It is easy to twist the Scriptures into whatever you want if
you are willing to ignore the context. This is exactly what Evangelical
Universalists (EUs) do.
EUs believe that everyone will eventually be saved, even though hundreds of verses claim otherwise, for example:
EUs believe that everyone will eventually be saved, even though hundreds of verses claim otherwise, for example:
·
Matthew 25:46 “And these will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
·
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 6:9–10 Or do you not know that the
unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither
the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice
homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
·
Galatians 5:21 I warn you, as I warned you
before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
·
Ephesians 5:5 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.
How then do the EUs defend their claim? Let’s look at one
example:
·
and through him [Jesus] to reconcile to
himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the
blood of his cross. 21And you, who once were alienated and hostile
in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of
flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above
reproach before him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith… (Colossians
1:20–23 (ESV)
At first glance, it seems that Jesus will “reconcile to Himself all things,” saving everyone. However, if we look down to verse 23, there is a condition for salvation: If we “continue in the faith.” This proviso nullifies the EU’s claim that all will be saved. Instead, this promise of reconciliation pertain only to those who continue in the faith to the end.
Afterwards, Paul wrote that “Christ is all, and in all.”
Does that mean that, eventually, He will savingly indwell everyone? This verse
itself banishes this possibility:
·
Here [in Christ?] there is not Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ
is all, and in all [in His kingdom?].
(Colossians 3:11)
(Colossians 3:11)
This verse is used to “prove” that all people are indwelt by
Christ. Instead, Paul taught that if we are in Christ, He is in us! The
entire chapter addresses only those who have receive Christ, rather than
extending hope to those who reject Him.
Any interpretation is possible if you are willing to ignore
the context, especially if your ideology has become fantastically popular and
culturally attractive.
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