Views of Salvation, Eternity, and how they match up to Scripture?

[GoldenEagle]

In a member mentioned different views of Christianity regarding salvation, eternal life, etc. How would you describe these views, how do they match up with Scripture, and where do you land on the various views?

 

The universal opportunity view

The postmortem evangelism view

The restrictivist view

The inclusivist view

God bless,

GE

[Cross Reference]

In a member mentioned different views of Christianity regarding salvation, eternal life, etc. How would you describe these views, how do they match up with Scripture, and where do you land on the various views?

 

The universal opportunity view

The postmortem evangelism view

The restrictivist view

The inclusivist view

God bless,

GE

There can be not be a discussion with death or about it.

[KC02]

The postmortem evangelism view isn't about death, but the possibility of one being saved after death. Adherents point to such verses as 1 Peter 3:18-20:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water

 

For the record, I hold to the restrictivist view.

[Guest shiloh357]

The postmortem evangelism view isn't about death, but the possibility of one being saved after death. Adherents point to such verses as 1 Peter 3:18-20:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water

 

For the record, I hold to the restrictivist view.

same here.

[GoldenEagle]

The universal opportunity view

 

This one is quite strange IMO.

 

 

Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved. There are many people today who hold to universal salvation and believe that all people eventually end up in heaven.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/universalism.html#ixzz356YNGJ11



 

 

 

Dr. Ken Allen from Auburn Universtiy said of Universalism that people usually equate the term with a belief that "’All religions are equally true, good, and that they all equally will lead to heaven, or to God.’ This definition of ‘Universalism’ could better be described as ‘Pluralist Universalism’ and could be equated with ‘secular humanism’.”

Thomas Whittmore (Jan. 1 1800 to March 21, 1861), who co-founded with Thomas J. Sawyer of New York the Universalist Historical Society and was an influential leader in the Universalist Church of America, stated about “Christian Universalism” that Universalists were "all persons, who truly believe in the eventual salvation of all mankind by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, are Universalists."

[GoldenEagle]

The postmortem evangelism view isn't about death, but the possibility of one being saved after death. Adherents point to such verses as 1 Peter 3:18-20:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water

 

For the record, I hold to the restrictivist view.

 

From a restrictivist view how does one respond to the claim about 1 Peter 3:18-20?

[Qnts2]

 

The universal opportunity view

 

This one is quite strange IMO.

 

 

Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved. There are many people today who hold to universal salvation and believe that all people eventually end up in heaven.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/universalism.html#ixzz356YNGJ11



 

 

 

Dr. Ken Allen from Auburn Universtiy said of Universalism that people usually equate the term with a belief that "’All religions are equally true, good, and that they all equally will lead to heaven, or to God.’ This definition of ‘Universalism’ could better be described as ‘Pluralist Universalism’ and could be equated with ‘secular humanism’.”

Thomas Whittmore (Jan. 1 1800 to March 21, 1861), who co-founded with Thomas J. Sawyer of New York the Universalist Historical Society and was an influential leader in the Universalist Church of America, stated about “Christian Universalism” that Universalists were "all persons, who truly believe in the eventual salvation of all mankind by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, are Universalists."

 

 

From what I have read, Universal Opportunity has some differences with Universalism.

 

Universal Opportunity say that those who have not accepted salvation thru Jesus will receive a vision at the time of death, and are able to choose at that time.

Universalism says that all will eventually be accepted into heaven at some time after death.

 

Universal Opportunity seen thru the view of Exclusivism is where I would land. If scripture says that God does NOT want anyone to perish.

 

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

 

Matthew 18:13 If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

 

Balanced against the fact that unless a person repents, believes on Jesus, they will perish/die in their sins. So, what of the person who lives in an area where there is no one to share the gospel. Will they perish for lack of a witness, who otherwise had they heard would have accepted Jesus?  God is not entirely dependent on us to share the gospel. Creations show the works of God, and God is able to give dreams and visions. God is able to somehow make sure a person whom God knows is willing, hears, see's, dreams, finds the gospel. To me, that is a form of Universal Opportunity from within the view of Exclusivism.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

The postmortem evangelism view isn't about death, but the possibility of one being saved after death. Adherents point to such verses as 1 Peter 3:18-20:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water

 

For the record, I hold to the restrictivist view.

 

From a restrictivist view how does one respond to the claim about 1 Peter 3:18-20?

 

He didn't preach the Gospel of salvation to them.  The text doesn't tell us what His message was specifically, but we can rule out the notion that they were getting an opportunity to be saved.  

 

The word used for "preach" is the word kerusso which means to make a proclamation.  It is not the word euangelo which means to preach the Gospel.  He is proclaiming His triumph.

 

These are not human souls He preached to.  The word spirit is used to refer to angels when the correct, qualifying genitive in Greek isn't present. So these can't be people. They are fallen angels.  Angels are outside the purview of redemption.  Jesus didn't die for angels, so there is simply no way this can be used to argue that people have a second chance after death.  These are antediluvian evil spirits, fallen angels, demons and they are in prison and they are awaiting their final doom.  Jesus proclaimed his triumph over death, over sin and over Satan himself.   He proclaimed, for all intents and purposes that the war between Satan and God was decided at the cross, and Satan lost. Satan's final full defeat is inevitable.  He let the demons that are in prison know that the war between God and the demons who are not in prison has been decided and they will be ultimately defeated.

[GoldenEagle]

What is the restrictivitst view and what are Scriptures to support it?

[Guest shiloh357]

What is the restrictivitst view and what are Scriptures to support it?

The restrictivist view is that only those who make conscious confession of faith in Jesus as a response to the Gospel are saved.  One must have an actual knowledge of Jesus and who He is as revealed in the New Testament in order to make a conscious decision to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. (John 14:6; 17:3; Acts, 4:12; Rom. 1:16; 1 John. 1:1-10; 5:1-5)