520 results for tag: Brad Jersak

Q&R with Brad Jersak: “What is the worm that never dies?”

Question: I have read a Q & A you have answered on Mark 9 and found it really thorough and very interesting. The one thing I do not see is what the worm represents in this passage in Mark 9. It says "the worm never dies." I have heard that it represents the eternal worm that basically torments you for eternity in hell. I haven't been able to find an explanation for was the "worm" means. Would you be able to explain the best interpretation you know? Thank you very much. I really appreciate you.  Response: In Mark 9, we see Christ is simply citing the imagery in the very last verse of Isaiah: 24 “And they will go out ...

April 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: The Finished Work– pg. 3 Jim Fowler: Did Jesus Die for All?– pg. 7 Greg Albrecht: Is Paris Burning? Retrospective – pg. 8 Laura Urista: Out of the Tribulation Closet – pg. 10 Irene Frances: Fear Not! – pg. 13 Greg Albrecht: Is the Bible Infallible? -pg. 15

“But if there’s no hell…” We don’t deny there’s a hell. Brad Jersak with David Goa

Even after my most recent CWRblog post about hell, titled "What if you're wrong about hell?" I still can't tell you how many people object with a question that begins, "But if there's no hell..." How many times have I responded, "Of course there's a hell! I've been there—seen it with my own eyes, my own heart and my own Bible." The issue is not the existence a hell, but whether we have the eyes to see its true nature. To that end, I raised the topic with my godfather David Goa, who always knows how best to set me straight. The following notes represent my best effort at distilling the essence of our conversation: We don’t deny there’s ...

Root Fears & Angry-god – Brad Jersak with Dave McFadden

Root Fears & Hot Button Conversations Since the beginning of this calendar year, in literally every conversation I’ve had with Christian leaders and churches, two hot button topics came up, and not at my request. The questions raised were about: * INFERNALISM: the hell of eternal torment, and * INCLUSION: sexuality in Christian communities. Scary stuff, right? Or it used to be. What we had only whispered privately a decade ago, for fear of fomenting division or provoking reprisals, has now grown into open conversations in earnest. But despite this refreshing new boldness to voice our private thoughts, a strain of fear continues ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: What if you’re wrong about hell?

Question: Recently, in response to my rejection of the hell of eternal torment, one of my readers offered a fairly common objection: “I hope you’re right about that. BUT if you’re wrong about hell, then a lot of people will go there … and it will be your fault. Wouldn’t it be better to play it safe just to be sure?” The following response was adapted from a much longer essay from Clarion Journal, titled, “Let's Talk about Hell BETTER or “If You’re Wrong, a Lot of People Will Go to Hell & It's Your Fault” by Brad Jersak. Response: The Wager This high stakes objection is worthy of a careful response. “Wrong about hell” ...

Q & R (x2) with Brad – “But why did Jesus NEED to die? Why not simply declare victory?

QUESTION: "If not to appease the wrath of an angry God, then WHY did Jesus NEED to die?  If to conquer Satan, sin and death, WHY did Jesus NEED to die? Couldn't he just declare it?"        Why did Jesus need to die? Okay, I can accept that it's not to placate God's wrath directed at humanity. But then why? I  believe that you have answered elsewhere, 'To defeat Sin, death, and the Destroyer.'        But the question is not so easily resolved. Why was his death necessary for Jesus to die to defeat Sin, death, and the Destroyer? If God chose to forgive without preconditions - as ...

Papa’s Love & Frightening Warnings – Brad Jersak

“Bradley, don’t touch. You’ll burn your little hanny [hand] right off.” —Irene Jersak The Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,  for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” —Genesis 2:16 “If you’re right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.” —Jesus Christ “Hot!” – Mom’s Warning I was perhaps 6-years-old. Maybe at Uncle Henry and Auntie Florence’s house. I remember fixating on Auntie’s red-hot stove element. I recall my mother’s dire warning. “Bradley, don’t touch. You’ll ...

“Light & High Beauty” in the Shadow of Mt. Doom – Brad Jersak

In February of 2020, I had the great privilege of hiking the Tongariro alpine crossing, site of Mount Ngaurunoe, New Zealand's third most active volcano, made famous as the image of Mount Doom in the Lord of the Ring movies. My guide (or Sam Gamgee, if you will) was my dear friend Clinton Sanford, who trained me for the 12-mile, 9-hour trek, which included a 90-minute grueling climb up "the devil's staircase." Good fortune or divine providence granted me the unexpected company of Brian and Peri Zahnd, whose travels coincided briefly with mine. We were also accompanied (and fed) by Sarah and Bruce O'Brian (from El Rancho Camp). At first I had ...

March 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Following in Jesus' Footsteps – pg. 1 Grace Brings Grace Home – pg. 2 Walking in the Jesus Way – pg. 5 Fences Are for Dogs – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Is the Bible our final authority?”

Question: Is the Bible our final authority? My church (and denomination) has a doctrinal statement (or statement of faith) in which it says that "The Bible is our final authority for faith and practice?" How would you respond to that? Response:      This is sort of question I run into frequently with pastors who've challenged my last two congregations. They object that we have not included a statement on Scripture in our doctrinal statement ... when our doctrinal statement was actually the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creeds. My counter challenge was to point out the irony of a 'conservative' creating his own statement of ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Does God Ever ‘Intervene’ in Natural Law?

Question I’m reading A More Christlike God and it has been a very faith stretching experience in a good way. It is really challenging me. I have a question though from chapter 9 where it says “God willingly chose powerless love in the cosmic Cross of Creation. That is, when God through the Logos (John 1) created the universe, he relinquished control to natural law. From the beginning of time, God has voluntarily refrained (‘ chained’ himself) from violating the order of necessity.” How does Yahweh intervening supernaturally work into this such as the parting of the Red Sea? Does he sometimes violate natural law? Response That's a great ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “How do we harmonize the Bible’s judgment and redemption texts?”

Question How do we best harmonize the Bible's 'eschatological' texts? Some described unmitigated judgment and permanent destruction for the majority of the human race, while other passages seem to announce the redemption of everyone in the end. How do we hold both descriptions together? Can we? Or are these really contradictory? Response Yes, it's true: those who pay very close attention to the actual words of Scripture note how difficult it is to reconcile its unmitigated judgment texts with all-encompassing redemption passages. who pay very close attention to the actual words of Scripture note how difficult it is to reconcile its unmitigated ...

February 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Greg Albrecht: God Loves Everyone– pg. 3 Brad Jersak: Religiosity Is Adapting– pg. 7 Stephen Crosby: The Original Prodigal Sons – pg. 10 Debbie Hughes: Deconstruction - a Poem – pg. 12 Sean Davidson: Deconstruction Defined – pg. 13 Brad Jersak: The Mystery of the Trinity -pg. 14

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Was the early church anti-Semitic?”

Question Hi Brad, I’ve run into a few guys that are saying that the Church Fathers were anti-Semitic. Consequently, they at least think the writings of the Church Fathers should be disregarded in what they had to say. There certainly was some anti-Semitism embedded in Christianity but it seems ill-advised to me to disregard the Church Father's writings because of it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic if you can spare the time. Response Before I say respond to your question, let me begin by directly and without qualification denouncing anti-Semitism in all its forms, including the ancient calls to expel or exterminate Jews, the modern ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Wasn’t there separation from God before the veil was torn?”

Question: I just finished reading A More Christlike Way. Great book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in book form. After reading, I feel that I know you better. I loved reading the parts where you shared your personal experiences as struggles. I could relate to some of those struggles. Susie and I have been discussing the idea of separation from God. We know that we are not separated but something that puzzles us is why was the veil in the temple rent upon Christ’s death? Denied access before the cross, open access after. That appears to suggest separation. Any thoughts? Response: Yes, the tearing of the veil on Good Friday does seem to suggest ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth” (seriously?)

Question:  What do you think about the verse that says that "the Church is the pillar and ground of truth"? This has been giving me real hiccups ever since I discovered how the Church (especially in the West) has played fast and loose with the Scriptures, the interpretation of them, and even the ecumenical councils. Add to that the many doctrinal additions of the Roman Church and the denial of Apokatastasis by most Orthodox priests, and I feel disoriented and out of touch with everything. Response: I know! Tough one, right? Given the long history of corruption and waywardness within the Jesus movement and its institutions, Paul's assertion seems ...

Why the Father Didn’t Seek the Prodigal (because he did) Brad Jersak

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10). There it is. The gospel of grace distilled perfectly through Jesus’ own words. That statement encapsulates the reason for Christ’s Incarnation, his earthly ministry and his final Passion, in which he pursues humanity even into death. Even hades could not separate us from the relentless love of the “hound of heaven.” Christ describes his “seeking and saving” mission in the three great parables of Luke 15: the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son. In each of the parables, the obvious punchline is how heaven rejoices when what was lost has been found. This ...

Q&R The essence of forgiveness – Brad Jersak

Question What is the essence of forgiveness? If I don't forgive, will I 'lose my salvation'? Response The word 'forgive' literally means 'let go.' If someone has offended me or sinned against me in some way: 1. Forgiving is NOT saying, I'm okay – I might still be suffering.  2. Forgiving is NOT saying, you're okay – they might still need to change. 3. Forgiving is NOT saying, it's okay – the wrong was still wrong 4. Forgiving is NOT saying, we're okay – we might not yet have enough trust to reconcile Forgiveness is letting go. What does that look like?  For me, it means I picture taking those who’ve ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Does God “intervene”?

Question I have read and studied your book,  A More Christlike God.  And I have a question that is tormenting me. Part 1 of your book is very well done. It provides a strong and credible explanation for parts of the OT that don’t resonate with a Christlike image of God. But in Part 2, I got hung up on what I interpret as your “noninterventionist God” theory. I’m happy to bid farewell to Calvinist doctrines. But I want to better understand your thesis and the implications. Are you saying that you believe that we have unlimited, unharnessed free will; that while God is not responsible for evil (or bad things happening), neither is God ...

Pain, Belief & the Suffering of Children – Brad Jersak

PAIN.Has it crushed your faith or made you a believer? Nativity & Massacre of the Innocents As Christ-followers celebrate the Feast of the Nativity, we also anticipate the tragedy in Bethlehem known as "the massacre of the innocents," when King Herod sought to cut short the Messiah's life. The story is recounted in Matthew 2. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for ...