FREE. Published in 2007, 19 pages. Read a short article on some very important interpretive issues in scripture that we must each come to terms with, if we are to grasp the full significance of being a shepherd of God … in contrast to being a child of God.
Serving as a shepherd leader in eternity comes with conditions of faithfulness and preparation. Being a child of God in eternity is dependent only on trust in Jesus Christ to save us. This article, designed for an evangelical and theologically conversant audience, discusses some biblical (Greek) terms that have created confusion in this area. The terms have led some readers to apply conditions which must be met to be an eternal servant leader to being a child of God. The article seeks to shed light on these Greek words in a way that disentangles conditional shepherd leadership from the believer’s unconditional status as a child of God. Because it originally appeared in Testamentum Imperuim: An International Theological Journal it carries the fancy title: “Hermeneutics: The Distinction Between the Gift of Salvation and Future Rewards.” (Hermeneutics is the study and application of principles of scriptural interpretation.)
