Theology For The Religious

The world's people are never short of opinions, and history (as all other fields of study) is always being revised to reflect new discoveries and understandings of the past.

What was previously categorized as myth, or believed-to-be politicized (like the Bible), is being shown to be more honest, specific and objective.

Popular opinions formed against the Bible's content are being retired as false narratives and nearsighted scholarship when newer discoveries uncover important highlights of past events.

What I'd like to share in this blog is not a claim but a request, for you the reader, to think.

Think about how God is much bigger than ourselves, and how His thoughts are greater, higher and purer than ours can ever be.

This exercise is an effort to stretch your current ideas and trying to imagine...what may be true.

Where two individuals can peacefully agree that Yeshua is Lord, disagreement may arise when describing 'how' Yeshua is Lord, or what 'Lord' means, and so on.

Looking at how people perceive a state of being, for example 'salvation' and all the argued complexities involved even with that word, some people argue about certainties when in actuality the certainty could be a matter of understanding, and their argument is mere opinion.

Human perception and human logic, both finite and limited, desire to place a border around God and what He can or cannot do...or what He has done and will do.

Many times a single verse from the Bible is used to support and push a narrow interpretation or argue a single point, yet God's message includes much more than a single verse.

Where people argue about 'narrow', God may factually quite broad.

Where contradiction is feared by the faithful, or argued by the rebellious, is usually a matter of misunderstanding and too narrow a view from both sides of the argument.

Let's bring attention to Romans chapter 2 and Jonah being sent to Nineveh.

The timeline of events is quite interesting regarding Jonah's efforts in Nineveh, the eventual captivity of Israel (northern kingdom) and the downfall of the Assyrian empire over a century later.

The utter destruction of Assyria (and how it would be parceled out) was predicted through several Hebrew prophets.

When we reflect on the timeline of those events, reading from archeology and secular history as an unbiased reference, we clearly see the prophetic fulfillment in surprising detail.

What was previously doubted in the Bible as unreliable has become a factual historical narrative.

To be clear, the faithful have no need for secular reference to legitimize Biblical claims.

It seems that Jonah's mission included preparation for the arrival of the Israelite captives who were to later occupy several locations within the Assyrian empire, besides preparing the Ninevites of Jonah's time for something greater.

Quite remarkable is Christ mentioning the people of Nineveh and the context of that mention:

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here. 

- Matthew 12: 41-42

This is where Romans 2 needs mentioning in regards to repentance, salvation, judgment and how gracious and loving God is throughout time and generation.

God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. 

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Yeshua Christ, as my gospel declares. 

- Romans 2: 6-16

The people of Nineveh had their own set of rules / law; they were not under the covenant God established with Israel...yet we read those who repented will condemn the Hebrews who witnessed, yet rejected, Christ.

A typical (and quite narrowly ignorant) view regarding people outside of Israel of the pre-Christian era was that they were all lost and ultimately condemned.

Some believe only certain Hebrews prior to Christ were promised salvation, with the rest of humanity doomed...but we read in Romans 2 this not to be the case.

The Lord, the God of Israel, is also the Lord God of all humanity.

His children being revealed as holding His law in their hearts throughout times and generations, as will be revealed soon enough through Christ (as Romans 2 easily explains), the Knower and Ruler of the hearts of the peaceful, the loving and the ever-repentant.