Heaven by Randy Alcorn
Week 2: Part One — Grasping a Biblical Theology of the Afterlife
Read Part One, Chapters 1–4 of Heaven by Randy Alcorn. Key passages: Genesis 1–2; Romans 8:18-25; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1-5.
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Before we can understand where we're going, Alcorn argues, we must understand where we came from — and what God's original intentions for creation reveal about our eternal destination.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Alcorn introduces the concept of the "Redemption Paradigm" versus the "Creation Paradigm." Briefly, the Creation Paradigm says God will redeem and restore what He made; the Redemption Paradigm (wrongly applied) implies God will scrap creation and replace it with something entirely different. Which of these has shaped your thinking, and why does it matter which one is correct?
2.Alcorn argues that the fall of Genesis 3 did not destroy God's original purpose for humanity — to rule over and enjoy a physical Earth in God's presence — but rather interrupted it. How does this framing change the way you read the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation?
3.Alcorn draws attention to Romans 8:19-22, where Paul says creation itself is "groaning" and waiting for liberation. How does Alcorn interpret this passage, and what does it tell us about God's intentions for the physical world?
a.Does the groaning creation passage change how you think about environmental care or your relationship to the physical world?
b.What does it mean that creation waits for "the revealing of the sons of God"?
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