Question 165: What does the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister, mean? P. R.
Answer: The Apostle Paul was the minister of the Church and the minister of that gospel which associates those who receive it with Christ in glory (Eph. 3:2-10).
So he preached to both Jew and Gentile – to every creature under heaven. It does not mean that every creature heard him, but that it was preached to every creature, not to Jews only.
Question 166: What does 2 Timothy 3:5 mean? A. P.
Answer: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 is a description of some professing Christianity in the last days; we shall find it applicable now.
2 Timothy 3:5. They have the form or outward profession, this may consist in being church members; they take the sacrament, as they call it. They may be teachers of class or Sunday School; attending to the outward forms of religion, and yet are not born of God. Such know not that they are lost by nature, and so have not come to Christ as their Savior. They! think they are all right and have as good a chance of heaven as anyone. They deny the reality or power of true godliness; they think there is nothing more in Christianity than the mere form they have. The word says, “From such turn away.” You may speak the gospel to them, and many such have been awakened out of their death sleep through the mercy of God, but it is not for us as true Christians to associate with them in spiritual things, as if they were really the Lord’s people. We should warn them of their danger and not help on their delusion.
Question 167: Does 2 Corinthians 5:10 apply to saved and unsaved alike? P. R.
Answer: All; both saved and unsaved must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ (or “of God” Rom. 14:10-12), for He is the appointed Judge (John 5:22,27; Acts 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1).
But all will not appear at the same time, nor for the same purpose. The “resurrection of life,” (John 5:29) or first resurrection (Rev. 20:5) includes all the heavenly saints, who have been raised or changed, and are there in bodies of glory, like Christ’s body of glory (Phil. 3:21). These are manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ, to see what grace has done for them; and to receive tokens of Christ’s approval or disapproval of their ways.
When the unsaved dead at the resurrection of judgment, (John 5:29,) shall stand at the judgment-seat, it is called the Great White Throne. There they receive their sentences for their sins and are from thence cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20).
In Matthew 25:31-46, we get some of the people of the nations living on the earth, who took part in helping or persecuting the godly Jews in the time of their tribulation. These are brought before the King who has come in His glory. He divides them; those on the left hand are sent into eternal punishment; those on the right go into eternal life in the Kingdom on earth. 2 Timothy 4:1, Christ is the Judge all the way through.