all eternity, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would be burning to this day, for they suffered “eternal fire” as an example of what the lost will suffer. Yet notice what the Bible says happened to Sodom and Gomorrah:
“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly” (2 Peter 2:6).
In the light of this, consider what the Bible says will happen to the lost:
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1).
“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:3).
“But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away” (Psalm 37:20, NKJV).
“And they shall be as though they had not been” (Obadiah 1:16).
These verses are very clear and meaningful. They do not reveal a God of vengeance, but one of compassion. The wicked do not suffer torment for countless ages. Yes, they do taste the wages of sin, but then they cease to exist.
This fire is everlasting in its effect, not in its duration. It brings the lost and Lucifer to ashes.
“Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee” (Ezekiel 28:17-18).
The fire of hell brings Lucifer to ashes; it brings his angels to ashes; it brings the lost to ashes. It brings everlasting death. As Christ explains, it destroys the soul and the body.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
 
Question Number 5:
What about the term, “forever and ever?” The Bible says, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:11).
What does this expression mean in the context of all this Bible evidence?
The use of this expression in other places in the Bible can help us to find harmony with its use here.
In Exodus 21:6, for example, a servant was to serve his master “for ever.” Of course that could only mean as long as the servant was alive. Once the servant died he could no longer serve his master.
In 1 Samuel 1:22, Hannah purposed to present her son to the Lord that he would abide there “for ever.” Again this was understood to mean “…as long as he [Samuel] liveth (1 Samuel 1:28).”
Jonah also used this same expression when speaking of his experience in the belly of a fish.
“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God (Jonah 2:6).
Yet Jonah was not in the belly of the whale for an indefinite space of time, though it must have seemed that way. “Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17).
Any negative experience, especially when we are uncomfortable, can seem like an eternity. In fact, we use the same type of terminology today:
“This is taking forever.”
“Where were you? I’ve been waiting forever!”
“When will we get there, we’ve been driving forever.”
 
What about unquenchable fire?
Some of the verses we’ve looked at, as well as other Bible verses seem to indicate that the fires of hell will never be quenched.
First, we should consider that there are many unquenchable fires in our modern times. These are fires that burn so hot that they cannot be put out. The Bible uses this terminology in the same way. The city of Jerusalem is an example. The prophet Jeremiah was told to warn rebellious Israel of coming judgment by fire:
“But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched” (Jeremiah 17:27).
This judgment did come upon the city, but Jerusalem is not burning to this day. The fire was unquenchable until its work was done. So it is with hell fire. It burns until there is nothing left to burn.
The Bible is clear that the wicked will eventually perish (see Psalm 21:9; 37:10, 20; 62:3). This earth will be the place of that fire:
“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:12).
Following this event there will be a new heaven and a new earth:
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13, NKJV).
Another reason we know that hell is not an eternally burning abyss is because the book of Revelation says:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; And there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, NKJV).
 
Some difficult texts:
Yes, there are some verses in the Bible that confuse people on this subject. It is always important to consider the weight of evidence, allowing difficult Bible texts to be understood in the light of the big picture. The first text we want to look at is from the gospels. Here Jesus says:
“And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:47-48).
Jesus is referring to the principle of hell. While hell is future, it is also real. And its destruction is complete. Christ’s words remind us of this fact. They were meaningful to His listeners because they spoke of a place of burning very similar to that outside the city walls of Jerusalem. It was here, in Gehenna, that a continual fire burned the rubbish of the city and even the dead bodies of criminals. Between the flames of the Gehenna garbage pit and the worms thriving along its edges, everything thrown into it was completely consumed. This was the point Christ was making concerning hell. It is an experience of complete destruction.
Another section of Scripture, misunderstood by many, is found in Luke 16:19-31. Here we find the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. There are four important points to consider when looking at this parable.
1.     It is a parable. (A parable cannot be taken literally, but speaks in story form; i.e. heaven is not literally in Abraham’s bosom.)
2.     The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is teaching a point of truth.
3.     While it does teach a day of fiery judgment for the lost, nowhere in the story does it say that the rich man would burn forever.
4.     This parable is rich with vital lessons:
• Riches are not necessarily a sign of God’s favor.
• Poverty is not necessarily a sign of God’s displeasure.
• After death there is no second chance.
• Those who reject the plain teaching of the Scriptures will not be convinced by miracles.
 
The clear teaching of the Bible is that there is no life of any kind aside from Jesus Christ. If we do not have Him, we have no eternal life in any form, interpretation, or degree–we perish.
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11-12).
 
Continual Reformation
Many prominent theologians today are reconsidering the idea of eternal punishment and the immortal soul. One article in U.S. News and World Report quoted a theologian by the name of Dr. Hughes.
 
“Hughs argues that the traditional belief in unending punishment is linked to the erroneous belief in the ‘innate immortality’ of the soul—a belief, he says, that is based more on Plato than on the Bible. ‘The immortality of which the Christian is assured is not inherent in himself or in his soul but is bestowed by God,’ says Hughs” (U.S. News & World Report, January 31, 2000).
 
Another well-known evangelical theologian by the name of John Stott has also done some rethinking on the Bible teaching of hellfire. When interviewed by Christianity Today, Stott was asked about this change and the impact it was having on his reputation among evangelicals.
 
“You have fallen afoul of some evangelicals. Some of your reflections on the nature of eternal punishment were considered uncongenial to orthodoxy by some people.”
“In Evangelical Essentials, I described as ‘tentative’ my suggestion that ‘eternal punishment’ may mean the ultimate annihilation of the wicked rather than their eternal conscious torment…”
“The hallmark of an authentic evangelicalismis not the uncritical repetition of old traditions but the willingness to submit every tradition, however ancient, to fresh biblical scrutiny and, if necessary, reform” (John Stott, Christianity Today, January 8, 1996).
In fact, the entire Church of England, of which Stott is a member, has changed its position on the teaching of hellfire:
“A Church of England commission has rejected the idea of hell as a place of fire, pitchforks, and screams of unending agony, describing it instead as annihilation for all those who reject the love of God…”mending agony describing it instead of annihilation for all those who reject the love.”
“Rejecting the medieval vision of the underworld, the report said belief in everlasting punishment has steadily faded. “Hell is not eternal torment, but it is the final and irrevocable choosing of that “which is opposed to God so completely and absolutely that the only end is total non-being” (Spokesman Review, January 18, 1996).

Summary:                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The loss of any one soul brings indescribable sorrow to the heart of God. It is not the lost who suffer for all eternity; rather it is the heart of God. He is the Creator of all. In His heart will be an empty spot throughout eternity for all those who choose the wages of sin. God has a place in His heart for you. Won’t you choose to fill that place and bring joy to the heart of Him, Who has given everything for you?

 Question:  Could you please explain 1 John 3:9? It states, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (NKJV). Do we take this passage literally?

 Answer:  This is a very important question from a verse that has troubled many sincere believers. One of the principles of biblical interpretation that will help us properly interpret this text is to understand the context in which it is written. The context in the first part of this letter (chapters one and two), gives us some clear indications as to the believer’s relationship to sin:

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

Here we find that sin is to be acknowledged and confessed by the believer. The purpose being that we would not have “fellowship” with sin or “walk” (as a way of life) in sin but rather that we would have fellowship with the Father and walk in the light of His love (1 John 1:5-7).

When we take this context into consideration, we have some clearer insight into what John meant in 1 John 3:9:

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

It does not mean that we have no sin, for in that case we would self deceived. It does not mean that we have not sinned, for in that case we would be making Him a liar. It does not mean that it’s impossible for us to sin, for John says, “If” we sin we have an Advocate, meaning that it is possible that we can sin. What it does mean is that when we are born of God we no longer live a life of sin. We walk in the light and not in darkness. We have fellowship with the Father and not with the sinfulness of the world. We cannot keep living a life of sin because we are now born of God. Praise God!

Question:  “I have been studying the prophecies of Daniel 8 & 9. I do not understand Daniel 9:26 ‘and after threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off.’ Isn’t that at the end of the 69th week where Christ was cut off in the middle of the 70th week?”

Answer:  There is an easy way to understand this if we break the prophecy into four sections:

7 weeks, 3 score and two weeks = starting from 457 B.C. to Jesus being anointed with Holy Spirit

7 weeks = starting from 457 B.C. taking us to the time when Jerusalem was rebuilt by Nehemiah

3 score and 2 weeks = starting from after Jerusalem was rebuilt to Jesus anointed with Holy Spirit

1 week = starting from after Jesus was anointed to when the covenant was confirmed/end of 70 week time line (34 A.D.)

Daniel 9:25 lumps 7 weeks and 3 score and 2 weeks together. For a total of 483 weeks from 457 B.C. to the anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit (27 A.D.)

Daniel 9:26 begins after the 7 weeks, therefore it only speaks of the 3 score and 2 weeks to Messiah (anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit). In other words, verse 26 is taking us from after the rebuilding of Jerusalem to Messiah (3 score and 2 weeks).

Question: “What is your position on the rapture of the church?”

Answer: Our position is based on what the Bible teaches. The word rapture comes from the phrase “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. In that context, the Bible teaches that the church will be raptured at the second coming of Jesus Christ along with all believers whether dead in Christ or alive at His appearing. This rapture will come at a time that will catch the world by surprise–like a thief in the night  (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) and bring sudden destruction upon all who are not in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

 
We believe the second coming of Christ will be a loud, bright, every-eye-will-see-Him, literal, ending history-as-we-know-it event (Matthew 24:26-31; Revelation 1:7; Acts 1:11; 2 Peter 3:10).

Question:   ”I have heard recently, and I don’t recall from where, that the Bride of Christ is the 144,000, but I’ve read in the Great Controversy, pages 426 & 427, that the Bride is the City of God. Please clarify if possible. Thanks.”

Answer: I believe both of these thoughts are correct and harmonize. Truth often does that (faith and works; mercy and justice). The bride of Christ is the New Jerusalem and the 144,000. They are connected. The New Jerusalem includes the redeemed/144,000 (Revelation 21:9-17). That appears to be the reason why the city has twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes over each gate. Ephesians 2:19-22 also indicates as does 1 Peter 2:5 that the redeemed are spiritual stones making up a building of whom Christ is the chief cornerstone. Hebrews 3:6 calls the redeemed “God’s house.”