'In' Small But Important

Dear Mike,

I would also like to ask you what you think about remarrying the same man.

By the way, the man who believes that everybody will be saved in Christ often quotes the following passages: 1 Cor. 15:22, 1Tm 4:10, Col:1:20, Ef.1:10.

Betty.

Hi Betty,

Deut. 24:1-4 says that a woman may not remarry her husband after he has married someone in between her first marriage and what would be the second with the same man. This probably had economic basis, but the fact remains that the Bible says that someone may remarry the same person, but only if there hasn't been a marriage in between the first and second marriage.

So getting remarried is okay as long a there hasn't been an intervening marriage.

1 Cor. 15:22 says, "for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." The key to figuring this verse out is the small word 'in.' In Adam all sin. In Christ all shall be made alive. We are born in Adam, but we are only transfered from being in Adam to being in Christ by faith. No faith, no transfer. So all who are in Christ will be saved, but not all are in Christ.

1 Tim. 4:10 says, "for to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe." The word 'especially' is a word that emphasizes the case rather than distinguishes the case. In other words it is not saying that God saves everyone and in some funny sense, those who believe have some kind of special salvation. He is saying God saves everyone who is saved. And salvation comes to those who believe. The Greek word translated (in English) 'especially' should have been translated 'that is.' It would then read, "who is the Savior of all people, that is, of those who believe."

Col. 1:20 simply says that all things will be reconciled, or made right. This does not mean that all will be saved, only that all will be made right. Rom. 9 makes it clear that sending people to Hell will bring glory to God and so sending rebellious people to Hell will help bring all to reconciliation. The cross made enemies as well as friends. Jesus came to bring a sword after all (Mt. 10:34). Judgement works both ways. It reconciles books in both directions. It gives everyone what they want. Those in Christ get Christ. Those in rebellion against Christ, get to be freed from him forever.

Eph. 1:10 is followed immediately by 1:11 which starts with "In Him" which further explains and qualifies what Paul is talking about in verse 10. The Bible is clear that only those who have faith will be saved for eternity. The rest don't want to be saved. They want to be apart from God, to have nothing to do with him. It would be Hell for God to make those who hate him to have to spend eternity with him. Hey, maybe I'm on to something here.

No God tells that there is a special place for those who refuse to submit themselves to God and to embrace his loving provision for them (Mt. 25).

I hope this helps.