What is "The Good News?"

[EBA]

Tell me, what is "The Good News?"

Peace be to all.

[marco]

Jesus spoke directly to the Pharisees.

More correctly, he addressed a question put to him from the Pharisees.

Here is another rendering of the scenario from the Aramaic Bible:

20 And when some of the Pharisees asked Yeshua, "When is the Kingdom of God coming", he answered and he said to them, "The Kingdom of God does not come with what is observed." 21"Neither do they say, 'Behold, here it is!' and 'Behold, there it is!', for behold, the Kingdom of God is within some of you."

The Douay and KJV both have "within." So opinions differ. If the kingdom is a quality, like righteousness, then as Jesus said it is not visible. This makes perfect sense.

That is quite clear to me. I have no doubt.

Yes, your explanation is clear to me too, but I think it is wrong since it moves from the obvious meaning that goodness is in the individual to a vast new concept whose complexity is in opposition to Christ's statements. You are supposing that in casually addressing Pharisees, he expounds a concept that few would comprehend and certainly not his addressees.

"Look! The kingdom of God is in your midst (or, is among you)."

As I say, this means that each individual has the capacity within them to receive God's message. That is its storing place, not the clouds or the fields. Sensible.

[marco]

THIS is inside each person?.......

"The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever." (Daniel 2:44)

No, nor is the mustard seed that is supposed to be like the kingdom of heaven. Kingdom is a loose metaphor signifying heaven and its qualities. The word is taken from the human term "king", an important human character.

Given that we are referring NOT to physical things but abstract qualities, of course they are IN a person if the person wants them there. Your example gives another use of the metaphor, comparing heaven with earthly power. "My kingdom is not of this world" is an indication that we are dealing with abstract, spiritual things.

I think you are getting confused in taking kingdom as an actual metropolis like New York. I agree that New York isn't literally inside humans. Once we move from metaphor we enter the kingdom of silliness. Go well.

[OnceConvinced]

The bad news is all around us; it's the good news that requires faith.

Exactly. You need to believe on pure faith that by ignoring all these problems and refusing to be part of the solution some invisible Sky Daddy will somehow save you precisely because you refused to do anything constructive about these problems.

The thing is the invisible sky daddy is not actually saving us from any of this. It's happening and God is letting it happen, so where is the salvation?

Our "sky daddy" is just about ready to tell Satan his time is up. The Devil has had quite enough time to prove his point that Jehovah isn't necessary to run His own creation.

Just about ready? He was "just about ready" 2000 years ago. Even Paul thought he was "just about ready". You'll have to excuse me if I take that claim with a grain of salt. People have been telling me he is "just about ready" since I was a kid. Even I was telling people the same thing.

1 John 2: 18
Dear children, this is the last hour; (He is just about ready) 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.

Romans 13:11-12
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (He is just about ready) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ( He is just about ready)

Hebrews 1: 1In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days (He is just about ready) he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

Hebrews 10: 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For, In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay. (so much for just about ready!)

Romans 13:11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. (He is just about ready) 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. (He is just about ready)


1 Corinthians 7: What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
(There is no time for anything else! He's just about ready!)

How much longer is he going to be "just about ready" for?

His point has bitten him in his butt, and he has been shown to be a big bag of wind. All of humankind that accepts God's gift of everlasting life will be saved from all evil---suffering, heartache, death. Aren't those good things to be saved from?

It's been over 2000 years now and none of us have been saved from those things. I'm not holding my breath. This good news of yours seems to be fake news.

[EBA]

Nonbelievers who have never heard the Good News will be given the chance to learn what it is during the Thousand-Year Reign of Christ. Every person must be able to make an informed decision as to what they want to do---serve Jehovah or go with Satan.

Hi onewithhim,

Can you cite scripture to support this claim or is this just your opinion?

Peace.

[EBA]

That doesn't disqualify Matthew 24:14 as explaining what the Good News is. Why set I John forth and cast aside Matthew 24:14? They actually go together. We don't have one without the other.

Could you please explain just how these verses go together? I'm not denying that they do, but I would like your take on it since you seem to take such a strong stance here.

[EBA]

Though Paul may have considered Jesus the Savior, Jesus himself seems to have considered Father God the Savior. As did his mother Mary, "my heart rejoices in God my Savior" (from her Canticle)

Hi Elijah John,

Jesus knows he is our savior:

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. (Joh 12:47)

The angel of the Lord knows Jesus Christ is our savior:

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luk 2:10-11)

And there are several other witnesses as well.

Peace.

[EBA]

-the fact we are arguing over an interpretation illustrates the point that Jesus did not explain himself too clearly.

That is a scriptural fact:

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: (Mat 13:34)

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: (Psa 78:2)

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. (Mat 13:35)

But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. (Mar 4:34)

I too am convinced that Jesus did not make himself clear; I also know that he had his reasons.

Peace.

[marco]

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: (Mat 13:34)

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: (Psa 78:2)

Yes, Matthew is doing the usual - searching past sayings to fit Christ's picture. Of course it is untrue that Jesus spoke ONLY in parables but it sounds like a fulfilment of Scripture.

]I too am convinced that Jesus did not make himself clear; I also know that he had his reasons.

I once had a lecturer like that. He had good reason not to expound, since one suspected he couldn't. Vagueness allows Jesus to be all things to all men and lets various groups swear by their interpretations. But I don't see this a blessing.

[onewithhim]

Jesus spoke directly to the Pharisees.

More correctly, he addressed a question put to him from the Pharisees.

Here is another rendering of the scenario from the Aramaic Bible:

20 And when some of the Pharisees asked Yeshua, "When is the Kingdom of God coming", he answered and he said to them, "The Kingdom of God does not come with what is observed." 21"Neither do they say, 'Behold, here it is!' and 'Behold, there it is!', for behold, the Kingdom of God is within some of you."

The Douay and KJV both have "within." So opinions differ. If the kingdom is a quality, like righteousness, then as Jesus said it is not visible. This makes perfect sense.

The fact that others say "among" shows the actual meaning. "Within" is then shown up to mean something other than "inside." The meaning is much clearer (totally clear to me).

The New American Bible says: "Behold, the kingdom of God is among you."


And it's very clear that he was addressing the Pharisees, if one were to actually read the account. He tries to tell them that they should recognize that the kingdom's KING is standing there among them. Then he turns to his disciples and addresses them.

It's pretty much of a long stretch to say that Daniel 2:44 is a metaphor. My understanding that it is literal---that God's own government will take over the world---harmonizes with Isaiah 9:6,7. How can this be a metaphor?

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder....Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever." (KJV)

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 73 by OnceConvinced]

I believe that the scriptural references to "just about ready" must be looked at the way God is looking at things. He is eternal. Two thousand years is a fraction of a millisecond to Him. What is that amount of time to Someone who has existed forever? The disciples who wrote the Scriptures were telling it like God sees it.

So many other scriptural references show that the time for the end of all evil is now.