Verses Which Point to the Ultimate Salvation of All
By Jonathan Mitchell
Part 1
The Gospels
"Because all souls (people; consciousnesses) exist being Mine" (Ezk. 18:4, LXX, JM)
This paper will present verses from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which point to the truth that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all human beings, and that He will ultimately make them alive in Christ within their own place, or class, within the Path of humanity (1 Cor. 15:23), in accord with God's Plan of the Ages (Eph. 3:11). This is the first of a series of similar papers which will gather together statements from both the OT and the NT. Along our journey through the texts, we offer verses from other texts which seem to correlate to a particular verse. Occasional comments will be inserted into this long list. Here begins our offerings:
Mat. 3:11b, "He, Himself, will proceed immersing (dipping; baptizing) you folks within the midst of a set-apart Breath-effect and Fire [cf Isa. 4:4; Mal. 3:2; Acts 1:5; 2:3-4; Tit. 3:5; Heb. 12:29; Rev. 20:9-10, 14-15](or: will repeatedly submerge you to the point of saturation, in union with [the] Holy Spirit, even to the permeation of a Sacred Attitude, as well as with [the] Fire)."
This is a general statement which John the Immerser proclaimed to his first century audience. He was speaking about Christ, the Messiah, who would immediately follow his own ministry. It suggests that this action by the Christ would happen to everyone. The next verse expands the metaphor of immersing with a metaphor of a grain harvest, which explains the purpose of the Fire (a symbol of God: Heb. 12:29).
Jn. 1:29b, "Look! (Pay attention, see and perceive)! God's Lamb (or: the Lamb of, and from, God; the Lamb having the character and qualities of God; or, in apposition: the Lamb which is God; [cf Ex. 12:1-14; Isa. 53:6-7; 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 5:6]), the One continuously lifting up and progressively carrying away the Sin of the world, removing the Deviation from the System [cf Mat. 8:17; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:14; Gal. 1:4; 1 Jn. 2:2] (or: habitually picking up and taking away the failure and error belonging to the system of the cosmos; progressively removing the falling short and the missing of the goal from the world of culture, religion, economy, government, society, and from the aggregate of humanity)!"
Observe the scope of the Lamb's work: the world; the aggregate of humanity. This is a corporate work, and we submit that it is all-inclusive.
Jn. 1:9, "It was (or: He, or This, was, and continued being) the True and Genuine Light which (or: Who) is continuously (repeatedly; progressively) enlightening (giving light to) every person (or: all humanity) continuously (repeatedly; progressively; constantly; one after another) coming into the world (or: the ordered system of culture, religion, economics and government; aggregate of humans; or: the cosmos)."
Again, all-inclusive.
Jn. 3:16-17, "For thus God loves (or: You see God, in this manner and in such a way, fully gives Himself to, urges toward reunion with, unrestrictedly accepts, and overcomes the existential separation of) the aggregate of humanity (or: this cosmos, ordered arrangement, and organized System [of life and society]; or: the world), so that He gives His only-born (or: unique-class) Son, to the end that all humanity, which (or: everyone, who) - when progressively trusting and successively believing into Him and thus being constantly faithful to Him - would not completely lose or destroy itself, or cause itself to fall into ruin, but rather can continuously have (or: would habitually possess and hold) eonian Life (age-durative life with qualities derived from the Age [of the Messiah]; living existence of and for the ages). You see, God did not send forth His Son as a Representative or Emissary into the world (or: with a view to this System; unto the aggregate of humanity) to the end that He should continuously separate and make decisions about the world (or: would at some point sift and judge this System, or the aggregate of humanity), but to the contrary, to the end that the world would be delivered, and the aggregate of humanity would be rescued and kept safe (or: for the result that this System could be healed and made whole; so that the ordered arrangement should be restored to health; to the end that the aggregate of mankind may be saved - rescued and re-established in its original state): through Him!"
Jn. 3:35-36, "The Father continuously loves, and fully gives Himself to, the Son, and He has given ALL HUMANS (or, as a neuter: all things) [to Him] so that He has THEM as a gift within His hand. The one habitually trusting into (or: continuously going on confidently believing with loyalty unto) the Son is now constantly holding and is presently, progressively possessing (having) eonian Life (life having the characteristics and qualities of the sphere of the Age; life of and for the ages; eon-lasting life; life whose source is the Age [of Messiah]; [cf Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17]). Yet the person now continuing being unpersuaded by the Son (or: presently being constantly incompliant, disobedient or disbelieving, to the Son; being repeatedly stubborn toward the Son) will not be catching sight of [this] Life (or: will not proceed seeing, observing, or perceiving, life; [i.e., they remain dead; cf Eph. 2:1]). To the contrary (or: Yet, nevertheless; Instead), God's personal emotion and inherent fervor (or: the teeming passion and swelling desire, which is God; the mental bent, natural impulse, propensity and disposition from God; or: the ire, anger, wrath or indignation having the quality and character of God) [cf Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12; Rev. 6:16]presently continues remaining (keeps on resting, dwelling and abiding) upon him."
Notice the semantic range on offer for the Greek word, orge, in the last clause... which is normally only given as "wrath," in the common translations.
Jn. 4:42b, "we ourselves have listened and heard from Him, and have seen to become aware and thus know that this One truly (really; genuinely; actually) is the Deliverer (Rescuer; Savior; Healer and Restorer to health and wholeness) of the world (of the aggregate of humanity; of the ordered system of culture, religion, economy and government; or: with reference to this dominating and controlling System; of the cosmos; or: = of all mankind), the Christ."
26. "You see, just as the Father continuously holds (or: constantly has) Life within Himself, thus also, He gives in the Son (or: to the Son) to be continuously holding (or: constantly having; progressively possessing) Life within Himself,
27. "And He gives in Him (or: to Him; for Him) authority (or: a right and privilege; or: out of [His] essence and Being) to be habitually separating and deciding (to be constantly sifting and evaluating; to continuously be judging [issues]), because He is a son of humanity.
28. "Don't you folks be constantly amazed at this, because an hour is progressively coming within which all the people within the memorial tombs (or: graves) - will be continuously or repeatedly hearing His voice (or: the Voice from, and which is, Him),
29. "and they will proceed journeying out: the ones doing virtue (producing, making or constructing good) into a resurrection which is Life (or: of, from, and with the quality of, Life); the ones practicing careless (base, worthless, cheap, slight, paltry, inefficient, thoughtless, common, or mean) things into a resurrection of sifting, separating and evaluation for a deciding (or: a resurrection which is a sifting; or: a standing back up again, from a judging).
30. "I, Myself, am continually unable (or: As for Me, I habitually have no power or ability) to be doing anything from Myself: correspondingly as I am continuously hearing, I am habitually sifting, separating, evaluating and deciding (or: judging), and My deciding (separating and evaluating; judging) is right and just (continues being in accord with the Way pointed out and is turned in the right direction of fairness, equity, justice and right relationship), because I am not seeking My own will (intent; purpose), but rather the purpose (intent; will) of the One sending Me."
Jn. 6:33, "For God's Bread is (or: You see the bread which is God, and comes from God, exists being) the One repeatedly descending (continually or habitually stepping down) from out of the midst of the atmosphere (or: heaven) and constantly (or: habitually and progressively) giving Life to the world (or: in the organized system and secular society; or: for the aggregate of humanity and in the cosmos)."
Deliverer (Savior) of the world... the dead folks... giving Life to the world.
Jn. 6:44, "No one is able (or: is presently having power) to come toward Me unless the Father - the One sending Me - should drag him [as with a net] (or: draw him [as drawing water in a bucket or a sword from its sheath]), and I Myself will progressively raise him up (proceed to resurrect him) within (or: in union with) this Last (the eschatos) Day." [cf Jn. 12:32, below]
The fish which has been caught in a net does not choose to come to the fisherman (Mat. 4:19).
Mat. 11:27a, 28, "All humanity was transferred, given over (or: All things were delivered and committed) to Me by, and under, My Father.... So everyone come here, toward Me! - all those constantly weary and exhausted from toil and labor, as well as folks having been caused to carry a load, and continuing burdened down - and I, Myself, will continue refreshing you and causing you folks to rest." [cf Lu. 10:22]
Jn. 13:3, "Jesus, having seen and now knowing (or: being aware) that the Father has given [other MSS, aorist: gives, or gave] all humanity and all things to Him - into [His] hands - and so, as a gift, they all continue being His..."
Jn. 17:2, "Correspondingly as You give (or: gave) to Him right, privilege and authority from out of Being concerning ALL flesh (= people and organic critters; Gen. 1:26-28) to the end that ALL, which You have given to Him and that He now possesses, to THEM He will continue (or: one-after-another be) giving [other MSS: would at some point give] eonian Life."
Jesus possesses all humanity as a gift from the Father; ALL flesh will be given eonian Life.
Mat. 18:11. "You see, the Son of the Man comes to rescue and make whole (to save and deliver) the person having been destroyed and lost. [cf Lu. 19:10]
12. "What do you men normally think or suppose (or: How does [it] usually seem to you)? If it should come to be with any person [having] one hundred sheep, [that] even one of them should be led astray and caused to wander (thus: be deceived), will he not leave (or: let go; abandon; send-away) the ninety-nine sheep on the hillside (or: mountain) and, going from place to place, continue trying to find the one continuing in being led astray?
13. "And if he should happen to find it, certainly (amen; it is so; depend on it) - I am now telling you - he continues expressing joy upon it, rather than upon those ninety-nine that have not been being led astray and have not been caused to wander. [Lu. 15:4-7, 8-10]
14. "In the same way it continues not being the will (the effect of the desire, intent or purpose) of My Father - the One within [the] heavens and within the midst of these atmospheres - that one of these little folks would destroy himself or should become lost." [cf Mk. 2:10, 17b]
Mat. 22:30. "You see, within the resurrection folks are neither repeatedly marrying, nor are they constantly being given in marriage. To the contrary, they constantly exist as agents (or: messengers) - centered within the atmosphere (or: in union with the sphere of the heaven).
31. "Yet concerning the resurrection of the dead ones, did you not read the thing spoken to, and for, you folks by God, continually saying,
32."'I, Myself, am (continuously exist being) the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? [Ex. 3:6; cf 1 Cor. 15:40-54] He is not the God of dead folks, but rather of continuously living people."
Mk. 12:25, "For whenever they can be standing up again (or: should be rising up) from out of the midst of dead ones, men neither continue marrying (taking wives), nor [are women] continuing being given in marriage, but to the contrary, they continue being (or: constantly exist being), as it were, agents - within the atmospheres (or: like messengers in the midst of the heavens; or: as folks with the message, centered in the skies)!" [cf 1 Cor. 7:29; 15:42, 49, 52]
[Notice 1 Cor. 6:3, "Have you not seen so as to know that we shall continue sifting, separating, evaluating and making decisions about agents (or: will continue judging messengers, i.e., folks with the Message)..."]
24. Martha now says to Him, "I have perceived and am aware that he will proceed standing up (arising back up again) within the standing back up again (the resurrection; the arising) within (or: in union with) the Last Day." [cf 4Q521]
25. Jesus said to her, "I AM the Resurrection (or: I exist Being the standing back up again: the Arising), and (or: that is to say,) the Life. The one progressively believing and habitually putting trust into Me, even if he may die-off (or: die-away), will continue Living (or: will proceed being alive)!
26. "And further, everyone, who (or: all mankind, which) in, or by, presently living and progressively trusting-and-believing into Me (or: when regularly experiencing convinced faith into the midst of and being constantly faithful unto Me), can by no means (or: may under no circumstances) die-off (or: die-away), on into the Age [of Messiah]. Are you presently believing this, trusting this and having convinced faith of, or in, this?"
27. She says to Him, "Yes, Lord (or: Sure, Master). I have trusted, and now believe, that You, Yourself, are the Christ (Anointed One; = Messiah), God's Son - the One habitually (repeatedly; or: presently) coming into the world (into the ordered System; or: unto the aggregate of humanity)."
Mk. 11:22, "Then from considering, Jesus proceeds saying to them, "Be constantly holding God's faith (or: Be habitually having trust which has its source in God; or, reading the genitive as in apposition, with the verb as an indicative: You men continue possessing confidence which is God; You folks habitually have/hold faith of, and trust from, God)!"
Lu. 1 (Zechariah prophesying to baby John):
76. "Now you also, little boy, will proceed being called a prophet of, and from, [the] Most High, for you will continue to 'go your way before, and in the sight and presence of, [the] LORD (= Yahweh), to prepare and make ready His paths (or: ways of, and which are, Him; roads from Him; [Mal. 3:1; Isa. 40:3; Mat. 11:10])':
77. "to give intimate, experiential knowledge and insight of Deliverance (pertaining to salvation, safety, rescue, and a return to the original state; or: from health and wholeness) to, and for, His people, in conjunction with a sending away (in union with a divorcing; centered in an abandoning; in the sphere of a flowing-away and forgiveness) of their mistakes, failures, shortcomings, deviations, times of missing the target, and sins,
78. "through our God's inner organs which are composed of Mercy (or: because of tender Compassions of Mercy, which are our God), in union with, and amidst, a Rising up and an Upward Performance (or: a growing again, branching up; or: a Dawning Daybreak) from out of the midst of an Exaltation (or: from on High) will repeatedly visit, habitually caringly look upon, and constantly give aid to, us [cf Nu. 24:17; Isa. 11:1-11; Zech. 3:8; 6:12; Mal. 4:2]
79. "to at once 'appear and shine upon the people continuously sitting within the midst of darkness (the realm of the shadow and obscurity; dimness and gloom)' [Isa. 9:1-2; cf Jn. 1:5, 9] - even within death's shadow [cf Ps. 23:4; Eph. 2:1]; to cause our feet to be fully straight and to [walk] in accord with straightness (or: to guide our feet) into the Path (way; road) of Peace (or: from, and which is, a Joining)."
Notice two things:
a) "God's inner organs are composed of Mercy and Compassion" (vs. 78a);
b) "A Rising up and an Upward Performance (etc.)" will give aid (78b) and will "cause feet to be straight and guide folks into the Path of Peace, which is a Joining" (vs. 79).
Lu. 2:10 (an agent with a message from the Lord visits shepherds): "Look, and consider this - for you see, I, myself, am now bringing and announcing Good News (a message of goodness, ease and well-being) to, for, and among, you folks: great Joy which will progressively be for, in, and with, all the people (or: will continue existing in the entire general public)"....
Lu. 2:14-15a, "[This is] a reputation for God, in the highest places; and upon earth - among humanity (or: within mankind; in union with people) - a Peace and a Joining having the qualities and characteristics of well-thinking and goodwill (or: harmony [= shalom] whose source is good opinions and imaginations of well-being; or: a peaceful joining which is a manifestation and a reputation of good and ease; or: a peace which belongs to good pleasure; joining from a disposition of goodness)!" And so it happened, as the agents (messengers; folks with the message; [A, D, f, TR & others add: - even (or: that is,) the humans]) went away from them into the atmosphere..."
Lu. 5:32, "I have not come to call 'righteous folks' [sarcasm: = those who consider themselves rightwised, upright and just, in relation to God and mankind; or: = religious people], but to the contrary, [to call] outcasts (those considered 'sinners' by the religious community, and therefore rejected by them because of their lifestyles and practices; those who are failures and who continuously miss the goal [of life]; or: irreligious people) into a change of thinking, a shift in consciousness with a new perspective, and a return to God." [cf 3:3, above; Rom. 12:2]
Lu. 6 (from the Sermon on the Plain):
32. "Further, if, as is the case, you folks habitually love and unambiguously accept the people normally loving you, what sort of grace, favor, or thanks, is it by you (or: for you; to you; among you)? You see, the outcasts (folks who by lifestyle or trade are habitually ceremonially unclean or repeatedly break the Law; people who constantly deviate, fail to hit the target, fall short of the goal, or make mistakes; the sinners) are also normally loving and accepting the folks who are habitually loving them.
33. "You see, if you folks should continue doing good [to; for; among] the people constantly doing good [to; for; among] you, what sort of grace, favor, or thanks, is it by you (or: for you; to you; among you)? The outcasts (sinners; etc.) are habitually doing the very same thing! ....
35. "In any case, be continuously loving your enemies (accepting and urging toward union with the ones hostile to you), and be constantly doing good (producing excellence; constructing beneficence; performing virtue) and also be habitually lending while expecting [to get] nothing back. Then your wage and reward will continue being much, and you folks will continue being sons (= having the character and qualities; [cf Mat. 5:9; Jn. 1:12; Rom. 8:14]) of the Most High. You see, He Himself continues existing being benevolent, usefully kind, and One who is generous and brings profit, upon the ungracious, unthankful and ungrateful, as well as [on] the useless, unprofitable, wicked or misery-gushed folks.
36. "Continue becoming compassionate people, just as (or: to the same degree as) your Father continuously exists being compassionate!
37. "And stop (or: do not continue) separating and evaluating, and thus, judging, and then under no circumstances can you folks be separated, evaluated or judged; also, stop (or: do not continue) pointing down against right relationships or opposing fairness and equity, or condemning, and thus acting against the Way pointed out: and then, under no circumstances can you be unjustly opposed, condemned or pointed down [at]. Be habitually unbinding and releasing, and you will proceed being loosed-away and repeatedly released.
38. "Be constantly giving, and it will continue being given to you - a beautiful, fine and ideal measure: one having been pressed and squeezed down, having been shaken back and forth, [and] continuing to be caused to gush out and spill over (or: repeatedly made to overflow) will they be progressively giving into your bosom (= the pocket formed by tying the outer garment at the waist, then pulling the upper part out into a fold; or: pouring into your lap). You see, the same measure with which you normally measure [out], will continue being [used to] measure in return (or: in its place) to, for, and among, you folks."
These instructions and admonitions come from the heart of God, and show us what God is like. We are to imitate Him.
Lu. 7:7 (Jesus said that these words, from a Roman centurion, expressed "great faith"): "For this reason, neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you, but rather, speak by a message (or: say in a communication; tell with a word of pattern-forming information; speak for a blueprint; say, by a transfer of meaning-bearing influence), and make my servant be at once healed."
Observe: This is all that God needs to do to heal or transform people.
Lu. 7:41-50, Simon, the Pharisee, answers Jesus correctly about which of two debtors would love most:
"The one to whom most was forgiven" (vs. 42). Jesus said that the woman who was washing His feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and then anointing them with ointment "loved much," and so He said to her, "Your failures (deviations; mistakes; times of missing the target; sins) have been caused to flow away, and continue sent-off, divorced and forgiven" (vs. 48). Jesus had said (vs. 47) that she had experienced "many failures (mistakes; miss-shots; deviations; sins)."
But she loved much... and this released her from all of her past mistakes. Then He told her,
"Continue going on your journey into a Peace of the Joining" (vs. 50).Consider what Jesus said about His Father, in Jn. 3:16,
"For thus God loves (or: You see God, in this manner and in such a way, fully gives Himself to, urges toward reunion with, unrestrictedly accepts, and overcomes the existential separation of) the aggregate of humanity, so that He gives His [other MSS: the] only-born (or: only-kin; unique-class) Son..."
Consider the release from mistakes, in Jn. 8:11,
"Neither am I, Myself, bringing a corresponding decision upon you (or: proceeding to condemn you according to the pattern). Be going on your way, and from this moment no longer make it a habit to miss the target (or: from now on be failing no more; from the present moment no longer practice error or sin).
Observe: That was a creative impartation into her, empowering her to do what He said to her.
In Lu. 9:54, James and John want to call down fire to consume some folks who did not receive them. Jesus rebuked them, saying,
"You do not see or know of what sort of breath-effect (spirit; attitude) you are. For the Son of the Man does not come to fully destroy [the] lives (or: souls) of human beings, but rather to rescue, heal, save and restore to health and wholeness" (vs. 55).
Now, in the following parables, observe that everything that was lost ended up being found:
Lu. 15:8, "Or then, what woman (or: wife) presently possessing (having) ten drachma coins, if she should lose one drachma, does not proceed to light a lamp and then continue sweeping the house and carefully looking and searching for [it] until she can (or: may; would) find it?" ....
Lu. 15:24, "'because this one, my son, was existing being DEAD - and now he becomes back alive again (or: lives up, again); he was existing being one having been fully DESTROYED and lost - and now he is found!" [cf vs 32]
And then we read:
Lu. 19:10, "You see, it follows that the Son of the Man (= the eschatological messianic figure; = Adam's son) came to seek after, and then to save, deliver and restore what is existing being completely lost, ruined, demolished and destroyed." ....
Lu. 20:38, "Yet He is not a God of dead folks, but to the contrary, of continuously living ones - for you see (or: for it follows that), in Him, with Him, by Him, and to Him, all people are continuously living." [cf Jn. 11:25; Acts 17:28-29a]
While on the cross, dying, Jesus prays for His "enemies" and makes this request to His Father:
Lu. 23:34, "Now Jesus kept on saying, 'O Father, let it flow away in them (or: send it away for them; forgive them), for they have not seen, so they do not know or perceive, what they are now doing.'"
Lu. 23:42-43, "And then (D adds: turning to the Lord) he went on to say, 'Jesus... remember me [other MSS add: O Lord,] whenever you may come into Your realm and kingdom (other MSS: within Your reign; [D reads: in the day of Your coming and going]).' And so Jesus said to him, 'Truly it is so (or: Count on it!)... I am now saying to you (or: laying it out for you; [D adds: Take courage])... Today (This very day) you will continue being (or: keep on existing) with Me... within the midst of (or: centered in; in the sphere of; in union with) Paradise (= in the Garden; [note: used in the LXX for the Garden of Eden in Gen. 2:8])!'"
The man in vs. 42 may have heard Jesus' prayer in vs. 34. How simple was this man's request.
Jn. 12:31. "At the present time (or: Now) is an evaluation OF, and a decision PERTAINING TO (or: a sifting of and separation for; or: a judging FROM) this System(or: this ordered arrangement; this world; this polity, culture and religion; or: this system of control and subjugation; or: this aggregate of humanity). Now the Ruler (the one invested with power; this Leader; the chief; the ruler; or: the Original One; The Beginning One; the Prince) of this System (or: aggregate of humanity; arranged order) will progressively be ejected outside (or: At this time the Chief of this world of culture, religion and government, the Originator and Controlling Principle of this cosmos and ordered arrangement of the universe, will proceed in being thrown out, [to the] outside [of it]).
32. "And thus I Myself: if I should be lifted up from out of the earth (or: when I can be exalted from the midst of this Land; would be put high up, out from this soil), I will progressively (or: one after another) drag [note: drag as with, or in, a net; or: draw, as drawing water with a bucket; a sword from a sheath] all human beings (or: people; everyone) to Myself."
33. Now He was saying this continuing to indicate, by a sign, by (or: with; in) what sort of death He was progressively being about to be proceeding to die....
47. "... For you see, I did not come to the end that I should (could; would) constantly separate, make distinctions, evaluate, then decide about and be judging the world (the domination System; secular society; the arranged religious structure; aggregate of humans), but to the contrary, to the end that I could [note: the verb form is both an aorist subjunctive and a future indicative] and I will progressively save the world (restore the universe to its original state and condition; or: make the ordered System healthy and whole; rescue and deliver the ordered and adorned arrangement of religion, culture and secular society; or: heal the aggregate of mankind).... [cf 3:16, above]
49. "because I Myself do not speak from out of the midst of Myself, but to the contrary, the One sending Me - [the] Father, Himself - has given an implanted goal (an impartation of the finished, purposed product within; an inward directive of destiny) to Me: what I could (or: should; would; may) say, and what I will proceed to (or, as an aorist subjunctive: could, should, would or may) speak.
50. "And I have seen and know that His implanted goal (purposed impartation of the finished product within; inward directive of destiny) is, and continuously exists being, eonian Life (Life of and for the ages; Life having the qualities and characteristics of the Messianic Age; an eon-lasting life which pertains to, and comes from, the Age). Therefore, the things which I, Myself, am habitually (or: continuously; periodically) speaking, just and according as the Father has told Me (or: declared to Me), thus am I habitually and continually speaking (= When I speak, I repeat what the Father has told Me)."
"Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today and on into the ages" (Heb. 13:8)
To be continued...
Jonathan
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