Original title: Reconciliation: a Gift Received from God, or a Goal to Earn as one?

In this episode, Brendon and Skyler discuss the thirty-eighth lesson in the LDS Come, Follow Me sunday school manual. This week (September 11-17) is titled "Be Ye Reconciled to God” and covers 2 Corinthians 1-7. 

We invite you to worship with us on any Sunday - either at First Baptist Church of Provo or Christ Presbyterian Church in Magna. We welcome visitors!  

Pastor Brendon's Colossians series can be found here and/or here. 

Seminary Manual: here, here, here 

Gospel Principles: here and here 

“Waiting on the Lord” (Jeffrey Holland); and notice that in the quotation we included, he is building on a previous LDS apostle, Neal Maxwell. 

Also see Brigham Young: JD 8.31 

The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer Kimball 

• See also here, here and here 

“The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness” (Kevin Duncan) 

Alma 42.13, 25; Mormon 9.19 

A Gospel Trilogy by Cleon Skousen  

“The Power of the Book of Mormon in Conversion” (Benjamin M.Z.); wherein he includes a quote from Elder Bednar stating that: “Knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion”, followed by the statement - “Conversion requires us to be ‘doers of the word, and not hearers only’. The Lord’s action plan for use – the doctrine of Christ – is taught most clearly in the Book of Mormon” followed by a to-do list. 

“Justification and Sanctification” (D. Todd Christofferson) 

Understanding Paul by Richard Lloyd Anderson 

The New Testament Made Easier by David Ridges 

A few of his interpretations that we failed to mention include: 

• 2 Cor. 4.10, on the line “that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body”: “That, through our faithfulness, we might be resurrected to eternal life with Christ.” 
• On the JST 2 Cor. 4.15 - where Joseph Smith added two commas, neither of which alter the meaning significantly, he states: “Just another reminder that Joseph Smith paid very close attention to detail as he worked on the JST.” 
• 2 Cor. 4.17, on the phrase “eternal weight of glory”, he states: “Exaltation in the Kingdom of God; see D&C 132.16”. 
• 2 Cor. 7.10, on the phrase “to salvation”, he states: “and thus obtain exaltation”. 
• On JST 2 Cor. 5.18, on the phrase “and receiveth all the things of God”, he stated: “...all that my Father hath shall be given unto him”, D&C 84.36; In other words, exaltation”. 
• 2 Cor. 5.20, on the phrase “Be ye reconciled to God”- he states: “Be brought into harmony with the Father through the Atonement of Christ”. 

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman 

Christianity and Liberalism; What is Faith?; The Person of Jesus by J. Gresham Machen 

Simply Trinity; None Greater by Matthew Barrett 

The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til by Lane Tipton 

All That Is in God by James Dolezal (also here, here and here) 

American Awakening by Joshua Mitchell 

Justification Reconsidered by Stephen Westerholm 

The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross by Leon Morris 

Core Christianity; Christless Christianity by Michael Horton (also here and here) 

Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray 

How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Evil and Suffering; The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson (and here) 

2 Corinthians (NIV Application Commentary) by Scott Hafemann 

Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns 

Embodying Forgiveness by L. Gregory Jones 

When Grace Comes Alive by Terry Johnson 

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey 

American Gospel: Christ Crucified 

What is the Gospel? (Voddie Baucham) 

Common Grace and the Gospel by Cornelius Van Til 

Living In Union with Christ by Grant Macaskill 

Union with the Resurrected Christ by G.K. Beale 

The Temple and the Church’s Mission by G.K. Beale: 

• It was interesting to me that the LDS curriculum neglected the temple passages and themes in this epistle, entirely. G.K. Beale covers it showing that for Paul, in both Corinthian epistles, teaches/assumes that “the church [is] the actual beginning fulfillment of the end-time temple prophesied in the Old Testament...he compares the church to a temple because he understands it to be the inaugurated fulfillment of the expected latter-day temple.” (p.253) 

• “...Paul is not merely making an analogy between a temple idea and that of Christians, but that Christians are the beginning fulfillment of the actual prophecy of the end-time temple.” (p.254) 

• “Intriguingly, Ezekiel 11:16 says that when Israel was in captivity God ‘was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone’! This assertion is made in direct connection with Ezekiel 10:18, in which ‘the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple’ in Jerusalem (Ezek. 10:18; similarly, Ezek. 11.23). It is likely not coincidental that God’s glorious presence departed from the temple and then is said to be with the remnant, who have gone into captivity. His presence would return with the restored people and would once again take up residence in another temple. It is likely that this did not occur in the second temple that was built after Israel’s return. God’s tabernacling presence expressed itself in the coming of Christ, who ‘tabernacled among’ Israel, and they ‘beheld his glory’ (John 1:14). Those who identify with Christ become like the Corinthians, part of the true temple.” (p. 255) 

• “Christ and his people have become what the microcosmic symbolism of the old temple foreshadowed...Christ initially fulfilled the temple promise (cf.1:20), and the readers participate in that fulfillment also, as they are ones ‘having these promises’ (7:1). 

• The curriculum, of course, skips over the language of the new temple being one “not made with hands” - and Beale discusses this phrase as Paul uses it in 5.1. This is just, initially, the most obvious point which should signal to the reader that this cannot be a basis for a future temple made with hands, let alone hundreds - to say nothing of the myriad theological differences in purpose and practice. 

• Beale ends on a note worth including: “The manner by which glory grows in the temple is rather ironic: it is as the believer perseveres through suffering. God’s glorious ‘power is perfected in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12.9). In fact, this increasing glory through the weakness of the true, visible church is the growth of the temple itself. As Christians trust God in the midst of trial and their own weaknesses, God make his glory shine in us. God has designed that ‘we have this treasure’ of his glory shine in us. God has designed that ‘we have this treasure’ of his glory ‘in earthen [weak] vessels in order that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves’ (2 Cor. 4:6b-7).” (p.259)