Here are some great questions from Laurence, introduced to guide our discussion...
..... I have a subject that I have been toiling with for quite a while. I am not sure if you guys have addressed such a topic in your previous banter sessions. I will present this in a series of data and questions stated below:
It is stated that prior to Christ, the way to God was through sacrifices to wash the sin away but this was a temporary shedding of animal blood (Reference Lev.4:20, 26, 31, 35, Lev.5:10, 16, 18, Lev.6:7, Lev.17:11, Num.15:27-28, Num.29:5 although there are indeed other passages where sacrifice was not desirable). Christ came along and shed his blood once which nullified the need for the temporary animal sacrifices of the Old Testament days. I think this message can be summarized in John 3:16.
In John 14:6, Christ states “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” This was just prior to the betrayal.
I am at this point making the assumptions stated below:
1) I am assuming that the change (Old Testament to New Testament sacrifice) happened at His death on the cross (or could it have been at His resurrection?) – [Open for discussion here!]
2) There were people who lived on earth prior to Christ time who went to Heaven (due to the animal sacrifice or “other” means).
3) Humans were scattered across the earth, i.e. in Asia, Australia, and America.
(I could not find any mention of these continents or their names. There is mention of Africa by default with Carthage, Egypt and Europe with Rome, Italy. It is a given that we are in the East, i.e. Israel, Iraq etc. You might call that AsiaI suppose) 4) I am also assuming that there is indeed a Heaven and a Hell, described in the Bible, as a place that one’s soul goes to after the point of death.
1) If the changeover from Old Testament animal sacrifice to Christ New Testament shedding of blood was as stated above in (1), then what happened, as of that time, to the millions of people who died after the change over but had not heard of Christ?
a. Did they go to Heaven?
2) If they were still sacrificing animals after Christ death (this is a possibility if they had not yet heard the good news), did that grant them safe passage to Heaven or was the event of Christ death the switch that now made their sacrifice unacceptable for them entering Heaven?
3) Today, there are still people who have not heard of Christ. Where to they go?
a. If they do go to Heaven, then would it be logical to state that Christ is not the only way?
b. If Christ is not the only way then does this open up a “Choice” issue for passage to Heaven?
c. If you hear about Christ but then choose not to go through Him, do you still go to Heaven?
Discussion....
Our entry point tonight delt with John 14:6... "I am the way the truth..."
Who is I am? What is the way? What is the truth? Whois "in"? Who is "out"?
The Ground of Being...
What is up with Heaven and Hell? Are there multiple ways to heaven?
How do we describe the Kingdom (reign, empire) of God on Earth?
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