GRACE COMMENTARY:
OUR BIBLICAL UNIVERSALISM WEB BLOG
We have added an on-going feature to this website in the form of interesting information and brief quotes from a variety of sources on the subject of Biblical Universalism and related subjects.
BIBLICAL UNIVERSALISM IS ADVANCING!
"A Christocentric Universalism (as distinguished from a humanistic or unitarian universalism) seems to be gaining ground among responsible Christian thinkers. The basis for this trend lies in a deeper realization of the implications of the incarnation in Jesus Christ for the nature of God." -Theology Today, vol. 20, p.71
Note: The term, "Christocentric Universalism" is a good one, and so is "Christian Universalism," but we prefer to name ourselves "Biblical Universalists" because the basis for our beliefs is the Word of God, not Christian church denominations or their doctrines concerning Christ. It seems to us that many universalists create arguments from human philosophy for their theological basis of belief. However, human feelings and desires are fickle and changeable, while the Word of God stands firm. See our first page article on "religion compared with salvation" for more thoughts on this matter.
GOD'S RESTORATIVE ACT IN CHRIST:
Dr. Joseph Sittler, writing concerning Colossians 1:15-20, stated, "all things are included in the sweep of God's restorative act in Christ. Christ comes to us not as a stranger but as the first born of all creation." -Theology Today, vol. 19, p.101
Note: The most common argument we encounter is from people who assert that "universalism is untrue because all doesn't mean all." Ponder that! If God's words in Scripture do not mean what they say then no one can be sure of anything! Of course, all means "all" of whatever is in view. However, Universalism is not just based on the "all" Bible verses. One of the strongest proofs of ultimate reconcilation is that Scripture time and again emphasizes "all things," "every knee," "all creation," "the world," etc. Who would argue that every knee only means a few knees, or that all creation only means a small percentage of creation? Yet that is essentially done by the opponents of Biblical Universalism.
HELL: OF "HISTORICAL INTEREST" BUT "TACITLY ABANDONED"
John Hick of Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, wrote a review of Walter Kaufmann's book, "The Faith Of A Heretic." He commented, "...theologians are timid creatures whose devotion to Truth is often fatally qualified by a fear of offending popular sentiment or official policy within their ecclesiastical constituencies. Kaufman points, as an instance, to what has become of the notion of hell, in the sense of everlasting torment inflicted by God. This is an idea which most contemporary theologians treat as a matter of merely historical interest, but to which inquiring persons outside the Churches, not realizing that it has been tacitly abandoned, still accord it full face value. Kaufmann's complaint is precisely that although most of us no longer use this idea [i.e. hell] in our work, we have never openly announced its abandonment. We profess allegiance to church documents which affirm what we regard as theological excesses..." -Theology Today, vol. 19, p.120
Note: The preceding points out that most ministers know the truth about hell today, yet mouth the medieval theology to keep their jobs and livlihoods in the mainstream denominations. What a sacrifice some make when standing up for truth at the risk of their positions and careers!
SACRED RELICS?
"...the howls of the tormented in hell...the damnation of unbaptized infants, etc., are in the nature of sacred relics..." -Theology Today, vol. 19, p.121
Note: How sad that so many people are tightly clinging to the sacred relics instead of firmly holding to the sacred Scriptures!
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