The Evangelical Universalist Forum

SNIPPETS FROM MY HARD COPY UR LIBRARY

“eternal damnation”

The meaning of words that have been translated as “eternal”, “forever”, “incurable” in the scriptures

Sodom’s fiery judgment is “eternal” (Jude
7)–until–God “will restore the fortunes of Sodom”
Ez.16:53-55).

Israel’s “affliction is incurable” (Jer.
30:12)-until–the Lord “will restore health” and heal
her wounds (Jer. 30:17).

The sin of Samaria “is incurable” (Mic. 1:9)-until–
Lord “will restore … the fortunes of Samaria.” (Ez.
16:53).

An Ammonite or Moabite is forbidden to enter the
Lord’s congregation “forever”-until–the tenth
generation (Deut. 23:3):

Habakkuk tells us of mountains that were
“everlasting”, that is -until-- they “were shattered”
Hab. 3 3:6).

The Aaronic Priesthood was to be an “everlasting”
priesthood (Ex. 40:15), that is-until-it was
superceded by the Melchizedek Priesthood (Hebrews
7:14-18).

Many translations of the Bible inform us that God
would dwell in Solomon’s Temple “forever” (1 Kings
8:13), that is,–until the Temple was destroyed.

The Law of Moses was to be an “everlasting covenant”
(Leviticus 24:8) yet we read in the New Covenant the
first was “done away” and “abolished” (2 Corinthians
3:11,13), and God “made the first old” (Hebrews 8:13).

God’s waves of wrath roll over Jonah
“forever”-until–the Lord delivers him from the large
fish’s belly on the third day (Jonah 2:6,10; 1: 17);

Egypt and Elam will “rise no more” (Jer.
25:27)-until–the Lord will “restore the fortunes of
Egypt” (Ez. 29:14) and “restore the fortunes of Elam”
(Jer. 49:39).

“Moab is destroyed” (Jer. 48:4, 42)-until–the Lord
“will restore the fortunes of Moab” (Jer. 48:47).

Israel’s judgment lasts “forever”-until–the Spirit is
poured out and God restores it (Isa. 32:13-15).

So, narrow is the way to life and few find it-until–
His church confiscates the “strong man’s” booty,
setting the captives free so God becomes all in all
(Isa. 61, Luke 11:21-22, Matt. 7:13; 16:18, 1 Cor.
15:24-28).

The King James Bible, as well as many others, tells us
that a bondslave was to serve his master “forever”
(Exodus 21:6), that is,–until–his death.

FOUR VIEWS OF GOD’S SALVATION
BIBLICAL UNIVERSAL SALVATION EXPOUNDED

ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE IN JESUS CHRIST – by Charles Slagle
richardwaynegarganta.com/4Vi … vation.htm

DEATH SHALL BE ABOLISHED - 1 Cor. 15:20-28

Argument:
“This only means that believers will never die again.”

RESPONSES

Bob Evely
I would simply suggest that these folks are ignoring the context of the 1 Corinthians 15 passage (ALL in Adam … ALL in Christ, etc) and the many other ALL passages in Scripture. It is a case where their minds are made up that only believers will ever be saved; so they find it necessary to place limitations on what the Scriptures actually say, lest their doctrines fall apart.

Tony Nungesser
Death is abolished for the believer AT HIS PRESENCE. In 1 Cor.15:25 death is abolished AFTER Christ hands over the kingdom to God and all sovereignty, authority and power are done away. Then the rest of mankind will have death abolished for them and only then.

Kenneth Larsen
For me, 1 Cor. 15:20-28 is where the abolition of death is best detailed. And the subject is clearly all mankind. Plus, it says plainly that it is the LAST enemy, clearly detailing the subjection of all which must occur BEFORE. And there are clearly still kings during the New Jerusalem eon, so human authorities have yet to be nullified; Christ’s mission isn’t complete. Rev. 21:24. Death will be abolished for all mankind in three stages -1 Cor. 15:22-24. Then there are verses like Romans 5:18, 19.

“For this was the Son of God manifested, that He should be annulling the acts of the Adversary.” 1 John 3:8b (CLV) That includes the act of leading Adam and Eve into the knowledge of good and evil. Christ was manifested to annul not only sin, but also death. For the second death to be endless would mean that the acts of the Adversary would never be annulled.

If only believers never die again, then death would be abolished when Christ returns, wouldn’t it? That would be the consummation or “end.” Why then is there the 1,000 years? Isn’t Satan an enemy? Yet the Bible says that death is the last enemy. Satan is still rebellious after the 1,000 years.

I would ask them, “When do you think death will be abolished?”

If they say, “When Christ returns”, I would ask, “And the events of
Rev. 20:7-15, do they occur after or before Christ’s second coming?”

If they say, “After”, I would ask them if they had read 1 Cor. 15:20-28 lately. I would encourage them to do so and to notice that death will be the last enemy, and God will abolish it. If they agree with that, I would ask them, how can death be abolished when Christ returns if Satan will later attack the saints; wouldn’t that mean that there are still enemies besides death in existence? Wouldn’t the fact that the nations will be deceived and join Satan in opposing God prove that God will still have many enemies at that time? I would point out that 1 Cor. 15:24-27 shows that Christ will give up His kingdom to God
the Father once all enemies are subjected and death is abolished. And I would mention one of the parallel passages in Mk. 12:36, which shows that Christ will be at God’s right hand UNTIL a certain point in time, which is detailed in 1 Cor. 15. Then I would point out how Rev. 22:1-3 shows clearly that the consummation of 1 Cor. 15:24, when Christ will surrender the throne to His Father, will not yet have arrived during the New Jerusalem eon.

My POV is that God would not name the lake of fire the second death, make that death permanent, and yet claim that death had been abolished. It simply doesn’t make sense to me. To argue that death being abolished only means that believers will never die again is
similar to saying that slums being abolished only means no new slums will be created, leaving the existing slums unchanged.

James Coram
The context has in view all mankind (not simply believers):
Death was long ago instituted (“to die, you shall be dying”); and yet
this institution which, at present, is very much still in effect, one
day, will be abolished.

concordant.org/expohtml/Huma … cor15.html
See article above on this point also, for the likeness/parallel I
draw between, on the one hand, slavery, and on the other, death.

Martin Zender
A snippet from The Really Bad Thing About Free Will (2006), pages
66-67, by Martin Zender:
“God is now conciliated to all mankind (II Corinthians 5:19). This
blessing has come to us through the blood of Christ’s cross
(Colossians 1:20). God no longer holds men’s offenses against them (II
Corinthians 5:19). This same blood will reconcile all to Himself, both
that in the heavens and that on earth (Colossians 1:20).
The cross saves everyone, but not all at once (I Corinthians
15:22-23). Jesus Christ is a ransom for all, but the testimony of it
will not be seen until the eras designated to show it (I Timothy 2:6).
God will one day be all and in all (I Corinthians 15:28). How can He
be that if billions of the all remain dead or tortured?
Paul speaks of a time called the consummation, when death is to be
abolished (I Corinthians 15:26; II Timothy 1:10). If there will one
day be no more death, then the time is coming when even the second
death will cease to be. At this time, those formerly captured by it
will be delivered into the life won for them by Christ on the cross.
With no more death, nothing remains but life. Some come to Christ
sooner, some come later. But eventually, all come.”

When is the Consummation?
Does Christ abolish death at His second coming? Definitely not, and
here’s the evidence:
“For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies
under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death.” 1 Cor.
15:25, 26. Yet we know that death is cast into the lake of fire 1,000
years after Christ’s second coming. Rev. 20:14. And the lake of fire
is the second death. So to claim that death is abolished at the second
coming is untenable. First, Christ must be reigning until all His
enemies are subjected; then death will be abolished. Yet we know that
Satan will still be in rebellion against God at the end of the 1,000
years. Rev. 20:7-10. We’re also told that Christ will be reigning
until “He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever
He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power.
For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies
under His feet.” 1 Cor. 15:24, 25. Yet we know that there will be
kings on the new earth, after the 1,000 years have ended- Rev. 21:24;
22:5. So it is obvious that all sovereignty and all authority will not
yet have been nullified, nor will death have been abolished. Rev.
21:8. 1 Cor 15:22-25: “For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also,
in Christ, shall all be vivified. Yet each in his own class: the
Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ’s in His presence;
thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom
to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all
sovereignty and all authority and power.” All are dying in Adam, or
through Adam, in his act of disobedience at the tree of knowledge. All
are vivified (made immortal) in Christ, or through Christ, in His act
of obedience- the death of the tree or cross. But mankind isn’t all
vivified at once; we’re divided into classes. The first class is
Christ, when He rose from the dead. The second class is “those who are
Christ’s in His presence”. “Thereafter the consummation” of
vivification, for the third class remains; those who are not Christ’s
at His presence. They also died in Adam, and they are included in
vivification, as Paul clearly states in Ro. 5:18, 19. So we know there
will be kings on the new earth; all authority will not yet have been
nullified. We also know that the second death will still exist at that
time; death will not yet have been abolished. “And the Adversary who
is deceiving them was cast into the lake of fire and sulphur, where
the wild beast and where the false prophet are also. And they shall be
tormented day and night for the eons of the eons.” Rev. 20:10. So the
Adversary will obviously still live up to his title long after Christ
returns; he will still be in torment in the final eon, that of the new
earth. And death is not abolished until all is subject to Christ- 1
Cor. 15:25-27. From Rev. 2:26, 27 and 12:5 we know that Christ will be
shepherding all the nations with an iron club. This will occur after
His second coming- Rev. 19:15. When Christ returns, loud voices in
heaven will say, “The kingdom of this world became our Lord’s and His
Christ’s, and He shall be reigning for the eons of the eons!” Rev.
11:15. Therefore it is impossible that the second coming be “the
consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and
Father” 1 Cor. 15:24; Rev. 22:1-3. The consummation can only occur
after “the complement of the eras” described in Eph. 1:8-11; after the
eons of the eons; that is, after the 1,000 years and the final eon on
the new earth. Only then will death be abolished. Col. 1:20.

el•lip•sis
noun, grammar:
The omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more
words that would complete or clarify the construction.
Let’s examine two instances in the Bible where an ellipsis is used
with the Greek “eita” (thereafter).
In 1 Tim. 2:13 “for Adam was first molded, thereafter (eita) Eve…”
(ellipsis- “was molded”)
In 1 Cor. 15:22-24 “For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in
Christ, shall all be vivified. Yet each in his own class: the
Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ’s in His presence;
thereafter (eita) the consummation…” (ellipsis- “of the vivification
of all mankind”)
The “classes” or “orders” of vivification:
First, who is the subject; who will be vivified? 1 Cor. 15:22 “For
even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be
vivified.” The Greek and the English are clear; just as all are mortal
in, or through, Adam, so also, all will be immortal in, or through,
Christ. The subject of 1 Cor. 15:22 is all mankind.
Second, what is vivification? Galatians 3:21 confirms the link between
vivification and righteousness. Resurrection need not include
vivification. Jn. 5:21. To be raised to mortality is not vivification.
Third, the classes of vivification. The Greek for “class” is Strong’s
5001, tagma; from tasso 5021; something orderly in arrangement (a
troop), i.e. (figuratively) a series or succession: -order.
sacrednamebible.com/kjvstrongs/STRGRK50.htm
Class one of vivification: “the Firstfruit, Christ”. This occurred
when Christ rose from among the dead.
Class two of vivification: “thereupon (epeita) those who are Christ’s
in His presence”. This occurs at Christ’s second coming, and may
include multiple resurrections occurring around the end of the present
eon and the commencement of the impending eon (the “millennium”).
There are also those who will be vivified without being resurrected,
having never tasted death- 1 Thes. 4:17. This is further evidence that
resurrection is not the equivalent of vivification; virtually all
Christians agree that all believers will be vivified.
The Greek New Testament does not have punctuation. Many versions place
a period at the end of verse 23. In contrast, the Concordant version
places a semicolon, for the train of thought continues into verse 24:
“thereafter the consummation…”. The consummation or “end” of what?- of
the vivification of all mankind. Just as in Romans 5:18, 19, Paul’s
subject here is all mankind. And the final class remains; those who
are not Christ’s in His presence. They will be subject to judgments
and many will have their part in the lake of fire, which for them will
be the second death. Nevertheless, all God’s enemies will be subjected
to Christ, and then Christ will be subjected to God, that the Father
may be “All in all”. 1 Cor. 15:20-28. The final enemy to be abolished
is death, and God describes the lake of fire as “the second death”.
Therefore, we end our study with:
Class three of vivification: “our Savior, Christ Jesus, indeed,
abolishes death”. 2 Tim. 1:10. This occurs at the end of the eons.
“Now God is He, not of the dead, but of the living, for all, to Him,
are living.” Luke 20:38. (See also Ro. 4:17; 1 Tim. 6:13; Phil.
2:9-11; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Tim. 4:9-11 and 2:1-6.) In Luke 20:38, God
displays a sort of “ellipsis”; He barely mentions the sin and judgment
of the eons to focus prophetically on His goal, to be All in all.

WILLIAM BARCLAY

Everyone who is cast into the lake of fire which is the second death will be saved out of it.

Greek scholar William Barclay wrote concerning kolasis aionion (age-during corrective chastisement) in Matthew 25:46
“The Greek word for punishment is kolasis, which was not originally an ethical word at all. It originally meant the pruning of trees to make them grow better. There is no instance in Greek secular literature where kolasis does not mean remedial punishment. It is a simple fact that in Greek kolasis always means remedial punishment. God’s punishment is always for man’s cure.”

See what other Greek scholars say about it too.
AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF WORDS
tentmaker.org/books/asw/Chapter11.html

Fifteen literally translated (not interpretively translated) Bibles that reveal what God will do with the sinners in Matthew 25:46
Concordant Literal, Young’s literal, Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott, Rotherham’s Emphasized, Scarlett’s, J.W. Hanson’s New Covenant, Twentieth Century, Ferrar Fenton, The Western New Testament, Weymouth’s (unedited), Clementson’s, The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Anointed, The Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible, Bullinger’s Companion Bible margins, Jonathan Mitchell’s translation (2010).

Regarding the meaning of aionios, many Greek scholars agree with John Wesley Hanson.
AIÓN – AIÓNIOS
tentmaker.org/books/Aion_lim.shtml

SEE

THE SCHOLARS CORNER THE CENTER FOR BIBLE STUDIES IN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM
Scholar’s Corner: The Center for Bible studies in Christian Universalism
tentmaker.org/ScholarsCorner.html

Moulton and Milligan in “Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament” write concerning aionios that “In general the word depicts that of which the horizon is not in view, whether the horizon be at an infinite distance, or whether it lies no farther than the span of Caesar’s life.” New Thayers Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines “kolasis” as “CORRECTION, punishment, penalty”. It is a linguistically possible to replace “eternal punishment” with “CORRECTION FOR THE AGES.”

ITCHING EARS

Sometimes believers in eternal torment and annihilation like to say that 2Tim. 4:3&4 about a time coming when people will have “itching ears” and will turn to believing myths or fables, refers to believers in universal salvation.
But I think it refers to believers in eternal torment and annihilation instead because most Christians closest to the time of Jesus believed in universal salvation.

ETers and ANers like to have their itching ears scratched by listening to sermons based on the myth or fable that only people who believe like they do before they die are going to avoid suffering forever in “hell” or be annihilated.

Universalism The Prevailing Doctrine Of The Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years
tentmaker.org/books/Prevailing.html
The author, J.W. Hanson wrote “The purpose of this book is to present the evidence of the prevalence in the early centuries of the Christian church, of the doctrine of the final holiness of all mankind. The author believes that the following pages show that Universal Restitution was the faith of the early Christians for at least the First Five Hundred Years of the Christian era. He has aimed to present irrefragable proofs that the doctrine of Universal Salvation was the prevalent sentiment of the primitive Christian church.

The salient statements and facts in all which will be found in these pages show that the most and ablest of the early fathers found the deliverance of all mankind from sin and sorrow specifically revealed in the Christian Scriptures.”

And they were reading the Bible in its original language!

MYTHS - Kenneth Larsen

“…they will be turning their hearing away from the truth, yet will be turned aside to myths." 2 Tim. 4:4

Scripture: “And if you are loving those loving you, what thanks [grace] is it to you? For sinners also are loving those loving them. And if you should be doing good to those doing good to you, what thanks [grace] is it to you? For sinners also are doing the same. And if you should ever be lending to those from whom you are expecting to get back, what thanks [grace] is it to you? For sinners also are lending to sinners, that they may get back the equivalent. Moreover, be loving your enemies, and be doing good, and be lending, expecting nothing from them, and your wages will be vast in the heavens, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:32-35.
Myth: “God expects something from us (to exercise our free will) before His grace will be of any benefit to us. God loves His enemies, and will give the most ungrateful and wicked among them the wages of sin (death) forever.”

Scripture: “For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Romans 8:20, 21.
Myth: “Satan and Adam subjected the creation to vanity. The creation will be freed from the slavery of corruption by the Almighty, by granting incorruptibility to a few, and annihilating the rest.”

Scripture: “…Not one is seeking out God. All avoid Him…” “Consequently, then, it is not of him who is willing, nor of him who is racing, but of God, the Merciful." Romans 3:11, 12; 9:16.
Myth: “Seek God and you’ll be saved. Your salvation depends on how you exercise your free will. If you’re lost, it will be your own fault.”

Scripture: “For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all.” Romans 11:32
Myth: “It was Lucifer’s doing, and Adam’s. God is merciful to all us humans because He gives us a chance to escape the consequences of their sins.”

Scripture: “and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens. And you, being once estranged and enemies in comprehension, by wicked acts, yet now He reconciles" Colossians 1:20, 21.
Myth: “God wishes He could reconcile all the estranged on earth and in the heavens, but He has to have cooperation from those on earth; He can’t do it alone. As for those estranged in the heavens, they’re hopeless.”

I believe that the reconciliation of Satan will be the greatest manifestation of God’s grace in action among the celestials
godfire.net/eby/reconcilehvns.html

UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION – MINNIE ALBERTSON
“The original scriptures taught final universal salvation; but translators usually rejected that theme. So they added to, or dropped words, to make the text conform to their wrong thinking. They could not eradicate the original theme; but we inherited their wrong thinking in our translations, and so we have the resulting direct contradictions. Unknown time periods they made endless.

Salvation is for angels also. ‘All things were created by Him, and for Him’ (Col. 1:16).
‘For Thy pleasure they are and were created (Rev. 4:11). So He ‘reconciles all things unto Himself, whether they be on earth, or things in the heavens (Col. 1:16-21).

Even the devil is not too evil to be corrected. Note who he belongs to, as well as those he deceives. ‘The deceived and the deceiver are His’ (Job 12:16). (end quote).

“God delights to reconcile all, whether those on the earth, or those in the heavens (Col. 1:20). Therefore there is no more reason to suppose that Satan is not included therein than that any other certain creature is not included therein. Therefore it must be that that notable creature who had rightly long been termed “the Adversary,” is very much included in the reconciliation of the universe, at which time this title (“Adversary” or “Satan”) necessarily will no longer apply, since he will be reconciled and be at peace.” (end quote)
Jim Coram, UNSEARCHABLE RICHES, March 2005.

“Ah, I long intently for that day when even the devil himself shall put away his pitchfork, hang up his horns, and come humbly and brokenly to the Father’s house! Does that startle you? How else could it be in that glad day when the Christ has finally RECONCILED ALL THINGS IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH, including all the PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS OF THE HEAVENLY SPHERE!” (end quote)
RECONCILIATION IN THE HEAVENS – J. Preston Eby
godfire.net/eby/reconcilehvns.html

THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL – PAUL SIEGVOLCK
“Col. 1: 16-20 teaches us the extent of the reconciliation made by Christ, namely, that it extends itself over the whole creation. Therefore the fallen angels must also necessarily have their share in it, for they do incontestably belong to the invisible things created by Christ, and consequently to all things including the things in the heavens.

‘Jehovah is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.’ Psalm 145:9
In this passage we are plainly told that the mercy of God, or His tender love, does not only extend itself to men, but universally towards all creatures that have their being and stand in need of mercy; and consequently also towards the fallen angels; which tender love of God must necessarily at last effect or bring about the restoration of all corrupt creatures, for it is not a weak or faint, but an almighty love.” (end quote)

AVITUS and BASIL, A GRECIAN (approx. 410 A.D.) together taught
“Future torments are not endless; for although they are called everlasting, yet that word in the original Greek, does not, according to its etymology, and its frequent use, signify endless, but answers only to the duration of an age; so that every sinner, after the purification of his conscience, shall return into the unity of the body of Christ.
The devil himself will at length be saved, when all his wickedness shall have been subdued. (end quote)

ERSKINE’S SKETCHES OF CHURCH HISTORY records the words of John Gasper Christian Lavater.
“God is not gracious in time and cruel through eternity. Ascribe not to God, what in a human judge all would account a defect in wisdom and goodness, the punishing for the sake of punishing. It is enough my Creator, Thou art love. Love seeketh not her own; Thou seekest the happiness of all, and shouldst Thou not then find what Thou seekest? Shouldst Thou not be able to do what Thou willest?

My prayers are comprehensive. I embrace in my heart all men; present and future times, and nations, yea Satan himself. I present them all to God, with the warmest wishes that He will have mercy on them all.” (end quote)

CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE – J.S. Taylor
I cannot believe that any being will exist in any part of the universe, so steeped in guilt and anguish (no, not Satan himself), as to be beyond the redeeming love and healing power of the Creator.

Oh, no; on the contrary, I believe that in this mysterious, but divinely ordained conflict of good and evil, the powers of light are everywhere slowly but surely gaining the ascendancy over the powers of darkness, and that it will continue to be so, even unto the perfect day; yes, that perfect day, wherein all these blessed victories over sin and ignorance shall have been consummated, these transformations completed, and no solitary stain of folly, guilt, or grief, be left to mar the lustre of the universe.” (end quote)

Gregory of Nyssa (335-390)
What is the scope of St. Paul’s dissertations? That the nature of evil shall, at length, be wholly exterminated, and divine immortal goodness embrace within itself every rational creature; so that of all who were made by God, not one shall be excluded from His kingdom. All the viciousness that like a corrupt matter is mingled in things shall be dissolved and consumed in fire; and everything shall be restored to its pristine state of purity.

In 1Cor. 15:22-28, the apostle Paul declares the extinction of all sin, saying that God will be All in all. For God will be truly All in all only when no evil shall remain in the nature of things. All evil must at length, be entirely removed from everything, so that it shall no more exist. For such being the nature of sin, that it cannot exist without a corrupt motive, it must, of course, be perfectly dissolved and wholly destroyed, so that nothing can remain a receptacle of it, when all motive and influences shall spring from God alone.

As the devil assumed a fleshly shape in order to ruin human nature, so the Lord took flesh for the salvation of man; and thus He blesses not only him who was ruined, but him also who led him into perdition; so that He both delivers man from sin, and heals the author of sin himself.” (end quote)

COMMENTARY ON THE NEW TESTAMENT – Jerome (347-420 A.D.)
"In the end or consummation of things, all shall be restored to their original state, and be again united in one body. We cannot be ignorant that Christ’s blood benefited the angels and those who are in hell; though we know not the manner in which it produced such effects. The apostate angels shall become such as they were created; and man, who has been cast out of paradise, shall be restored thither again. And this shall be accomplished in such a way, that all shall be united together by mutual charity, so that the members will delight in each other, and rejoice in each other’s promotion.

The apostate angels, and the prince of this world, though now ungovernable, plunging themselves into the depths of sin, shall, in the end, embrace the happy dominion of Christ and His saints."

THE WAY TO SALVATION IN THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL – ERNEST L. MARTIN
“The traditional interpretation of an everlasting hell fire for sinners is as wrong and as senseless as believing that a three dollar bill is legal tender.

Ultimate salvation is something that has been secured by Christ for all mankind without the works of man (either good or bad) being involved in the issue. Everyone will finally be saved and brought to a full knowledge of the truth of God. All humans will finally be forgiven for their sins and they will become reconciled to God. All things in the heavens, on earth and under the earth (the angels who are kept in chains in the bowels of the earth) will one day proclaim the Lordship of Christ to the glory of God the Father.

But it will not only be all humans who are reconciled to God (now that God has reconciled Himself to mankind). The reconciliation will reach out to embrace all the hostile powers which have been out of harmony with God over the centuries. There is prophesied, according to Paul, a full reconciliation between all the antagonistic beings throughout the universe. Even they will be reconciled amongst themselves,
Between themselves and mankind, and between themselves and God the Father (Col. 1:20). All grievances, both divine and human, are disposed of through the life and death of Christ our Saviour. Peace has been, or will be established between all hostile parties throughout the universe.

TWO STUDIES ON HEAVEN AND HELL – A.E. KNOCH
“Love is the great thing. God loves me. Christ died for me to display God’s affection. It has filled my heart to overflowing. I have tried to share it with my fellows, but O, so feebly and faithlessly. Yet I have known no joy so pure and permanent, no bliss so ecstatic as comes to me when some straying sinner or seeking saint enjoys God’s love through some word of mine. What will it be to be perfectly equipped with inexhaustible supplies of power and grace and fare forth into the celestial realms as an ambassador of peace to proclaim the evangel of God’s limitless love to the celestials of the starry spheres? This — this will be happiness — and heaven.

Not only does Paul see the entire earth blessed and saved, but all reconciled whom God created – even the principalities and powers of the heavens (Col. 1:20). So great is the power of the cross!”

A POEM BY A.G. CAMPBELL
I deem they greatly err, who hold
That He Who made the human soul,
Will not its destinies control
For final good – but, wrathful, fold
It in the shrouds of hopeless woe,
Of deathless gloom, of quenchless fire,
The creatures of His vengeful ire,
Whence it can never ransom know.

So, in the world to come, His love
Shall freely unto all abound;
Even prisoners in the depths profound
Shall see His kind face beam above
Their dreary cells, and hear His voice,
Unheeded once, in mercy call, –
“Turn, turn to Me and live!” and all
Shall hear the summons and rejoice.

Lost men, lost angels, shall return, –
Satan himself be purified;
Death shall be conquered in his pride,
And hell’s fierce fires shall cease to burn.
Then shall our God be All in all –
His love bear universal sway;
His love preserves all souls for aye,
Nor shall the weakest fear a fall.

THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

“This is, indeed, the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:42

First, Christ died for all mankind. Under this proposition consider
the language recorded in the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke,
tenth verse:
“For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
John 4:34:—“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him
that sent me, and to finish his work.” Hebrews 2:9:—“He tasted death
for every man.”

Secondly, under this proposition, Jesus Christ was endowed and
possessed power to do everything that he undertook to do:
John 17:2:—“As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he
should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” Matthew
28:18:—“And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth.”
Thus, he came to save all, has sufficient power to save all, and,
thirdly, he will succeed in saving all, which I demonstrate from
Isaiah 53:10-11:
“The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of
the travail of his soul, and be SATISFIED.”
Now, …inasmuch as Jesus came to accomplish the salvation of the entire
human family, he never would be satisfied if he were defeated. If any
of you undertake an enterprise, and get beaten, you never can say you
are satisfied. Our Lord is to “see of the travail of his soul, and be
satisfied.” Inasmuch as he came for the purpose of accomplishing
universal redemption, it is demonstrated that he will succeed, because
he will ultimately be satisfied.
The apostle John says:—“The Father loveth the son, and hath given all
things into his band.” In John 4:42:—“This is, indeed, the Christ, the
Savior of the world.”

  • JOHN WESLEY HANSON, 1879

VESSELS OF DISHONOR

For anyone who may be interested, all of the arguments presented by ETers that universalism is not scriptural have been refuted in detail in this online book.
HOPE BEYOND HELL - GERRY BEAUCHEMIN (published 2007)
It can be downloaded free and read online here
hopebeyondhell.net/

I thank God for being able to see that believers in eternal torment will remain believers in eternal torment for as long as God wants them to.

God needs them as vessels of the grossest dishonor, a foil of contrast against which He will demonstrate the power of His love that never fails and His undefeatable grace.

But after the resurrection God will refashion all believers in eternal torment into vessels of honor because they were marred in the Potter’s hands and they never leave His hands.
The doctrine of eternal torment is part of the black background against which God will paint His glorious masterpiece of universal transformation, using the paint brushes of His love that never fails, and His grace that cannot be defeated.

After believers in eternal torment have done their very best to convince others about what God will not do, God is going to do it anyway.

Believers in eternal torment will probably not want to have anything to do with this link, but others on this forum might.
Why not check it out?
Read the reviews first – just a suggestion.
hopebeyondhell.net/what-others-are-saying/

HOPE BEYOND HELL - GERRY BEAUCHEMIN
hopebeyondhell.net/
HOPE BEYOND HELL BOOK AUDIO - Gerry Beauchemin
hopebeyondhell.net/audio-book-with-text/

Is God a Failure? - Eleanor Garrod
Now that’s a pretty poignant question. Or is it an insinuation? An inference? Or implication? Or is it truth, as many would have you believe? Have you ever heard a sermon by that title? I doubt if you have. But I’m certain you have heard many a sermon which has been riddled with such implications.
Allow me to rephrase the question: Have you ever heard a sermon stating that if you don’t accept Jesus, you’ll burn forever in hell? Ah, I knew I’d touch a raw nerve. You have, haven’t you? If you heard that God is going to lose so much as one individual to the devil forever, then God is a failure.
If you have heard that the heathen (who have never had an opportunity to hear of Jesus) will be tormented forever for not believing in Him, then you’ve heard that God is a failure. Click on “See More” to read the entire quote.
If you’ve heard that man’s puny will can withstand the omnipotent will of God, and that man’s will can paralyze God’s will, then you have heard that God is a failure.
If you’ve heard that the Adversary outsmarted God in the garden of Eden, if you’ve heard that God did not want Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, then you’ve heard that God is a failure.
If you’ve ever heard anyone affirm that God will lose 95% of His created beings that He’s placed on planet earth, and will torment them forever, then you’ve clearly heard that God is a failure.
If the Good Shepherd is not willing that any should perish, and yet gets weary and gives up before He finds the last sheep that’s lost, then you know that God is a failure.
If no one can come to Jesus except the Father draws him, and if the Father - eventually - does not draw every single person, then God is a failure.
What is the response of your heart to the poised question: Is God a failure? Ah, my heart says, “Nay, a billion nays.” My heart has fallen in love with a God who does all things perfectly, and one day all will be made plain, and in the end He will become ‘All in All’ and for that day my heart does wait and meanwhile I rejoice and endure because I see Him, the invisible One.
By faith I see a Master Plan for the ages and beyond, and I know I am part of that plan, and for this I whisper, “Thank you, Jesus.” I sing a song to my Beloved, Hallelujah!
In Love with Him, Eleanor Garrod

NOW IS “A” DAY OF SALVATION
(not “the” day of salvation)
auburn.edu/~allenkc/today.html

NOT EVERYONE – Matt. 7:21

If these words were taken literally, then no one at all would enter the kingdom of Heaven because, at least for a period of time EVERYONE doesn’t do the will of the Father.
According to Rom. 3:10-18 EVERYONE starts out in the condition described in those verses.

All that Jesus meant by that statement is that NO UNREPENTANT SINNER will ever enter the kingdom of Heaven.

But we know that a time is coming when there will be no unrepentant sinners left in existence.

We know this because God “will have all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4)
It is God’s “pleasure” that all mankind be saved.
And “God is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11).

Change it to read “in accord with the counsel of what He wants” if you like.
Because God says
“My counsel shall stand.
I will do all my pleasure
(the saving of all mankind is part of the pleasure that God wants)
Yea I have spoken it.
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it.
I will also do it.”
Isaiah 46:10,11

Job 23:13 “But He stands alone, and who can oppose Him?
He does whatever he pleases.
(the saving of all mankind is part of what He wants that pleases Him).

Isaiah 55:11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
(the saving of all mankind is part of all of which God desires or wants)

So we see God does all His pleasure, He does whatever He pleases, and His word accomplishes that which He desires.
His pleasure, that which He desires and pleases Him is what He wants.

His will = What He wants
What does He want?
THE SALVATION OF ALL MANKIND
Why will it happen?
Because God Himself will see to it that it gets done.

Just like in the case of Lydia (whose heart the Lord opened, Acts 16:14) and Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-8), our cooperation to be saved is the result, not the cause, of God laying hold on us by His sovereign grace and causing Jesus to be “choice” in our heart.

The timing of the salvation of everyone is under God’s sovereign control.
God arranges everything so each person will be saved according to His perfect timing for each individual.

NOT JOKING

I guess God was joking and did not really mean it…

…when He said:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Shall not be in a state of being lost (apollumi), but shall have life during the ages which collectively come to an end. Heb. 9:26.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
They will lose it for the eons but will find it again when the eons collectively end Heb. 9:26

Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Instead of being forgiven, they will suffer the consequences. But the consequences are age-during, not eternal.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
God will restore all destroyed souls when death is abolished. 1 Cor. 15:20-28

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.
Believers have life pertaining to the ages which collectively come to an end. Christ rejecters will receive kolasis aionios (age-during corrective chastisement) Matt 25:46.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment
Both in terms of duration and intensity God will administer just the right amount of kolasis aionios to everyone who needs it. Matt. 25:46.

A snippet from
Etymology of the Word “Damn”
The words “damn” and “Hell” are among favorite words spoken by theologians of the “hell-fire” type.
Let us look into the etymology of this word “damn.” We may find some interesting surprises.
tentmaker.org/Dew/Dew7/D7-Et … dDamn.html

ALL

A snippet from The Inescapable Love of God, Pages 59, 60, by Thomas Talbott:
“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life (Romans 5:18).
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all (Romans 11:32).
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (I Corinthians 15:22).

In each of these texts, we encounter a contrast between two universal statements, and in each case the first “all” seems to determine the scope of the second. Accordingly, when Paul asserts in Romans 5:18 that Christ’s one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all, he evidently has in mind every descendant of Adam who stands under the judgment of condemnation; when he insists in Romans 11:32 that God is merciful to all, he has in mind every human being whom God has “shut up” to, or has “imprisoned” in, disobedience; and finally, when he asserts in I Corinthians 15:22 that “all shall be made alive” in Christ, he has in mind everyone who has died in Adam. The grammatical evidence here seems utterly decisive; you can reject it only if you are prepared to reject what is right before your eyes.”

Does “All” mean “All”?
hopebeyondhell.org/

ANATHEMA - Gary Amirault
tentmaker.org/Biblematters/condemned.htm

Regarding the word “anathema,” I repeat NO other English translation had the nerve to put “eternally” into these phrases in Galatians. Why? Because there is no word in these two sentences that remotely refers to eternity. The NIV translators simply took the liberty of injecting their own beliefs in eternal damnation into this passage without a shred of support from the Greek.
Does the Aramaic word “anathema” carry behind it the idea of people being endlessly tortured and separated from God? In Acts 23:14 a group of Jews put themselves under a curse; they would eat no food until they killed Paul. Do you really think these men, asked to be eternally tortured and estranged from God forever if they failed to kill Paul? Hardly! When Paul wished that he himself was accursed for the sake of his kinsmen after the flesh, do you really think he would allow himself to burn in a Hell forever if it would save his kinsmen? That’s ridiculous. Paul taught no such thing. The apostle to the nations, never used any of the words some translations translated Hell.
(Since the writing of this article, it has been pointed out to me, the Amplified Bible has also chosen to put “doomed to eternal punishment” in Galatians 1:8. I repeat, in the Greek text behind this verse there is no word that means “eternal” in this verse. It is added by the translators of these two Bible translations.)

THE MYSTERY OF GOD – Gerard Winstanley
“Christ Jesus will deliver all mankind out of bondage. This I see to be a truth by testimony of Scripture, as God is pleased to teach me. But this mystery of God is not to be done all at once, but in several dispensations, some whereof are past, some are in being, and some are yet to come. The whole creation of mankind, which is God’s work, shall be delivered from corruption, bondage, death, and pain. Mankind shall be by Christ reconciled to his Maker and be made one in spirit with Him; i.e. the curse shall be removed, and the power of it killed and consumed.
Truly this is according to the current of the whole Scriptures, that everyone shall be made of one heart and one spirit, i.e. that all shall be brought to obey the Father, walk humbly before Him, and live in peace and love in Him. This is the doctrine of Christ and the gospel. This is glad tidings to hear of. When you are made to enjoy this doctrine as yours, then you shall know what it is to know the Son, and what it is to be set free by the Son.”

THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS – ANDREW JUKES
The word which in Matt. 25:46 we translate punishment, in its primary sense means ‘pruning’ and is always used for corrective discipline which is for the improvement of him who suffers it. Even those who hold the common view of the endlessness of punishment are obliged to confess this; and this of itself proves that their doctrine is untenable; for any punishment, be it for a longer or shorter time would not be corrective discipline, but quite another thing if it left those who were so corrected unimproved and lost forever. But from the fall till now the changeless way of the Lord is to make even the curse a blessing.”

Augustine and Matthew 25:46
Augustine gave a couple of reasons why he believed it was in vain that some, indeed very many, in his day, believed there was no eternal punishment:

“It is quite in vain, then, that some–indeed very many–yield to merely human feelings and deplore the notion of the eternal punishment of the damned and their interminable and perpetual misery. They do not believe that such things will be. Not that they would go counter to divine Scripture–but, yielding to their own human feelings, they soften what seems harsh and give a milder emphasis to statements they believe are meant more to terrify than to express the literal truth. “ ‘God will not forget,’ ” they say, “ ‘to show mercy, nor in his anger will he shut up his mercy.’ ” This is, in fact, the text of a holy psalm. But there is no doubt that it is to be interpreted to refer to those who are called “vessels of mercy,” those who are freed from misery not by their own merits but through God's mercy. Even so, if they suppose that the text applies to all men, there is no ground for them further to suppose that there can be an end for those of whom it is said, “ ‘Thus these shall go into everlasting punishment.’ ” Otherwise, it can as well be thought that there will also be an end to the happiness of those of whom the antithesis was said: “ ‘But the righteous into life eternal.’ ” 

(end quote)
It may be that many of the early believers in Augustine’s day did “deplore the notion of eternal punishment” by yielding to “human feelings” and reliance upon God’s mercy. But, was Augustine correct to quote Matthew 25:46 to support the notion of “eternal punishment of the damned and their interminable and perpetual misery’’? I say No, he was not.
He is saying that if punishment is temporary then it logically follows that the life for the righteous is temporary as well. But is Matthew 25:31-46 really saying this is about the fate of “damned” vs. the righteous for all eternity? No! This judgment takes place when Christ comes back and sets up His 1000 year kingdom (see also Revelation 20). When Christ comes back (Matt.25:31) He will call the nations to this judgment. They will be judged as to how Christ’s brethren were treated. Having faith in Christ or lack thereof is not what they are being judged for. Christ never calls the sheep nations His brothers but He does tell them that they treated His brethren correctly.
Secondly, the “kolasin aionion” or “chastening eonian” which the goat nations must endure is equal in length to the life (zoe aionion/life eonian) in the kingdom which the sheep nations enjoy. When the 1000 year eon ends, both the chastening of the goat nations and the life of the sheep nations end. Then all must appear before the great white throne. The earth is destroyed and I’m sure that some from both groups of the goat and sheep nations will enter into the lake of fire.
But this is not their “eternal” lot, for, one day, death, (the second death) which the lake of fire is called, will be abolished, all will be made alive (be vivified or given immortality), subjected to Christ and God will be All in all, not All in some (see 1 Cor.15:22-28).
Augustine, for all his brilliance, was not given to see certain truths in the Scriptures. While he may have been correct to state that the given psalm was meant to pertain to the vessels of mercy, It is too bad that he did not see the truth of Romans 11:32 how that God should be merciful in the future to those who are enemies to the evangel and stubborn now.
Tony Nungesser
saviourofall.org/2003Newslet … stine.html

THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINE OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT
tentmaker.org/books/OriginandHistory.html

THE EVENTUAL SAVING OF EVERYONE FROM EVERYTHING FROM WHICH THEY NEED TO BE SAVED

UNIVERSAL SALVATION UNIVERSITY
richardwaynegarganta.com/universalsalvation.htm

An excellent website expounding Christian Biblical Universal Salvation