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| Failure to rightly divide the word of truth equates "few" to "a great multitude"! 2Ti 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." |
Sing F Lau
18 February 2011
Reconcile the few and the great multitude. Please rightly divide these:
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Mt 7:14) and
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands..." (Rev 7:9)
Dallas
Can you put an example on the board for us?...lol, jk.
Sing
Bring the wagon, and I will hop onto it!
Dallas
Ha ha. In fact Jesse Stuart did teach math concepts with a wagon. But, if I were rightly dividing the first passage I would note that strait and narrow are speaking of obstacles standing in the way, more particularly 'strait'; 'narrow' speak of crowding as to press down or suffer tribulation...neither of these are speaking of entering eternal life, but rather are complementing the entering into the gates experimentally speaking of the kingdom of God, the church and the taking up our cross daily and following after Christ, that is the life that few find because of the obstacles blocking their way and view and more often because of the pressing down, crowding out (of lifestyles) and the suffering of tribulation is not attractive.
Daniel
Also, if I'm not mistaken, there are elect AND non-elect going down BOTH these roads.
Mark
If eternal salvation is based upon the seeking, finding and persevering in the strait and narrow way then human works are necessary to eternal salvation - a premise which Scripture refutes.
If perfection is needed to stand before God in eternal heaven, and if human works are the means by which they arrive there, then the scene in Revelation can never happen for no human can achieve the needed perfection.
Sing
Sound-byte-itis has afflicted many students of God's word, and knocked out even their common sense
When they hear the word 'life' in "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it", they automatically think about eternal life, DESPITE the fact that such notion has outrageous implications... such as:
- only a few find eternal life (their heaven is very sparsely populated, with them and a few other elite believers like them...
- that eternal life is by their effort of entering the strait gate and walking the narrow way! They have just repudiated their empty and meaningless shibboleth that salvation is by grace...
- as though those without eternal life, still dead in trespasses and sins, will heed Christ's exhortation to "Enter ye in at the strait gate..." Strait gate and narrow way is the narrow stated by Titus: "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
ONLY those already begotten with eternal life is able to heed the exhortation... and in heeding the exhortation God's children will experience the abundance of life in during his brief and passing time on earth.
HOWEVER, not all God children will heed the exhortation. The plain truth is FEW will such in such a way. MANY will go in at the wide gate and walk the broad way.
The FEW and the MANY belong to one common group... they are God's children.
Many choose the way of Lot, and few choose the way of Abraham.
Many make shipwreck of their faith. The suffer destruction, of forfeiting the blessings of God that are conditioned upon their obedience.
Eternal salvation is unconditional.
The abundance of life for God's children is conditional. They must work it out with fear and trembling.
Keith
Jesus gave His life a ransom for many. It was said to Rebecca, be thou the mother of thousands of millions. A great number will live in heaven.
Many are called, few are chosen. Many enter into eternal life, a few are chosen for service in the kingdom of God in this life.
Mark
Amen and Amen. Well stated Bro. Sing!
Sing
Sometimes sarcasm is needed.
Those sincere folks who insist that eternal life is conditioned upon their entering strait gate and walking the narrow way, I humbly say, "Good luck to you, my friend. I hope you will enter the strait gate and walk the narrow way WELL ENOUGH in your life to earn your reward!"
Mark
Sometimes sharp or sarcastic language is necessary in order to becoming all things to all people for the purpose of saving them in time from error and soundbyteitis.
Frank
I believe the life mentioned is "abundant life" and the great number was the multitude that stood before the throne in the 1st century.
That number continues to grow as the Lord raptures His little ones home to glory every day. No calculator can compute this "many" that Jesus ransomed. Praise the Lord
Sing
See some thoughts here written some while ago.
The exchanges above are found here:
