From: gja6234@trex.oscs.montana.edu
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: damnation/purgatory
Date: 11 Nov 92 07:58:44 GMT
Reply-To: gja6234@trex.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University

In article <Nov.8.01.05.40.1992.8582@geneva.rutgers.edu>, Rob.Burrell@lambada.oit.unc.edu (Rob Burrell) writes:
>What is the purpose of the resurrection (the central theme of the NT) if
>all believers simply go to heaven when they die?
>Read 1Cor 15, it appears to be what Paul calls "the gospel".

  For starters, you might say I'm a "when your dead your dead" type...that is
until the ressurection - the hope of all humanity because of what Christ has
accomplished for us- lest anyman should boast.
......Establishing the Kingdom of Christ will be the beginning of the day of
reckoning and/or Judgement for all of us.  Yes, all of us.  Some will say the
resurrection is but a demonstration of God's power, others would say it is to
prove Jesus is God, still others might proport it's purpose is to fulfill
prophecy, thereby again proving Jesus is Lord. Indeed the first ressurrection
(Jesus from the grave) did prove much of this, just as scripture says.  However
when I view the REST of the
scriptures, and I could be wrong (but I'm open to correction and reproof) , I
see death abounding everywhere, yet hope abounding still more.I see from the 
promises to Abraham, Issac,Jacob, Moses, DAvid, Isaiah,....and on and on...
through the N.T, promises even given by Jesus, promises repeated from the
letters of the Apostles, and finally the same promises being fullfilled
in The Revelation... from these- a promise of a Kingdom (of holy people, royal
priests, kings,call them what you may)-  the ultimate fullfillment of God's
original covenant.The Blessing to all the nations, the chosen generation, 
the hope of our salvation, ...It's a consistent thread woven through out
scripture.

 As
Christians, Paul reminds us that we've been  adopted into this Kingship.  It
was originally Israel's ballgame, now we get to play, because of the fact that
Jesus took this kingdom from them and is giving it to a people who will produce
the fruit of it! (the fact that Paul saw this is one of the reasons he was so
eager to take the message to the Gentiles)  But we've been grafted in. 
 So , may we never make the
mistakes that Israel did, for if Christ took that kingdom from them whom he
intitially gave it to, how mush easier would it be to take it from us, the
Gentiles, the adopted sons and daughters.  Yes, it is an adoptive relationship
we have with God (Yaweh, Jehovah), whereby we cry "Abba, FAther". 
When Paul
refers to the resurrection as "the gospel which I repeated to you" in I Cor.15,
to me he's once again making the Good News of the resurrection known to his
readers. The mere fact that it's repeated (the hope of Israel, the
ressurection, the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ) so often throughout
scripture is evidence of the importance of this hope.  This ressurection is but
a means to fullfill this hope.  God could've designed it a different way, but
from what I've found, He didn't.  It fits like a glove!
>
So, my larger answer to your question, what's the purpose of the rez, is this:
It's nothing but a means to establish His Kingdom.  Oh, Im looking forward to
it like a hungry dog for his bone, but even more so, I'm looking forward to
what this Kingdom will bring about. If I should die before the rez, perhaps it
would be all the better because those who are dead in Christ shall be risen
first! But for now, I see death having a sting, even a victory , perhaps.  Then
, at the rez, where will the victory be?  Where will the sting be?  Gone!
Swallowed up in the Victory of eternal life. Now, who gets that life is another
topic on another Phil Donahue show.  For now, I , and I hope you too, am
striving to be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing
my toil is not in vain in the Lord.........YYYEEEEHAAAAAH!

Thanks for your question, Rob.  It reminds me how fortunate I am!

Noj Nosredna

>With love in Christ
>
>Rob Burrell  (rlb6750@silver.sdsmt.edu)
>
>--
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>     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
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