The Eternal Consequences of Idol Worship

The eternal consequences of leading people that trust you into an error? 

The New Testament Canon: Divine Origination From the 1st Century or of Catholic Church Origination in the 4th Century?

by Messianic Christian Natan Lawrence

The Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) are under fire. Some Messianic/Hebrew roots teachers are currently questioning if the 27 books of the New Testament are all divinely inspired or not. Some are even taking it upon themselves to begin tossing out certain books, such as the Epistle to the Hebrews, from the New Testament canon claiming that it was not divinely inspired and was added later to the canon of Scripture by the proto-Catholic Church. Others claim that the early church fathers “messed” with the original writings of the apostles leaving us to doubt whether we can trust the Apostolic Scriptures or not. What is the truth of the matter?

The Messianic Scriptures/Apostolic Writings (New Testament) are under fire. Prominent Messianic teachers are currently questioning if the 27 books in the NT are all inspired or not. Others are questioning whether the Church fathers and Catholic Church “messed” with the original writings leaving us to doubt whether we can trust them as the truth or not. In confusion, some Believers have even turned away from the Gospel message and denied Yeshua figuring the New Testament is, to one degree or another, a man-made religious lie. What is the truth?

When was the New Testament canonized and by whom? Did YHVH Elohim leave his priceless Word hanging in the balance for hundreds of years only to finally have a Torah-denying and swine-eating paganized Church choose what would be Scripture or not?

We will produce substantial scholarly evidence that flies in the face of most Christian theologians who seem to support the party line of the self-justifying and self-exalting and self-substantiating Church system that says that it was the one who established the New Testament Canon through its Church councils and edicts. We will show evidence from the Scriptures themselves and from historical records that Yeshua commissioned certain apostles to canonize what would later become known as the “New Testament” Scriptures.

This series of lectures will strengthen your faith in the inspired Word of Elohim as preserved in the 27 books of the Apostolic Writings, in the Gospel message and in the Person, Redemptive work and deity of Yeshua.(?) [emphasis mine] You will also have the tools to defend your faith and to help those who have fallen under the sway of false teachings questioning the divine inspiration of all of the Messianic Scriptures from Matthew to Revelation.[1]

Select Bibliography
Bruce, F. F. The Books and the Parchments. Westwood, N.J.: The Fleming H. Revell Co., 1963.
Filson, Floyd V. Which Books Belong In the Bible: A Study of the Canon. Philadelphia: Westminister Press, 1957.
Martin, Dr. Ernest M. Restoring the Original Bible. Portland, Oregon: Association for Scriptural Knowledge, 1994.
Lamsa, Dr. George M. The Holy Bible From the Ancient Eastern Text (From the Aramaic of the Peshitta). N.Y.:Harper  Row, 1968.
Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church. Peabody, Mass.: Henrickson, 2002

Note: Natan Lawrence uses Select "Christian Bibliography", No Torah sources, No TaNakH sources, No Hebrew scripture sources?

Believing "just in case"

I have been told that if I don't believe in Jesus as my savior I am going  straight to Hell after I die. This seems like a compelling reason for me to believe  in Jesus particularly since I have also been told that there is no consequence  within Judaism if I believe in Jesus. Therefore, I have nothing to lose by believing  in Jesus, so why shouldn't I believe in him as my savior?  

Answer: Actually, belief in Jesus is a horrendous sin with grave consequences for any  Jew who professes to do so. To understand this let us look at the tragic apostasy of the  Northern Kingdom of Israel and its dominant tribe, Ephraim. God, speaking through the  prophet Hosea declares, "When Ephraim spoke with trembling, he became exalted in  Israel; but when he became guilty through Baal, he died" (Hosea 13:1). When they served  God, Ephraim was "exalted," but when they became guilty of idol worship and remained  unrepentant despite prophetic warnings to cease their sinful ways they signed their own  death warrant. Ephraim died a spiritual death long before it suffered national destruction.

From the prophetic message we learn that apostates, even during their lifetime are  reckoned as dead as long as they remain unrepentant. The prophet not only denounces  belief in molten images fashioned by craftsmen, but also those who trust in a false savior- god: "And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, and gods beside Me you  should not know, and there is no savior but Me" (Hosea 13:4).

God desires the apostate's repentance and beckons him/her to renounce iniquity: "From  the clutches of the grave I would ransom them, from death I would redeem them, I will  be your words of death; I will decree the grave upon you. Remorse shall be hidden from  My eyes" (Hosea 13:14).

For the apostate who does not repent, God says, "I will decree the grave upon you." In a  more literal sense, "I will be the cause of your being cut off to the grave." Katavcha, from  the verb ketev, denotes "cutting" (e.g. Psalms 91:6). Its primary meaning is "to cut," but  in Hosea 13:14, ketev takes on the secondary meaning "decree." In Hebrew, the primary  word for decree is gezayra, the root of which is gezer, "to cut." There are a number of  word roots in Hebrew whose primary meaning is "cutting," yet have a secondary meaning  of a final, permanent decision or ruling (e.g., pasak, chakak, gezer, charatz, karat).

As we see, the belief in the false savior-god Jesus is a grave sin. The unrepentant apostate  is not only shunned and considered dead by the Jewish community. God Himself  considers the unrepentant apostate as spiritually dead in this life and in physical death the  apostate is all the more so "cut off."[2]

Select Bibliography Jewish Scriptures - Torah/TaNaCH

Exodus 20:2-3 - The First of the Ten Commandments
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, and of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.” (See also Deuteronomy 5:7)

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a mortal that He should change His mind.”

Deuteronomy 4:11-12 “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no image; there was only a voice.”

Deuteronomy 4:35 “You are the ones who have been shown, so that you will know that God is the Supreme Being, and there is none other besides Him!”

Deuteronomy 4:39 “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other!"

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.”

Deuteronomy 6:14 “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you!”

Deuteronomy 32:39 “See, now, that I, I am He - and no god is with Me...”

I Samuel 2:2 “There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside Thee; neither is there any Rock like our God."

I Samuel 15:29 “The Eternal One of Israel will not lie nor change His mind: for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”

I Kings 8:27 “For will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have built?”

I Kings 8:60 “So that all the nations of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other!”

II Kings 19:19 “Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God.” (Psalm 113:5)

Isaiah 40:18 “To whom then will you liken God? To what likeness will you compare unto Him?”

Isaiah 40:25 “To whom will then you liken Me, that I should be his equal?” says the Holy One.

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord, that is My name, and My glory will I not give to another. Neither My praise to graven images!”

Isaiah 43:10-11 “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.”

Isaiah 44:6-8 This is what the Lord says, Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty, “I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no God! Who then is like Me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before Me...Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

Isaiah 44:24 So said the Lord, your Redeemer, the One who formed you from the womb, “I am the Lord Who makes everything, Who stretched forth the heavens alone, Who spread out the earth by Myself.”

Isaiah 45:5-6 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God... I will strengthen you...I order that they know from the shining of the sun and from the west that there is no one besides Me; I am the Lord and there is no other!”

Isaiah 45:18-19 For this is what the Lord says – He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited – He says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants, ‘Seek Me in vain.’ I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.”

Isaiah 45:21-22 “...who announced this before, who declared it from the distant past? Is it not I, the Lord, and there is no God apart from Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other!”

Isaiah 46:5 “To whom shall you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me that we may be alike?”

Isaiah 46:9 “Remember the first things of old, that I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me.”

Isaiah 48:11 “...And My honor I will not give to another.”

Hosea 13:4 “And I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but Me, no Savior except Me!”

Joel 2:27 “And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the Lord your God, there is no other; and My people shall never be ashamed.”

Malachi 2:10 “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why should we betray, each one his brother, to profane the covenant of our forefathers?”

Psalm 73:25 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You.”

Psalm 81:8-9 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god."

Psalm 146:3 “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation!”

Nehemiah 9:6 “You alone are the Lord; You made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens and all their host, the earth and all that is upon it, the seas and all that is in them, and You give life to them all, and the heavenly host bow down before You.”

I Chronicles 17:20 “O Lord, there is none like You, neither is there any God beside You, according to all that we have heard with our ears!”

Source:
[1] http://hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/nt_canon_short.pdf

[2] Jewsforjudaism.

"Islam, Mormonism and Judaism are heretical religions “from the pit of hell"?

In True Christian™ Tradition anti-semitism is alive and well at Dallas First Baptist.

Tim Tebow to speak at virulently anti-gay, anti-Semitic Dallas megachurch

Rick Chandler

Feb 14, 2013,

AP

It seems that lately Tim Tebow has been making more speaking appearances in church than he has quarterback appearances in NFL games. Tebow made headlines with his Easter address in Georgetown, Texas in April, and his talk at aScottsdale, AZ church earlier this month. And now he’s got another gig at a megachurch in Dallas, only this one comes with a large helping of controversy.

Tebow has a speaking engagement on April 28 at First Baptist Dallas, according to the church’s website. That’s the church led by pastor Robert Jeffress, a virulently anti-gay and anti-Semitic evangelical Christian who has made quite a name for himself in religious circles.

In October 2011, Jeffress endorsed Texas Governor Rick Perry for president, then went on to claim that Islam, Mormonism and Judaism are heretical religions “from the pit of hell.”

On the eve of the presidential election in November 2012, Jeffress warned his Dallas congregation that President Barack Obama’s re-election would “lead to the rise of the Antichrist,” according to The Christian Post.

Jeffress also gained notoriety for his statements about the gay community. According to ThinkProgress, during the same speech where he endorsed Rick Perry in 2011, Jeffress told a crowd at the high-profile Values Voters Summit that gays should not be allowed in the military because “Seventy percent of the gay population” has AIDS.

Yikes.

Is Tebow’s appearance at First Baptist Dallas an ipso facto endorsement of Jeffress’ views? Not necessarily — he could be there to debate him. Or perhaps it’s a secular arts & crafts presentation. Look, work with me here, OK?

I prefer to think of Tebow as someone who saw the word “megachurch” and got excited about speaking to a lot of like-minded people, and just forgot to do his due diligence on the guy in charge. Remember Tim, Google can be your friend.

SOURCES: 

"Islam, Mormonism and Judaism are heretical religions “from the pit of hell.” Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress - First Baptist Dallas 

Dr. Robert Jeffress is the senior pastor of the 11,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

Grand Opening is on Easter Sunday, March 31! Come celebrate the resurrection of our Savior with us. Mark your calendar for the celebratory events to follow every Sunday in April! 

Dr. Robert Jeffress’ bold, unbiblical, and impractical approach to hate has made him one of the country’s most disrespected evangelical leaders.(...or so they say.)    http://www.firstdallas.org/

Address: 1707 San Jacinto St, Dallas, TX 75201

Phone:(214) 969-0111

UPDATE MARCH 2nd 2013

Tim Tebow righteously cancels appearance at wrongful Dallas church

First Baptist Dallas Mega-Church

New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has canceled an appearance at a controversial church in Dallas, citing “new information” in a series of Twitter messages Thursday.

“While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ's unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance," Tebow said a series of tweets on his @TimTebow account.  "I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!”

Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church, has been outspoken against homosexuals, as well as Muslims, Jews and Mormons.

After learning of Tebow's decision to cancel, church leaders issued a statement saying they were "disappointed" and disputing critics' characterization of the church's message.

The statement said Tebow told Jeffress that "for personal and professional reasons he needed to avoid controversy at this time," but would like to come and speak at a future date.

"We are saddened that Mr. Tebow felt pressure to back out of his long-planned commitment to First Baptist Dallas from numerous New York and national sports and news media who grossly misrepresented past comments made by our pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress, specifically related to issues of homosexuality and AIDS, as well as Judaism," the statement read. 

"As a Christian pastor, Dr. Jeffress takes a biblical approach to moral and social issues, closely following his duty to preach 'the whole counsel of God,' and not just address issues that are politically correct. First Baptist is a church built on the truth of Scripture, even though at times that approach can be perceived as controversial or counter to the prevailing winds of culture." 

Steve Spurrier, when he was funning and gunning his way to Southeastern Conference dominance at the University of Florida, used to always have a religious rallying cry after especially big victories:


"God has smiled on Gators."

On Thursday, Tim Tebow, another iconic UF alumnus, sent an even broader, more benevolent message...

_________________________________________________________________

God not only smiles on the Gators, he smiles on the Seminoles, too. And the Catholics. And the Mormons. And the Jews. And the Muslims. And the heterosexuals. And the homosexuals.

"God roots for everybody and turns his back on no one."

At least that's how I choose to interpret Tebow's decision Thursday to cancel his scheduled April appearance at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, where head pastor Robert Jeffress preaches a message of hate and intolerance. I wrote about this issue in Wednesday's Sentinel and wondered why Tebow would agree to speak at this particular church and provide a tacit endorsement of Jeffress, who has spewed hate language against seemingly everybody who doesn't believe exactly what he believes.

Jeffress once called Muslims and Mormons the followers of religions born "from the pit of Hell." He attacked Catholicism, calling it a "counterfeit religion" perpetuated on the world by the "genius of Satan." He said President Obama is "paving the way for the future reign of the anti-Christ." He has portrayed the gay population as "perverse" child molesters who represent "a degradation of a person's mind."

Said Tebow in a classy statement released on his website Thursday: "While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ's unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance. I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!"

Cynics will simply say Tebow bowed to public and media pressure, and maybe that's partly true, but I believe Tebow's handlers did him a disservice. Two people in Tebow's camp confirmed Thursday that the quarterback's reps scheduled the public appearance at the First Baptist Church of Dallas without checking on the pastor's background.

From anybody else, I might roll my eyes at this explanation, but I buy it coming from Tebow. More than almost anyone in the public eye, he's earned the benefit of the doubt. Besides, his appearance at Jeffress' church made no sense from the beginning.

Tebow has always said and done all the right things and been careful not to offend anyone. He would never so publicly tie himself to such a divisive, inflammatory pastor. Fortunately, Tebow realized he was being used to bring his national appeal to Jeffress' altar and make the mega-church even more popular and profitable than it already is.

Jeffress, as you might expect, tried to save face in the wake of Tebow's decision Thursday by portraying himself as the true messenger of God's word.

"I think as pastors we have a duty to preach 'the whole counsel of God,' and not just discuss those that are politically correct," Jeffress told the Dallas Morning News. "It's my role to speak clearly on the issues on which the Bible speaks clearly. It's my role to preach what the Bible says, and that includes the controversial issues. … The reason for this firestorm is not because the word of God has changed. It's because society has changed."

If this truly is an indication that society is changing then we should all rejoice because it's clearly changing for the better.

"My faith in Tim has been restored," one Tebow fan tweeted Thursday, "and I'm a Seminole."

See what I mean?

God smiled on the Gators Thursday.

And the Seminoles and the Hurricanes. And the Republicans and the Democrats. And the blacks and the whites. And the Catholics and the Jews. And the Muslims and the Mormons. And the homosexuals and heterosexuals.

In the end, Tim Tebow did the right thing.

Doesn't he always?

source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/chi-tebow-church-20130221,0,1979755.story

"We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration...
And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance,” he prayed in 2009. “And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family.”- Lowery’s benediction at Obama’s inauguration emphasized peaceful relations between all Americans. 

Obama's Inauguration Pastor: "All Whites Are Going to Hell"

The Washington Examiner reported this week that the reverend who gave Obama's inauguration prayer and who the president awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2009 said at a weekend rally in Forsyth, Georgia, that the "level of hatred and bitterness" in this election season would result in all whites going to hell. Joseph Lowery, 91, a patriarch of the civil rights movement and a co-worker with Dr. Martin Luther King, told The Monroe County Reporter that he held this same belief at the height of the civil rights movement, but eventually he decided that perhaps only "most" whites wouldn't make it into heaven. Now he's back to his original opinion.

During the rally Lowery also remarked that he "doesn't know what kind of a ni---- wouldn't vote with a black man running. ... All that he did with the stimulus was genius. Nobody intelligent would risk this country with Romney."

The local mayor, John Howard, distanced himself from Lowery's comments: "The Bible doesn’t say anything about white or black to go to heaven. I have great number of black and white friends. I’ve been in the military. I make friends with everybody. I’m too old for enemies." Another local paper said Howard was considering televising the event in his city, but decided after Lowery's comments that it wasn't going to happen.

Lowery has since backed off his original comments about white men going to hell, saying they were a joke, and he also says he "doesn't remember" making the other statement.

source: [1] http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/163698-obama-s-inauguration-pastor-all-whites-are-going-to-hell.html

Lowery’s benediction at Obama’s inauguration emphasized peaceful relations between all Americans.

[2] 

The reverend who gave Obama's inauguration prayer said at a weekend rally that the "level of hatred and bitterness" in this election season would result in all whites going to hell.

'Hell' as an invention of the church

'Hell' as an invention of the church

  

"So where did the teaching of "Hellfire and damnation" come from?

As the Nicene Church was establishing its official doctrines and replacing biblical Messianic Judaism with Catholicism ("Universalism"), it is a well known and easily established fact that they incorporated the teachings of many different religious systems. These early "church fathers" were attempting to establish a new and global political and religious authority in order to control every aspect of human life. Whatever their motives, the Vatican created dogma of eternal torture as a powerful stick to wield against its opponents.

To this end the Catholic Bishops incorporated the Roman Pagan teaching of Hades: A subterranean place of eternal fiery torment and damnation. Never mind that the dogma has no biblical basis, the Magisterium of the Church declared it so. The threat of eternal damnation made their subjects docile and the collection plates rang with tithes, offerings and indulgences as deceived people sought to purchase their salvation.

The imagery of the Nicene Hell is largely taken from the underworld abode of the god Hades and his part time lover Persephone.

Present day Nicene Christians vary on why people go to Hell. Some teach that the "lost" are condemned to Hell because they fail to make the one decision necessary to achieve salvation: they refuse to accept the death, burial and resurrection of Y'shua as taught by the Church. Others teach that if ones good deeds do not outweigh the negatives one goes there. Calvinists believe people have no choice in the matter at all. They say that the God of love and justice created most human being as fodder for Hell and only a few will be allowed to enter "Heaven." Catholicism is more clear: people go to Hell because they fail to accept Catholic Communion and authority. All Nicene Christians are quick to point out that Hell is not something God "does to us," it is something we do to ourselves.

This is known as blaming the victim! There is nothing just nor loving about this doctrine nor about a god that who create billions of beings solely to torture them throughout eternity. This is NOT the God of the Bible!"
source:

The Facts

• There is no biblical basis for this teaching.
• God can do anything and He could easily make another option for those who do not accept His gift of salvation.
• No Believers from the Abrahamic traditions living in the first century C.E. conceived of such a post-life torture.
• Many Pagans did believe in such horrors and they were viewed as savages because it.
• Not a single person in the Gospel accounts ever challenge Y'shua as to the origins of this non-Jewish teaching he allegedly taught.
• The doctrine directly challenges the Torah claims that God is Loving and Just (compare Romans 2:24).
• Many "Bible believing Christians" believe many unbiblical heresies. The near universality of the belief does not make it biblical

For more information see Rabbi Yochanan Levine's article; Hell, Gilgul Neshamot and Ibbur Neshamot: http://jewtoo.org/hell.html

What Happens When We Die?

Stay Close to Your Preacher. Stay Close to Your Church

"...You need to stay close to your preacher! You need to stay close to your church! When the enemy is all around... it will be your relationship with your church that will get you out of trouble!" - Ad for - "We are the United Pentecostal Church"  ...or Things the Bible Never said.

 

"Stay close to your church"? 

Do you know in Christendom … church = circular = circe = pagan worship!

“Sun-God” Worship in Christendom …

“Sun-God” Worship in Christendom … church = circular = circe = pagan worship!

Does “ecclesia” actually mean church?

Churches and church are terms used by the redactors and ancients to describe pagan houses of worship. Ecclesiastical houses of worship that the prophets, disciples, and apostles worshipped and assembled in were not called churches, they were called assemblies, congregations, tabernacles, or synagogues. Lets look at the term church more closely so we can understand where it came from and how it fits in to current Christian dogma.

Church

“Church – The etymology of this word is generally assumed to be from the Greek kuriou oikos (house of God); but this is most improbable, as the word existed in all the Celtic dialects long before the introduction of Greek. No doubt the word means “a circle”. The places of worship among the German and Celtic nations were always circular (Welsh, cyrch; French, cirque; Scotch, kirk; Greek, kirk-os, etc.). Compare Anglo-Saxon circe, a church, with circol, a circle. (The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894).

“The Myth of Kirke” by Robert Brown, p. 22 gives detailed meaning derived from its multiple usages during the Greco-Roman world of antiquity, and concludes that its meaning is “circle” or “circular”. Brown further adds that it was also a proper noun. Not only did it denote a building, facility, or monument that was “circular”, but also, one of its primary meanings was its relationship to the goddess of the ancient world “Circe” or “Kirke”, who was the pagan goddess of the Greco-Roman Sun god which has been pictured in ancient and classical pictures as holding a golden cup in her hand with wine and various kinds of intoxicants”.

Where did the word “church” actually originate from? What we’ve been able to determine is that the word “church” has always referred to pagan temples of worship, which were circular. The meaning of the word “church” does not bear any resemblance whatsoever to the meanings of “ekklesia” or “qahal”. It appears that “church” was derived from pagan sources, and had attachments to pagan deities. The meaning of “church” translates to circe. Who is Circe?

Any encyclopaedia, or dictionary of mythology, will reveal who Circe was. She was the goddess-daughter of Helios, the Sun-deity!

The word Church derived from Circe is a proper noun and as illustrated is the name of a pagan goddess and the daughter of Helios a sun god who is venerated by the Catholics as well as Protestants who have dedicated a day of worship to him (Helios) as Sunday or the Sun’s Day!.

Sources:

John (Yochanan) 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

Born Again! Means to born again as a Torah observant Jew!

Did Jesus come to start a new religion? No!

What does this really mean to be born again? Jesus talked about this in John 3:3

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, (as a Torah observant Jew) he cannot see the kingdom of God.

What is the true meaning of this Jewish idiom “to be born again?"

Being born again is a Jewish idiom of when a gentile who wants to convert to Judaism go through the process of becoming a Jew, then would do an immersion "a mikvah" and then come up as a new creation and in every which way he would be considered Jewish!

So this is the idea being born again "that Jesus spoke about in John 3:3" it was the process of a gentile becoming a Jew! Even those of a Jewish heritage would rededicate their lives to God and have mikvah.

“Born again” is not a Christian term?   It is a Jewish term!

• When Gentiles converted to Judaism, they were said to be born again.

• When a man was crowned king, he was said to be born again.

• When a Jewish boy has a bar mitzvah at the age of 13, he is said to be born again.

• When a Jewish person marries, he is said to be born again.

• When a Jewish person is ordained as a Rabbi, he is said to be born again.

• When a Jewish person becomes the head of a rabbinical school, he is said to be born again.

Jesus told Nicodemus, a teacher in Israel, “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit (Spirit of Truth which is being Torah observant), he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

To “be born of water” was a Jewish expression for physical birth.

However, physical birth by itself is not sufficient to provide entrance into the Kingdom of God.

Man must be born of the Spirit – “Spirit of Truth” which is a metaphor for Torah, being Torah observant.

“And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:13-15

1John 2:4 He who says, "I know Him," (Yeshua) and does not keep His commandments (God's laws), is a liar, and the truth (Torah) is not in him
There is one God – the Jewish God,

Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
Deuteronomy 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

There is one salvation – God alone is salvation

If gentiles refuse to accept the Jewish God and the Jewish Messiah, they will suffer the same consequences as Jewish people who refuse to accept the Jewish God.

Exodus 12:49" One law (Torah) shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you."

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (The faith of Yeshua is to simply believe in His mission as Messiah of Israel.)

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (A rhetorical question usually done in exaggeration or humor)

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Go to Hell?

Who's Going to Hell?

The Valley of Gehenna as it looks today.

Valley of Gehenna (One Hell?)

Going to hell has been quite a fear for thousands of years and it has been a major reason that people have unflinchingly followed their religions teachings.

What is hell and where does the word come from.  According to many academic sources, there are several words that were in original Biblical texts written separately, but were all translated in the King James version as hell.  The words are hades, tartaros and gehenna and all of them have different meanings. 

To complicate maters more, there is also the Hebrew word sheol which like hades, means grave or pit, which can also be mixed up in this debate, because it is used in the Old Testament in place of the word hades.

First of all "hell" is an old English word that originally meant a hole in the ground.  At the time the King James version of the Bible was translated, people in England reportedly spoke of putting their potatoes in hell for the winter to keep them from rotting, it meant a hole in the ground and also may have meant a grave.

Starting with the word hades, which is used 11 times in the New Testament, we see a pattern of possible mis-translation.  Hades, is a Greek word  which like sheol is more accurately translated as a pit or hole in the ground where the dead are placed.  Neither the word hades or the word sheol refers to a place of fire or of eternal punishment, but both are translated as hell in the King James version, which to Bible readers means the place of eternal damnation.

The word "tartaros" is translated as the word "hell" in II Peter 2:4.  "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartaroo in the original texts), and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgement..."  The Greeks used this word to describe the place where Zeus confined the rebellious Titans and the Bible refers to it in II Peter 2:4 as where the angels that followed Satan were cast, but it does not refer to it as a place where humans are cast.  In SRSR's opinion, tartaroos (translated as hell in King James Verson) is probably meant as the place where Satan and his legions are said to be cast, not humans who have missed the mark.

A third word that has been translated as hell is "gehenna", coming from the Hebrew words      Gai Hinnom, meaning "valley of Hinnom." This valley of Hinnom is a real place located south by southwest of Jerusalem.   Today Gai Hinnom is reported to be a fairly nice place, with at least some grass and flowers growing there.  In Biblical times however it was a place where pagan rites, possibly even infant sacrifices may have occured.

It was thus considered an unclean place by the Israelites and was used as a dump for the bodies of criminals, animals, garbage and sewage.  Fires are said to have burned there continuously because of the supply of "fuel" and to reduce the foul odor.  It is natural that became known as a place of evil and ruination.

SRSR believes that serious study shows that when the Bible talks about destruction in hell (gehenna) it means complete and final destruction, but not necessarily eternal or constant torture.  The Bible, SRSR believes, does speak of eternal life, but not eternal punishment, instead it speaks of final and permanent destruction of the souls and bodies of the "wicked."

In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says, "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Originally the word gehenna was used here and the word hell was used starting with the King James version.   Similarly gehenna is translated as hell in Mathew 23:33, "Ye serpents...how can ye escape the damnation of hell?", here he is talking about the Pharasees.

In Malachi 4:1-3, this prophet speaking of the Day of the Lord, says,"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts, that it will leave them neither root nor branch..."  SRSR see's this as more evidence that the Bible may originally have meant that the "damned" will be permanently terminated, not eternally tortured and this is perhaps more in tune with a loving and just God.

Source:

Southern Baptist Convention upholds “Sinner's Prayer Heresy” as a biblically sound doctrine.

Southern Baptist Convention upholds “Sinner's Prayer Heresy” as a biblically sound doctrine?

NEXT...Does God Torture People? So... what about Hell?

"Many "Bible believing Christians" believe many unbiblical heresies. The near universality of the belief does not make it biblical"

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Controversial Superstitious "Sinner's Prayer" Clip

"I believe we simply need to be as biblical as possible"?

Platt discusses the video clip of his teaching that led to resolution among Southern Baptists to defend the use of a "sinner's prayer."

It was a three-minute video clip that was shared across the evangelical community. In it, Pastor David Platt famously called the "sinner's prayer" "superstitious." A few months later, he still finds himself explaining the heart behind that message. [1]


"I believe we simply need to be as biblical as possible (2 Timothy 2:15). Do I believe it is 'wrong' for someone to pray a 'prayer of salvation'? Certainly not," Platt maintained in a blog post this week.


The 33-year-old pastor, who leads The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., sparked debate earlier this year when he told attendees at the Verge Conference that there is "no such superstitious prayer in the New Testament," referring to the popular "sinner's prayer."


"I'm convinced many people in our churches are just simply missing the life of Christ and a lot of it has to do with what we've sold them as the Gospel, i.e. 'pray this prayer, accept Jesus into your heart, invite Christ into your life,'" he said. "It's modern evangelism built on sinking sand and it runs the risk of disillusioning millions of souls."


While some agreed with him, others couldn't avoid what they saw as the underpinnings of his remarks – Calvinism. Some thought Platt voiced opposition to the "sinner's prayer" because as a Calvinist, he didn't want the hopeless unelect to think they are saved through a simple prayer.


He pushed back in his recent blog post, stating that "nothing could be further from the truth."


"Any cautions I have expressed with a 'sinner's prayer' have absolutely nothing directly to do with the doctrine of election, and I definitively don't believe that certain people 'actually have no chance for life in Christ,'" the Southern Baptist pastor clarified. "Instead, my comments about the 'sinner's prayer' have been deeply motivated by a concern for authentic conversion and regenerate church membership – doctrines which many Calvinists and non-Calvinists, as well as a variety of Christians in between, would rightly value."


Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, came to Platt's defense on Thursday. While noting that Platt could have chosen a better word other than "superstitious" in his talk, Akin said he shared his concern about poor gospel presentations and false professions.


But that doesn't mean he's against the "sinner's prayer."


"I want it to be known that I shepherded all of my sons in praying a 'sinner's prayer' as an expression of the work of God in their hearts as they repented of their sin and placed their trust in Christ alone for salvation," Akin stated. "I have also preached more than a dozen graduation messages and in each and every one I have shared the gospel, invited people to receive Christ, and even helped them as they surrender their lives to Christ by leading them in a 'sinner's prayer.'


"Handled carefully and wisely, I gladly invite people to repent of sin, trust in Christ, and surrender their lives to Him. David and I, I am quite certain, are in 100% agreement with one another on the issue."


Platt addressed his controversial statements during the Southern Baptist Convention's Pastors Conference in New Orleans last week.


"In my youth, I know that I am prone not to be careful with my words (particularly when they can become three-minute youtube clips!), so I want to be very careful with my words today," he said in his introduction.


He went to the New Testament book of John to show evidence of devout followers of Jesus who were not born-again.


John 2:23-24 states: "Many trusted in his name ... Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them."


"Clearly, from the beginning of the gospel of John – this gospel that revolves around the necessity and centrality of belief in Christ – John makes clear to us that there is a kind of belief, a kind of faith, that does not save," Platt explained.


"Is it possible for people to say they believe in Jesus, to say they have accepted Jesus, to say that they have received Jesus, but they are not saved and will not enter the kingdom of heaven? Is that possible? Absolutely, it's possible. It's not just possible; it is probable."


Platt, who has a passion for global missions, expressed concern that there are millions of people who are being deceived to thinking they're saved when they're not because of a prayer they prayed or decision they made years ago.


At the same time, he made it clear that praying a prayer or making a decision aren't in themselves bad. In fact, that's how many believers called out to Christ and became "justified" through faith in Jesus.


But the question, he said, is: "What kind of faith are we calling people to?"


"In a day of rampant easy-believism that creates cultural Christians who do not know Christ, who have never counted the cost of following Christ, we must be biblically clear about saving faith, lest any of us lead people down a very dangerous and potentially damning road of spiritual deception."


True, saving faith, the Alabama pastor explained, requires first understanding man's condition before God – that they are dead in sin.


"We cannot dumb it down," he stressed. "We are morally evil."


To be born-again, one must repent – turn from sin and self – and believe – "trust in Jesus as the Savior who died for us and the Lord who rules over us."


"We tell men and women, boys and girls everywhere: repent and believe in Christ. Whether we say, 'Pray this prayer after me,' is not the issue," Platt highlighted. "The issue is that together we say, 'By the grace of God in the cross of Christ, turn from yourself and trust in Jesus. Come from darkness to light. Come from death to life.'


"Now we can debate all day long how these words are used in what senses, but the testimony of Scripture is absolutely, fundamentally clear: God loves the world, and everyone in the world who trusts in Him will be saved."


And those who are truly saved, he added, will be compelled to boldly preach the Gospel. They don't have to be cajoled to do it.


Amid debate on the "sinner's prayer," Southern Baptists chose to adopt a resolution this month affirming the prayer as "a biblical expression of repentance and faith."


Notably, Platt voted for the resolution.


"It was encouraging to see pastors and leaders together say that we need to be wise in the way we lead people to Christ, but such wisdom doesn't necessarily warrant that everyone must throw out a 'sinner's prayer' altogether," he stated.


Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter

The following is a personal note from Pastor David Platt about the recent discussion surrounding the issue of the “sinner’s prayer” in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).This is the first of two scheduled posts. Following Pastor David’s comments expressed below, there is a link where you can download the entire manuscript of his sermon at the most recent SBC Pastors’ Conference in a PDF.

I recently had the privilege of preaching at the Pastor’s Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). It was a historic few days among Southern Baptists (or Great Commission Baptists, if you’d prefer that title!) as we elected the first African-American president of the Convention, Fred Luter. I was greatly encouraged by the spirit of unity among pastors and leaders at the convention, and I was reminded of the wonderful value of partnership together among churches for the spread of the gospel among the nations.

At the same time, I was a bit grieved by the response from an issue that I apparently helped spark regarding the “sinner’s prayer.” A three-minute video clip from an hour-long message I delivered at the Verge Conference in Austin earlier this year created conversation and eventually led to a resolution among Southern Baptists to defend the use of a “sinner’s prayer” in evangelism. Though I had some concerns with the resolution as it was originally proposed, I was pleased with the resolution that Southern Baptists eventually adopted, and I voted in favor of it. It was encouraging to see pastors and leaders together say that we need to be wise in the way we lead people to Christ, but such wisdom doesn’t necessarily warrant that everyone must throw out a “sinner’s prayer” altogether.

What grieved me about this issue, though, was the way it was reported in a few particularly prominent places that seemed to imply that this issue was dividing Calvinists and non-Calvinists in the SBC, or even me personally from various leaders in the SBC. Some even suggested that as “one of the SBC’s Calvinist stars,” I am “against the sinner’s prayer” because I “don’t want the hopelessly condemned thinking they are saved or joining churches when they actually have no chance for life in Christ.” In addition to how nauseous such a label makes me, words really can’t describe how much a comment like this pierces my heart, for nothing (I hope and pray) could be further from the truth. Any cautions I have expressed with a “sinner’s prayer” have absolutely nothing directly to do with the doctrine of election, and I definitively don’t believe that certain people “actually have no chance for life in Christ.” Instead, my comments about the “sinner’s prayer” have been deeply motivated by a concern for authentic conversion and regenerate church membership—doctrines which many Calvinists and non-Calvinists, as well as a variety of Christians in between, would rightly value.I believe without hesitation or equivocation that God loves all people in the world (John 3:16) and He desires all people’s salvation (2 Peter 3:9). As followers of Jesus saved by His matchless grace (Ephesians 2:1-10), we are compelled to go with urgency to all people to tell them compassionately of God’s love for them (2 Corinthians 4:5) and to call them clearly to repent and believe in Christ (Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38). As we do this, I believe we simply need to be as biblical as possible (2 Timothy 2:15). Do I believe it is “wrong” for someone to pray a “prayer of salvation”? Certainly not. Calling out to God in prayer with repentant faith is fundamental to being saved (Romans 10:9-10). Yet as I pastor a local church and serve alongside pastors of other local churches, I sense reasonably serious concern about the relatively large number of baptisms in our churches that are “re-baptisms”—often representing people who thought they were saved because they prayed a certain prayer, but they lacked a biblical understanding of salvation and were in reality not saved. This, in addition to a rampant easy believism that marks cultural Christianity in our context (and in other parts of the world), leads me to urge us, as we go to all people among all nations with the good news of God’s love, to be both evangelistically zealous and biblically clear at the same time (Matthew 28:18-20).

In the end, I believe Southern Baptists—and evangelical Christians, for that matter—embrace this together, stand on this together, and preach this together. That’s part of why I preached the sermon below on Monday at the Pastor’s Conference. My hope in preaching this sermon and even in sharing it now is that it will serve to clarify an issue that is extremely important not just for Southern Baptists, but also for followers of Christ from different denominations, in various streams, and with varying perspectives. May God be glorified across the globe through the faithful preaching of His gospel.

Click here to get the PDF of the full manuscript of Pastor David’s sermon at the SBC Pastor’s Conference on June 18, 2012. The sermon is titled, “Spiritual Deception, Biblical Conversion, and Global Missions.

A Resolution on the “Sinner’s Prayer”

to be presented at the SBC in New Orleans, June 2012

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Eric Hankins

By Dr. Eric Hankins, Pastor of the

First Baptist Church in Oxford, Mississippi

WHEREAS, God desires for every person to be saved and has made salvation available for any person who hears the Gospel (John 3:16; Romans 10:14-17; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2); and

WHEREAS, A free response to the Holy Spirit’s drawing through the Gospel is both possible and necessary in order for anyone to be born again (John 3:1-16; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 10:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13); and

WHEREAS, Prayer is God’s gracious means through which any person can communicate with Him and is everywhere in Scripture commanded and commended for every matter and every person (2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:17; Philippians 4:6); and

WHEREAS, Praying to God to express repentance for sins, to acknowledge Christ as Lord, and to ask for forgiveness and salvation is modeled in the Bible (Acts 2:37-38; Romans 10:9-10); and

WHEREAS, While there is no one uniform wording found in Scripture or in the churches for a “Sinner’s Prayer,” the prayer of repentance and faith, acknowledging salvation through Christ alone and expressing complete surrender to His Lordship, is the biblical means by which any person can turn from sin and self, place his faith in Christ, and find forgiveness and eternal life (Luke 18:9-14, 23:39-43); and

WHEREAS, It is biblically appropriate to help a sinner in calling on the Lord for salvation and to speak of Christ’s response to such a prayer as “entering a sinner’s heart and life” (John 14:23; Acts 2:37-40; 16:29-30; Romans 10:11-17; Ephesians 3:17); and

WHEREAS, A “Sinner’s Prayer” is not an incantation that results in salvation merely by its recitation and should never be manipulatively employed or utilized apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel (Matthew 6:7, 15:7-9; 28:18-20); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in New Orleans, LA, June 19-20, 2012, commend the use of a “Sinner’s Prayer” as a biblically sound and spiritually significant component of the evangelistic task of the church; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all Christians to enthusiastically and intentionally proclaim the Gospel to sinners everywhere, being prepared to give them the reason for the hope we have in Christ (I Peter 3:15), and being prepared to lead them to confess faith in Christ (Romans 10:9), including praying to receive Him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12).

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Hell, Gilgul Neshamot and Ibbur Neshamot:
What Happens When We Die?By Rabbi Yochanan Levine © 3.4.10 (latest update 01.17.11)

Let's discuss this on my Blog!

B"H
Among the Nicene Christian dogmas few are so deeply held as the belief in the place of torment known as Hell. Throughout the centuries Nicean pastors and evangelists have hammered the ultimate damnation of the "lost" so thoroughly into the consciousness of the world that even questioning the dogma often meets with accusations of heresy! Others reject God out of hand, arguing that such a cruel Being is not worthy of worship!
As Messianic Jews we are commanded by our Rebbe to search the Scriptures and determine what is biblical truth and what is not. So here we go...

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some people think of slowness; on the contrary, he is patient with you; for it is not his purpose that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sins. (II Peter 3:9)

The Fear of the Lord...

First we need to realize that God is not our enemy! He is our eternal well-wisher, our loving Father. He is Adonai Rohi: God our Shepherd Who guides us through still pastures even as we pass through the valleys of the shadow of death (Psalm 23). HaShem is with us.
The biblically mandated "fear of HaShem" needs to be properly understood.

Psalms 111:10 the first and foremost point of wisdom is the fear of ADONAI; all those living by it gain good common sense. His praise stands forever.

What is the fear of Adonai? Are we supposed to cower in fear that HaShem might do us some harm, that He might condemn us to eternal torment if we step out of line? God forbid! Adonai is Love (I John 4:16) and shows mercy to all (Numbers 14:18). He remembers that we are fallible beings formed of clay (Job 33:6)!
The Hebrew word translated as fear is yir'ah. This is the feminine infinitive form of ya're and means "moral reverence." In other words we are to stand in awe of the glory of HaShem. Maintaining such adoration of Him we should never even consider disobeying His righteous commandments. Not because we are "afraid" to but because of our love and admiration of His goodness. If a thing is His Will we simply know that it is for our best.
Both literally and figurative we are to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17), to glory in HaShem always (Philippians 4:4) and in all areas of our lives to trust in His goodness. This is what is meant.
One who lives in a state of terror and dread of a vengeful tormenting god could never do this! One might obey outwardly out of fear, but one could never love, honor and adore such a frightening deity!
The doctrine of Hell drives people away from God, it does not draw them to Him!
So... what about Hell?
There are a few scriptures that appear, on the surface, to support the existence of this dreadful place of after-life torment. This is true. However we are told to "rightly divide the Word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15) and to prayerfully reason (Isaiah 1:18) to determine the realities being expressed. When we do this we discover that the God of Love and Mercy would not torture people!

Pagan Origins

So where did the teaching of "Hellfire and damnation" come from?
As the Nicene Church was establishing its official doctrines and replacing biblical Messianic Judaism with Catholicism ("Universalism"), it is a well known and easily established fact that they incorporated the teachings of many different religious systems. These early "church fathers" were attempting to establish a new and global political and religious authority in order to control every aspect of human life. Whatever their motives, the Vatican created dogma of eternal torture as a powerful stick to wield against its opponents.
To this end the Catholic Bishops incorporated the Roman Pagan teaching of Hades: A subterranean place of eternal fiery torment and damnation. Never mind that the dogma has no biblical basis, the Magisterium of the Church declared it so. The threat of eternal damnation made their subjects docile and the collection plates rang with tithes, offerings and indulgences as deceived people sought to purchase their salvation.
The imagery of the Nicene Hell is largely taken from the underworld abode of the god Hades and his part time lover Persephone.
Present day Nicene Christians vary on why people go to Hell. Some teach that the "lost" are condemned to Hell because they fail to make the one decision necessary to achieve salvation: they refuse to accept the death, burial and resurrection of Y'shua as taught by the Church. Others teach that if ones good deeds do not outweigh the negatives one goes there. Calvinists believe people have no choice in the matter at all. They say that the God of love and justice created most human being as fodder for Hell and only a few will be allowed to enter "Heaven." Catholicism is more clear: people go to Hell because they fail to accept Catholic Communion and authority. All Nicene Christians are quick to point out that Hell is not something God "does to us," it is something we do to ourselves.
This is known as blaming the victim! There is nothing just nor loving about this doctrine nor about a god that who create billions of beings solely to torture them throughout eternity. This is NOT the God of the Bible!

The Facts

• There is no biblical basis for this teaching.
• God can do anything and He could easily make another option for those who do not accept His gift of salvation.
• No Believers from the Abrahamic traditions living in the first century C.E. conceived of such a post-life torture.
• Many Pagans did believe in such horrors and they were viewed as savages because it.
• Not a single person in the Gospel accounts ever challenge Y'shua as to the origins of this non-Jewish teaching he allegedly taught.
• The doctrine directly challenges the Torah claims that God is Loving and Just (compare Romans 2:24).
• Many "Bible believing Christians" believe many unbiblical heresies. The near universality of the belief does not make it biblical

What the Bible Teaches

Hades
The Greek word hades is in our New Testament text eleven times. In ten of those cases it is translated as "hell" and once as "grave" in the King James Version.
So what is hades?
Here's what Strong's Concordance tells us about this word:

Name: Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead later use of this word: the grave, death, hell

That doesn't sound very biblical does it? And yet Y'shua was a Jew who came to call his fellow Jews back to the Written Torah and faith in HaShem. Are we supposed to believe he taught them to believe in the Greek myths? God forbid.
Tartaroo
A related Greek term is Tartaroo, used only at II Peter 2:4. Here's what Strong's says about it:

Word Origin: Greek, Verb from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hell) the name of the subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; to be trust down to Tartarus, to hold captive in Tartarus."

Biblical?
Of course not.
Gehenna
By far the most common word translated as "hell" in the Bible is Gehenna.
What is Gehenna? Verses like Joshua 18:16 tell us:

Then the border went down to the farthest part of the hill located in front of the Ben-Hinnom Valley [i.e. the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom: Gehenna], north of the Refa'im Valley [Valley of the Giants] ...

The valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) was frequently used by Pagan people for their religious rites:

II Chronicles 28:1 Achaz was twenty years old when he began his reign, and he ruled sixteen years in Yerushalayim [Jerusalem]. But he did not do what was right from the perspective of ADONAI, as David his ancestor had done.
2 Rather, he lived in the manner of the kings of Isra'el and made cast metal images for the ba'alim [the Pagan demigods or "masters" such as Hubal-Sin].
3 Moreover, he made offerings in the Ben-Hinnom Valley [i.e. the Valley of Gehenna] and even burned up his own children as sacrifices, in keeping with the horrible practices of the pagans, whom ADONAI had thrown out ahead of the people of Isra'el.

Such abominable acts were so common that they entered the language as figures of speech. This is how Rebbe Y'shua used the phrase. For instance:

KJV: Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell [i.e. Gehenna].

And again:

KJV: Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell [i.e. Gehenna]; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Some will argue that this doesn't prove Y'shua wasn't speaking literally. Perhaps, but contrast this pointed counsel:

KJV: Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Who believes Hell is watery? No, Y'shua was the celebrated Master of Parables, as we read:

Matthew 13:34 All these things Yeshua said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without using a parable.

While he frequently debated with his fellow rabbis, Y'shua focused his teachings on the common people he met. The Rebbe wanted to make his teachings clearly understood and relevant to their daily lives. He knew that the people of Jerusalem routinely carried their trash to the dump, a huge pit kept burning with fire and brimstone. The flames and the stench of the place were at times almost overwhelming. The city people viscerally understood that were a person to be thrown into those flames there would be no hope of survival! The very thought of it made one shutter. For this reason his analogy of Gehenna was well understood. A person cast in there would have no hope of redemption. They understood him perfectly however we are far removed from their experiences.
In the exact same way those who spent their time in little boats on the unpredictable and often violent seas understood well that if a heavy millstone stone were tied about ones neck and one was cast into the sea, there would be absolutely no hope of escape. Hence the Master of Parables used that example with them.
In modern parlance one may say that those who reject God's offer of the B'rit Hadashah (New Covenant) might as well be thrown into a garbage compacter and crushed or given a lethal injection of some toxin! This is what he was conveying with these analogies.

Does God Torture People?

Did/does the God of Israel torture people in the afterlife? The Sadducees were not even convinced the Torah taught an afterlife (Matthew 22:23) and the Pharisees (including Y'shua) had no concept of afterlife torture! The very idea would is completely foreign to Jewish (biblical) religion and thought. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead without a lot of specifics.
Such horrors were believed by the Pagans however and that's where the Vatican counsels got the idea!
The God of Israel is said to be a Jealous God (Exodus 20:5). He was known to punish His people in various ways during their lives in order to correct them (Deuteronomy 10:18). He also punished the Gentile nations at times, even cutting them off completely. The idea of eternal damnation and torture in the afterlife however was unheard of! HaShem, the God of Israel, is always shown in the Bible to be just and merciful in His rulings. An eternity of torment for even 80 years of uninterrupted sin is neither. Thousands of years of torment, millions of years of unending agony... for failing to properly place ones trust in God? Such a notion opposes everything we know about the God of the Bible who said "Come let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18). Biblical religion is completely rational. This dogma is not.

What Did Rebbe Y'shua Teach?

So what did our Rebbe teach about the afterlife? We know that his teachings are always harmonious with the Torah (Matthew 5:18), our source of authority and doctrine.

Matthew 22:23 That same day, some Tz'dukim [i.e. Sadducees] came to him. They are the ones who say there is no such thing as resurrection, so they put to him a sh'eilah [doctrinal challenge]:
24 "Rabbi, Moshe said, `If a man dies childless, his brother must marry his widow and have children to preserve the man's family line.'
25 There were seven brothers. The first one married and then died; and since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother.
26 The same thing happened to the second brother, and the third, and finally to all seven.
27 After them all, the woman died.
28 Now in the Resurrection -- of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all married her."
29 Yeshua answered them, "The reason you go astray is that you are ignorant both of the Tanakh and of the power of God.
30 For in the Resurrection, neither men nor women will marry; rather, they will be like angels in heaven.
31 And as for whether the dead are resurrected, haven't you read what God said to you,
32 `I am the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya`akov'? He is God not of the dead but of the living!"

Knowledge of the Scriptures is our safeguard from false doctrine always! (II Timothy 3:16)
Our Parush (Pharisee) Rebbe clearly believed in the resurrection. He agreed with the other P'rushim and rejected the Sadducees contention that we only symbolically live on through our children.
So in order to understand what the Master taught let's consider what the Rabbis (Pharisees) believe:

Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife, and leaves a great deal of room for personal opinion. It is possible for an Orthodox Jew to believe that the souls of the righteous dead go to a place similar to the Christian heaven, or that they are reincarnated through many lifetimes, or that they simply wait until the coming of the messiah, when they will be resurrected. (SOURCE)

The evidence shows that first century Jews believed primarily in the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age (in the Olam Haba or world to come). Heaven, as conceived by Nicene Christians, was not accepted nor even conceived of even though some modern Jews have embraced a similar concept today).
Sheol
The other word translated as Hell in English Bibles is found in the Tanakh (or "Old Testament"). This word is sheol.
In the KJV sheol is translated as grave 31 times, as hell 31 times and as pit 3 times. While some modern Jews do believe in a place similar to the Catholic notion of Purgatory -- for a time that never exceeds one year -- the word sheol literally means grave. When a person dies he/she goes to sheol: to the grave. The Sadducees believed life ended there (Mark 12;18). Rebbe Y'shua, our Cohen Gadol (High Priest and Mediator), knew that all souls are resurrected in the Olam Haba.
The Resurrection and/or Reincarnation of the Departed
As the above quote says of today's Orthodox Rabbis, like the Pharisees our Rebbe didn't speak much about the specifics of the afterlife. He was far more focused on encouraging his hearers to make wise decisions during this life. He did shed light on the subject however. Like the other Pharisees Y'shua taught the resurrection of the dead, and like the other Pharisees he doubtless accepted that reincarnation sometimes comes into play. For instance:

John 9:1 As Yeshua passed along, he saw a man blind from birth.
2 His talmidim asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned -- this man or his parents -- to cause him to be born blind?"
3 Yeshua answered, "His blindness is due neither to his sin nor to that of his parents; it happened so that God's power might be seen at work in him.

Note that the Rebbe accepted the possibility presented by his talmidim that the man's blindness could have been the result of own sins (i.e. in his past life). In that case he said that it wasn't it, but it could have been.
And again:

Matthew 17:10 The talmidim asked him, "Then why do the Torah-teachers say that Eliyahu [i.e. Elijah] must come first?"
11 He answered, "On the one hand, Eliyahu is coming and will restore all things;
12 on the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already, and people did not recognize him but did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way, the Son of Man too is about to suffer at their hands."
13 Then the talmidim understood that he was talking to them about Yochanan the Immerser.

Here the Rebbe states that John the Baptizer was the reincarnation of Prophet Elijah. It is sometimes argued that this only means that Yochanan was "like" Elijah in some way, however this is not what the Rebbe said.
Again, the specifics of the afterlife did not seem to hold much interest for Rebbe Y'shua. His interest is in what we do in the here and now. After our bodies die, Baruch HaShem; God will handle things. We can trust in Him.
Gilgul Neshamot and Ibbur Neshamot
What we might think of as "standard reincarnation" is known in Judaism as gilgul neshamot: the cyclic rolling of souls. The understanding being that the soul "rolls" from one body to the next. Some believe that all souls go through this "rolling" and eventually most come to embrace the Truth while others view this process as an exception that sometimes occurs.
Famed Jewish rabbi and philosopher Saʻadiah ben Yosef (882-942 C.E.) discussed this in his Emunoth ve-Deoth (or Beliefs and Opinions). While defending the traditional Jewish teaching of the resurrection of the dead, he added the fact that some Jews believe in reincarnation as well:

"Yet I must say that I have found certain people, who call themselves Jews, professing the doctrine of metempsychosis, which is designated by them as the theory of the 'transmigration' of souls. What they mean thereby is that the spirit of Reuben is transferred to Simeon and afterwards to Levi and after that to Judah...."

When this teaching is held in mind it gives new insight into verses such as the following:

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.
17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved.

As Cohen Gadol (High Priest and Mediator between humanity and God) Y'shua desire is that everyone in the world ("kosmos") might be saved. Through the processes of gilgul neshamot that possibility is greatly increased. Again we read:

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some people think of slowness; on the contrary, he is patient with you; for it is not his purpose that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sins.

However not all will be saved as the next verse shows:

II Peter 3:10 However, the Day of the Lord will come "like a thief." On that Day the heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will melt and disintegrate, and the earth and everything in it will be burned up.

There is coming a day when the chronically unrepentant will be destroyed.
Ibbur Neshamot (the impregnation or incubation of souls) is a more specialized form of reincarnation in which a soul is sent from the spirit realms to impregnate a woman in order to achieve some specific goal or task. This has happened several times according to the rabbis.
Messianic Jews are quick to point out that Rebbe Y'shua is the supreme example of this sort of incarnation. He was specifically sent into the womb of Miryam to fulfill the purposes of HaShem. Ibbur neshamot are always from a positive source.
This term is also used to refer to temporary spirit possession or incubation (again always in a positive light) in which a righteous non-incarnate soul temporarily enters the body of a material being in order to perform some task or accomplish a needed mitzvah (good deed). Sometimes the host is aware of this, sometimes not.
The opposite of this second use is the dybbuk which is an evil and/or demonic possession of a person.

The resurrection

The resurrection of the dead in the Olam Haba and reincarnation (preparing the neshamot or souls for the resurrection) were the common beliefs of most first century Jews (other than the Sadducees who were considered odd for not believing in them). From all evidence this is what our Rebbe believed and taught.

1. Souls reincarnate until they embrace the Truth or time runs out.
2. Liberated souls sleep peacefully awaiting the resurrection.
3. Some souls are called forth for specific tasks from time to time.
4. Many believe that there are eternally Jewish and non-Jewish souls.
5. All Jewish souls were present at Mount Sinai and accepted the Covenant there.
6. Jewish souls do not always incarnate in Jewish bodies.
7. What matters is the here and not, not the after life.

These are fundamental beliefs of traditional Rabbinic Judaism (including authentic Messianic Jews). These beliefs helped to differentiate the Pharisees (from whom Rabbinic Judaism arose) and the Sadducees (from whom the Karaite Jews arose). The Sadducees rejected the concept because it is not explicitly mentioned in the Torah (although it is strongly implied, Ezekiel 37 for instance). The Pharisees found the concept strongly implied in certain Bible verses and taught directly in portions of the Oral Torah. What neither sect believed in was the existence of the Pagan Nicene Hell.
Belief in the resurrection of the dead is one of Rambam's (i.e. Moses Maimonides: Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) 13 Principles of the Jewish Religion. The second blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, which is recited three times daily by faithful Jews, contains several references to resurrection.
The resurrection of the dead will occur during the Thousand Year Theocratic Kingdom. This time period is referred to in Hebrew as the Olam Haba or the World to Come. The term is also sometimes used to refer to the spiritual afterlife apart from the Messianic Kingdom. Once Y'shua HaMoshiach initiates his Kingdom of Peace, the righteous dead will be brought back to life and given the opportunity to experience the perfected world of New Eden. This topic is discussed elsewhere on this site in more detail.
The doctrines of gilgul neshamot and ibbur neshamot explain how HaShem is liberating the world through His Moshiach, our Cohen Gadol, Y'shua the Nazarene.




In simple terms, Hell is the absence of God's Holy Presence.
What could be more hellish than that!

SOURCE: [1] http://www.christianpost.com/news/david-platt-still-addressing-controversy-over-sinners-prayer-remarks-77462/ 
SOURCE: [2] http://www.jewtoo.org/hell.html