Dear Mike,

1Pe 4:17 For the time [ is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [ it] first [ begin] at us, what shall the end [ be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?

It seems to me you are adding to the Bible here. Also, Paul asks what the fate of those that do not obey will be. Does this not, at the least, imply it will be unpleasant? And Jesus speaks of people being beaten with “many stripes” and “few stripes”. That sounds most unpleasant for those on the receiving end. If the fire is symbolic as you claim, then why compare it to being beaten with stripes?
Love,
R____

Hi R____,

I am at a loss at how you figure “I am adding to the Bible”. It is I who pointed out to you that God’s elect endure the very same fire that is in the “lake of fire”. It is compared to “stripes” for the very reason that the word “fire”, as in “fiery trials”, is symbolic of the very stripes we receive if we are indeed the house of God being judged now”. I quoted the verse which calls the stripes we ourselves receive, “fiery”, from just four verse prior to 1Pe 4:17.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Now if “you” are tried by “fire” and “every man’s works” are to be tried by “fire” how am I “adding to the word” when I point out that this “fiery” judgment “begins at the house of God?

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. [ The “lake of fire” Isa 33:14 and Rom 11:30-31]
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

No, it is the “great whore” of Babylon who has turned the Hebrew word for age, (olawm) into eternity, and the Greek word for age, (aion) into eternity, who has “added to God’s Word” and who will be tormented by that very doctrine until the day all her adherents confess that “he himself will be saved; yet so as by fire”.
I showed you in Isa 33:14-15, and Jer 5:14, that the word ‘fire’ is the symbol for the Truth which is the Word of God. It is the great whore and all of her harlot daughters who insist on making that fire literal and eternal, thus making a loving heavenly Father into some Satanic monster whose vengeance is insatiable and whose mercy is nonexistent.
I hope this helps to relieve you of this monstrous black eye the great whore has placed on our loving heavenly Father “who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”, that it is “so as by fire” that we are all saved, either now or in the symbolic “lake of fire” Peter refers to when he asks “what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel”.
Yes, indeed, it will be very “unpleasant” to be in that “consuming flame” referred to in Isa 33:14-15, but it will be that very flame which will save those who are placed there to receive mercy at the hands of those who have gone through that very same “consuming flame” and “fiery trials” while in these vessels of clay.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

I have five children who have endured many “fiery trials” at my loving hands. You can bet it was very “unpleasant” as you say, but it was the fire of my own words which my children had disobeyed, and it was through my mercy that they were disciplined.
I challenge you and anyone else to explain to me how any loving father can torment for eternity in literal flames a son for whom he professes love and tells us that “His mercy endures for ever”? I challenge anyone to explain why, in all the verses above, this fire is symbolic, yet when it come to the lake of fire, a symbolic figure if ever there was one, for some reason this fire is not symbolic?
Isaiah say “the righteous” are that fire. Jeremiah say the same thing. Peter tells us we have endured that same fire. Paul reveals that “every man… is saved; yet so as by fire”. So who now is it who is “adding to the word of God”?
It is that great whore of Rev 17-18, and all of her harlot daughters, who refuse to acknowledge that everyone who is not a believer in this life, and whose name is not in the book of life at the great white throne will be cast into a symbolic lake of fire to “receive mercy through the mercy” of those who now are receiving mercy at the hands of a loving heavenly Father.
If indeed, “the days of every man who has ever lived were written in God’s book before there were any of them”, how can a loving heavenly Father not, “save every man… by fire”?

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.
Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
1Co 3:13 Every man‘s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Fire saves! Christ and His Words are that fire which will save all men.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [ not exclusively] of those that believe.
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now Who is it who is “adding to the Word”?
Your brother in a loving Savior “who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth”.

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Mike