Once more James Flanders has outdone himself in expressing sheer and unrelenting stupidity.
This morning I found another article in which he rambles on yet again about Christ being a greater Savior than we (the majority) give Him credit for.
The focus of the new article is John the Baptist and the things he spoke regarding Jesus. Primarily the proclamation of Christ being "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
Flanders goes so far as to claim that this statement of John is true to the extreme. He claims that it literally means that Christ ultimately succeeds at taking away the sin of the entire world. Have you heard such nonsense? It goes completely against the unquestionable Calvinist truth of limited atonement.
He then goes further and says that the word translated as world is the word Cosmos. Although I haven't checked the Greek myself, I am positive that this cannot be true and that the author must be lying. Whoever heard of such a thing as Christ taking away the sin of all creation? This type of thinking obviously inflates Christ to a place that is unacceptable to me and my five point doctrine.
Toward the end of this drivel, he then quotes passages from Paul that seem to support his view of God through Christ reconciling all things to Himself, but yet again, this cannot be due to the fact that it is absolutely contrary to the statement of faith I have adhered to since childhood.
Please read the following article with caution because it might (if you are not careful) cause you to see Christ in a light which you have not seen Him in before. It might cause you to elevate Jesus to a place which could be dangerous to your long held beliefs and alter your life. It might give you hope that you have never experienced and alter your live even more. Yet, that hope would be something which I see as unrealistic and not inline at all with what I believe to be the truth of God ultimately in the end saving only a small few while the vast majority are tortured forever in the flame of hell for the glory of God! Amen and amen.
Please proceed with caution and discernment as you carefully read the entire article below from beginning to end.
What If John The Baptist Was Absolutely Right About Christ?
Imagine that the message of John the Baptist regarding Christ is absolutely true. What would that mean for you and me? On the other hand, what if John was wrong in his proclamations about Christ? What would that mean for us? In Matthew chapter 11 Jesus was talking to a crowd of people about John the Baptist. Here is what He said: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist." In this passage, not only does Christ refer to John as a prophet, but He calls John the greatest of all the prophets. Let that sink in for a moment.
Now, it seems to make sense that if a person is going to be called a prophet then the message they proclaim would have to be absolutely true. If what John proclaimed was not true, yet Jesus called him the greatest prophet, what would that say about Jesus?
Please think it through. If John wasn't spot on in His proclamations to the people you would have to say he wasn't a prophet, much less the greatest of them. If Jesus had called him the greatest among the prophets, but yet John was wrong in his prophesying, that would mean that Jesus was wrong. If Jesus was wrong in his proclamations about John, what else might Christ be wrong about? I am convinced that Jesus was absolutely correct in calling John the greatest prophet. Therefore I am convinced that his proclamations regarding Christ had to be spot on.
So, what was his big message? You find it in John 1:29. Here it is: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"
You've probably heard those words many times. Do you believe them to be true? Do you believe that Christ is "the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY the sin of THE WORLD?
Please keep reading.
The word which has been translated as world in our English translations is the word Kosmos.
Here's the way it is used in the King James Bible according to Strong's.
Kosmos: The world, the universe, the circle of the earth, the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family, the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly, the whole circle of earthly goods, any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort, the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews.
That is an all-encompassing word of universal proportions! What was John's message? "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Kosmos."
Sounds like John is saying that Christ takes away the sin of all the inhabitants of the earth living and dead. Is this true? Or was John a false prophet and Jesus just a guy who had no clue what he was talking about when He called John a prophet and said he was the greatest?
The idea of Christ successfully taking away the sin of the Kosmos goes very much against the grain of institutionalized religion, tradition, and orthodox theology. Therefore the simple straightforward message of John is denied by many. It is so difficult for we puny humans to fathom the love of God being such that Christ would even take away the sin of those who hate Him and reject them. What what greater display of mercy, grace, and love could there be than Christ doing that very thing? On the other hand, maybe the word translated as "takes away" actually mean something other than "takes away." After all, there are a few words in our English translations that have been poorly translated. For instance the words that were translated as hell in the King James, and the word Aion which is wrongly translated as forever while at the same time being translated as an age with a definite ending. However, when it comes to the word translated as "takes away" there is no error in translating.
The term "takes away" is translated from the word Airo. Here is how it's defined in Strong's.
1) to raise up, elevate, lift up a) to raise from the ground, take up: stones b) to raise upwards, elevate, c) to draw up: a fish 2) to take upon one's self and carry what has been raised up, to bear 3) to bear away what has been raised, carry off a) to move from its place b) to take off or away what is attached to anything c) to remove d) to carry off, carry away with one e) to appropriate what is taken f) to take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force g) to take and apply to any use h) to take from among the living, either by a natural death, or by violence i) cause to cease
Looks to me like it literally means "takes away."
So, what do you think about the message of John? Is his proclamation true? Or was he a false prophet? If he was a false prophet who what would that make Jesus? Again, here is the message of John the baptizer.
Behold the Lamb of GOD, who completely lifts up, removes, carries away, takes upon himself, the sin of the world, the Kosmos, the universe, including those who are hostile to him.
I have heard way too many people explain it away and make it much less than what John says. Are they correct in making John a false prophet? Or was Jesus correct in saying John is the greatest among prophets? These are important questions worth our consideration.
Perhaps the love and grace of God is far more sweet than you've ever imagined.
James Flanders is a Bible student and teacher of grace who has explored Calvinism, Arminianism, and traditional orthodoxy. His quest for truth has led him to embrace universal reconciliation.
http://www.jamesflanders.com/3/post/2013/05/john-the-baptist-greatest-prophet-or-false-prophet.html
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH8TgnMyX2WnC_lSEMYG7Sg?feature=watch
This morning I found another article in which he rambles on yet again about Christ being a greater Savior than we (the majority) give Him credit for.
The focus of the new article is John the Baptist and the things he spoke regarding Jesus. Primarily the proclamation of Christ being "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
Flanders goes so far as to claim that this statement of John is true to the extreme. He claims that it literally means that Christ ultimately succeeds at taking away the sin of the entire world. Have you heard such nonsense? It goes completely against the unquestionable Calvinist truth of limited atonement.
He then goes further and says that the word translated as world is the word Cosmos. Although I haven't checked the Greek myself, I am positive that this cannot be true and that the author must be lying. Whoever heard of such a thing as Christ taking away the sin of all creation? This type of thinking obviously inflates Christ to a place that is unacceptable to me and my five point doctrine.
Toward the end of this drivel, he then quotes passages from Paul that seem to support his view of God through Christ reconciling all things to Himself, but yet again, this cannot be due to the fact that it is absolutely contrary to the statement of faith I have adhered to since childhood.
Please read the following article with caution because it might (if you are not careful) cause you to see Christ in a light which you have not seen Him in before. It might cause you to elevate Jesus to a place which could be dangerous to your long held beliefs and alter your life. It might give you hope that you have never experienced and alter your live even more. Yet, that hope would be something which I see as unrealistic and not inline at all with what I believe to be the truth of God ultimately in the end saving only a small few while the vast majority are tortured forever in the flame of hell for the glory of God! Amen and amen.
Please proceed with caution and discernment as you carefully read the entire article below from beginning to end.
What If John The Baptist Was Absolutely Right About Christ?
Imagine that the message of John the Baptist regarding Christ is absolutely true. What would that mean for you and me? On the other hand, what if John was wrong in his proclamations about Christ? What would that mean for us? In Matthew chapter 11 Jesus was talking to a crowd of people about John the Baptist. Here is what He said: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist." In this passage, not only does Christ refer to John as a prophet, but He calls John the greatest of all the prophets. Let that sink in for a moment.
Now, it seems to make sense that if a person is going to be called a prophet then the message they proclaim would have to be absolutely true. If what John proclaimed was not true, yet Jesus called him the greatest prophet, what would that say about Jesus?
Please think it through. If John wasn't spot on in His proclamations to the people you would have to say he wasn't a prophet, much less the greatest of them. If Jesus had called him the greatest among the prophets, but yet John was wrong in his prophesying, that would mean that Jesus was wrong. If Jesus was wrong in his proclamations about John, what else might Christ be wrong about? I am convinced that Jesus was absolutely correct in calling John the greatest prophet. Therefore I am convinced that his proclamations regarding Christ had to be spot on.
So, what was his big message? You find it in John 1:29. Here it is: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"
You've probably heard those words many times. Do you believe them to be true? Do you believe that Christ is "the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY the sin of THE WORLD?
Please keep reading.
The word which has been translated as world in our English translations is the word Kosmos.
Here's the way it is used in the King James Bible according to Strong's.
Kosmos: The world, the universe, the circle of the earth, the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family, the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly, the whole circle of earthly goods, any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort, the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews.
That is an all-encompassing word of universal proportions! What was John's message? "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Kosmos."
Sounds like John is saying that Christ takes away the sin of all the inhabitants of the earth living and dead. Is this true? Or was John a false prophet and Jesus just a guy who had no clue what he was talking about when He called John a prophet and said he was the greatest?
The idea of Christ successfully taking away the sin of the Kosmos goes very much against the grain of institutionalized religion, tradition, and orthodox theology. Therefore the simple straightforward message of John is denied by many. It is so difficult for we puny humans to fathom the love of God being such that Christ would even take away the sin of those who hate Him and reject them. What what greater display of mercy, grace, and love could there be than Christ doing that very thing? On the other hand, maybe the word translated as "takes away" actually mean something other than "takes away." After all, there are a few words in our English translations that have been poorly translated. For instance the words that were translated as hell in the King James, and the word Aion which is wrongly translated as forever while at the same time being translated as an age with a definite ending. However, when it comes to the word translated as "takes away" there is no error in translating.
The term "takes away" is translated from the word Airo. Here is how it's defined in Strong's.
1) to raise up, elevate, lift up a) to raise from the ground, take up: stones b) to raise upwards, elevate, c) to draw up: a fish 2) to take upon one's self and carry what has been raised up, to bear 3) to bear away what has been raised, carry off a) to move from its place b) to take off or away what is attached to anything c) to remove d) to carry off, carry away with one e) to appropriate what is taken f) to take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force g) to take and apply to any use h) to take from among the living, either by a natural death, or by violence i) cause to cease
Looks to me like it literally means "takes away."
So, what do you think about the message of John? Is his proclamation true? Or was he a false prophet? If he was a false prophet who what would that make Jesus? Again, here is the message of John the baptizer.
Behold the Lamb of GOD, who completely lifts up, removes, carries away, takes upon himself, the sin of the world, the Kosmos, the universe, including those who are hostile to him.
I have heard way too many people explain it away and make it much less than what John says. Are they correct in making John a false prophet? Or was Jesus correct in saying John is the greatest among prophets? These are important questions worth our consideration.
Perhaps the love and grace of God is far more sweet than you've ever imagined.
James Flanders is a Bible student and teacher of grace who has explored Calvinism, Arminianism, and traditional orthodoxy. His quest for truth has led him to embrace universal reconciliation.
http://www.jamesflanders.com/3/post/2013/05/john-the-baptist-greatest-prophet-or-false-prophet.html
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH8TgnMyX2WnC_lSEMYG7Sg?feature=watch
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