THE PROBLEM WITH MATTHEW 25:46

THE PROBLEM WITH
MATTHEW 25:46

GOOD MORNING
SATURDAY MORNING.
Folks are still asleep, so I’m resorting to typing out my thoughts…
Brother Andy asked me a question regarding the SHEEP AND THE GOATS…

He said:
Hi Ace, have you a video on the subject of aionious/age-during and aeons, I kind of know what they mean, but I’d like to see what you have to say especially about Matthew 25:46. Thanks, bro, love ya pal. 🙂

MY REPLY IS PASTED BELOW…
so… I’m sharing it with you here… in these early hours ‘cause it might be helpful if you’re interested in this kind of thing….

MY REPLY:
Isn’t Matt 25:46 the go-to passage about “endless punishment” for the goats, while the sheep get oodles of endless rewards?
Don’t make me go look up the passage… I’ve only had 2 sips of coffee so far this morning.
Now, as I recall, Jesus clearly says the sheep and the goats are NATIONS… not individuals… and the passage is about a NATIONAL JUDGMENT… not each person individually standing before God.
And the sheep nations and the goat nations are judged on how they treated the NATION of Israel.
So, if this is a NATIONAL JUDGMENT it would make sense that AIONIOUS in this passage would be limited to the aions in view.
Let’s say Argentina was one of the goat nations that treated Israel badly… It’s kind of a stretch to punish the nation of Argentina “eternally” when the “nation” of Israel is not even eternal. (See I Cor 15:20-28 for the prophecy about the end of all government itself. Including Christ rule.)
The yahoo’s who take Matt 25:46 and exaggerate it beyond anything you could find in the cross… do us all no service.
The efficacy of the cross MUST outweigh the efficacy of the judgment found in Matthew 25.
The time and scope of that judgment MUST be a blip on the radar screen compared to what God has achieved in Christ’s cross.
Just thinking.
Two sips.
Ace.

Regarding doing a video on the AIONS… I did something with Kirk’s little essay on every place where aion shows up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0GZs_op2-c&t=3s
and…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcb3almEdm8

(I’LL LINK THEM IN THE SHOW NOTES)

Second cup thoughts:
The surprising thing about Matthew 25:46 is that the “rewards” of the sheep nations ARE NOT ‘ETERNAL’… just like the punishments are not “eternal”.
You see… if the rewards are eternal, we have a problem: God will never be all, in all.
I live in Mormon town. And they don’t dwell on endless hell so much… but that does not get them off the hook. You see, the Mormons, just like the Witness Lee dudes and all the others, believe THEY WILL RULE WITH CHRIST forever… so… THAT IS THE PROBLEM… if you RULE over someone, it means they need ruling over… and it means there is something wrong with that one who needs ruling over.
The abolition of RULE (I COR 15:20-28) is the true goal of it all.
RULE = some kind of evil still exists and needs to be managed.
My reference to I COR 15:20-28 tells us, that RULE is one of the enemies that will be abolished, right before DEATH itself is abolished.
And RULE needs the threat of DEATH to be effective. If DEATH is abolished, RULE’s purpose is no longer possible.
Just thinking.

WOW… what a mouthful this morning.
Grace to you.
It’s superabundant. (grace is)
Ace.