How do you understand/see/explain this...?

Question

John 14-2
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you."

My opinion, Jesus is saying that diversity is accepted in Heaven. Therefore, all the religions will take us to the same place.

Mario M, I don't believe in hell.

Seth B, if Heaven is reserved exclusively for Christians, why the idea of "many rooms"? Why the idea of diversity? Why the idea of several possibilities?

Answer 1

Have you ever heard of the Gospel of Inclusionism (http://www.apocatastasis.org/inclusion.html if you'd like to see more go to "New Dimensions")? The basic precept is that Christ died for everyone. If you think about it, this is confirmed by these two scriptures:

Romans 10:9:
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This seems exclusionary, but then we have this:

Romans 14:11:
It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "

So if you confess, you are saved, and every person will confess...hmmm...

It should also be noted that in the original Greek and Aramaic, Jesus never spoke of a fiery hell. The words he used were "sheol" and "Hades", which mean, respectively:

Sheol Used of National Judgments

Many times the Bible uses the word sheol of national judgments, i.e., the vanishing of a nation. In Isa. 14.13, 15, Isaiah said Babylon would go to sheol, and she vanished. In Ezek. 26.19-21, Tyre so vanished in sheol. Likewise, in the New Testament, in Mt. 11.23, 12.41, Lk. 10.15, and 11.29-32, Jesus said that Capernaum would so disappear. These nations and cities didn't go to a particular location, but they were going to disappear, and they did. They were destroyed. Thus, sheol is used commonly of national judgments in both the Old and New Testaments.

Hades:
Hades Used of Anything Unseen

The New Testament equivalent of sheol is hades, which occurs only eleven times. Like its synonym sheol, the King James Version translates the word “hell.” However, the correct translation is hades, or the unseen. The Bible doesn't use hades exclusively for a place of punishment. Luke 16 pictures righteous Lazarus there. Acts 2.27, 31 says Jesus went there. In I Cor. 15.15, Paul used the same word when he said, “O grave, where is thy victory?” In Rev. 1.18, Jesus said he had the controlling keys of death and hades, the unseen, and in Rev. 6.8, death and hades followed the pale horse. Finally, in Rev. 20.13, 14, death and hades gave up the dead that were in them, and were then cast into the lake of fire. These verses illustrate that hades refers to anything that is unseen.

Yes, I copied and pasted this from a website, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Some would refer to Jesus' use of the word "Gehenna". Gehenna was actually a valley where Jews were burned by the Romans...lol...it would be funny how it got misconstrued, if it weren't so damn sad.

I suggest everyone read this website. It explains the origins of the "burning in eternal fire" fable. It will also explain why I am always saying the KJV is the worst translation going.:http://www.gospelthemes.com/hell.htm

If Jesus didn't save everyone, then the work on the cross is incomplete.

PS
I've fixed the first link now.

Answer 2

That is poor exegesis. Read the entire pertinent scripture in context. You will see that Jesus was specifically addressing His disciples, just after telling them that He would be with them only a little longer. They were terribly distressed, and He was comforting them, by speaking these words... "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

These words are to His disciples, so that they know that although He is going away, it is necessary, and also so they know that He will return for them, and that they will be with Him. It is to convey to them the limitless possibilities of the kingdom of Heaven, and the certainty that they will be able to spend eternity with Him in heaven. It has absolutely nothing to do with diversity.

Answer 3

I shall use a joke to illustrate this for you. It was told to me by my priest:

A Methodist woman died and went to the Pearly Gates. She was taken in by St. Peter and they walked a ways down a winding path. By and by they came across a group of people laughing, singing, and praising the Lord. The woman inquired who they are. St. Peter said, "Oh, they are the baptists, that is their group, and they are having a great time." They walked on. By and by they came across another group, laughing, singing, and praising God. When the woman asked who they were, St. Peter replied, "Oh, those are the Lutherans; they are doing their thing." Finally, they came across another group and St. Peter said, "ah, and here are the Methodists". When they got there the woman noticed a huge stone wall over to the right. The woman said, "St. Peter, what is that wall for?" St. Peter said, "SHHHHH!!! That's the Catholics, and they think they are the only ones up here!!!"

Answer 4

Actually the passage you are reciting tells us that there is room for all believers in Christ, Jesus oes on to say in the same passage " ...that i am going to prepare a place for you?" he told his apostles this, so they would know their is room in heaven for all his believers and when we die he will have a place in Heaven prepared for us!

Peace in Christ ( hope this helps )

Answer 5

it is simple.
anyone that follows on the teachings of Jesus on earth has a place in heaven,Jesus himself is getting it ready for you. Jesus' teachings are all about diversity.

Answer 6

I am sure the verse below that one says "Only Christians are the ones that will be accepted into heaven"

Answer 7

Segregation?

Answer 8

Yes, good think that Jesus is honest to tell us the truth... Hey, your interpretation is super! Bear in mind that very seldom Jesus meant what he said and that everything needs to be interpreted the way you are doing it...

Answer 9

But Jesus was recorded as saying something to the effect that if you are not for him you are against him. That doesn't sound like he would agree with your conclusion.
.

Answer 10

As a Wiccan i believe hat we create our own misfortune, that the actions we take part in will be judged by many and understood by few. i think he was saying that acceptence is important, if you can recognise that the person has the right intentions.