We concluded Appendix A by noting that linguistic analysis leaves us with only 2 principal reasons for questioning the ‘forever’ interpretation of ‘aionios’ when considering Jesus’ descriptions of God’s judgment. The first of these is that we don’t like the implications.

Peb nyob hauv lub ntiaj teb nyuaj kawg nkaus; yog li complex, qhov tseeb, tias feem ntau ntawm lub sijhawm peb tsuas tuaj yeem kwv yees ntawm qhov yuav tshwm sim ntawm peb qhov kev ua. And when we also attempt to factor in the concept of a potentially unending chain of consequences, ncab ntawm tam sim no mus ib txhis, we begin to confront the possibility of an unlimited liability for the potentially devastating consequences of what may have seemed to us, thaum lub sijhawm, ua me me ntawm kev tsis saib xyuas lossis kev nyiam tus kheej.

Kuv xav, Piv txwv, of a pastor I once met whose driving really scared me, so that I felt I should warn him of the risks he was taking. But misplaced respect caused me to remain silent. A few weeks later he was killed in a head-on collision; and the relief charity he had been running collapsed. How many productive years of this pastor’s life were lost? How many lives of those involved in that crash were wrecked by his untimely death? How many potential acts of mercy never happened? Did any of them turn against God or fail to hear and respond to the gospel? How will I feel in eternity when I discover all the consequences of my failure to speak out? Even if I’ve been told that I won’t be held accountable for the offence, how can I live without finding myself on a never-ending guilt trip? Especially since I’d been pre-warned of my responsibility? (Saib Ez 33:2-9.)

The possibility of finding ourselves in an everlasting state of conscious condemnation and regret is, ncaj ncees, so overwhelming that, if the choice were ours, we might well be inclined to prefer a state of instant annihilation. But would that be a just outcome? Nyob rau hauv cov nyhuv, we are suggesting that it would be OK for someone to inflict unspeakable pain and suffering on others, thiab tom qab ntawd tso tseg lub neej no yam tsis tau ntsib qhov tshwm sim. I think it should be quite readily apparent to us all that this could not be described as ʻjusticeʼ.

Tab sis, ntawm qhov tod tes, how can we be held responsible for the unforeseen consequences of such actions? Thiab yuav ua li cas peb thiaj raug liam tias nrhiav tau peb tus kheej cov neeg raug tsim txom ntawm qhov xwm txheej uas dhau ntawm peb txoj kev tswj hwm? Puas yog kuv qhov txhaum yog tias kuv raug tsa hauv kev txom nyem lossis kev tsim txom thiab tig mus rau kev ua phem lossis kev ua niam ntiav: los yog nws yog kuv daim credit yog tias kuv tau loj hlob hauv ib tsev neeg ntawm cov neeg muaj nyiaj muaj txiaj ntsig?

Los rau qhov ntawd, what real responsibility can I possibly have for what happens to those around me? Am I my brothers’ keeper? This sounds like a good opt-out: tab sis txoj kev rov qab mus rau hauv tshooj qhib ntawm Chiv Keeb Vajtswv ua kom pom tseeb tias cov lus thov no yuav tsis ntxuav. Look again at the original story of Cain and Abel…

The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain … Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Raws li lub sijhawm dhau mus, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. Yahweh said to Cain, “Ua cas koj npau taws? Why has the expression of your face fallen? If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.” … It happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” Nws hais, “kuv tsis paub. Kuv yog kuv tus kwv tij?” Yahweh said, “Koj tau ua dab tsi? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.” Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Saib seb, you have driven me out this day from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. It will happen that whoever finds me will kill me.” Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should strike him.
(Genesis 4:1-15)

Notice that the issue which God highlights was not what kind of offering was made, nor who was first to make it: tab sis tus cwj pwm ntawm lub siab uas nws tau muab. Abel was thankful and not ashamed to follow Cain’s example in his own way: but Cain was competitive and resented being outdone. God didn’t spell out how this would lead to tragedy: but made it very clear what his problem was, and how to fix it.

But notice also that God does not permit others to usurp his role as the one true judge of the hearts of others. Peb nyob hauv lub ntiaj teb kev vam meej uas peb nyob, ua ntej thiab foremost, held accountable to God for the deeper motivations of our own hearts and how they affect our relationships with God and man, tsis hais txog qhov zoo sib xws thiab qhov sib txawv ntawm peb tus kheej qhov xwm txheej.

I Am Guilty Too!

Kuv yug los tom qab Tsov Rog Ntiaj Teb thib Ob; raws li cov yeeb ncuab qub nrhiav los ua phooj ywg ib zaug ntxiv. Comics thiab films tsis tu ncua portrayed 'peb sab’ raws li tus phab ej thiab cov yeeb ncuab raws li cov neeg phem tsis tsim nyog: Txawm li cas los xij, tseem muaj cov dab neeg hais txog kev qhia txog kev ua neeg zoo los ntawm cov tib neeg los ntawm ob sab ntawm kev sib faib. Yog li, raws li ib tug me nyuam yaus uas tsis muaj kev nco ncaj qha txog kev ua phem ua tsov ua rog kuv feem ntau pom tias nws yooj yim los puag tus ntsuj plig ntawm kev sib haum xeeb raws li kev sib koom tes tshiab thiab kev phooj ywg tau raug tsim..

Kuv tsis tshua hnov ​​ib tug neeg laus hais txog qhov kev ua phem uas lawv tau pom: tab sis nyob rau lub sijhawm tsis tshua muaj neeg ua, Nws zoo li qhov nchuav ntawm cov kua zaub ntawm vitriol. Kuv tshwj xeeb nco ntsoov cov lus teb ntawm ib tug poj niam uas nws tus txiv tau raug tsim txom los ntawm cov neeg Nyij Pooj; thaum, raws li ib tug hluas Minister, Kuv twb dared hais tias Yexus’ kev txi yuav tau txaus txawm los npog Hitler tej kev txhaum, puas yog nws yuav hloov siab lees txim. Rau nws, qhov no yog kev thuam tsis lees paub Vajtswv txoj kev ncaj ncees.

Kuv tau txuas ntxiv ntseeg tias kuv txoj kev xav yog qhov tseeb; hais tias tsis muaj dab tsi ntxiv nyob rau hauv tag nrho cov tsim yuav puas tau tshaj qhov kev txi zoo tshaj plaws ntawm Vajtswv tus Tub uas nws hlub raws li kev them nyiaj ntau tshaj qhov txaus rau txhua qhov kev phem uas puas tau muaj lossis puas yuav muaj.. Tseem, qhov ntau kuv tau ua tim khawv txog qhov tob ntawm inhumanity uas noob neej yuav tog, qhov nyuaj kuv pom nws to taub thiab zam txim.

Raws li Ukraine cov hmoov zoo nyob rau hauv tam sim no tsis sib haum xeeb nrog Russia tau txhim kho, kuv txoj kev xav thiab kev thov Vajtswv tau tig mus rau cov lus nug ntawm yuav ua li cas cov tog sib ntaus sib tua tuaj yeem sib haum xeeb; thiab kuv tau xav tsis thoob uas pom tias qhov kev thov kom rov ua tau zoo dua tau noj nws txoj hauv kev rau hauv kuv lub siab npaum li cas.

I have struggled to maintain as far as possible an open heart towards those on both sides, remembering how easy it is to get dragged into the cycle of deception and revenge, rejoicing when it seems to me that enemies are getting their ‘just deserts.’ I have pondered that devilish path by which the human conscience becomes seared and indifferent to the sufferings of others. Thiab kuv tau pom txoj hauv kev ua rau kev pom tsis zoo uas koj tus kheej maj mam dhau los ua dab thiab pom tsis muaj txoj hauv kev tawm. Nws yuav zoo li cas kom paub tias koj tau dhau los ua Putin lossis Hitler nrog ntshav ntau txhiab ntawm koj txhais tes? Yuav ua li cas koj vam tias yuav hloov kho? Lub sijhawm twg los nws lig dhau rau kev hloov siab lees txim?

Thaum kawg, cov lus teb rau cov lus nug no dhau ntawm kuv: tiam sis kuv paub tias nyob hauv kuv tus kheej yav dhau los yog kev xav thiab kev ua phem uas kuv tu siab heev: thiab kuv twv hais tias tib yam yuav siv tau rau koj thiab.

Yog li cas? Puas yog peb zoo dua lawv? Tsis muaj, tsis muaj txoj kev. Rau yav tas los peb tau ceeb toom rau cov neeg Yudais thiab Greeks, tias lawv txhua tus nyob hauv kev txhaum. Raws li nws tau sau, “Tsis muaj ib tug neeg ncaj ncees; tsis muaj, tsis yog. Tsis muaj ib tug twg to taub. Tsis muaj ib tug uas nrhiav tom qab Vajtswv. Lawv tau muab txhua tus tig. Lawv tau ua ke ua tsis tau zoo. Tsis muaj ib tug uas ua tau zoo, tsis muaj, tsis yog, ntau npaum li ib tug.”(Rom 3:9-12)

Where Does the Real Blame Lie?

There is an old anecdote that says, when Adam ate the apple, he blamed God for making Eve: but Eve blamed the Serpent – and the Serpent hadn’t got a leg to stand on! This may raise a few laughs: but it misses the point. The Serpent actually began his temptation by claiming that God, foreseeing man’s potential for greatness, was deliberately withholding from Adam a full understanding of Good and Evil. This was a classic lie of the very worst kind; because it was almost true. Adam already had unfettered access to the fount of all knowledge – God himself. The only knowledge Adam lacked was that of Evil; and all it took for Adam to cross that fateful boundary was to do what Satan himself had done, by choosing his own self-interest rather than loving and trusting the One who had made him.

According to Satan’s twisted way of thinking, to be really ʻgod-likeʼ he had to have the ability to defy God’s will. Perhaps, as others have done, he fancied that God himself was really the one at fault. Tom qab txhua yam, if God had not given us free will, there never would have been a problem in the first place, would there? And God must have known what would happen; so doesn’t that make God himself the source of evil? Hauv ib lub siab, that is perfectly true – and God doesn’t deny it!

I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things. (Isa 45:7)

The fact is that God necessarily made it possible for us to do evil, simply by giving us the ability to choose whether or not to love. By creating light, God effectively also defined darkness as the absence of light. And in the same way, by establishing such virtues as peace and love, evil is automatically defined as the absence of these things. But that does not make God himself evil – far from it! The real blame, and the crucial moral distinction between people’s characters, depends on the choices they make and the motivation for those choices. God’s overriding concern is for the welfare of his creation, regardless of what this may cost him personally: whereas Satan’s chief value is to proclaim himself equal to God by defying God’s will.

As for us, we started out by following God’s rules: but were then seduced into a life of self-interest; still desiring virtue: but prisoners to our natural desires.

For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. … For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; tab sis kuv pom lwm txoj cai ntawm kev ua haujlwm hauv kuv, ua tsov rog tawm tsam txoj cai ntawm kuv lub siab thiab ua rau kuv raug kaw ntawm txoj cai ntawm kev txhaum ntawm kev ua haujlwm hauv kuv. Cas tus neeg siab phem kuv! Leej twg yuav cawm kuv dim ntawm lub cev no uas raug kev tuag? (Rom 7:19,22-24)

The Buck Stops Here

Yog li qhov twg ua the buck stop and how can we find freedom from the penalty we deserve and our legacy of guilt? Ntawm tus ntoo khaub lig! Qhov no yog lub ntsiab lus uas Vajtswv, nyob rau hauv tus neeg ntawm Yexus, raug coj raws li Nws tus kheej lub luag haujlwm kawg thiab tau nyiaj dhau los rau txhua qhov kev phem uas tau ua dhau los.

Qhov no tsuas yog qhov chaw uas txhua tus raug txim, txhua tus tuaj yeem zam txim tau; thiab tsis muaj leej twg tuaj yeem sawv hauv kev txiav txim rau lwm tus. Notice especially Jesus’ teaching about the unforgiving servant…

Yog li ntawd lub Nceeg Vaj Saum Ntuj Ceeb Tsheej zoo li ib tug vaj ntxwv, uas xav kom rov sib raug zoo nrog nws cov tub qhe. Thaum nws tau pib sib haum xeeb, ib tug raug coj los rau nws tus uas tshuav nws kaum txhiab tala. Tab sis vim nws them tsis tau, nws tus tswv txib kom nws mus muag, nrog nws tus poj niam, nws cov menyuam, thiab txhua yam uas nws muaj, thiab them nyiaj yuav tsum tau ua. Yog li ntawd, tus tubtxib ntawd txawm txhos caug ntua ntawm nws xubntiag, lus hais, 'Tus Tswv, ua siab ntev nrog kuv, thiab kuv yuav them rov qab rau nej txhua tus!’ Tus tswv ntawm tus tub qhe ntawd, raug txav los nrog kev khuv leej, tso nws, thiab zam txim rau nws cov nuj nqis. “Tiamsis tus tub qhe ntawd txawm tawm mus lawm, thiab nrhiav tau ib tug ntawm nws cov tub txib, leej twg tshuav nws ib puas denarii, thiab nws tuav nws, thiab coj nws los ntawm caj pas, lus hais, 'Koj them kuv qhov koj tshuav!’ “Yog li ntawd, nws tus khub tub qhe txawm poob rau ntawm nws ko taw thiab thov nws, lus hais, ‘Ua siab ntev rau kuv, thiab kuv yuav them rov qab rau koj!’ Nws yuav tsis, tab sis mus thiab muab nws pov rau hauv tsev lojcuj, mus txog thaum nws yuav tsum tau them rov qab rau qhov uas yog vim li cas. Yog li ntawd, thaum nws cov tub txib pom tej yam ua tiav, lawv tu siab heev, thiab tau los qhia rau lawv tus tswv txhua yam uas tau ua tiav lawm. Ces nws tus tswv hu nws mus, thiab hais rau nws, ‘Koj tus qhev phem! Kuv zam txim rau koj tag nrho cov nuj nqis ntawd, vim koj thov kuv. Yuav tsum tsis txhob muaj kev hlub tshua rau koj tus khub tub qhe, txawm kuv hlub koj npaum twg?’ Nws tus tswv npau taws heev, thiab xa nws mus rau cov neeg tsim txom, mus txog thaum nws yuav tsum them tag nrho cov uas yog vim nws. Yog li ntawd, kuv Leej Txiv Saum Ntuj Ceeb Tsheej kuj yuav ua rau nej, yog tias koj tsis zam txim rau koj tus kwv los ntawm koj lub siab rau nws txoj kev ua phem.” (Mat 18:23-35[/]x)

Tus ntoo khaub lig yog Vajtswv lub zwm txwv ntawm txoj kev tshav ntuj, qhov twg txhua tus yuav pom kev zam txim. But by setting up ourselves to judge the worth of other peoples’ ntsuj plig, peb tsis lees paub txoj kev hlub tshua uas peb ntshaw rau peb tus kheej. Es, peb yuav tsum ua raws li Vajtswv tej lus qhia thiaj li tsim tau Nws haiv neeg kev hlub hauv ntiaj teb. Thiab, mus txog qhov kawg, peb yuav tsum ceev faj txhua lub sijhawm los pab thiab txhawb lwm tus kom paub txog kev hlub ntawm Vajtswv ntau dua. (Saib thiab Ez. 18:2-32 & 33:2-20.)

See other Appendices …