Any perspective of the battle of good vs evil can change over the years. If the battle of good vs evil can be summed up in one word. That word might be justice. While justice should be like gravity affecting both sides with impartiality. Perceptions and paradigms distort what might be true justice. The question of what does God mean when he says something. It might be a game of how many different angles of delusions a doctrine can be approached, inputted, and regurgitated onto the masses.
Matthew 16:21-24 (Web) From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you. ” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
Interpretation, Peter voiced his perspective on Jesus. Then Jesus voiced his back and said to Peter “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me”. You might say Peter was acting in love with a voice of encouragement towards Jesus. As it turns out this version of love was as Satan and as a stumbling block. Good vs evil with a version of love and encouragement as a whip for the temple of God.
Perspectives and interpretations, Like using scripture to interpret scripture brings the fascinating question of is that even scriptural.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Web) 16 Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 17 that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
With what perspective in the battle of good vs evil would the above apply? Scriptures can be taken out of context. False teachers can also use the above to justify what they teach with the word.
Matthew 16:11-12 (Web) 11 How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 3 For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables.
Heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts. Easy to say complex in perspectives and interpretations. Good vs evil, the harlots in the church vs the harlots in society might be one interpretation. From a perspective, the battle of good vs evil is the battle of reaping what you sow. For God will not be mocked. This battle of good vs evil is the battle for your blessing. Sometimes evil will require justice. Sometimes it will require mercy and perhaps sometimes it will require a humbleness to realise you are no better than anybody else. Your blessing comes from the way you treat evil because what credit is it to you when it comes from love or good?
Luke 6:31-49 (Web) “As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
36 “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. 37 Don’t judge,
and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free,
and you will be set free. 38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
39 He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 42 Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye. 43 For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? 47 Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Church: The circular logic of saying you’re not a cult when members of your congregation are indoctrinated believers to your brand of Christianity. Sounds like just that, circular logic. You’re a cult.
If you consider the above to be a fixed teaching it would represent its own form of circular logic. A teaching after its own lust for a version of reality. Deep down it is hard to escape such influence that parts of the heart may have on an understanding. The mystery of iniquity seems like a strange reference in Thessalonians. The mystery of iniquity and then shall that wicked be revealed? It sounds a little like Peter who received the rebuke from Jesus’s mouth, there is also a reference to Satan.
2 Thessalonians 2:7- 13 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: