NOTES: on the first English Bible

There is an old married woman who is quite sure that she finds favor with God, but the rest of us fools will not find favor with God.
She takes every occasion to re-interpret any scripture which appears to say that God is in control of all things and has a good outcome planned for the entire creation.
She takes those all those scriptures and chops away at them… to make sure her readers know that God is not so great…
To her… God has good intentions but cannot actually save, reconcile, justify, redeem ALL. (See Bible reference quotes below).
This old gal is so fond of man’s so-called “freewill” that she glories in any verse that hints or infers anything about MAN’S “will”.
And she diminishes every Bible verse that clearly reveals that God is in control of his creation and has his own “will” — which, it seems to me, should be more significant than’s the creatures will.
The Creator… has a will… right?
The creature … has a will… right?
So, we agree on that.
But the Creator’s will would naturally take precedence over His creation’s will, right?
It would only make sense.
So, recently I quoted this verse to her: GOD WILLS TO SAVE ALL. (I TIM 2:4)
Naturally she changes the word “WILLS” to “DESIRES”— an in “God desires to save all.”
Then she proceeds to explain that God “desires” to save all, but it ain’t gonna happen because man’s “freewill” trumps God’s (the Almighty) will.
Her whole goal is to get folks to change their behavior… to do the right thing… and thus insure their own “salvation”.
My argument with her is that “salvation” is God’s work… not man’s work.
If one would venture down this road — that Salvation is God’s work — It tends to give you peace when you “trust” God to do His work.
But if you “believe” God cannot save anyone against their “freewill”… you tend to stress out… worrying constantly HOW OH HOW can we get these “sinners” to turn to God.
Most folks who skim the Bible, don’t realize it’s a book about God. They tend to think it’s a book of advice — like a “self-help” book — about book about THEM.
Imagine your surprise when you discover that the core message about the bible is not about YOU… it’s about God… and the KEY, core message is found in I COR 15:28…God will be all in all.
Three little words (all in all) but so pregnant with meaning.
Another hint is that “all is of God” (Romans 11:36)
Once you discover this line of thinking… you’ll have to rethink your whole view of the Bible and its message. And things get exciting finally.
If you want to rediscover the Bible’s message, you might want to get a better translation.
You see, the very first English Bible was made by John Wycliffe.
He did a fairly good job of translation considering he only had a Latin version of the Bible. But as to be businesexpeoted, translating a translation leads to some problems.
Better to use a translation that goes back to the original Greek of the New Testament and Hebrew of the Old Testament.
The best one available is The Concordant Literal New Testament (O.T. too)
One of the things a literal translation (from the original) reveals is that the word “ETERNAL” is not really in the Bible. The actual word is EON and EONIAN. An eon is a long period of time, but not endless.
This reveals a lot. All the threats and promises once thought to be “eternal punishment” and “eternal life”… are really “EONIAN PUNISHMENT” and “EONIAN LIFE” — this is an important distinction as God’s plan and purpose is to be all… in all… after the eons are completed.
Does man have a “freewill”???… no. Man has a will, but it’s not “free” of influence and causality. Only God’s will is “free” of causality and influence.
I’m writing these things so that you can relax and TRUST God to do His work and His will. It all starts at the cross of Christ.
For, what God did with Christ on the cross, He promises to do with all of us.
He will make us all alive beyond the reach of death. This promise is found in I Corinthians 15:20-28. “Christ, the first fruit, of them that sleep.”
“As in Adam, so in Christ”.
Grace to you, and peace.
Linwood
(Ephesians 1:10-11… Colossians 1:20… Romans 5:18-19… I Timothy 4:10, etc.)