I do not enjoy debating theological nuances with people, and I get quite uncomfortable discussing the finer points of Christianity, mainly if I know there is not agreement on a subject. I'm also keenly aware of how wrongly people view things they have no real knowledge of. When researching something we already disagree with, we seldom do an honest search. Instead we find talking points to support what we already have decided is true, and we regurgitate those points.
When talking to someone who I can tell thinks wrong things about a topic, I feel it is wisest to leave that to the Holy Spirit. Someone's world can be rocked if they aren't ready to think differently than they always have, and most will not be moved from their position of ours founded on faulty foundational information. Casting pearls before swine...
Quite honestly, I won't discuss where I differ from my church with fellow church members because it is inappropriate.
As with all topics, there are some who can handle differences among friends, and some cannot. Some people's faith takes them to point A, and someone else's to point B. We don't all have the same point of understanding in many areas of life, and that is ok. It isn't for me to "correct".
Wisdom should lead us to not overload those in another place than we are. I'm certain my husband is careful with the information he gives me and the kids, and he always has been. He carries the load he's carrying and is good at acting as our protector. The comparison isn't exact, but the same general principle applies with our brothers and sisters in the faith. We need to be careful to perceive when we're not doing someone a favor by making them think about something in a way that is going to strain them or cause them to struggle. The Holy Spirit is the One to reveal the truth He wants to reveal in the minds of a believer reading the Word of God or hearing sound preaching. I am not equipped to debate and do not want to. If I wanted to, we'd all hope I was equipped to, but in the moment of a discussion where people disagree, I often can't even think straight.
That said:
:5. ESV And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the , confessing their sins.
Question: Did ALL of the people, every single one, go out to Jesus to be baptized? When we approach scripture with a preconceived idea that a word always has to mean X because otherwise it doesn't lead to the conclusion we want, we're not giving an honest reading. "All" does not mean ALL, as in every single one, every time the word is used. We must look at the context and not be afraid of what the Bible says or is teaching. I contend that not every single person went and I do not think the verse implies it. Figures of speech; they exist now and I believe they existed when scripture was penned. It likely means MANY, maybe even MOST, but not EVERY SINGLE person living in each country.
Let's look at this one:
John 6:37-39
37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
Question: Does every single person that the Father gives to Jesus go to Him? Yes, this statement gives the limiting factor. The people God gives to Jesus, all of THEM, will COME to Jesus. (side note: All that He GIVES will COME to Jesus. Isn't that interesting? On God's side, He is GIVING them to Jesus but on the side of people, they are COMING.) Does this say the Father gives ALL people to Him? Every single person that the Father GIVES to Jesus WILL come to Jesus. And of ALL that God has given Jesus, NONE will be lost, they will be found in Him (saved) until the end and will be with Him in eternity.
This is a good explanation, better than I can give but I think mentioning angels as a targeted audience is incorrect because the Bible is written to people. I strive to not repeat mantras that tell me what to believe. I think "all means all" falls in to that category. It presupposes the context so that the verse says what someone wants it to say. We are each responsible to read and study and know the Word of God, and I am not interested in thinking a way that I'm told to think when it makes no sense to me when I read the Bible passages myself. Coming out of Catholicism, I'm a believer in making sure what I'm told MAKES SENSE. And some stuff doesn't; it sounds like urban legend passed down that can't be verified by my own reading and eyes.
Foreknowledge is not synonymous with predestination. I don't care how you say they are the same, and how many times you say it, they are not the same word and they differ in meaning. I'm saddened by how many Christians act like we start from a place of righteousness, using the phrase, "...(He) sent them to hell." What? I thought we all agreed that OUR OWN SIN sends us to Hell. God is good all the time, and He would be just if we all spent eternity in Hell. The way I see it, He is just to choose some to not spend eternity in Hell, and I'm humbled and so thankful for that. The mind of God is much higher than mine, and many men have minds much deeper than mine.
