What is "The Good News?"

[EBA]

Tell me, what is "The Good News?"

Peace be to all.

[onewithhim]

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.

I base this on an intensive study of the entire Bible. From reading it I have become convinced that Jehovah is fair and merciful and just.

"Look! A king will reign for righteousness; and as respects princes, they will rule as princes for justice." (Isaiah 32:1)

How can God destroy someone who never learned about Him? That doesn't compute.

"How will they call on [God] in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach? How, in turn, will they preach unless they have been sent forth?" (Romans 10:14,15)

Can't we see right there that it is vital that people HEAR? Not every last person on Earth will get to actually hear the good news about God. Jesus indicated that that would be true when he said what he said at Matthew 10:23. What he said concerning Israel at that time also applies to today.

Would God, who is just, condemn a person when that person didn't have a chance to learn about the truth of God? He gave us the power to reason. Any reasonable person would have to say that it would be unjust to destroy an individual because he didn't ever choose to serve the true God when it is true that he didn't choose because he didn't know. Everyone, at the end of the thousand years will know. Then each person will be able to knowingly choose how he wants to go---with Jehovah or not. (Revelation 20:7,8)

[onewithhim]

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.

They go together quite strongly. Matthew 24:14 gives us the bare-bones meaning of the "Good News"---that it concerns the Kingdom of God, a literal government by Christ that will envelop the planet. (Isaiah 9:6,7; Daniel 2:44; Revelation 20:6) I John 4:14 speaks of the King of that Kingdom, the Ruler of God's government---Christ Jesus. He is the Savior of the world, and the way he saves is to rid the world of evil, including all of mankind's governments, and during his rule he brings the world of mankind back to perfection and gives people the chance to choose to be righteous and live forever.

[onewithhim]

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.

Jesus is the means by which the Father saves. The salvation comes from the Father, Jehovah, and the name of Jesus/Yeshua actually means "Salvation of Jehovah." The Father is the One who made all the plans and directed Jesus to come to Earth and save mankind. Jehovah is responsible for that whole scenario. Jesus did what the Father commanded.

(John 5:19; John 8:29; John 12:49,50)

[onewithhim]

-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.

He made himself clear to the people who came to him afterward and asked him the meaning of what he said, showing themselves to be truly interested. (See Matthew 13:36.)

[OnceConvinced]

[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?

It's claims like this which make it impossible to take Christians seriously.

Paul was the writer of those words and he was writing to them in terms they understood. Human terms. Why would he speak in god speak? That makes absolutely no sense. No intelligent person would do that when they are trying to get a message to fellow humans. If it was 2000 years from now, he would have made that quite clear not continually gone on about how time was short and Jesus's return was eminent.

Just read the verses in context. He wasn't talking in airy-fairy god-speak. He was projecting urgency. Why would he do that if it wasn't happening for another 2000 years? It would all be completely irrelevent to the churches he was writing to. It would have no bearing on those people whatsoever.

Reading the scriptures carefully, it's quite clearly warning them that time was short LITERARLY! He was even telling them not to worry about establishing relationships or to even worry about personal possessions. Why would he do that if the end was another 2000 years away?

The thing is even if the bible is God's word, it's his word to US... HUMANS, not God's word to other gods. So when he speaks to us he talking in human speak. it makes no sense that we should look at it the way God looks at things. He is getting down to our level, so when he talks to us he talks to us in a way that we human's understand.

You don't talk to a child the way you talk to another adult, do you? You speak in terms that the child understands. You don't expect the child to look at things from your perspective. Likewise it makes no sense for an all knowing wise god to expect us to rise to his level and think like a god would.

No, I don't buy that when Paul is talking with such urgency in his tone that he has some other meaning or that he's talking in God-speak. If we can't take the bible at face value for what it says then it's clearly not any word of god to us.

Seriously, why would God expect us to reinterpret his words so that we see it from his perspective?

The disciples who wrote the Scriptures were telling it like God sees it.

And how can you show that to be the case? When the bible talks about the divinity of the bible it's referring to old testament scriptures, not new testament.

Do you not see the sense of urgency in Paul's tone? Just read all his letters. That urgency is there throughout. This was not a guy who was talking about something that was to happen in 2000 years from now. This is a guy who fully believed it was all about to happen in his life time. He even believed he'd preached the gospel to the entire world.

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

Please quote those scriptures. People have been making claims like yours since my father was a child and from what I understand the church has been crying "wolf" about this for the last 2000 years. It seems every Christian that ever existed believed that "the end of all evil is now."

[EBA]

Of course it is untrue that Jesus spoke ONLY in parables but it sounds like a fulfilment of Scripture.

My claim was that Jesus did not make himself clear, and yes, it is untrue that Jesus spoke ONLY in parables, however when speaking to the multitudes it certainly was ONLY in parables.

And in many such parables He spoke to them the word, according as they were able to be hearing it.
Yet apart from a parable He did not speak to them. Yet privately, to His own disciples, He explained all. (Mark 4:33-34)

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

Even still, when he wasnt speaking to the masses, his speech was not plain.

Peace.

[EBA]

Jesus is the means by which the Father saves. The salvation comes from the Father, Jehovah, and the name of Jesus/Yeshua actually means "Salvation of Jehovah."

So who is our Savior The Father or the Son or Both?

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isa 43:11)

Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. (Hos 13:4)

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1Jn 4:14)

To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. (Tit 1:4)

The Father is the One who made all the plans and directed Jesus to come to Earth and save mankind.

He "directed Jesus to come to Earth" from where?

Jehovah is responsible for that whole scenario. Jesus did what the Father commanded. (John 5:19; John 8:29; John 12:49,50)

Do you understand why Jesus Christ does what he is commanded?

And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (Rev 19:13)

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.

He made himself clear to the people who came to him afterward and asked him the meaning of what he said, showing themselves to be truly interested. (See Matthew 13:36.)

Actually, no he did not; at least not at that time. If he had he wouldn't have said-

-Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (ver. 43)

-when he finished with his explanation.

[JehovahsWitness]

-Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (ver. 43)

• What do you think that expression means? Do you think it means "I haven't been clear so you naturally won't understand what I have just explained to you? If you explain what you believe the expression actually means we can then go on to see if it implies that Jesus' explanations were not "clear".

VARIOUS TRANSLATIONS

New Living Translation
Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

English Standard Version
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Anyone who has ears should listen!

International Standard Version
Let the person who has ears listen!

NET Bible
The one who has ears had better listen!

New Heart English Bible
He who has ears, let him hear.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Whoever has an ear to hear, let him hear.

GOD'S WORD Translation
Let the person who has ears listen!

[Elijah John]

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.

Jesus is the means by which the Father saves. The salvation comes from the Father, Jehovah, and the name of Jesus/Yeshua actually means "Salvation of Jehovah." The Father is the One who made all the plans and directed Jesus to come to Earth and save mankind. Jehovah is responsible for that whole scenario. Jesus did what the Father commanded.

(John 5:19; John 8:29; John 12:49,50)

Yes, there is that. But what about Mary the mother of Jesus regarding God as her savior?