I forget if I ever mentioned to you that I find church words such as church, grace, faith, baptism, gospel, holy and others useless. After the class last Wednesday night I have added the word Christian to the list of meaningless words. Most church words have a variety of meanings and without clear a definition the person hearing the word could understand a different meaning than intended by the person speaking. Another word that just might cause misunderstandings is "eternal." The question is, "Does eternal mean forever?
Some words which are the equivalent of "eternal" such as forever or everlasting are not necessarily without end. In the OT when giving instructions concerning the final plague on the Egyptians Moses wrote; "You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever." Is that OT covenant requirement in force today? Then there is the "eternal" Aaronic priesthood. "…and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever." Is the Aaronic priesthood still in force? We have Caleb's inheritance that was to last forever and Samuel's apprenticeship which was to last always and Solomon's temple which was a place for God to dwell forever and Gehazi's leprosy which was to cling to you and your descendants forever? In all these cases the equivalent words to "eternal" were not intended to mean there would never be an end only that there certainty was guaranteed for so long as God intended it within his purposes.
When Jesus talks about the dividing of the sheep from the goats and says of those on his left, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" he was speaking of punishment---namely destruction---which has everlasting consequences.
Now that would be a series of classes instead of the milque-toast time fillers we now enjoy.
Thanks, John Jenkins
865-803-8179 cell
Gatlinburg, TN
Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Website: http://www.greenbriersolutions.com
Blog: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/
Nike's "Just Do It" was inspired by murderer Gary Gilmore's last words before his 1977 execution: "Let's Do It."
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