I am sure that a certain number of the cong relished a study containing "meat" that exercised their brains if they tried to follow it and another number who groaned and let it pass them by. The death of Jesus and his sacrifice should be simple, it is after all the chief teaching of Christianity....
Para 11 had a subtle 'new light ' in it...They quoted the "Insight book" and said that it WAS understood that the ransom included Jesus and the potentially perfect children that he could have produced, to balance sinful Adam and all of us...Now the ransom has "changed" . Does that mean that God has changed his direction? Has the Holy Spirit been misleading them on the most important point of their beliefs for all these years?
Now they say that the ransom was just Jesus alone, and his life balances Adam....which is all that most dubs knew anyway...
BTW. I wondered how Jesus could have been the "Source of billions of perfect descendents"? If he had disobeyed God and married instead of being a Ransomer then he would have been a perfect deliberate sinner, just like Adam ...surely? and could have only passed on sin to his offspring..And also if he had married a righteous Jewish girl then she would have been imperfect so her children would have been imperfect ????
Para 13 said that "It was not that God owed it to the apostles and others to apply the ransom" instead he did it out of love. O K that may be true of the human race but once Jesus had promised a Heavenly reward to his faithful disciples, surely he was obliged to follow through and provide it? (Or am I missing something?)
The article is all about the great love of God in providing this arrangement but I read before in the Insight Book that mankind's salvation is incidental to His great eternal purpose which, they say , is the "Sanctification of his name". That comes first and any benefits we ge are merely "extras" . So who is he loving first? ...according to their teaching??? I guess it depends on who writes the article and what point they wish to be making...
Thanks BLONDIE !