Analysis of Arguments Against the Immortality of the Soul

Analysis of Arguments Against the Immortality of the Soul

Aleksandar Trajkovski

Will the God of love cast people into hell - eternal torment? "NO !!!" - many exclaims. "We do not believe in such a God! Our God will not torment anyone in hell (or at least not forever)! "They teach that after death a person comes to a state of deep sleep or ceases to exist. Others claim that the Bible clearly speaks of hell, a place of eternal torment, prepared by God for those who do not want to obey Him. Which is correct? Will God cast sinners into hell to be tormented forever, or will He simply erase them so that they no longer exist? In other words, did Jesus come into the world to be born, to live, to be martyred and killed, and resurrected on the third day, to save us from physical death and deep sleep, or eternal hell?

The Church always believed in the existence of eternal hell, but some rejected this truth.¹ Among them are Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventists, but also an increasing number of preachers and theologians from other churches. We wonder why some believe in hell and others don't? In this book you will find the answer to this question and understand which view is correct.²

THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND THE CHRISTIAN

THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND THE CHRISTIAN

Aleksandar Trajkovski

What is the Law? What is the place of the Law in the New Testament believer’s life? Has the Law been abolished or not? In this chapter I will outline the main views in evangelical theology regarding the Law and the place of the Law in the New Testament believer’s life.

1. A Definition of the Law

The word law¹ is frequently mentioned in the Bible. It does not always have the same meaning. Some mentions of the law are the law of sin, the law of the flesh, the law of faith, the law of work, the Law of God, the Law of Christ, the Law of Moses, the law of freedom, etc. Some of these terms can have the same or different meanings. The first five books of the Bible are called the Law of Moses (the Pentateuch). However, the word law does not always refer only to the Pentateuch but can include other parts of the Bible also. The New Testament uses it to refer to the Psalms and Prophets (Matt 5:17) and other parts of the Old Testament. Furthermore, the term law is used to describe the commanding aspect of the Law.² It is often used for a particular command (Rom 7:2) or a compilation of commands (Rom 13: 8-10). Sometimes it differs from grace or the Gospel (Joh 1:17, Rom 6:14). It can include the idea of legalism (Gal 4:21-5:4)³ or it can refer to a principle. (Rom 7:21)⁴

The Only Begotten

The Only Begotten

Aleksandar Trajkovski

John 1:14 KJV  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The phrase only begotten is a translation of the Greek word monogenēs. This word may come from the word monos, which means the only one, and the ginomai, which means: to be born, to exist, to happen, to go out, to establish, to have, to appear in public, etc. (it does not have to have the meaning of birth or creation at all) or genos which means: offspring, race, kind. In the New Testament word is used for only child (Luke 7:12), but mostly when referring to Christ. He is the only begotten of the Father (Jn 1:14). What does it mean that Christ is the only begotten? He was created? Certainly not. ''Only begotten'' signifies His uniqueness. If we look at Hebrews 11:17, we will see that Abraham offered the only begotten Isaac.

Heb 11:17 KJV  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Anyone who reads the Bible regularly knows that Isaac was not the only son of Abraham. He was not even the first, for the first was Ishmael. But Isaac was not the son of a slave, and Abraham received promises about him. Isaac was called the only begotten because he was special and not the only one born. (The Hebrew word used in Genesis 22: 2 is yachiyd. The same word is used in Psalm 35:17, and translates as my darling and refers to the soul. In Psalm 68: 6 refers to abandoned or lonely.)

Therefore, when it is said that Christ is the only begotten, it means that Hi is special and has a special relationship with the Father (Jn 1:18). The Bible calls us believers children or sons of God, since God has adopted us into his family and gave us the Holy Spirit. Christ is therefore called the only begotten Son because He is the special Son, unique, "the only one of its kind".¹ He is the LORD God, who has no beginning or end. He is the Creator, not the creature. He is the Son of God "in a sense in which others are not."²

(Sveto Trojstvo)

1Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, s. v. ”Only Begotten”.

2ISBE,  s. v. ”Only Begotten”.

Infinite Punishment for Finite Sin

Infinite Punishment for Finite Sin

by Aleksandar Trajkovski

In this post I will write about infinite punishment for finite sin. The term finite expresses the opposite of the infinite. Finite is the time-bound one. The question, then, is how can God punish with eternal punishment people who have sinned for only a few years: ten, fifty or even a hundred? They have been sinning for, let's say, fifty years and now they have to suffer for all eternity. Is that fair? This is not only a question but an argument, although very weak.

Response to this argument is very simple. First, the penalty for violating any law is not measured by the time it took for the offense to be committed. For example, a murderer needs a second to kill a man, but he will spend years in prison. Imagine him telling a judge that a verdict is not fair. He needed a second to kill, and the judge sentenced him to fifteen years. Is this a valid objection? Of course not. The length of the sentence has nothing to do with the time it took to commit the crime.

The Firstborn of All Creation

The Firstborn of All Creation

by Aleksandar Trajkovski

Col 1:15-17 ESV He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The Greek word for firstborn is prototokos and Hebrew is bekhor. The word prototokos comes from the words protos (first) and tekein or tikto (to give birth). To discover the meaning of a word in the Old or New Testament, we need to understand the context in which it is used, that is, the meaning is given to it by the writers. Since all Bible writers are Jewish (except probably Luke), we expect that they use the word in the sense it has in their culture. For this purpose, let's see how the word firstborn is used in the Old Testament.

The Mission Strategy of Paul (short sermon)

The Mission Strategy of Paul (short sermon)
by Aleksandar Trajkovski

Let's open the word of God to the second epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.

 2Co 4:1-6 ISV Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown to us, we do not get discouraged. 2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use trickery or pervert God's word. By clear statements of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience before God. 3 So if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are dying. 4 In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus the Messiah.

I want to share with you some things that I have learned over the past twenty years about mission and evangelism. Because of time, we will not analyze the whole context of our text. Let's go straight to the text.

Keeping of the Law and Legalism

Is keeping the Law legalism? Many theologians use the letter to the Galatians to reinforce their interpretation about the abolition of the Law. They say that to keep the Law (or Moses’ law) is legalism even if they are just referring to the moral commands. We should ask ourselves if legalism is when a person is justified by faith and then starts to keep the Law, whether ceremonial or moral?1 Isn’t that what Paul is fighting against in Galatians? Contrary to many opinions, I must say that this is not legalism. Paul is not writing against that. If that is legalism, then the Lord has established it, because He has commanded Israel to receive salvation by faith and He gave them the Law to observe. (see Ps 119:4) The heresy in Galatia was not heresy because the false teacher had taught the believers to keep the Law, but because they taught that justification comes by the Law and not by faith.2 We must understand that the problem is not in the keeping of the Law. The fundamental problem in the Bible is breaking the Law, not keeping it. The major problem also lies in the wrong use of the Law and that is legalism. (From Law and Grace: Antinomianism Refuted - Case Closed)