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NASB | Matthew 24:14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 24:14 "This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come. |
Subject: Every NATION or every PERSON? |
Bible Note: Hi Mark, You asked "Do you intend to imply that if someone has reached a different conclusion from this Scripture, that it is a "less than careful" reading? Yes, I did, and I apologize for thinking that way. Herod's contempt for Jesus (Luke 23:11) and Pilate's spineless expediency (Luke 23:24) and the Jews' "Crucify! Crucify him!" (Luke 23:21) and the Gentile soldiers' mockery (Luke 23:36) were also sinful attitudes and deeds. Yet in Acts 4:27-28 Luke expresses his understanding of the sovereignty of God in these acts by recording the prayer of the Jerusalem saints: Truly in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do whatever thy hand and thy plan (boule) had predestined to take place. The above is an example from Piper's article. It clearly shows that God does accompish His perfect will. He never is frustrated or defeated by the choices of the wicked! Take Joseph's brothers for example. When they sold Joseph into slavery, onthe one hand it was becasue they chose to sell him. On the other hand, it was part of God's plan for saving many people. His ways are NOT our ways! We won't ever understand Him better if we continue to interpret Him from our human perspective. "Herod, Pilate, the soldiers and Jewish crowds lifted their hand to rebel against the Most High only to find that their rebellion was unwitting (sinful) service in the inscrutable designs of God."-Piper Job 8:9 "For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are as a shadow. John |