The "Cracky" and "Wacky" Universalism

[Socialite]

To some, the idea of a Final Judgement seems unreasonable. This is where the idea of universalism surfaces. Some contend that those who in this life reject the offer of salvation will, after their death and Christ's second coming, be sobered by their situation and will therefore be reconciled to Christ.

While I won't pretend this is an easy matter to resolve (certainly a couple passages appears contradictory), but I believe we can understand them better in light of all scriptures on that subject. It's never good to form a doctrine on ambiguity.

Contradictory Scriptures?
Phil 2:10-11 "At the name of Jesus every knee (shall) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Col 1:19-20 "In Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

More verses used: Romans 5:18; 11:32; 1 Corinthians 15:22.

To be continued...

[Socialite]

Other scriptures seem to contradict the idea of Universalism though:

Mt 25:46 "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Also: Mt 8:12, John 3:16, 5:28-29; Romans 2:5; 2 Thess 1:9

Can these apparent contradictions be reconciled (that is the question)? Millard Erickson, says, "A fruitful endeavor here it to interpret the universalistic passages in such a way as to fit with the restrictive ones." So, for example, Phil 2:10-11 and Col 1:19-20 do not say that all will be saved and restored to fellowship with God. They speak only of setting right the disrupted order of the universe, the bringing of all things into the subjection to God. But this could be achieved by forcing the rebels into reluctant submission; it does not necessarily point to an actual return to fellowship.

To give some slack to this post, I will skip over commentary on the other verses for now. I am happy to deal with them though (the universal effect of Adam's sin vs. how that applies to the universal dimension of Christ's work - Rom 5:18 for example). Most of this just requires us to read the preceding and proceeding verses. For example, Romans 5:17 says that "those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." The term "many," rather than "all" is used in verses 15 and 19 --- same restrictive use in 1 Cor 15:22.

Continued...

[Socialite]

Eternal Punishment

Not only is the future judgment of unbelievers irreversible, but their punishment is eternal. Annihilationism attempts to refute this, but the biblical evidence is staggering. It contradicts both OT and NT references to the "unending" or "unquenchable" fire. Jesus borrows the imagery of Isa 66:24: "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

Other words are used to reinforce this too:
"Everlasting" "eternal" "forever"

all applied to nouns designating the future state of the wicked: fire or burning (Isa 33:14, Jer 17:4, Mt 18:8, 25:41, Jude 7).

[Socialite]

But the question is asked...

What kind of God is it who is not satisfied by a finite punishment, but makes humans suffer for ever and ever? The punishment seems out of proportion to the sin, for presumably all sins are finite acts against God. How does one square a belief in a good, just and loving God with eternal punishment? I think these are good questions as they reference the very character and nature of God....

We should know that when we sin, an infinite factor is involved. All sin is an offense against God, the raising of a finite will against an infinite God. It is failure to carry out one's obligation to him to whom everything is due. So sin cannot be considered just a finite act deserving finite punishment.

God does not send anyone to hell. He desired that none should perish (2 Pet 3:9). It is the choice of humans to experience the agony of hell. Their sin sends them there, and their rejection of the benefit of Christ's death prevents their escape. They've resisted the protective cover of His body.

C.S Lewis: "It's like saying, 'Go away and leave me alone.'" Hell is saying back, "You may have your wish." It is God leaving one to oneself, as they've chosen, despite the pain it brings him.

[Socialite]

Implications:

1) Decisions we make in this life will govern our future condition not merely for a period of time, but for all eternity. This should sober us.

2) Conditions of this life are transit in nature -- they fade into significance when compared to eternity.

3) The nature of future estates is far more intense than anything known in this life. Images, dreams, imaginations... all are inadequate. The joy we will have there far transcends how we even relate to the idea of joy here.

4) Hell is not so much a torture chamber of physical suffering, as it is an intense and awful loneliness of total and final separation from the Lord.

The judgement of God is severe and serious. He sent His own Son, wrapped Himself in flesh to bear that judgment. This was a job he had to do himself. He absorbed the penalty, made an escape route and simply asked us to get back into covenant with Him by believing. He even said we wouldn't go back to tit-for-tat, being condemned by our own records, but that we would be seen in Him.

The eternal punishment was so severe, He had to come establish a way out.

This is the heart of the Gospel. It's HOPE! There's a way out! But this also means, denying, refusing or rejecting that way out is an eternal decision.

[Socialite]

For God to Universally save everyone, there is no Gospel, no Mission, no Church, no Pentecost. If he "willed" it to be done, it would be done. No plan, no good news --- the reality is.... it's like saying can he create a rock too heavy to lift... he can't. He made us to have a choice. He's made it hard to refuse. He's made it difficult to turn down. He's drowned us in a sea of Grace when he shows up, but it can still be refused. It's the very nature and law of His own creation. It's that vulnerable flaw that gives it beauty --- life, instead of plastic reproduction.

But He's done all the work. He just asks us to rest, trust and believe in Him. Not a bad deal

[Socialite]

CREDIT: A good chunk of this post was abbreviated, paraphrased and sometimes verbatim old notes from aTheology II class I once took --- Instructor was Prof. Crosby. Textbook was "Christian Doctrine" by Millard Erickson.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Socialite

Contradictory Scriptures?
Phil 2:10-11 "At the name of Jesus every knee (shall) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Col 1:19-20 "In Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

More verses used: Romans 5:18; 11:32; 1 Corinthians 15:22.

To be continued...

That "every knee will bow" does not equate "every heart will be saved". Also this is like me saying "Hey, are you coming to the party? Everyone will be there"..does not mean every one from every nation that ever lived and died or will be born and die will be there

Other verses speak on the purpose of what He did. Yet in context we often see a condition

Col 1:22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
Col 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

[Truthseeker]

There are hard questions that seem difficult ot reconcile such as why burn sinners forever when one has no choice but be a sinner.

[Socialite]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

There are hard questions that seem difficult ot reconcile such as why burn sinners forever when one has no choice but be a sinner.

Actually, TS, they are offered a way out through Jesus.

Read the post again -- God does not torture sinners forever, they are condemned and judged by their own actions, and God's own character, Justice. But He loved them enough to not only come up with a way out, but came Himself to be that Way out.