Evangelical Universalism - True or False Doctrine?

[Elhanan]

 

Although both camps do have measures of truth on their sides, ultimately they fail based on the following paradigm to which I propose a 3rd alternative.

 

Reason why I reject Calvinism:

(God is strong enough to save everyone) + (God does not want to save everyone) = Everyone is not saved

 

Reason why I reject Arminianism;

(God is not strong enough to save everyone) + (God does want to save everyone) = Everyone is not saved

 

Reason why I accept Evangelical Universalism:

(God Is strong enough to save everyone) + (God does want to save everyone) = Everyone is saved

 

I neither agree with one party 100%, but Universalism is not scriptural.  All through out the NT we are informed that not all will be saved.

 

Three years ago I too would have shared your opinion regarding universalism.  Since then my study of early church history as well as examining Scripture leads me to believe that all will eventually be saved.  Your claim that “All through out the NT we are informed that not all will be saved” can be contested.  I believe that most Christians have been so thoroughly indoctrinated to the view that God only saves the elect while the rest are consigned to eternal torment that they tend to read the scriptures through those lenses without giving due consideration to another view.  So in response to your assertion that all does not really mean “all" - What do the scriptures say?

 

Lk 2:10  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 

Would the Good News still be the good news if in reality it is only for some of the people?

 

Jn 12:32  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  

Did Jesus lie when he said “all” knowing very well that only the elect are predestined to salvation?  The word “draw” in this verse also means “drag” as when fishermen drag their nets full of catch.  When Jesus stated that he will drag all men to himself can anyone deny that God’s will can be thwarted and cannot accomplish what he set out to do?

 

1Tim 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 

This verse states that God saves all; not just some who believe.  The word “especially” denotes priority and particularity; it does not mean only or exclusively.

 

 

Rom 11:32  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 

Notice the parallelism in this verse.  If we agree that the first clause means that all of humanity are disobedient sinners, then we would have to agree that God’s mercy to all in the second clause means all of humanity as well.

 

1 Jn 2:2  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

Rom 5:15-19 

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.  For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

No one would disagree that Adam’s transgression resulted in condemnation to all men – every single one. Yet the verse also says Christ’s sacrifice resulted in justification for all men – every single one.  Paul’s use of parallelism here is unmistakable.  The gift is greater than the trespass.  To make the claim that “all” actually means “some” as it only applies to the elect is the same as saying Jesus’ power to save is less than Adam’s power to condemn. 

 

1Cor 15:22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Another example of parallelism.  If all die in Adam, all live in Christ.

 

Col 1:18-20  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross;

If we acknowledge that Jesus is fully God, as all the Father’s fullness dwells in him; by the same token we have to acknowledge that Jesus will reconcile all to himself.

 

The plain reading of these verses indicates God will save all but we tend to limit all to “some” because that is what we have been taught.

Edited September 8, 2013 by GoldenEagle
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[OneLight]

 

 

Although both camps do have measures of truth on their sides, ultimately they fail based on the following paradigm to which I propose a 3rd alternative.

 

Reason why I reject Calvinism:

(God is strong enough to save everyone) + (God does not want to save everyone) = Everyone is not saved

 

Reason why I reject Arminianism;

(God is not strong enough to save everyone) + (God does want to save everyone) = Everyone is not saved

 

Reason why I accept Evangelical Universalism:

(God Is strong enough to save everyone) + (God does want to save everyone) = Everyone is saved

 

I neither agree with one party 100%, but Universalism is not scriptural.  All through out the NT we are informed that not all will be saved.

 

Three years ago I too would have shared your opinion regarding universalism.  Since then my study of early church history as well as examining Scripture leads me to believe that all will eventually be saved.  Your claim that “All through out the NT we are informed that not all will be saved” can be contested.  I believe that most Christians have been so thoroughly indoctrinated to the view that God only saves the elect while the rest are consigned to eternal torment that they tend to read the scriptures through those lenses without giving due consideration to another view.  So in response to your assertion that all does not really mean “all" - What do the scriptures say?

 

^1.Lk 2:10  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Would the Good News still be the good news if in reality it is only for some of the people?

 

^2.Jn 12:32  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”   Did Jesus lie when he said “all” knowing very well that only the elect are predestined to salvation?  The word “draw” in this verse also means “drag” as when fishermen drag their nets full of catch.  When Jesus stated that he will drag all men to himself can anyone deny that God’s will can be thwarted and cannot accomplish what he set out to do?

 

^3.1Tim 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.  This verse states that God saves all; not just some who believe.  The word “especially” denotes priority and particularity; it does not mean only or exclusively.

 

 

^4.Rom 11:32  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.  Notice the parallelism in this verse.  If we agree that the first clause means that all of humanity are disobedient sinners, then we would have to agree that God’s mercy to all in the second clause means all of humanity as well.

 

^5.1 Jn 2:2  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

^6.Rom 5:15-19 

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.  For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

No one would disagree that Adam’s transgression resulted in condemnation to all men – every single one. Yet the verse also says Christ’s sacrifice resulted in justification for all men – every single one.  Paul’s use of parallelism here is unmistakable.  The gift is greater than the trespass.  To make the claim that “all” actually means “some” as it only applies to the elect is the same as saying Jesus’ power to save is less than Adam’s power to condemn. 

 

^7.1Cor 15:22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Another example of parallelism.  If all die in Adam, all live in Christ.

 

^8.Col 1:18-20  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross;

If we acknowledge that Jesus is fully God, as all the Father’s fullness dwells in him; by the same token we have to acknowledge that Jesus will reconcile all to himself.

 

^9.The plain reading of these verses indicates God will save all but we tend to limit all to “some” because that is what we have been taught.

 

I will address your scripture by the numbers I assigned to them.

 

¹ This is good news to everyone.  Just because it is good news doesn't equate that everyone will accept the news.  You are assigning the word all to mean that everyone will accept it, which is not true.

 

² Just as the good news, you are assigning the incorrect meaning to the word all, as if everyone will accept the calling of Jesus.  Again, Jesus will draw everyone to Him, but that does not mean all will accept His calling.

 

³ No, it does not.  The verse states that Jesus is the savior of all men, for there is no other name by which anyone can be saved.

 

⁴ Notice the word may also?  God will show His mercy on those who accept salvation through Jesus Christ only.

 

⁵ Yes, Jesus can forgive all sin, as long as those who commit sin repent and turn to Christ.  He did not limit this to just a few, but extended His salvation to the world, but people have to accept His salvation before they die.

 

⁶ Again, you are assigning specific words to a meaning that is not there.  This passage speaks of those who "receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."   You have to accept what scripture states, those who receive does not mean everyone, but those who accept His salvation.

 

⁷ You stopped too early in your quotation.  Verse 23 tells us "But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."  Notice the terms of being given life are "those who are His", which means that only those who have accepted His salvation.

 

⁸ You said correctly.  If we acknowledge, meaning accept.  Not everyone will accept Christ, nor will they acknowledge He is the Son of God and the Fathers fullness resides in Him.

 

⁹ The plain reading of scripture does not assign meanings to words that are not there.  God sent His Son to die for the whole world, yes.  God never said that HE would wipe away the sins of those who reject His plan of salvation.  We red in Hebrews 9:24-28

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

You have to ignore a lot of scripture in order to even come up with any universal doctrine as you have. Even the most famous verse in scripture, John 3:16, debunks your theology. It sates "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Whoever believes does not equate to all who have lived.

In the parable Jesus taught about the judgments of the nations in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus ended saying "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Jesus was referring to those who did not show His love to others.

 

All through the New Testament there are verses after verses that proclaim one must believe, have faith in Christ Jesus in order to be saved.  They have to turn from sin and follow Christ.

 

Mathew 7:21

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

 

Galatians 5:15-26

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

I can go on and on pointing to scripture that debunks your theology, but will just leave you with one last passage.

Revelation 20:11-15

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

[Elhanan]

OneLight - perhaps you should do a little more background study before debunking the subject as the term "universalism" is a very broad term and not all "universalists" agree.  I am not a Unitarian as I do not believe that all roads lead to heaven.  I believe that all people are sinners, fall short of the glory of God, and the only propitiation for our sins is Christ's shed blood on the cross - nothing else.  That's why I prefaced my use of the term universalism with evangelical. I also do believe in a literal, physical place called the lake of fire and all unbelievers end up there after the 1,000 year rule of Christ upon the earth. The point of difference between you and I is whether the unsaved are punished forever in the lake of fire or chastised in the lake of fire for an unknown (not for eternity) remedial period of time so that consequently in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord. That should hopefully narrow the scope of discussion on what is already a broad subject to begin with.

[OakWood]

OneLight - perhaps you should do a little more background study before debunking the subject as the term "universalism" is a very broad term and not all "universalists" agree.  I am not a Unitarian as I do not believe that all roads lead to heaven.  I believe that all people are sinners, fall short of the glory of God, and the only propitiation for our sins is Christ's shed blood on the cross - nothing else.  That's why I prefaced my use of the term universalism with evangelical. I also do believe in a literal, physical place called the lake of fire and all unbelievers end up there after the 1,000 year rule of Christ upon the earth. The point of difference between you and I is whether the unsaved are punished forever in the lake of fire or chastised in the lake of fire for an unknown (not for eternity) remedial period of time so that consequently in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord. That should hopefully narrow the scope of discussion on what is already a broad subject to begin with.

 

I personally won't take the risk. A lake of fire is a lake of fire, whether you're in it for a day, a week or ten years. If God has other plans then that is up to him. I'd rather be sure of salvation than gamble on the possibility that eternity may not mean eternity. There are some things that I don't contemplate too deeply, but I do know that with God all things are possible.

[GoldenEagle]

OneLight - perhaps you should do a little more background study before debunking the subject as the term "universalism" is a very broad term and not all "universalists" agree.  I am not a Unitarian as I do not believe that all roads lead to heaven.  I believe that all people are sinners, fall short of the glory of God, and the only propitiation for our sins is Christ's shed blood on the cross - nothing else.  That's why I prefaced my use of the term universalism with evangelical. I also do believe in a literal, physical place called the lake of fire and all unbelievers end up there after the 1,000 year rule of Christ upon the earth. The point of difference between you and I is whether the unsaved are punished forever in the lake of fire or chastised in the lake of fire for an unknown (not for eternity) remedial period of time so that consequently in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord. That should hopefully narrow the scope of discussion on what is already a broad subject to begin with.

Elhanan, so that I understand what is being discussed basically you don't believe Hell (eternal separation from God) is eternal?

God bless,

GE

[OneLight]

OneLight - perhaps you should do a little more background study before debunking the subject as the term "universalism" is a very broad term and not all "universalists" agree.  I am not a Unitarian as I do not believe that all roads lead to heaven.  I believe that all people are sinners, fall short of the glory of God, and the only propitiation for our sins is Christ's shed blood on the cross - nothing else.  That's why I prefaced my use of the term universalism with evangelical. I also do believe in a literal, physical place called the lake of fire and all unbelievers end up there after the 1,000 year rule of Christ upon the earth. The point of difference between you and I is whether the unsaved are punished forever in the lake of fire or chastised in the lake of fire for an unknown (not for eternity) remedial period of time so that consequently in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord. That should hopefully narrow the scope of discussion on what is already a broad subject to begin with.

 

I have adjusted the title to better reflect your faith.

 

The phrase you use in hopes that one will be given a second chance, much like the RCC's belief of purgatory, is "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord", comes from Romans 14:11, which talks about having to give account for our lives.  Both ideas of having a second chance after death are false teachings.

 

Here is the scripture in its context.

 

Romans 14:1-13

"Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written:

 

“As I live, says the Lord,

Every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way."

Seems to me that when the Great White Throne Judgment happens, there will be no more people who can claim there is no God. They will bow to Him and confess He is God, something the lost rejected all their life. There is no mention of any second chance after entering the Lake of Fire anywhere in scripture. Your theory has no foundation beyond false doctrine and wishful thinking.

After the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20, we read in Revelation 21 when Jesus tells us:

"And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”"

There is no second chance or purgatory.  Jesus said "It is done!"  He goes on to finalize who does not make it in the section I underlined.

 

Later, He repeats Himself in verse 27 "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."  Either way you look at it, if their name is not written in the Book of Life while they live, they will be cast into the lake of Fire and Brimstone, which is said to last forever.

 

Revelation 20:10

 

"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

[Guest shiloh357]

I also do believe in a literal, physical place called the lake of fire and all unbelievers end up there after the 1,000 year rule of Christ upon the earth. The point of difference between you and I is whether the unsaved are punished forever in the lake of fire or chastised in the lake of fire for an unknown (not for eternity) remedial period of time so that consequently in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord. That should hopefully narrow the scope of discussion on what is already a broad subject to begin with.

 

 

 

The problem with this is the view that the lake of fire will simply be a remedial period.  The Bible NEVER presents the lake of fire as anything but an eternal death.  Furthermore, salvation is ONLY by grace through faith in the finished work on the cross.  Salvation cannot be obtained by spending time in the lake of fire. 

 

I am not a Calvinist, but neither does the Bible teach that everyone will be saved.  God's will is that everyone be saved, but that doesn't mean that everyone will be saved.  God's will is that no one murder, but yet people murder.   People do a lot of things that are against God's will.  So to say that God's will to see everyone saved will result in 100% salvation for all people doesn't stand the litmus test of Scripture.

 

Jesus teaches in Sermon on the Mount that most people will choose the broad road to destruction and only a few will find the narrow road to life. 

 

The Bible teaches that man can either have eternal life or eternal damnation (Matt. 25).  "Eternal" means the same thing in both cases.  There is no case to be made for salvation via the lake of fire.  

 

The ONLY plan of salvation the Bible presents is grace through faith in the finished work on the cross.  The Bible never presents the lake of fire as time of purification or remedial learning where a person can be made fit to enter the Kingdom of God.  You are presenting another Gospel, another way salvation and all true followers of Jesus must reject such.

 

Salvation is a transformational relationship with Jesus.  That is the only way it can be found.  Eternal life is a person, not a length of time.  Jesus is eternal life, as He claimed to be eternal life in John 14:6.  Just as no one can be made right with God through keeping a set of rules, no one is going to be saved through the lake of fire.  You simiply cannot produce a biblical platform for your case.

 

I noted that you came to this concluson by studying the early church fathers. You did not come to your view from Scripture.  The Bible is the final arbiter on all matters of Christian faith and practices.  Unless you can make a biblical case, your view stands as the product of human reasoning.

[Elhanan]

 

OneLight - perhaps you should do a little more background study before debunking the subject as the term "universalism" is a very broad term and not all "universalists" agree.  I am not a Unitarian as I do not believe that all roads lead to heaven.  I believe that all people are sinners, fall short of the glory of God, and the only propitiation for our sins is Christ's shed blood on the cross - nothing else.  That's why I prefaced my use of the term universalism with evangelical. I also do believe in a literal, physical place called the lake of fire and all unbelievers end up there after the 1,000 year rule of Christ upon the earth. The point of difference between you and I is whether the unsaved are punished forever in the lake of fire or chastised in the lake of fire for an unknown (not for eternity) remedial period of time so that consequently in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord. That should hopefully narrow the scope of discussion on what is already a broad subject to begin with.

 

I personally won't take the risk. A lake of fire is a lake of fire, whether you're in it for a day, a week or ten years. If God has other plans then that is up to him. I'd rather be sure of salvation than gamble on the possibility that eternity may not mean eternity. There are some things that I don't contemplate too deeply, but I do know that with God all things are possible.

 

You are correct WillowWood - I wouldn't want to spend even a minute in the lake of fire, therefore the need still exists to proclaim gospel message in order to save people from ending up there in the first place.

[TsukinoRei]

If Universalism is correct, then there would be no reason for God to strive with man at all, since, ultimately, it does not matter what we do or how we live because eventually, we would end up in the right place no matter what.  There would have been absolutely no reason for Jesus to come and suffer, and die in our stead as a sacrifice for our sins.  No sacrifice for sins is needed or required if one is going to be ultimately saved no matter what.  And even if one comes at it from the perspective of, "well, once Jesus' sacrifice for sin was given, then, after that point, all are saved," then there would be no reason to preach the gospel, attempt to lead a life dedicated to Christ or seek to help others find Christ as well, because, again, same premise:  Doesn't matter because everyone ends up saved anyway, no matter what we do.  One would not need to repent of anything.

 

The problem goes beyond the logical ones, however.  Because if Universalism is true, there is no reason for the End Times at all.  No reason for the Tribulation, no reason for Great White Throne judgement, and no reason for the Lake of Fire, which is quite clearly said to be eternal. Universalism is nothing more than a man-made doctrine sold by con men.

 

That argument doesn't add up for me.  Whether some are predestined to be lost or all are predestined to be saved, God's foreknowledge as a Being who is All Knowing through His Omnipresence transcending time and space does not preclude free will and so does not preclude the necessity of the Cross or the whole process by which He brings some or all into right relationship with Him.

[Elhanan]

 

OneLight - perhaps you should do a little more background study before debunking the subject as the term "universalism" is a very broad term and not all "universalists" agree.  I am not a Unitarian as I do not believe that all roads lead to heaven.  I believe that all people are sinners, fall short of the glory of God, and the only propitiation for our sins is Christ's shed blood on the cross - nothing else.  That's why I prefaced my use of the term universalism with evangelical. I also do believe in a literal, physical place called the lake of fire and all unbelievers end up there after the 1,000 year rule of Christ upon the earth. The point of difference between you and I is whether the unsaved are punished forever in the lake of fire or chastised in the lake of fire for an unknown (not for eternity) remedial period of time so that consequently in the end, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord. That should hopefully narrow the scope of discussion on what is already a broad subject to begin with.

Elhanan, so that I understand what is being discussed basically you don't believe Hell (eternal separation from God) is eternal?

God bless,

GE

 

Yes GE, thank you for clarifying - that is correct - I don't believe hell i.e., lake of fire means eternal separation from God.  Probably 99.9% of us have been taught eternal punishment ever since we first became Christians but I think there are good scriptural reasons to at least question that view.  One problem is how we translate the word eternal.  We translate the word eternity from the Greek noun aion and its adjectival forms such as forever and eternal from Greek words such as aionion and aionios.  The pertinent question is: Is that an accurate rendering?  I don't have time to get into details now but I'll quote G. Morgan Campbell who is known as the prince of Bible expositors to at least provide food for thought:

 

"Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the word 'eternity.'  We have fallen into great error in our constant use of that word. There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with our 'eternal' which as commonly used among us means absolutely without end. The strongest Scripture word used with reference to the existence of God is - 'unto the ages of the ages,' which does not literally mean eternally."  (God's Methods With Men, p. 185-6)