The Defense of God

“Now we are ready to ask whether the apostle Paul fears that he might lose his salvation. Before we answer, it is important to note that this passage [1 Cor.9:23-27] is distinctive because Paul has plainly placed himself in the midst of his warning metaphor. The significance of this should not escape us, for this passage should function as a paradigm for understanding all similar warnings in Paul’s letters. Here is the question: Does the apostle Paul fear that it is possible that God will reject him as a reprobate on the day of judgment? IF WE ANSWER YES, WE MUST BE PREPARED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT PAUL ALSO DOUBTS GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS PROMISE TO PRESERVE HIS PEOPLE TO THE END...HE MUST DOUBT GOD’S FAITHFULNESS SO THAT HE CAN BELIEVE GOD’S WARNING. OF COURSE, THIS IS INCORRECT, for Paul is the one who calls on the Corinthians to believe in God’s steadfastness to confirm his own children to the end (1 Cor. 1:8-9). Yet this is precisely what we must affirm if we hold that Paul fears that God might reject him as a reprobate on the day of judgment” (Thomas R. Schreiner, “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance.” Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, pages 182-183).

Schreiner gives us what I call “the classic defense of God.” This is what happens when a person claims God’s promises and focuses all on God instead of God and mankind. I’ve made it known here at the site that Schreiner seems to place such a major emphasis on the positive connotations of every warning—although he claims theological objectivity. He’ll tell us that “once saved, always saved” is wrong; but then, he’ll argue “once saved, always saved” in his conclusions.

In the quote above, Schreiner does what all Calvinists do: they point to verses about God and say, “See, we’ll go to heaven because God will do this and that.” The problem here is, however, that Paul also says in chapter one of 1 Corinthians that “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9, NKJV).

God’s faithfulness, however, has nothing to do with man’s faithfulness. The “God who is faithful” not only tells us of His nature in Scripture, but also requires us to be faithful (Revelation 2:10).

Paul, writing about the Jews and his anguish over their salvation, records the following in his letter to the Romans:

“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD without effect? CERTAINLY NOT! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:
‘That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.’
But if OUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS demonstrates the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, what shall we say? IS GOD UNJUST WHO INFLICTS WRATH? (I speak as a man.) CERTAINLY NOT! FOR THEN HOW WILL GOD JUDGE THE WORLD?” (Romans 3:3-6, NKJV)

Paul asks the question, “if some did not believe...will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?” If some of the Jews fail to believe, is God’s faithfulness absent? Paul responds, “Certainly not!” He seems to DIVIDE man’s faithfulness from God’s faithfulness, man’s unbelief from God’s faithfulness.

Next, he talks of the fact that although Israel has failed to believe, God is still faithful to her regardless. His faithfulness is unconditional; but does this “erase” man’s need to be righteous before God? Paul’s response is “Certainly not!” Is God unjust to punish if He is magnified through Israel’s unbelief? Paul says that God is just; for if He isn’t, “how then will God judge the world?”

God’s faithfulness is the standard BY WHICH HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD! His faithfulness will convict the world because of their unbelief and unfaithfulness to Him.

Here is what Schreiner wrote a few paragraphs before the current quote above:

“The whole context makes it clear that to be ‘adokimos’ (reprobate) is the OPPOSITE OF BEING A ‘FELLOW PARTAKER’(SYNKOINONOS) OF THE GOSPEL...for the apostle, then, ‘adokimos’ METAPHORICALLY REPRESENTS REPROBATION, ETERNAL LOSS. Paul uses the athletic imagery, therefore, to make it clear to the Corinthians that FOR HIM ALSO THERE IS NO SALVATION WITHOUT PERSEVERANCE” (181).

At the time Paul writes 1 Corinthians 9, he realizes that even he can be cast away into eternal damnation if he didn’t stay the course and keep enduring. If there wasn’t a real actual possibility of Paul being “disqualified” from the heavenly reward, why write this? Was it just “hypothetical,” for the purpose of scaring the Corinthians into doing the right thing?

Paul uses the word ‘adokimos’ elsewhere in his letters, particularly his letter to the Romans:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a DEBASED mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28, NKJV).

The Greek word for “debased” here is “adokimon,” from “adokimos,” meaning “reprobate.” So we find here that it is the same word that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9 to talk about a very real possibility of eternal loss.

I want to point out something else, though. Romans 1 tells us that such people “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18) and, although knowing God, refuse to give Him the glory He deserves (v.21). They decide to serve the creature rather than the Creator (v.25), and what does God do? “Therefore God ALSO GAVE THEM UP TO UNCLEANNESS...” (v.24). These ungodly people begin to worship anything except for God Himself, and what does God do? “God GAVE THEM UP TO VILE PASSIONS” (v.26). They begin to commit all sorts of immorality, with no limit in sight. If that isn’t bad enough, we find that such people reject God to the point that they don’t even wanna keep the knowledge of God (for this is what convicts them, v.28); as a result, “God gave them over to a debased mind” (v.28).

We see here in Romans 1 that God does “give people over” to their choices, despite their knowledge of right and wrong. God does this because they know God through the things He has made, being without excuse (Rom. 1:19-20).

There are those who sin willingly after receiving the knowledge of the truth (Hebrews 10: 26). For those who do so, however, “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Heb. 10:26-27, NKJV). And it is true as it is written: “The Lord will judge His people” (Deut. 32:26, Heb. 10:30b).

Romans 8:13

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, IF INDEED THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN YOU. Now IF ANYONE DOES NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, he is not His. And IF CHRIST IS IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For IF YOU LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH you will die; but IF BY THE SPIRIT YOU PUT TO DEATH THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, you will live” (Romans 8:9-13, NKJV).

Today I’m dealing with Paul’s letter to the Romans, Romans chapter 8 as quoted above. I’m still working through Schreiner’s book on “The Race Set Before Us,” so this post will involve another one of Schreiner’s exegetical “blunders.” Regarding the above passage, Schreiner writes,

“Paul clearly addresses his warning to believers, for he assumes for the sake of his argument that his readers concur that his suppositions of Romans 8:9-11 are true of them. Therefore, he appeals to his readers as ‘brothers and sisters’(v.12). His conditional warning of verse 13 SUGGESTS NOTHING ABOUT POSSIBILITY OR PROBABILITY OF FULFILLING EITHER SUPPOSITION. Paul includes his warning for one fundamental purpose, namely, TO URGE US TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE WAY OF THE FLESH NOW AND DIE IN THE LAST DAY, AND INSTEAD, through the Spirit, TO DIE TO ONE’S DESIRES NOW IN ORDER THAT IN THE DAY TO COME WE MIGHT ATTAIN LIFE” (Thomas Schreiner, “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance.” Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, page 175).

The first phrase capitalized above in Schreiner’s quote is that Romans 8:13 “suggests nothing about POSSIBILITY of PROBABILITY of fulfilling either supposition.” Before I attack Schreiner, let’s get some definitions going:

(1) “possibility”-- 1 : the condition or fact of being possible
(2) “possible”-- 1 a : being within the limits of ability, capacity, or realization
(3) “probability”-- 3 : likely to be or become true or real

So when Schreiner says that Paul mentions nothing about “possibility” or “probability,” he’s saying that Paul doesn’t render judgment on the believers (probability); but neither does he suggest that they have the ability to “walk after the flesh,” one of the conditions of Romans 8:13. Instead, what function does Schreiner believe Romans 8:13 plays? In his mind, it is just a HYPOTHETICAL warning: “Paul includes his warning for one fundamental purpose...to urge us to resist the temptation to live according to the way of the flesh...and instead, through the Spirit, to die to one’s desires now in order that in the day to come we might attain life.”

Schreiner would agree with the words of Goodwin regarding the first-class condition: “When the [condition]...SIMPLY STATES a present or past...supposition, implying nothing as to the fulfilment [sic] of the condition, it takes a present or past tense of the indicative with ‘ei’.”

According to Goodwin, “nothing as to the fulfilment of the condition” is present in the “if” clause (“if you live according to the flesh,” for example). However, A.T. Robertson disagrees:

“This condition POINTEDLY IMPLIES the fulfilment of the condition. It is the CONDITION OF ACTUALITY, REALITY, Wirklichkeit, and not mere ‘possibility” (A.T. Robertson, “A Grammar of the Greek New Testament In Light of Historical Research,” Fourth Edition. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934, page 1006).

A.T. Robertson, a Baptist, would disagree with our Baptist friend, Thomas Schreiner here. Notice that Robertson labels this condition a “condition of actuality,” distinguishing it from “mere possibility.” Robertson would disagree with Schreiner and say that Paul’s warning in Romans 8:13, that “if you live according to the flesh you will die,” is a CONDITION OF ACTUALITY: a person who has the Spirit within can succumb to sin and live a sinful lifestyle. Paul’s warning is not hypothetical—as if to say, “well, technically you can live in sin...but, you won’t.” Paul doesn’t declare judgment on the Roman congregation, but makes it clear that “two realities,” not “a reality and a hypothetical possibility” lie before them: they can walk after the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and live eternally, or they can walk after the flesh and live according to the deeds of the body...and perish eternally.

We understand why Schreiner gives his “hypothetical warning” view of Romans 8:13 when he goes into further analysis of this verse:

“...the warning is a significant means that God uses, through His Spirit, TO SECURE HIS PROMISED SALVATION IN US” (“The Race Set Before Us,” page 176).

As you can see, Schreiner’s presupposition crawls in again. The warnings never contain a serious caution of punishment—instead, they serve to “encourage” us, to push us forward in perseverance. I would say that the warnings do so, but they also caution us of eternal punishment if we fail to persevere. As I stated in a recent post, God did not warn Adam and Eve for the sake of motivating them to obey Him; He also cautioned them about REAL ACTUAL CONSEQUENCES for their disobedience. And Schreiner seems to assume that the consequences for disobedience are not possible for the believer.

Last but not least, notice what he says about this condition of Romans 8:13:

“The first-class condition (“if you live according to the flesh you will die”, example mine) in the Greek New Testament functions to express an assumption for the sake of the argument being made. IT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT ITS LIKELIHOOD OF FAILURE OR SUCCESS” (footnote, page 173).

Notice that no “likelihood of failure or success” is mentioned in the above condition. But what Schreiner fails to see is, that if the likelihood of failure is not mentioned, then NEITHER IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS mentioned either!! This means, then, that Schreiner’s supposed assumption of God “encouraging us” to persevere cannot be completely believed as he espouses it. We’ve already seen in other texts that Schreiner immediately dispels the actual choice of being saved and living in sin; however, when it gets to warnings like that of Romans 8:13, God seems to always be “assuring us” that we can persevere to the end, and God is ALWAYS motivating us to do so. But why is it that Schreiner claims to be neutral in the warnings, but still affirms the same conclusion as John MacArthur—that salvation cannot be thrown away?

Exhortations In Disguise

“Jesus reminds us of the nature of our pilgrimage in this present age. Jesus holds before us both his assuring promise to preserve the elect and his warning admonition that calls for vigilant perseverance in order to be saved. Is there an unbearable tension between them? What is the relationship between the two? Does election swallow up warning? Or does warning devour election?

It is precisely at this point that many slip to one side or the other. I. Howard Marshall opts for the latter as he claims, ‘for the Church as the heir of Israel’s election, her election is conditional upon her desire to retain it.’ For Marshall, God’s election of us is only as sure as our vigilance. Others want to adjust the warning by smothering it with election so that they transmute the warning into either a test of genuine faith or simply a warning for hypocrites. Neither view does justice to the biblical text, because Mark intends both warning and promise to retain their full functions for believers. What is the relationship, therefore? Election is not conditioned upon perseverance, nor does election nullify the necessity of perseverance. Rather, JESUS FULLY INTENDS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD, WHO ELECTED HIS OWN FOR SALVATION, SECURES THEM FROM APOSTASY AND PRESERVES THEM THROUGH AFFLICTIONS BY USE OF WARNINGS THAT CAUTION WATCHFULNESS, WARINESS, AND VIGILANT STEADFASTNESS” (Thomas Schreiner, “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance.” Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, page 159).

Schreiner’s statement above is characteristic of what Schreiner will often do throughout his book.

He constantly tells the reader that “both warning and promise” must be held in tandem; that neither can be overwhelmed or outweighed by the other. But look at his remark regarding the warnings:

“Jesus fully intends for us to understand that God...secures them [believers] from apostasy and preserves them through afflictions by the use of warnings...”

We are first told that neither I. Howard Marshall’s approach, nor approaches like John MacArthur’s, are correct. Then, we are fed the idea of “once saved, always saved” and told that the warnings are really “exhortations in disguise,” a means by which God “secures” and “preserves” His people.

But if this is the case, why use a warning? Why not use encouragements only? Schreiner’s approach blurs the difference between an “exhortation” and a “warning.”

Let’s define both of these terms (from Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary):

Exhortation: 2 : language intended to incite and encourage

Warning: 2 : something that warns or serves to warn

Now we will see what it means to “exhort” and “warn”:

Warn: 1 a : to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or evil

Encourage: 1 a : to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope

An encouragement or exhortation is there to “inspire,” while a warning is there to “give notice...of danger or evil.” The function of an encouragement is to say, “keep going,” while the function of a warning is to say, “watch out.” These are two different responses altogether, so both must be taken into account when arriving at an interpretation of a passage.

Schreiner, though, can’t seem to admit his bias. Here then, is his most telling statement of the entire quote above:

“Jesus fully intends for us to understand that God, who elected his own for salvation, secures them from apostasy and preserves them through afflictions by use of warnings that caution watchfulness, wariness, and vigilant steadfastness” (159).

First, he tells us that he’s Calvinist:

“God, who ELECTED HIS OWN FOR SALVATION...”

Secondly, he tells us that the warnings are really “exhortations in disguise”:

“God...secures them from apostasy and preserves them...by use of warnings...”

In Schreiner’s Calvinist system, there is no way that the saved CAN FAIL to endure until the end! However, this contradicts what Paul says of the possibility of his own disqualification in the race for eternal life (1 Cor. 9:25-27).

In the Calvinist system, failure to endure is never an option; and yet, Jesus felt the need to warn His disciples in Matthew 10, Matthew 24, and Mark 13 about “false prophets and false Christs” who would attempt to lead the elect astray.

In addition, look at what Schreiner says about election:

“Election is not conditioned upon perseverance, nor does election nullify the necessity of perseverance.”

I’d say that he’s right with the second phrase, but WRONG with the first one. The Bible teaches that election IS CONDITIONED upon perseverance. In 2 Peter, Peter tells us that we must add perseverance to our faith and this is to be done so as to secure our calling and election:

“But also for this very reason, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE, ADD TO YOUR FAITH virtue...knowledge...self-control...PERSEVERANCE...godliness...brotherly kindness...love...therefore, brethren, BE EVEN MORE DILIGENT TO MAKE YOUR CALL AND ELECTION SURE, FOR IF YOU DO THESE THINGS YOU WILL NEVER STUMBLE; for so AN ENTRANCE will be supplied to you abundantly INTO THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST” (2 Peter 1:5-7, 10-11, NKJV).

Why does Peter write to “make your call and election sure,” if God secures every believer’s election? There would be no need for neither you nor me to attempt to “add” to God’s secure election—IF it’s a guaranteed election!!

Peter goes on to say the following to the believers:

“consider that the longsuffering of our Lord IS SALVATION...you therefore, beloved, SINCE YOU KNOW THIS BEFOREHAND, BEWARE LEST YOU ALSO FALL FROM YOUR OWN STEADFASTNESS, BEING LED AWAY WITH THE ERROR OF THE WICKED” (2 Peter 3:15, 17).

Peter notes here that there is a possibility that the believers themselves could fall away and be “led away with the error of the wicked,” into everlasting punishment. This is why he warns them “beforehand,” as Jesus does in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:25).

As my last piece of biblical evidence in this post, I will use Paul’s words to the church at Rome:

“And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and DOING THE SAME, THAT YOU WILL ESCAPE THE JUDGMENT OF GOD?

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, FORBEARANCE, and LONGSUFFERING, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

But in accordance with your HARDNESS AND YOUR IMPENITENT HEART YOU ARE TREASURING UP FOR YOURSELF WRATH IN THE DAY OF WRATH AND REVELATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds.’: eternal life to those who by PATIENT CONTINUANCE IN DOING GOOD seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—INDIGNATION AND WRATH, TRIBULATION AND ANGUISH, ON EVERY SOUL OF MAN WHO DOES EVIL...but GLORY, HONOR, AND PEACE TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS WHAT IS GOOD...FOR THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD” (Romans 2:3-11, NKJV).

Schreiner may attempt to make the warnings sound like exhortations, but warnings can’t be exhortations and exhortations cannot be warnings. One encourages, while the other admonishes. In the words of Paul, while “all Scripture” is used for “doctrine” and “instruction in righteousness,” Scripture is also used for “reproof,” correction, rebuke when someone sins (2 Tim. 3:16, NKJV). There is a serious tone to Jesus’ words about enduring to the end...and I think we need to start paying attention...

The Implications of Endurance

In my last post, I looked at Matthew 10 and Matthew 24 and showed how Schreiner’s response to Marshall’s interpretation is strange. Schreiner does this, though, because of his commitment to “always saved.” As long as one holds to a view of “Once Saved, Always Saved,” even getting rid of the “once saved” doesn’t change the outcome: Schreiner, like OSAS proponents, will still argue unconditional eternal security. The difference between Schreiner’s argument and the OSAS argument is that Schreiner has more biblical evidence which should lead to a different conclusion...however, his presupposition won’t allow it, so he ends up at the same place as OSAS proponents.

I’m back to give further commentary regarding Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:22 and Matthew 24:13 (including Mark 13:13). Schreiner doesn’t seem content to just attack Marshall, but even the implications of Jesus’ words on endurance:

“So what is Jesus saying? He is saying that perseverance to the end is God’s means by which anyone will be saved. At the same time his words assure all who persevere and remind us that there is no other way to face persecution, even unto death, if we want to be saved in the final day. It is really this simple! But you ask, ‘What if I fail to persevere to the end?’ The answer from the context is simply that YOU WILL NOT BE SAVED, IF YOU FAIL TO PERSEVERE TO THE END. Again you may ask, ‘So are you telling me that Jesus’ words mean that IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO LOSE MY SALVATION?’ No, that is AN UNWARRANED CONCLUSION TO DRAW either from the text or from our explanation of the text. Jesus’ words say nothing about the possibility of losing one’s salvation; that is not the function of his conditional promise. Rather, HIS WORDS FUNCTION TO ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WILL BE SAVED, IF YOU PERSEVERE” (Thomas R. Schreiner, “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance.” Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, page 152).

It is at this time that I can announce to you, my readers, that Schreiner’s bias is upon us! We have arrived at one of the most classic statements Schreiner will make again and again throughout his book. He understands what Jesus is saying when he asserts, “you will not be saved, if you fail to persevere to the end.” As I noted in my last post, Schreiner seems to understand that Jesus’ promise is conditional (“if you endure to the end...”) However, the implications of such a condition he cannot accept: “ ‘So, are you telling me that Jesus’ words mean that it is possible for me to lose my salvation?’ No, that is an unwarranted conclusion to draw either from the text or from our explanation of the text.” Why does this implication fail?

“Jesus’ words say nothing about the possibility of losing one’s salvation; that is not the function of his conditional promise. Rather, his words function to assure you that you will be saved, if you persevere” (152).

Here’s the fundamental problem: earlier in Schreiner’s book, he discussed that eternal salvation was first, a PRESENT possession—that we have eternal life now:
“John regularly maintains that eternal life is something that believers possess NOW. He says that ‘whoever believes in the Son has eternal life’ (Jn. 3:36). John does not say that believers will have eternal life but that they HAVE eternal life. In fact, John emphasizes often that eternal life is a present gift, as the following texts demonstrate: Jn. 5:24...Jn. 6:47...Jn. 6:54...1 Jn. 5:11-13” (66, 67).

Then Schreiner went on to state that eternal life is also a future goal:

“Jesus forges a link between the age to come and eternal life in Mark 10:29-30, where he says, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age...and in the AGE TO COME, ETERNAL LIFE’ (NIV)...thus we can conclude that ETERNAL LIFE IS A GIFT OF THE COMING AGE (cf. Luke 18:30)” (65, 66).

So here’s the grand question: if I have current possession of eternal life, but I can fail to persevere and obtain the future possession, why do Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:22, Matt. 24:13, and Mark 13:13 NOT imply loss of salvation? If I receive a 30% coupon from a local bookstore and am told to bring the coupon back the following weekend and redeem it, doesn’t this imply that I can lose or throw away my coupon and fail to get 30% off of one of my purchases? The fact that I receive the coupon doesn’t mean that I will hold on to it and redeem it at the bookstore. It simply means that I have the POSSIBILITY of getting the discount—not that I WILL get it!

What is Schreiner’s response to the “loss of salvation” view?

“HIS WORDS FUNCTION TO ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WILL BE SAVED, IF YOU PERSEVERE” (152).

Schreiner only wants to point out the exhortation and confidence of Jesus’ words; and yet, within the same passage of Matthew 10, there are words of warning (as I stated in my last post). For example, within Matthew 10, Jesus not only talks about the one who “confesses” Him, but also the one who “denies” Him. It seems then, that even Jesus believed there would be two responses to persecution: either Jesus would be acknowledged, or Jesus would be rejected (to save one’s life). Why then, can Schreiner not acknowledge that when Jesus encourages the disciples to persevere to the end, that He is also implying the possibility that they can fail to endure and thus “forfeit” the salvation that they have?

We are given the example of Esau in Hebrews 12:

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person LIKE ESAU, who for one morsel of food SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, HE WAS REJECTED, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:14-17, NKJV).

Esau had his birthright. He was the eldest, and therefore, possessed it when he had come of age. But one day he was hungry, and wanted some stew. He asked his brother to give him some of the red stew and his brother said, “I’ll do it if you give me your birthright in return.” So Esau gave Jacob his birthright and from that day forward, it is recorded in Genesis 25 that Esau “despised” his birthright.

The story of Jacob and Esau points to a spiritual reality. If it didn’t, the writer couldn’t have used them. So what exactly was the writer of Hebrews trying to say when he referenced the story of Jacob and Esau? I’ll get into that question at another time...

Matthew 10 and Matthew 24: The "Giant Leap" and "False Step"

Even though I’m writing this post in the morning, I couldn’t help but get to Schreiner’s biased exegesis today. I’ve been anxious to get to it for the last few posts and will now do so.

I’ve told you, the readers, that Schreiner disagrees with the OSAS crowd (“Once Saved, Always Saved”); however, his exegesis will always come to the conclusion of “Always Saved,” no matter what! Schreiner’s bias of “unconditional eternal security” will come to the surface, and it’s important to expose such bias for what it is.

I respect Schreiner as a theologian; and throughout his book, “The Race Set Before Us,” I will examine good things that Schreiner has to say (particularly concerning the “loss-of-rewards” view propagated by Zane Hodges and others). However, Schreiner and all theologians have certain presuppositions that they bring with them to the biblical text. Because we as believers and theologians are so prone to distorting biblical interpretation to fit our theological systems, we have to always aim to examine opposing views and be able to declare reasons why those views are wrong. It should never be enough to say, “I don’t believe this...because I just don’t...” We should be willing to subject our own views to scrutiny and see if they can stand on their own. This is how one gains assurance that his or her view is correct—by allowing those views to be “tried by fire,” genuinely tested so their true worth can be revealed.

Now, first, let’s read Matthew 10:22 and Matthew 24:13—

“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10:22, NKJV).

“But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13, NKJV).

Regarding the words of Matthew 10 (verse 22 quoted above), Schreiner writes,

“Jesus spoke these words to his disciples when he sent them out to preach the advent of God’s kingship. He extends this consolation and promise to them because he has just announced that they will face persecution and hatred on account of him and the gospel. Jesus formulates his promise as a proverb, which explains why these words adapt well to other settings, such as the Olivet discourse [Matthew 24]. The function of this verse is like the conditional promise of Revelation 21:6-7 that we considered in chapter one, for Jesus promises salvation, but he conditions the promised salvation on perseverance ‘to the end’” (Thomas Schreiner, “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance.” Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, page 147).

Jesus words to the disciples in Matthew 10 are words concerning the persecution they will face. Notice that Schreiner says that Matthew 10:22 is like Revelation 21:6-7. If Revelation 21 involves a “conditional promise,” and Matthew 10 is like Revelation 21, then Matthew 10:22 itself is a “conditional promise.” In addition, reread Schreiner’s words on salvation: “Jesus promises salvation, but he CONDITIONS the promised salvation on PERSEVERANCE TO THE END.” Here, Schreiner and I agree. Jesus’ words give a promise, but a promise based on a fulfilled condition: IF a person endures and remains, then at the end, after “having done the will of God,” he or she will “receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:36, NKJV). If Jesus’ promise of salvation is conditional, then there is no unconditional eternal security, but instead, CONDITIONAL eternal security! The fact that Schreiner labels Matthew 10:22 as a “conditional promise” refutes his belief in “unconditional eternal security.”

Schreiner has discussed I. Howard Marshall’s reference to Matthew 10:22 as concerning eschatological salvation: “a physical sense would give a tautology: he who endures to the end shall not die before the end.” And Schreiner applauds him:

“Not only does Marshall properly acknowledge that Jesus’ proverbial words concern eschatological salvation, but he also correctly observes the conditional nature of the promise. He states, ‘The condition for salvation is that ‘steadfast endurance’ which does not give way under temptation but remains loyal to God and His will. This is accented by the phrase ‘to the end’” (“The Race Set Before Us,” 149).

But here is where Schreiner’s bias shines:

“Again, Marshall is correct to note, ‘There will be no salvation FOR THE PERSON WHO GIVES UP.’ However, Marshall takes both a GIANT LEAP and a FALSE STEP when he says, ‘Although this possibility is a slight one on the whole, nevertheless IT IS A REAL POSSIBILITY, and we have no right to deny its existence in the interests of a PRECONCEIVED THEORY.’ Without any explanation, Marshall converts Jesus’ conditional promise of salvation INTO A DECLARATIVE ANNOUNCEMENT OF POSSIBLE APOSTASY. MARSHALL HAS INVERTED THE FUNCTION OF THE WORDS JESUS DESIGNS TO CONSOLE HIS FOLLOWERS WHO FACE PERSECUTION AND DEATH ON HIS BEHALF. His inversion turns them into words that EXPRESS UNCERTAINTY AND DOUBT ABOUT THE OUTCOME. We believe that this is an unwarranted conclusion from the text, for suppositions in themselves do not function to indicate anything about possibility. We also believe that SUCH A READING OF CONDITIONAL PROMISES IS SUBVERSIVE TO CHRISTIAN FAITH AND CONFIDENCE, not affirmative or consoling, as Jesus intended his words” (149, 150).

First, Marshall says that, since the promise is conditional upon perseverance, then to fail to persevere indicates apostasy—or loss of salvation. All Marshall says is that “it is a real possibility,” not that it is a PROBABILITY! There are a number of things in life that it is “possible” to do, but not very likely to occur.

All Marshall does is affirm the implications of Jesus’ conditional promise, and now, he’s accused of “inverting the function of the words” of Jesus, and “subverting the Christian faith and confidence...” If Marshall is guilty of “subverting Christian confidence,” then so is the writer of Hebrews, for he exhorts the congregation:

“Therefore do not cast away your CONFIDENCE, which has great REWARD. For YOU HAVE NEED OF ENDURANCE, so that after you have done the will of God, YOU MAY RECEIVE THE PROMISE” (Hebrews 10:35-36, NKJV).

Here in the Hebrews writer’s words, we see that “confidence” is connected to “endurance,” which leads to the “reward.” By virtue of the Hebrew writer saying, “do not cast away your confidence,” we see that the readers could easily lose heart and run back to Judaism and its religious rituals. Marshall is simply confirming the words of Hebrews: that assurance in the Christian faith comes through endurance. How then, is Marshall guilty of undermining the Christian faith?

Another claim made by Schreiner is,

“MARSHALL HAS INVERTED THE FUNCTION OF THE WORDS JESUS DESIGNS TO CONSOLE HIS FOLLOWERS WHO FACE PERSECUTION AND DEATH ON HIS BEHALF.”

Schreiner believes that Jesus’ words are to encourage His followers to remain strong despite persecution; in his view, Marshall has “inverted the function of the words,” or changed them around to create a different meaning. What Schreiner seems to forget, however, is that, if promises are conditional and not guaranteed, then conditional promises come with a warning as well as an exhortation.

I’ll prove this with a simple passage we all know—Genesis 2. In the Garden of Eden, God gives Adam an encouragement and a warning, all rolled into one:

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17, NKJV).

The Lord told Adam that he could eat of all the trees of the Garden. This, then, is an exhortation. God made Adam and Eve as humans and built within them a biological desire for food as nourishment to provide strength for their bodies; so He knew they needed food to eat. He encourages them to enjoy the good food He has provided.

However...Adam and Eve were warned about ONE tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God told them, “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Let’s look at God’s warning. If we take Schreiner’s view of this (as in his take on Matthew 10:22), God was only encouraging Adam and Eve to resist eating from the forbidden tree. I would say that God did want them to do the right thing, make the right choice. Everything God made was good, so He wanted man to do what was good (and by so doing, imitate his Creator). However, God also gave them a serious warning—that they would die if they disobeyed Him.

We know this warning is serious because, right after Adam and Eve sin, God declares man’s death:

“In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread TILL YOU RETURN TO THE GROUND, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN” (Genesis 3:19, NKJV).

Adam and Eve sinned, and God made good on His warning—they literally began to die that day in the Garden. We know that death came to them because we read in Genesis 5,

“So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died” (Gen. 5:5, NKJV).

Genesis 5 is what is known as “The Graveyard Chapter.” It is so named because it shows us that God’s sentence of death came to all of mankind, starting with Adam and continuing even to the present day.

So when God made a warning to Adam and Eve, He meant it; and when they sinned, He implemented the punishment He promised. Why then would it be any different with Matthew 10:22? Why is it that God was only trying to “encourage” them?

It becomes twice as problematic when you read the rest of Matthew 10 itself. What about Matthew 10:28?

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28, NKJV).

These words are encouraging in that Jesus is telling them not to fear physical death; but it is also a warning that they should fear the one who can cast them into Hell, eschatological damnation. Once again, we see exhortation and warning together.

In verses 32 and 33 of Matthew 10, we see exhortation:

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, HIM I WILL ALSO CONFESS BEFORE MY FATHER who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

But we also see warning:

“But whoever denies Me before men, HIM I WILL ALSO DENY BEFORE MY FATHER who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:33).

Matthew 10 is full of exhortation (encouragement) and warning. Marshall’s analysis then, is consistent with Matthew 10 and the rest of the canon. Schreiner, then, attacks Marshall without any backing at all.

The truth is, all believers would like to have an unconditional guarantee to heaven; but we are not promised it. The only unconditional promise we have is, “and lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20, NKJV). The Lord Jesus promises to be with us and supply the strength we need to persevere. But we are still responsible for persevering in the faith:

“For YOU HAVE NEED OF ENDURANCE, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36, NKJV).

I will tackle more of Schreiner’s exegetical and theological comments in future posts. Keep reading...

Against "Once Saved, Always Saved," Part II

“Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we SHALL BE SAVED from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, WE SHALL BE SAVED by His life” (Romans 5:9-10).

Schreiner responds,

“Notice the logic in both verses: since we are NOW justified and reconciled, WE CAN BE SURE THAT WE SHALL BE SAVED. Paul does not say that we can be sure that we are saved but that we WILL be saved. He thinks of salvation as a future blessing that we shall receive” (49-50).

I finished my post yesterday with the above Scripture and quote. I’ve started doing a series here at CTS on “Once Saved, Always Saved,” examining the view itself and showing that Scripture opposes such a view (also abbreviated as “OSAS”).

Schreiner wants to create assurance here in the minds of believers, but he does so at expense to the biblical text. As we get further and further into his book, you will find that Schreiner often dismisses propositions without sufficient evidence for so doing (except that the proposition opposes what he believes). And, while he doesn’t agree with “Once Saved, Always Saved,” he will still advocate “always saved” in his exegesis, especially when it comes to the “warning” passages.

Besides this, however, there are other passages regarding the issue of future salvation that we must address.

Here then, is Romans 13:11—

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is NEARER than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11, NKJV).

If salvation is “nearer,” then that means it is “closer,” which means that “salvation” is “coming” or on its way to believers. They have yet to inherit eternal life. In the words of Schreiner, “We are summoned to live godly lives because salvation lies before us” (“The Race Set Before Us,” page 50).

Next in our study of Scripture is 2 Timothy 4:18—

“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” (2 Tim. 4:18, NKJV)

In Schreiner’s exegesis, “the verb ‘sosei’ is rightly translated by the NRSV as ‘save,’ and it is a FUTURE TENSE VERB. That the salvation is on the last day is clear since it will involve induction into the Lord’s heavenly kingdom” (51).

Two more texts of Scripture that present future salvation are Hebrews 1:14 and Hebrews 9:28—

“Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who WILL INHERIT SALVATION?” (Hebrews 1:14, NKJV)

“So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him HE WILL APPEAR a second time, apart from sin, FOR SALVATION” (Hebrews 9:28).

Then we have Thessalonians 5:8-9 and 1 Corinthians 5:5—

“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet THE HOPE OF SALVATION. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:8-9).

Regarding the “hope of our salvation,” Schreiner says that “...1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 confirms the FUTURE DIMENSION of our salvation” (caps mine).

Last but not least, we have 1 Corinthians 5:5—

“deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 5:5).

According to Schreiner,

“The hoped-for salvation is obviously future, since it will occur ‘in the day of the Lord’” (50).

1 Peter 1:4-5 states,

“to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The last verse I will mention in this post is James 1:21—

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is ABLE TO SAVE YOU” (James 1:21, NKJV).

Schreiner tells us the significance of this verse:

“Apparently, THE WORK OF SALVATION IS NOT COMPLETED, since the Word planted in them must be given free rein so that they will ultimately experience salvation” (52).

I will refer to these verses in future posts. What I want to note now is the phrase I capitalized in the quote above. This is a phrase to keep in mind as we go through Schreiner’s book. What he will do is make it seem as if salvation is “guaranteed”; however, if the believers have to submit to the work of salvation, which is still a “work-in-progress,” then how can they be sure (without their submission) that they will still experience final salvation? This is just a question we need to ask ourselves while reading Schreiner. I’m afraid that the question I pose to you now is a question that not even Schreiner himself can answer...

Against "Once Saved, Always Saved," Part I

I realize that the title of this post may get me labeled a “heretic,” “false teacher,” and a demented theologian. Most people (me included) grew up believing in “once saved, always saved.” I was taught that, from the moment of confession, my salvation was secure forever, that I had nothing else to worry about! I was simply sitting around in life, playacting in good deeds and works of righteousness, waiting for Jesus to return for me...

However, upon being prompted to study Scripture by Byron Gillory III, the original owner of this blog, I began to study what I had always believed; and I found that my beliefs were wrong.

And that is what this post is all about. If you think I’m a heretic, I’m not alone; Reformed theologian Thomas R. Schreiner of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary writes the following in his book:

“Almost all Christians think of salvation exclusively in terms of the past. Believers often say, ‘I have been saved,’ or ask some one else, ‘Have you been saved?’ We will argue that most evangelical Christians DO NOT USE THE WORD ‘SALVATION’ AS IT IS USUALLY USED IN THE BIBLE, where THE TERM DENOTES OUR FUTURE SALVATION. Hence, the emphasis of the biblical text often gets lost when we speak about salvation” (Thomas R. Schreiner, “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance.” Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, page 48).

So according to Schreiner, there are aspects of salvation: both present and future aspects.

Schreiner provides Scripture references to show us these two aspects of salvation.

First, we have Ephesians 2:5—

“[He loved us, v.4] even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you HAVE BEEN SAVED)...” (Eph. 2:5, New King James Version; will be in the NKJV unless otherwise stated).

Verse 8 of the same chapter states,

“For by grace you HAVE BEEN SAVED through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God...” (Eph. 2:8).

Next, there is Titus 3:5—

“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy HE SAVED US, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit...” (Titus 3:5)

Then, there is 2 Timothy 1:9—

“[God] who HAS SAVED US and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began...” (2 Tim. 1:9)

According to Schreiner,

“The word ‘have been saved’ demonstrate that salvation now belongs to believers” (49).

Salvation is a present possession of the believer—at this moment, those who confess Jesus (or already have) and are believing in Him are saved.
But then, Schreiner removes the so-called popular view of OSAS, “Once Saved, Always Saved”:

“When we study the New Testament writers, however, we discover something quite surprising. Though they occasionally describe salvation as the present possession of believers, they usually envision salvation as something that WILL OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. For example, Jesus says, ‘All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved’ (Matt. 10:22 NIV; cf. also Matt. 24:13). Matthew does not say that the one who endures to the end has been saved or that this person shows evidence that he or she was saved. Matthew says that the one who stands fast and perseveres will be saved, that is, will be saved on the future day of the Lord” (49).

Schreiner explains that Paul also believes salvation to be a future act as well, and quotes Romans 5:9-10 to make his case. Let’s read this passage:

“Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we SHALL BE SAVED from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, WE SHALL BE SAVED by His life” (Romans 5:9-10).

Schreiner responds,

“Notice the logic in both verses: since we are NOW justified and reconciled, WE CAN BE SURE THAT WE SHALL BE SAVED. Paul does not say that we can be sure that we are saved but that we WILL be saved. He thinks of salvation as a future blessing that we shall receive” (49-50).

I want to point out a disagreement I have with Schreiner’s response here. While I agree that salvation has both present and future aspects, I cannot say that Paul wrote here believing that it is certain that every person who professes Jesus will experience future salvation. This will be a good place to start for tomorrow’s post. Stay tuned...

2 Timothy 4:5-8

“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I have FINISHED THE RACE, I have KEPT THE FAITH.
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:5-8, New King James).

This text is one of the most classic texts of Paul’s letters. I love reading Paul’s letters to the churches, but none comfort me more than this passage. Ironically, this passage happens to be Paul’s “farewell”. Who could get such comfort out of a “farewell,” a “goodbye”?

And yet, I find myself coming back to this passage time and time again for motivation to continue running the race that is set before me (Hebrews 12:1-2).
In this passage Paul gives Timothy some lasting advice: “Be watchful in all things, ENDURE AFFLICTIONS, do the work of an evangelist, FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY” (v.5). Paul has just told Timothy in verses 2-4 to stand firm because “the time will come when they [hearers] will not endure sound doctrine...and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (vv.3, 4). There would come a day when those who had once listened to Timothy, who had once heeded biblical instruction, would turn away from the Word of God as the ultimate authority and pay attention to myths and falsehood. In verse 5 Paul tells Timothy to “endure afflictions,” which means he must suffer hardship. For “no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:4, NKJV). Timothy was a soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3), so his focus had to be on pleasing Christ. Christ was the one who enlisted him into the Army of the Lord, and Christ was the One he would have to please in order to hear the Lord say “well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

In verse 7, Paul shows his assurance of a race well-run: “I have fought the good fight...” The word for “fought” is “egonismai,” which comes from the word “agonizomai,” meaning “to engage in a contest, fight, struggle.” The word “agonizomai” is where our word “agonize” comes from. And what does it mean to “agonize”?

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary gives us the following definition:

“to suffer agony, torture, or anguish; to struggle.”

What does it mean to “struggle”?

1 : to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition
2 : to proceed with difficulty or with great effort

When Paul states that he “fought the good fight,” he’s saying that he struggled to stay strong despite the opposition—but with the Lord’s strength, he did.

Next, Paul states that he has “finished the race.” Here he knows that his departure is at hand (v.6), he is soon to die, so he’s looking back and evaluating his life. He recognizes that life is a “race,” and that he has finished the course of his life. Paul recognizes here that he lived the full time of his life and has used all the years he was given by God to the fullest. Every year and day God designed for him has taken place. He has not cut his life short one day in the plan of God. Every day allotted to him is a day that has been spent.

Finally, Paul states, “I have kept the faith.” This little sentence is so important because it shows us Paul’s theology in a succinct sentence. Why is “keep[ing] the faith” even important? Because the only way to win the race is to keep the faith.

Read Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus: NOT WITH UNCERTAINTY. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:24-27, NKJV).

Here in 1 Corinthians 9 Paul gives an analogy of running the race. Notice he says “they do it to obtain a PERISHABLE crown, but we for an IMPERISHABLE crown” (v.25). Our crown is not made of earth, is not earthly, and is immaterial. We are running for something that is everlasting—and that is a “crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:8).

“Keeping the faith” is not only the way to win the prize—it is also the message of the Scriptures. In Luke 8 in the Parable of the Sower, we find that the seeds “on the rock” only “believe for a while” and then fall away because of temptation (Luke 8:13). Only the seed that falls on good ground is the seed that “keeps” the word and “bears fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15, NKJV). The seed that falls on good ground is the seed that “believes” and receives eternal life (John 3:16).

“Keeping the faith” was also the message of exhortation by the apostles in the early church. In Acts 14, we find Paul and Barnabas traveling back to churches they had already started, “exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:22).

In verse 7, all the actions listed are in the perfect tense (“have fought...have finished...have kept”). According to A.T. Robertson, these three verbs are placed in a specific type of perfect tense, known as the “extensive present perfect”, which is:
“a completed state. This act may be durative-punctiliar...with a backward look” (A.T. Robertson, ”A Grammar of the Greek New Testament In The Light of Historical Research.” Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934, page 895).

Applying Robertson’s grammatical analysis to the verbs in 2 Timothy 4:7, we find that Paul has given a “backward look” to his life, that he is reflecting on all he has done in Christ. He has “completed” his course (“finished the race”), and he is looking back to all the things that have brought him to his current state: “for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Tim. 4:6, NKJV).

In verse 8, Paul discusses the joy that lies ahead for him:

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8, NKJV).

Paul says that, because he has run his race, because he has endured to the end, he will receive “the crown of righteousness.” I want us to notice two things about this crown.

First, the Greek word for “crown” is “stephanos,” which can mean “crown” but can also mean “prize” or “reward” (“A Reader’s Greek New Testament, Second Edition” by Richard J. Goodrich and Albert L. Lukaszewski. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007, page 461).

How do we determine the meaning of the word “stephanos”? We do so based on the
context of the passage. As we can see, Paul has discussed his life as a “race” (“I have finished the race,” v.7). He has also used the analogy of competing for a crown to show Timothy that hard work and effort win the prize:

“And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not CROWNED unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5).

If this isn’t enough, we have Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9, where he discusses his fear of being “disqualified” from the race:

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Cor. 9:24-25).

Notice that in verse 25, he talks about “crowns,” while in verse 24, he refers to a “race,” the act of running, and “the prize.” In verse 24, Paul is very general with his analogy, but becomes more detailed in it when he arrives at verse 25. As I just mentioned, the word for “crown” can also be used generically for “reward,” so it becomes clear to us that Paul is able to use these words interchangeably because of the nature of the word “stephanos.”

Secondly, notice what Paul says about the recipients of the crown:

“the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and NOT TO ME ONLY, but also TO ALL WHO HAVE LOVED HIS APPEARING” (2 Tim. 4:8).

Did you notice that? Paul says that “all” believers will receive the crown of righteousness. According to Zane Hodges and others who advocate the loss of eternal rewards, there will be a hierarchy of rewards in eternity; however, here, Paul says that EVERYONE who is a citizen of glory will receive this reward—no believer in glory will be left out! The question then becomes, is this a reward given to everyone (which contradicts the hierarchical rewards idea), or IS THIS REALLY ETERNAL LIFE being discussed here?

This depends on what Christ “will give” to all believers. But don’t fear—Scripture is here!

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews (9:27-28).
So what will He bring with Him when He comes? Salvation.

Jesus discusses His return in Revelation 22:

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev. 22:12).

But what is the “reward” that He will bring? We read John’s words in verse 14:

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have THE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, and may enter through the gates into the city” (v.14).

So having “the right to the tree of life” means to have “eternal life.” John tells us this same truth in 1 John 2:

“And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25).

Remember the Fall in the Garden of Eden? What did the Lord God say after punishing Adam and Eve?

“Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the TREE OF LIFE, and eat, and live forever’—“(Gen. 3:22)

So the Lord decides to send Adam and Eve from the Garden because He had promised them that they would die if they ate the forbidden fruit. Now that Adam and Eve had done so, they would not avoid their punishment. God had warned them of death, and He would execute the punishment. Adam and Eve would not live forever by eating the fruit of the tree of life (and thereby, do away with their punishment). To keep Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of life, God sent them from the Garden and put an angel at its entrance (Gen. 3:24). The Tree of Life, then, is what the children of God will "eat" from, which means that, when the Lord returns, they will be given eternal life and will live forever with Him.

The “reward of righteousness” then, in 2 Tim. 4, is not a golden crown that we think of from the Olympics. Rather, the “crown of righteousness” is the prize to be won at the end of a life well-lived: in short, the crown is “eternal life.”
2 Timothy 4 shows us the importance of keeping the faith and striving to enter the kingdom of God. Paul labored for Christ unceasingly, and it was now time for him to be received into the arms of His Savior, whom, as Paul writes, “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Against Hodges

“In speaking of heirship in 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, the Apostle did not threaten his readers with the loss of eternal salvation. He did not even raise a question about their salvation. But he warned them plainly that if they did not correct their unrighteous behavior, they confronted a serious consequence. They would not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Zane Hodges, “Gospel Under Siege,” page 134; quoted in “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance by Thomas R. Schreiner and Ardel B. Caneday. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, page 27).

Irenaeus wrote a work called “Against Heresies.” I’m gonna write a spin on Irenaeus’ work, called “Against Hodges.”

The above quote from Zane Hodges is a defense for what is known as the “Loss-of-Rewards” view. According to Thomas Schreiner and Ardel Caneday,

“...its advocates contend that the biblical admonitions and warnings threaten believers with a possible loss. However, the loss that a Christian may encounter concerns ‘rewards’ only, not salvation or eternal life, which comes to us only by faith in Jesus Christ” (24).

The Zane Hodges quote above is his exposition on 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, which reads as follows:

“Do you not know that wrongdoers WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10, NRSV; quoted in “The Race Set Before Us,” page 27).

Notice that 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 talks about “not inheriting the Kingdom of God”; yet and still, Zane Hodges can advocate a “loss-of-rewards” view. Losing rewards and losing eternal salvation are not the same thing. So how can Zane Hodges make the above statement about 1 Cor. 6:9-10?

“This may sound like double talk. However, Hodges and fellow advocates of this view distinguish between INHERITING the kingdom of God and ENTERING the kingdom of God. Hodges explains: ‘Many have assumed, without much thought, that to “inherit” the Kingdom must be the same as “ENTERING” it.’ BUT FOR HODGES THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE. He contends that entrance into the kingdom is of grace, and inheritance of the kingdom is based on the merits of our deeds for Christ and thus is costly” (27).

Unfortunately for Zane Hodges, his statement above is not true. To show that to “inherit” and to “enter” are the same, let’s use a few passages of Scripture.

First, Matthew 19:29—

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, SHALL RECEIVE A HUNDREDFOLD, AND INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE” (Matt. 19:29, New King James Version).

Notice that eternal life is “inherited”; in addition, there is a connection between “eternal life” and “receiv[ing] a hundredfold.” What “hundredfold” is being mentioned here? In the context of Matthew 19, Jesus has just told the apostles that “In the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, YOU WHO HAVE FOLLOWED ME WILL ALSO SIT ON TWELVE THRONES, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28, NKJV).

It seems clear then, that to receive possessions is connected with eternal life, not SEPARATED from it. In Zane Hodges’ view, a person can still receive eternal life while not receiving any other rewards. With the apostles, however, we see that they couldn’t receive a throne to judge the tribes without also receiving eternal life. It is all a package deal!!

Matthew 25 is another passage that testifies to the contrary of Hodges’ claim. In the parable of the sheep and the goat, Jesus says to the sheep (on His right hand),

“ ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, INHERIT THE KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).

What happens to the goats?

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, INTO THE EVERLASTING FIRE prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).

We see in Matthew 25 that to “inherit the kingdom” is the exact opposite of “the everlasting fire” that the goats enter into. Since we know from Revelation 20:14 that the “everlasting fire” is the lake of fire and brimstone, the “inheritance” of the kingdom must be eternal life—and those who are sheep receive eternal life. Here in Matthew 25, there is no distinction (as Hodges believes) between eternal life and rewards. To receive one is to receive the other.

The next passage is Mark 10:17-23. We read of someone running to Jesus, someone wealthy (in Luke’s Gospel he is called “the rich young ruler”) asking Jesus,

“Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?” (Mark 10:17)

Notice that “eternal life” is to be “inherited.” This by itself doesn’t fit Hodges’ view that you can “enter” eternal life and lose rewards. But look at what’s next!!
After Jesus tells the man what he needs to do to follow God, the man walks away.

Notice Jesus’ response:

“How hard it is for those who have riches TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD!” (Mark 10:23)

So when the rich man asked about “inheriting” eternal life, he wanted to be able to “enter the kingdom of God.” Here, there seems to be no difference between the two—“inheriting” and “entering” are the same thing.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15:50—

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”

According to Hodges, “inheriting” the kingdom is different from “entering” into it; however, reading the context of 1 Corinthians 15:50ff, we find these words:

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality...then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘DEATH is swallowed up in victory’” (1 Cor. 15:53-54).

“Inheriting” the kingdom of God now becomes connected to “incorruption” and “immortality”; in addition, “Death” is defeated. This is what eternal life is made of. Paul doesn’t mention a distinction here about rewards after death, or anything else.

Last but not least, Hebrews 1:14 links “inheriting” and “eternal life” together once more:

“Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will INHERIT SALVATION?” (Heb. 1:14, NKJV)

Here we understand that to receive “salvation” is to “enter” the kingdom of God.

The language of the Bible connects “inheritance” and “entrance” of the kingdom of God together with no distinction between them. How then, can Zane Hodges hold to such an unbiblical idea?

The Reason To "Remain": 1 John 2:28

In my last post on 1 John 2, I took time to show the distinction between the antichrists, those who deny Jesus is Lord, and the rest of the congregation. It is true of the antichrists that “they were never really of us,” never part of the invisible body of Christ (to use a statement of old). Their actions proved that they never knew Christ. On the other hand, John was certain that the rest of the congregation knew Christ and had a genuine salvation (1 John 2:20). Nevertheless, he still wrote the congregation and warned them about “those trying to deceive” them (1 John 2:26); we can infer from this warning that he had a genuine concern that, despite the genuineness of their salvation, they could still turn from it and be led astray by the antichrists. In other words, they were not so close to Jesus that they couldn’t be pulled back into the world.

In this post, I am going to tackle “the reason to remain” given in 1 John 2:28. Let’s read the text:

“And now, little children, ABIDE IN HIM, that when He appears, WE MAY HAVE CONFIDENCE AND NOT BE ASHAMED BEFORE HIM AT HIS COMING” (1 Jn. 2:28, NKJV).

Just so we see the importance of this verse, I will provide a little of the verse in Greek:

“kai nun, teknia, MENETE en auto, HINA ean phanerothe sxomen parresian…”

The first capitalized word, “menete,” comes from the Greek “meno,” meaning “to remain.” It is used here as an imperative (a command). The next word capitalized, “hina,” is what goes before a “purpose” clause. And a purpose clause is that which provides the reason for doing something. Here in 1 John 2:28, then, to “have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” is the reason we should “abide in Him.”

There are three key words in 1 John 2:28 that we should pay attention to: “abide,” “confidence,” and “ashamed.” In my last post, I already showed the importance of “abiding” as Jesus speaks of it in John 15. Here, however, I will focus on the words “confidence” and “ashamed.”

The words “confidence” and “ashamed” are rather opposites of each other: those who are confident of themselves are usually not ashamed of themselves. But these words serve an even greater purpose to John’s message than just being exact opposites of each other! These two words reappear in other places of Scripture, notably Revelation 3 with the church of Laodicea:

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, THAT YOU MAY BE CLOTHED, that the SHAME OF YOUR NAKEDNESS may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:14-18, NKJV).

In 1 John 2:28, we are told that we should abide in Christ so as to not be “ashamed before Him” when He returns; in Revelation 3, the church at Laodicea is told to buy white garments “that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed” (Rev. 3:18).

We see here a theme of “shame.” But notice that the “shame” here is also connected with “nakedness” (“the shame of your nakedness”).

So the question is, “What do shame and nakedness have to do with each other?” A hint of this is found in the fact that God describes Himself to the Laodiceans as “the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3:14). Now God is not saying here that he is “created.” What He is saying here is that He is the one who brought creation into existence (John 1:1-3). What this reference to God does, though, is bring to mine the story of our first parents, Adam and Eve, found in Genesis. There is one reference to this connection of shame and nakedness, found in Genesis 2:

“And they [Adam and Eve] were both NAKED, the man and his wife, AND WERE NOT ASHAMED” (Gen. 2:25, NKJV).

In Genesis 2, the man and woman were confident of their relationship with the Lord God. They were naked, but this did not unnerve them or make them feel uneasy about themselves or their mate. But notice what happens after they eat the forbidden fruit:
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Gen. 3:7).
They covered themselves because they realized they were “uncovered.” This came about as a result of sin, for this condition after eating the fruit was the exact opposite of life in the Garden before eating the fruit (see Gen. 2:25).

Now, we see the theme of nakedness in Genesis after they eat the fruit. But this nakedness is also connected with shame. Listen in on Adam’s response to God’s call:
“ ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I WAS AFRAID BECAUSE I WAS NAKED; and I HID MYSELF” (Gen. 3:10).

Here Adam admits that his nakedness is made apparent because he “was afraid”; and his fear, in turn, made him “hide” from God.

Adam’s confession here tells us that sin brings shame, leading to fear, which, in turn, causes us to hide from the Lord. And this is what John was telling the congregation back in 1 John 2:28—“if you do not remain, when the Lord returns, you will hide from Him because sin will cause you to fear His judgment.

But John also shows them the blessing of “remaining” or “abiding” in Christ: when He comes, they can have CONFIDENCE, which is the opposite of shame. Scripture also has something to say about confidence as well:

“Therefore do not cast away your CONFIDENCE, which has great REWARD. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
Now the JUST shall live by faith:
But if ANYONE draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:35-38, NKJV).

Why does John tell his readers to “abide”? so they can have “confidence.” And what is the importance of “confidence”? Confidence brings “great reward” (Heb. 10:35). And what is the reward? “the promise” (Heb. 10:36). And what is the promise?
“And THIS IS THE PROMISE that He has promised us—ETERNAL LIFE” (1 John 2:25, NKJV).

Thus, John tells his readers to abide so that they can have confidence when the Lord returns, confidence that results in eternal life (which is the great reward and promise).

I have some remarks to make regarding the Hebrews 10 passage quoted above. However, I will save that for some other time...

"They Were Not Really Of Us"

“The Bible explains in a sixth type of passage that people who fail to remain loyal to Christ NEVER WERE GENUINE BELIEVERS. Once again the apostle John explains: ‘Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but THEY DID NOT REALLY BELONG TO US. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that NONE OF THEM BELONGED TO US’(1 Jn 2:18-19)” (“The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance” by Thomas Schreiner and Ardel Caneday. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001, page 13).

In case you didn’t know, I’m back to blog on a new book, called “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance” by Thomas R. Schreiner and Ardel B. Caneday.

Tonight’s post is an interesting one. The verses quoted in the post title as well as in Schreiner’s quote are verses often used by many conservative evangelicals to defend their view of unconditional perseverance (which states that, those that Christ chooses for salvation will certainly persevere until the end). I wanna tackle this proof text right away because as we travel through Schreiner’s book, we will find that eventually, he claims that we cannot perfectly evaluate every person’s spiritual condition—which totally does away with this proof text he offers here!!

I looked up 1 John 2:18-19 in other major translations (www.biblegateway.com) and discovered that very few cross-references are provided for this supposedly “all-important” passage. The New American Standard (NASB) references 1 Corinthians 11:19 with this text, which doesn’t really mean much. 1 Corinthians 11:19 addresses factions within the church, amongst members regarding Holy Communion. The passage itself is not addressing members who walk away from the congregation (so while it does mention “factions,” those who misuse and abuse the Lord’s Supper are not called “antichrists”). The English Standard Version references 1 Corinthians 11:19. The Holman Christian Standard doesn’t give a reference verse (which is surprising). The Amplified Bible doesn’t cross-reference; and the New King James (NKJV) cross-references Deuteronomy 13:13.

In this post, I want to tackle the passage of 1 John 2 itself and point out some main features of the chapter and see what it has to say about the text of 1 John 2:18-19.

I’ve pointed out that 1 John 2:19 makes it clear that those who walked away “were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us” (NKJV).

However, to pull out this verse and use it as justification of one’s salvation (or to disprove another’s salvation) is to do a disgrace to the Word of God and a serious injustice to this text.

I was taught by my hermeneutics professor to examine a verse within its context. “A verse means what it means in its context,” he’d always say. We can’t do justice to the text of 1 John 2:19 without examining the rest of 1 John 2. More specifically, when studying a verse, we must study its “immediate” context (“immediate” refers to the verses right before and after the selected verse). In this case, the immediate context of 1 John 2:19 would be verse 18 (the verse right before it) and verse 20 (the verse after). The full context of the passage in question would involve the entire chapter of 1 John 2, as well as 1 John 1, as well as the rest of the book of 1 John, and then all of the rest of the canon of Scripture (the other 65 books of the Bible).

Looking at the immediate context, we can see the problems with Schreiner’s interpretation. Verse 18 reads, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the ANTICHRIST is coming, even now MANY ANTICHRISTS have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” Those who left out from the group were “antichrists.”

But notice what John has to say in verse 20 about the antichrists:

“But YOU HAVE AN ANOINTING FROM THE HOLY ONE, AND YOU KNOW ALL THINGS” (1 Jn. 2:20).
He separates those to whom he writes of those who have left the congregation entirely. Those to whom he writes “have an anointing from the Holy One”—in other words, they are believers, filled with God’s Holy Spirit.

Now that we know what we are dealing with, the antichrists versus the faithful, let’s look into the context of 1 John 2 itself. John writes,

“Who is a liar but HE WHO DENIES THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST? He is ANTICHRIST who denies the Father and the Son” (1 Jn. 2:22).

The antichrists are those who are “antichristos,” meaning “against Christ.” Notice that the antichrists are the ones who “deny that Jesus is the Christ.” The Amplified Bible translates this verse in the following manner:

22Who is [such a] liar as he who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah)? He is the antichrist (the antagonist of Christ), who [[l]habitually] denies and refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22, Amplified Bible)

Notice that the denial of Jesus as the Christ is the issue being discussed here, not a person’s refusal to cease sinning in their personal walk with the Lord. These people, according to what the context gives us, never even believed. They continued to deny Jesus as Lord and Messiah. But remember Paul’s words:

“Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord EXCEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT” (1 Corinthians 12:3, NKJV).

If a person, then, does not deny Jesus as Lord, then they acknowledge He is Lord—and they can only do this IF the Holy Spirit is present in their lives. Therefore, those in the church who denied Christ were those who never believed.

To take this, however, and apply this to every situation is to stain the Word of God. Let’s look at the rest of 1 John 2 to get a deeper understanding of what the “antichrists” are all about.

As I said, keep in mind that the antichrists are divided from the rest of the congregation. As for the rest of the group, John is confident of their salvation—for he writes, “BUT you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (v.20). The believers to whom John is writing have a genuine salvation, unlike the antichrists who continually denied the Lord and walked away. In verse 21, he tells them, “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, BUT BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT, and that no lie is of the truth” (v.21). The congregation has come, to use a Pauline phrase, “to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), and knows right from wrong, truth from error.

In verse 24, John writes,

“Therefore let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning ABIDES in you, you also WILL ABIDE IN THE SON AND IN THE FATHER” (v.24).

These words regarding “abiding in the Son and the Father” automatically bring to mind Jesus’ words in John 15:

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:5-8, NKJV)

Notice that “anyone [who] does not abide in Me” (v.6), anyone who “does not remain,” is “cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” Those who do not remain (“the branches,” John 15:5) are thrown into the fire. Those who bear fruit are those who “abide” in Christ (John 15:5). If someone fails to remain in Christ, the little fruit they have borne for Christ will die, and they will become “withered” (Jn. 15:6); the branch is then fit for nothing but the flames.

Go back to 1 John 2 and let’s read about the importance of abiding in Christ and the Father:

“And this is the promise that He has promised us—ETERNAL LIFE” (1 Jn. 2:25, NKJV).

So right after mentioning the importance of abiding in the Son and the Father, John gives us the effect or result of so doing—“eternal life.” We see from 1 John 2 that only if we “abide” will we receive eternal life. In other words, “he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 Jn. 2:17b, NKJV).

There are two other verses I would like to cover in 1 John 2. The first concerns verse 26:

“These things I have written to you concerning THOSE WHO TRY TO DECEIVE YOU” (1 Jn. 2:26).

Connecting the context of 1 John 2, we discover that those who deny Jesus is Christ are also those who are attempting to “deceive” the believers. It is one thing to walk away from one’s faith, but another entirely to attempt to pull others away from their faith. To lead others astray is a mark of the false prophets and antichrists that are present and are to come. Jesus speaks of such people in Matthew 24:

“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (Matt. 24:11).

“For FALSE CHRISTS and FALSE PROPHETS will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, EVEN THE ELECT” (Matt. 24:24).

After telling His disciples these things, Jesus says,

“See, I have told you BEFOREHAND” (Matt. 24:25).

Jesus was warning His disciples about the end and their need to endure (Matt. 24:9-13). So those in the church to which John is writing who have a full-scale campaign waged to turn people against God are those who have never believed in Him; for, how can one believe in a God that they then raise themselves up against?

I have made it clear in the following study of 1 John 2 that Thomas Schreiner cannot use 1 John 2:18-19 as a proof text against every person who turns away from the faith. Why? because every person who walks away from Christ is not doing what the antichrists did (leading others astray). Such deliberate deception stems from someone who is not only bent on not following Christ, but someone who wants Christ done away with, at all costs. Most of those who fall away, however, don’t hate Christ—they just don’t want to conform to His image.

Finally, Jesus also declared woe against those who lead others astray:

“38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our[c] side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9:38-42, NKJV)

I will cover 1 John 2:28 in my next post.