Others such as Scot McKnight, a professor of theology at North Park University in Chicago, said they welcomed the renewed discussion of one of the hardest issues in Christianity — can a loving God really be so wrathful toward people who faltered, or never were exposed to Jesus? In an interview and on his blog, he said that the thunder emanating from the right this week was not representative of American Christians, even evangelicals. According to surveys and his experience with students, Mr. McKnight said, a large majority of evangelical Christians “more or less believe that people of other faiths will go to heaven,” whatever their churches and theologians may argue.
End quote.
Then those McKnight interviewed were not Christians. But I digress.
Then there's the horrid views of Huffington Post's Christopher Latondress:
Quote:
We won't know for sure how Rob Bell answers these questions until the book comes out. Nevertheless, this controversy offers an important opportunity for Christians to reflect on a few principles that should inform this debate as it moves forward:
1. Christians should hope that all people can be (and will be) saved.
Hell: Population 0
Those who believe God modeled the ultimate example of true love in the person of Jesus -- and who, therefore, aspire to love their fellow humans as they love themselves -- should also believe that, in the end, God's love will win the day. So is it really that radical to suggest that this belief should accompany the earnest hope that it is actually within the scope of God's sovereign power and unrelenting grace to reconcile all things to himself?
For biblical passages alluding to this idea, read: Colossians 1:19-20; 1 Corinthians 15:22,28; Romans 5:18, 11:33-36; and Philippians 2:10-11. This is just a limited digest.
I haven't read Bell's book, but I suspect that this is one of the ideas he explores. This would put him in good company. Far from being unorthodox, this idea has captured the imaginations of theologians since the early days of Christianity. In 2001, Richard John Neuhaus -- founder of First Things, a religion and policy journal, and (though a Lutheran convert to Catholicism) featured onTime Magazine's list of The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America -- reflected on this idea and its long Christian history in an articled titled, "Will All Be Saved?"
“Rob Bell is tapping into a younger generation that really wants to open up these questions,” he said. “He is also tapping into the fear of the traditionalists — that these differing views of heaven and hell will compromise the Christian message.”
End quote.
2Co 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Rom 9:11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
Rom 9:12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."
Rom 9:13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
Rom 9:15 For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."
Rom 9:16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."
Rom 9:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Rom 9:19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"
Rom 9:20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?
Rom 9:21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?
Rom 9:22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
Rom 9:23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
Rom 9:24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
There are two groups of people in this world: the elect that God chose to save and then does save, those are the vessels of mercy prepared for glory, and the unsaved who are the vessels prepared for wrath.
God doesn't will all to be saved and therefore keeps the veil over their eyes and closed ears closed:
Mat 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Luke 8: 9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ”‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’
Luk 18:34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Rom 11:8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and
ears that would not hear, down to this very day."
Matt. 11: 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and
no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
1Sa 3:12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house,
from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house
forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and
he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of
Eli's house SHALL NOT BE ATONED FOR by sacrifice or offering FOREVER."
And without atonement, there is no salvation: Heb 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Joh 10:26 but you do not believe because you are not part of My flock.
Only those who are part of Jesus' flock believe in Him and will see eternal life.
Joh 17:9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you
have given me, for they are yours.
Jesus doesn't pray for the whole world therefore not all the world is being interceded for nor will be
saved. He is the intercessor for His own only (1John 2:1-2; Romans 8)
Luk 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is
pleased!"
Notice in Luke 2:14 God's peace isn't with all people but its qualified to be with people on
whom His favor rests.
Act 1:16 "Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by
the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested
Jesus.
1Peter 2: 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were DESTINED FOR.
Jud 1:4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
John 17: 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Phil. 3: 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
Isa 66:24 "And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."
Matt. 25: 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
2 Thes. 1: 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Mat 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life."
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the FIERY FURNACE. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
And in stark contrast:
Rev 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Any person who denies a literal Hell and therefore by necessity a literal Heaven (see the passage I posted above), anyone who is a universalist, is not a Christian. Jesus taught on both Heaven and Hell. He also taught there are two kingdoms; that of the devil and that of God. Jesus taught two roads; one leads to eternal life which is narrow and few find, the other is broad on which many are on and this leads to destruction. Fear of a metaphorical hell is nothing and is no fear at all. Instead its a call to a metaphorical fear of a metaphorical God, which is no god at all but rather a liar.
Luk 12:5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
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