A Biblical Response, Part 4

This teaching focuses on how the ministry is dedicated to sharing the truth of biblical Christianity without engaging in divisive apologetics, emphasizing the transformation that occurs when individuals embrace true Christian teachings. The future direction includes launching a local television network in Utah, aiming to provide diverse yet rational Christian content that rises above the shortcomings of modern American Evangelicalism, as illustrated by a testimonial of dissatisfaction with mega-churches from an audience member.

Shawn critiques the superficial and problematic nature of certain church movements, including the seeker-friendly, prosperity, and healing gospels, while advocating for addressing issues in both Christian and LDS communities with thoughtful approaches that incorporate humor and investigative media. He proposes an alternative theological perspective that emphasizes God's complete reconciliation with all people, challenging traditional views held by Calvinism and Arminianism.

The teaching stresses that traditional interpretations of terms like "hell" often cause confusion; originally, "Sheol" in Hebrew or "Hades" in Greek was a temporary abode for all souls, not just the wicked, and eventually, "hell" or "Hades" will be cast into the Lake of Fire as per Revelation 20:14. Further complexity arises from translation differences, where words often translated as "eternal" or "everlasting" punishment in specific Bibles like the King James might be rendered as "age-abiding" in others, suggesting that early Christian thought didn't uniformly consider punishment to be unending, a shift attributed significantly to Augustine’s influence.

Translation of Greek words like "Aion" and "Aionious" in the King James Bible varies significantly from their literal meanings of "age" or "a specific period of time," often being rendered as "eternal" or "everlasting" to align with prevailing doctrinal views, resulting in a divergence from the original Greek text which suggests a finite period. This interpretative approach, driven by a desire to maintain doctrinal consistency, contrasts with literal translations like those by Rotherham, Young, or Weymouth, which consistently convey the age-related connotations of the terms, indicating the Bible speaks of "age-abiding" periods rather than eternality in contexts such as the lake of fire.

Shawn teaches that in the New Testament, Greek terms that clearly denote eternality, such as "akatalous" and "aperantos," are never linked to hell or punishment; instead, terms related to a time span like "aionios" suggest a finite period. Brimstone, tied to the Lake of Fire in Revelation, derives from the Greek word "theion," meaning fire from heaven used for purification, suggesting the fire serves a corrective rather than punitive purpose.

Shawn argues that the Lake of Fire, as described in Revelation 14:9-11, may not represent endless torture but a process of refinement or purification, using the Greek word "basinizo," which means "to put to the test by rubbing on the touchstone." He suggests that Christian teachings could interpret this symbolic fire as God's way of refining individuals, opposing the idea of eternal punishment without redemptive value, and referencing Jesus' teaching in Matthew 21:44 about falling on the stone to be broken or being ground to powder, implying a process of transformative purification.

In this teaching, Shawn explains the distinction between two Greek terms for God's will: "Thelema," which reflects God's desires, and "Boulemia," which refers to His unalterable purpose, both indicating that God wants all to be saved and none to perish, challenging the notion of eternal punishment. Shawn emphasizes God's love, justice, and respect for human free will, asserting that salvation is available to all, and those who have yet to believe are merely lost due to unbelief, not categorized by their sins.

The teaching emphasizes the idea that lost sinners are temporarily separated from God, who constantly seeks to reunite with them, as demonstrated by the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:4-7. Additionally, the Greek term "apollumi" in scriptures, often translated as "lost" or "perish," signifies a state of ruin or loss rather than total destruction, illustrating God's continuous pursuit and ultimate redemption of humanity.

The teaching suggests that God's ultimate purpose is to bring about reconciliation and salvation for all, emphasizing that His love and mercy triumph over judgment, and questioning the idea of eternal punishment as a widely held belief in early Christianity. It cites early Church Fathers like Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen to illustrate that early theological perspectives favored the concepts of universal salvation and the purification of souls rather than endless torment.

God's mercy extends beyond this life, suggesting that faith could potentially be attained after death, challenging the traditional view that faith must be acquired during one's lifetime. Martin Luther, a key figure in the Reformation, proposed this idea in a 1522 letter, which might be considered heretical by some today.