FOR AND AGAINST “EVANGELICAL UNIVERSALISM”

Universalism is becoming increasingly popular. Why? It corresponds with the prevailing worldview that a single world religion is necessary for the sake of peace and brotherhood, and the fact that everyone will be saved dovetails with this concern.

The “evangelical universalists” (EUs) add an extra twist so as not to reject that many Bible verses that maintain that there will be a final judgement. While the EU affirms this judgement, they claim that it will not be final, but instead, it will just be a temporary judgment or purgatory, where they pay the price for their sins to gain entry into heaven.

Although there are no verses that claim that all will be saved or that some will experience a painful purgatory before they can be saved, there are numerous verses that EUs offer in support of their doctrine. I just want to examine a set of Pauline verses that indicate that Christ will reconcile all to Himself. For example:

·       …He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10 ESV)

Afterwards: “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:6).

Are these verses teaching that all will be saved? Perhaps these “all” refers only to those who are in His heavenly kingdom. Perhaps “all” leaves out those who will suffer eternal judgment, as these next verses claim:

·       For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

This verse disqualifies the unrepentant from ever entering the “kingdom of Christ.” However, there are other verses that the EU evokes in support of their claim that all will be saved:

·       and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:20)

However, the EU stops short of citing the following verses:

·       And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 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, 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. (Colossians 1:21-23)

These verses limit the “reconciled” (verse 20) to those who “continue in the faith.” What then does it mean that Christ will “reconcile to himself all things?” Chapter three gives us a clue:

·       Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:9-11)

Clearly, “Christ is all, and in all” only refers to those who “have put on the new self,” and not to the entire world. We also find the phrase “subject all things to himself” referring only to those in Christ who are “being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator”:

·       Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:19-21)

About those who are not in Christ, “Their end is destruction.” This does not suggest that their judgement will only be temporary. Consequently, this final phase – “subject all things to himself” – cannot be used to support the EU doctrine of universal salvation.

Let’s take a look at a similar concept – the restoration of ALL creation. Can we take from the passage the salvation of absolutely all? I don’t think so:

·       [we are] heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility [the Fall], not willingly, but because of him [God] who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:17-21)

This global restoration cannot include the salvation of all but the “heirs of God,” “the sons of God,” “the children of God.” These phrases can only pertain to those who “suffer with Him,” and not to those who reject Him.

What then is the fate of those who reject Him? Here are a few of the many

explicit verses which speak about their fate:

·       Matthew 12:31-32 “And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

·       John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not (“never” ESV) see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

·       1 Corinthians 11:15  So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

·       2 Thessalonians 1:9  They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.

·       Hebrews 2:3  how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

·       Hebrews 12:25   See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

·       2 Peter 2:1, 3  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction…Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

·       1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

·       Jude 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

·       Revelation 14:10-11 …he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

·       Revelation 20:10  And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Will there be a temporary purgatory? Not only is the Bible entirely silent about it, the idea of purgatory represents a rejection of grace and the Cross. It suggests that we can atone for our own sins through our suffering. This amounts to a rejection of grace and an affirmation of self-atonement.

I have written on this subject before. However, EU represents a powerful and appealing heresy that has led many astray. Besides, it has the capacity to undermine the entirety of the Biblical faith. If everyone will eventually be saved, why evangelize and why even live for Christ! Nothing has any meaning or purpose in this life if all are to be saved. There no longer exists any compelling reason to read the Bible, pray, or to confess your sins, if eventually, we all go to the same place. Consequently, the Christian faith becomes irrelevant.