The Evangelical Universalist Forum

SNIPPETS FROM MY HARD COPY UR LIBRARY

Evangelical Universalism Arguments for Evangelical Universalism
#1321

Up until the time of Augustine, most Christians believed in universal salvation.

Dr. Edwin Abbott, headmaster of the City of London School, wrote in his Cambridge Sermons -
QUOTE: “An argument was introduced by Augustine, and since his day incessantly repeated, that if aionios kolasis does not mean “endless punishment,” then there is no security for the believer that aionios zoe means “endless life,” and that he will enjoy the promise of endless happiness. But Matt. 25:46 shows the “eonian chastisement” and “eonian life” are of the same duration-lasting during the eons, and when the eons end, as Scripture states they will (1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26), the time called “eonian” is past and the life called “eonian” is finished, but life continues beyond the eons, as Paul teaches at 1 Cor. 15:26: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (which must refer to the lake of fire, for the first death cannot be the last enemy). That is, the last, the final one in order. How will it be destroyed? First Corinthians 15:22 gives the answer: “For as IN ADAM ALL are dying, even so IN CHRIST ALL shall be made alive.” Death is destroyed when ALL have been made alive, IN CHRIST.”
– Dr. Edwin Abbott

Note God’s wording
In Christ all shall be made alive
not
All who are in Christ shall be made alive

GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES OF TIME
“During the present wicked eon (Gal.1:4), Sin reigns, Satan who is said to be “the god of this eon” (2 Cor.4:4) blinds and deceives mankind, and death swallows up the race (1 Cor.15:22). But notwithstanding, God is over all and is in supreme control. He is the eonian God. In due time He will deliver the entire creation and bring good out of all the suffering mankind is called upon to endure (Rom.8;18-23).”

GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES OF TIME
THE EONS OF THE BIBLE WITH CONCORDANCE
saviourofall.org/Tracts/Eons2.html

Universalism:
The Prevailing Doctrine Of the Christian Church During Its First Five-Hundred Years
tentmaker.org/books/Prevailing.html
And they were reading the Bible in its original language!

#1322

From the hard copy UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION library of Rodger Tutt

BOOKS WITH SPINES (NO STAPLES)

  1. REDEMPTION ALL IN ALL – RAY PRINZING
  2. ALL IN ALL - A.E. KNOCH
  3. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL AND THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD – A.E. KNOCH
  4. THE INESCAPABLE LOVE OF GOD – THOMAS TALBOTT
  5. A TREATISE ON ATONEMENT – HOSEA BALLOU
  6. SALVATOR MUNDI: OR, IS CHRIST THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MEN? – SAMUEL COX
  7. GOD’S RULES FOR SCRIPTURAL INTERPRETATION AND MAN’S PLACE IN GOD’S PURPOSE – CHARLES J. PEART
  8. THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S WILL – GUY MARKS
  9. A CLOUD OF WITNESSES – J.W. HANSON
  10. TRUTH AS I SEE IT – W.F. SALTER
  11. A SHORT HELP AND INCENTIVE TO AN UNBIASED INQUIRY INTO THE SCRIPTURE TRUTH OF UNIVERSALISM OR THE FINAL RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS – R. ROE
  12. THE FIVE SMOOTH STONES OF THE KINGDOM – IRENE LINDSAY
  13. TIME AND ETERNITY- G.T. STEVENSON
  14. THE DIVINE DESTINY – K. ROSS MCKAY
  15. IS HELL ETERNAL? – MIKKEL DAHL AND JON R. WELKER
  16. THE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL TORMENTS OVERTHROWN – THOMAS WHITTEMORE
  17. THE GREEK WORD AION – AIONIOS TRANSLATED EVERLASTING – ETERNAL IN THE HOLY BIBLE SHOWN TO DENOTE LIMITED DURATION – JOHN WESLEY HANSON
  18. A LETTER OF THE CELEBRATED JOHN FOSTER TO A YOUNG MINISTER ON THE DURATION OF FUTURE PUNISHMENT AND AN EARNEST APPEAL TO THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY IN REGARDS TO THE CHARACTER OF ITS PUBLICATIONS – JOHN FOSTER
  19. IS HELL ETERNAL OR WILL GOD’S PLAN FAIL - CHARLES H. PRIDGEON
  20. THE GOSPEL FROM OUTER SPACE – ROBERT SHORT
  21. THE GREAT REVELATION OR GOD’S LOVE, PURPOSE AND PLAN – JOHN H. PATON
  22. AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF WORDS – LOUIS ABBOTT
  23. DARE WE HOPE THAT ALL MEN BE SAVED – HANS URS VON BALTHASAR
  24. GOD’S ULTIMATE – A.E. SAXBY
  25. A SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY – WILLIAM BARCLAY
  26. THE GOSPEL OF OUR SALVATION – ADLAI LOUDY
  27. CHRIST TRIUMPHANT – THOMAS ALLIN
  28. THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF UNIVERSALISM – HOSEA BALLOU
  29. THE MODERN HISTORY OF UNIVERSALISM – THOMAS WHITTEMORE
  30. RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS – ANDREW JUKES
  31. YOU SAID IT LORD – ALINE TALSMA
  32. THOUGHTS ON THE DIVINE GOODNESS RELATIVE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF MORAL AGENTS PARTICULARLY DISPLAYED IN FUTURE REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS – FERDINAND OLIVER PETITPIERRE
  33. HOPE BEYOND HELL – GERRY BEAUCHEMIN
  34. AT THE END OF THE AGES THE ABOLITION OF HELL – BOB EVELY
  35. THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS OR A VINDICATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD TO BE MANIFESTED AT LAST IN THE RECOVERY OF HIS WHOLE CREATION OUT OF THEIR FALL – JEREMIAH WHITE
  36. THE GREAT DELVERANCE – GUY MARKS
  37. UNION – JAMES RELLY
  38. THE UNIVERSAL RESTORATION – ELHANAN WINCHESTER
  39. THE JUST JUDGMENT OF GOD – JAMES CORAM
  40. GRACIOUS GOSPEL BOOK FOUR – SHERWOOD MICHAEL
  41. HOW TO KEEP 0N LIVING – DUSEAN BERKICH
  42. THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL – PAUL SIEGVOLCK

BOOKS WITH STAPLES

  1. TIME, ETERNITY AND GOD – REDEMPTION’S GLORY – RAY PRINZING
  2. THE MAGNITUDE OF REDEMPTION – RAY PRINZING
  3. THE INTERPLAY OF GOOD AND EVIL – RAY PRINZING
  4. DIVINE INWORKINGS – ALL IN ALL – RAY PRINZING
  5. THE UNENDING TRIUMPH OF JESUS CHRIST – ED GREGORY
  6. THE TRUE BASIS OF REDEMPTION – A.P. ADAMS
  7. THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MANKIND - JOSEPH KIRK, WILLIAM C. REBMANN, DEAN HOUGH, AND JAMES CORAM
  8. ETERNAL TORMENT OR UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION – A.E. KNOCH
  9. CREATION, REDMPTION AND THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS – GEORGE R. HAWTIN
  10. EONIAN - EVERLASTING OR AGE-LASTING – GRACE H. TODD
  11. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL – JOHN H. ESSEX
  12. THE PURPOSE OF GOD – JOHN H. ESSEX
  13. THE GREATNESS OF SALVATION – WILLIAM MEALAND
  14. GOD JUSTIFIES, VIVIFIES, SAVES AND RECONCILES ALL – E.G. JONES
  15. TWO STUDIES ON HEAVEN AND HELL – A.E. KNOCH
  16. A RANSOM FOR ALL – E.T. SPRINGETT MOXHAM
  17. THE AGES IN THE SCRIPTURES – VLADIMIR GELESNOFF
  18. “HELL” – VLADIMIR GELESNOFF
  19. “ONE” AND “ALL” – JOHN ESSEX
  20. ON THESE THINGS MEDITATE – WILLIAM MEALAND
  21. “ETERNAL LIFE” – LOYAL F. HURLEY
  22. TORTURING DOUBTS AND EXULTANT FAITH – JAMES CORAM
  23. THE GLORY OF THE HAPPY GOD – ARTHUR CHARLES LAMB
  24. THE CONCEPT OF CIRCULARITY – JACK E. JACOBSEN
  25. GOD’S PERFECT PLAN – AUTHOR UNKNOWN
  26. THE CROSS AND THE AGES TO COME – G. CAMPBELL MORGAN
  27. NOTES FROM ROMANS 5 – W.H. GRIFFITH THOMAS
  28. DEFINITION OF BIBLE TERMS – GEORGE R. HAWTIN
  29. HE LIGHTETH EVERY MAN – VIRGENE ANDREWS
  30. AGES OR ETERNITY AND THE KING JAMES VERSION – JOHN DOKAS
  31. THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION SEEN FROM GOD’S VIEWPOINT – DORA VAN ASSEN
  32. DIVINE JUDGMENT - DORA VAN ASSEN
  33. GOD’S UNFAILING PLAN REVEALED IN THE EONS – DORA VAN ASSEN
  34. THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH – PAUL MUELLER
  35. “ASK OF ME OF THINGS TO COME” – K. ROSS MCKAY
  36. “ MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND” – K. ROSS MCKAY
  37. “ FOR WHO HATH RESISTED HIS WILL – K. ROSS MCKAY
  38. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE – AUTHOR UNKNOWN
  39. PROGRESSIVE REVELATION WITHIN THE BIBLE – EARNEST L. MARTIN
  40. THE PURPOSE OF EVIL – GUY MARKS
  41. THE PLACE OF HUMANITY IN GOD’S PURPOSE – JOHN H. ESSEX
  42. A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE SCRIPTURES – G.J. SALTER
  43. RESTORATION: THROUGH THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES – CHARLES WELLER
  44. THE EONS OF THE BIBLE – JOSEPH E. KIRK
  45. OUR CHURCH FATHERS TESTIFY – JACK JACOBSON
  46. WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED – KENNETH BRIX
  47. BE YE RECONCILED – VIRGENE ANDREWS
  48. MY UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY – HANNAH WHITALL SMITH
  49. WHENCE ETERNITY? – ALEXANDER THOMSON
  50. MUST AION MEAN ETERNAL? – PHILIP SCRANTON
  51. TARDY OF HEART TO BELIEVE ALL – F. NEIL POHORLAK
  52. MARTIN ZENDER GOES TO HELL – MARTIN ZENDER
  53. THE DEPTHS OF GOD WILL RETRIEVE ALL - ANTHONY J. BORRELLO
  54. NONE LOST, NONE DESTROYED – ANTHONY J. BORRELLO
  55. SOONER OR LATER GOD ALL IN ALL - ANTHONY J. BORRELLO
  56. 100 SCRIPTURAL PROOFS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MANKIND – THOMAS WHITTEMORE
  57. A TRUE REVELATION AND A SECOND WITNESS – TRAVIS OGLETREE
  58. THE CHRIST OF GLORY – MARVIN W. RICE
  59. JUSTIFICATION – DONALD G. HAYTER
  60. THE “EVIL” FROM THE LORD – MICHAEL KILLIAN
  61. THE FEET MINISTRY – DON BRUCE
  62. HELL – J.W. WILLIAMS
  63. LIFE FOR ALL - CHARLES W. COTTON
  64. UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION – MINNIE ALBERTSON
  65. 125 NUTS FOR CALVINISTS TO CRACK – C.R. BIERBOWER
  66. ALL AND ALL IN ALL – VINCE HOLLANDER AND HENRY BULLER
  67. THE WAY TO SALVATION IN THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL – ERNEST L. MARTIN
  68. THE EARLY VIEW OF THE SAVIOR – GARY AMIRAULT
  69. ETERNAL DEATH – ONE STEP OUT OF HELL, ONE STEP SHORT OF GLORY - GARY AMIRAULT
  70. THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL – TONY HINKLE
  71. THE SECOND DEATH – A.E. SAXBY
  72. OVERWHELMING GRACE – JOHN H. ESSEX
  73. THE GOSPEL OF GRACE – CHARLES W. WELLER
  74. JUSTIFICATION – DONALD G. HAYTER
  75. THE OUTCOME OF INFINITE GRACE – LOYAL F. HURLEY
  76. THE GOSPEL – BERT BAUMAN
  77. WHAT GOD SAYS CONCERNING HELL – J.F. RODGERS
  78. MAN’S FAILURE OR GOD’S SUCCESS – WHICH WILL STAND? – LEE SALISBURY
  79. ETERNITY EXPLAINED – LEE SALISBURY
  80. JUST WHAT DO YOU MEAN? (SERIES OF13 VOLUMES) J. PRESTON EBY
#1323

GRACE OVERWHELMS

What I perceive to be a basic issue.

People who don’t think salvation is 100% by God, not just 100% “provided” by God like to be in the hands of their own “free” will. That is where they feel most secure.

IMO, that is the most basic difference between ETers and URs.

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.

HIS ACHIEVEMENT ARE WE - James Coram
CHOOSING WHAT IS CHOICE
biblical studies: His Achievement Are We - Part 9 - Choosing What Is Choice
concordant.org/expohtml/HisAchie … nt009.html
“No one to whom Christ is not yet choice can choose Christ.
And Christ cannot be choice to anyone to whom He has not yet been made choice.
When He is made choice He becomes choice and so is choice; or to say the same thing, He is chosen.
This first act of the believer in which Christ is consciously chosen, is merely a consequence of his new mental preference which has been graciously granted to him by God.”

ARMINIAN ET BELIEF - It’s as if God says
“Unless you are lucky enough to find out about my son during this lifetime, and even if you are that lucky, if you don’t have the good sense to use your “free” will and cooperate with my son properly before you die, then I am going to raise you from the dead and I will sustain you alive in an inescapable state of eternal torment forever.”

My advice, don’t put your faith in your faith. Your faith may, and probably will be misplaced from time to time, especially if you are having faith in your self.
Put your faith in Jesus Christ instead, because even if He casts you into the lake of fire which is the second death it will achieve the age-during corrective chastisement that He has promised to everyone who needs it.

#1324

Butch Cassidy

To paraphrase what the Sundance Kid might say to Butch Cassidy during a theological discussion —
“You keep believing that God is going to sustain people alive in an inescapable state of everlasting suffering Butch. That’s what you’re good at.”

But if any reader has any desire to consider another point of view about what the Bible teaches then here is a great place to start.

UNIVERSAL SALVATION UNIVERSITY
richardwaynegarganta.com/universalsalvation.htm

THE GOSPEL FROM OUTER SPACE – ROBERT SHORT
“The gospel of love heard from the churches is at bottom a gospel at gunpoint. This gospel claims to speak of a great love, but only one step behind this “love” is an unspoken, or often very vocal great threat – the threat of eternity in “hell” if we refuse this love. What a travesty of love, even human love, not to mention God’s! For one would think that God’s love ought to be at least as great as what human beings are capable of. It is precisely the implied or expressed threat of eternal perdition that compromises the churches’ ‘gospel of love,’ and gives this ‘gospel’ the lie to ordinary people, and is in fact behind by far, most of atheism.

On the other hand, this is not the quality of mercy I see in God. I get the strong feeling of an infinite, unconditional, no-strings-attached love for all people. At the same time this love is all-powerful and sovereign. It is not so flimsy and pitifully weak that it can be finally frustrated or defeated by mere human whim or by meager man’s arrogant illusion called ‘free will.’ ”

#1325

CHARLES SLAGLE

Just like in the case of Charles Slagle, my sanity quite literally depends on rejecting the ET interpretation of the Bible.

If anyone on this forum feels the same way, the exposition/testimony of Charles will probably be a huge help to them like it was to me. During my 77 years of living I have not found any writing that has been more helpful than this one. Why not check it out?
ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE IN JESUS CHRIST
richardwaynegarganta.com/4Vi … vation.htm

You can Google up Charles Slagle and find many more good writings by him.
Just type in Charles Slagle

In my opinion the greatest of all manifestations of God’s grace in action in this world is
that anyone (Christian or Muslim) can believe that God will let anyone suffer forever and not go insane thinking about it.

If I were to become convinced that the Bible does teach ET, I would live out the rest of my life as an agnostic, trying to treat others the way I would like to be treated by them, and hoping for the best after I die, rather than claim to love a god who would let anyone suffer forever.

The idea that the Bible is the word of God is not important enough to me to try to embrace the idea that it teaches an endless-hell god. No amount of threatenings by ETers could possibly change my mind about that.

After thought:
If conscious eternal torment is true, why did God not repeatedly plaster warnings of it from Genesis to Malachi? A Calvinist would probably say, “Why bother. Their goose is cooked anyway since the non-Israelites were totally depraved and not among the elect. But how would a non-Calvinist (free-willer) answer that question. I wonder?

#1326

CHOOSING WHAT IS CHOICE

People who don’t think salvation is 100% by God, not just 100% “provided” by God like to be in the hands of their own “free” will. That is where they feel most secure.

IMO, that is the most basic difference between ETers and URs.

Just like in the case of Lydia, and Saul of Tarsus, 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.
We are saved when God wants us to be, no thanks to ourselves at all.

SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS DEBARRED

HIS ACHIEVEMENT ARE WE - James Coram
CHOOSING WHAT IS CHOICE
concordant.org/expohtml/HisAchie … nt009.html
“No one to whom Christ is not yet choice can choose Christ.
And Christ cannot be choice to anyone to whom He has not yet been made choice.
When He is made choice He becomes choice and so is choice; or to say the same thing, He is chosen.
This first act of the believer in which Christ is consciously chosen, is merely a consequence of his new mental preference which has been graciously granted to him by God.”

“Not you choose Me, but I choose you…” John 15:16
“Too often is salvation made a matter of the sinner’s choice. This sadly mars the full and clear apprehension of God’s love which it is intended to reveal. All active effort in redemption is the outflow of divine love, and is entirely on God’s side. All the sinner’s activity is a hindrance, He would choose anyone but God. His part is a passive or a negative one.

We were chosen by God in Christ before the disruption. Sin itself was subsequent to His choice of us. Hence, sin, either past or present, cannot affect God’s purpose for us, or our acceptance of His grace. He chooses, He calls, He glorifies. He does not give man his choice or a chance. He has the wisdom and the power to impel men to fall into line with His purpose no matter what their natural inclination may be.
All human experience confirms the divine declaration that He it is Who is operating in us to will as well as to work for the sake of His delight (Phil. 2:13).
Man can carry out his own will only so far as it accords with the
purpose of God. When men rage against God, He uses their wrath as far
as it is useful to His plans. The remainder of their wrath He
restrains.” -Snippet from the Concordant Commentary
(concordant.org/expohtml/Concorda … 4_John.htm)
“It is not of him who is willing, nor of him who is racing, but of God, the merciful.” –Verse 16. Verse 23 informs us that the vessels of mercy are made ready before for glory. Romans 8:28-30 further describes God’s working in those He chooses to enjoy life during the oncoming eons. Therefore, we read in Acts 13:48, “Now on hearing this, the nations rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and they believe, whoever were set for life eonian.”

You might ask, “By whom were they set for eonian life?” God leaves no doubt in that regard; It is God’s choice in grace. The purpose of God remains as the choice of Him who is calling- Ro. 9:11. See also Ro. 11:5; Eph. 1:4; John 12:37-40.
This separation, or election, which God makes, is concerned with eonian salvation, during the present wicked eon and in the two oncoming, glorious eons. God chooses final and unending salvation for all universally after the eons have run their course. John 12:32; Ro. 11:32; 1 Cor. 15:20-28; Col. 1:15-20; Phil. 2:9-11; 1 Tim. 4:9-11.

#1327

Don’t kid yourself. If anyone suffers forever JESUS IS DOING IT TO THEM
tentmaker.org/articles/savio … larity.htm

THE GOD THAT CALVINIST AND ARMINIAN ETERNAL TORMENTORS PROFESS TO LOVE

The eternal torment theology of the Arminian Christian relies on so-called “free will” and luck.

The god that Arminian eternal tormentors profess to love says to his fallen creatures

“Unless you are lucky enough to find out about my son during this lifetime, and even if you are that lucky, if you don’t have the good sense to cooperate with my son properly before you die, then I am going to raise you from the dead and I will sustain you alive in an inescapable state of eternal torment forever.”

The eternal torment theology of the Calvinist Christian relies on God alone, not “free will” at all. It is summed up by the word TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and the Perseverance of the elect.

The god that Calvinistic eternal tormentors profess to love says to his fallen creatures

“I created most of you for the purpose of torturing you forever. However, I am going to choose a few of you undeserving ones to go to heaven where you will be happy forever.”
And then both the Arminian and Calvinistic eternal tormentors say that the feelings that they have for this god of theirs is “love.”

To read a description of eternal torment combination Calv-Arminianism see
ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE IN JESUS CHRIST – Charles Slagle
tentmaker.org/books/Absolute … hrist.html

This next url sums up the end result of all three
tentmaker.org/articles/savio … larity.htm

Without God’s sustaining power everyone would cease to exist.
So if anyone were to suffer forever, our all-powerful God (Who is Love in essence, not just loving) would be fully 100% responsible for it. We would have to conclude that any definition of the manifestation of “love-in-essence” includes eternally sustaining people alive in an inescapable state of suffering.

What a travesty; what a revolting definition of love it is that God, Who is love personified, would grant any creature a will so strong that they can choose themselves into an irreversible state of never ending suffering (Arminian), or they deserve to suffer forever just by being born into the human race (Calvinist)!

Thank God the Bible does not teach such an insane idea! Yes, God is just but He is not justice personified. However, God is Love personified. That is why He will temper all of His administrating of justice only to be for the good of the individual being judged.

Here is what the God that universal transformationists love and worship with complete abandon will do. He will complete the process of salvation for the first fruits of election, (the remnant chosen by grace), after the first resurrection. Then He will complete the process of salvation for the non-elect after the great white throne judgment. For some, it will include an experience in the lake of fire.

Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to guarantee that any necessary “kolasis aionian” (age-during corrective chastisement) will be 100% effective in changing wrong attitudes. All acts of sin have been forgiven for everyone. Attitudes cannot be forgiven. Attitudes must change. This is what the lake of fire which is the second death will do. It will last no longer than God sees is good for everyone involved.
tentmaker.org/articles/savio … e-Eby.html

You can Google up good articles on this subject by typing in kolasis aionian

Also see
tentmaker.org/articles/savio … /index.htm

For anyone who cannot love an endless-hell god —
BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALIST RESOURCES

Copy and paste the following urls into the address bar
richardwaynegarganta.com/universalsalvation.htm
christian-universalism.com/links.html
christianuniversalist.org
geocities.com/kencallen/inquire2.html
Also see
Information, and frequently asked questions in support of a correctly (literally, not interpretively) translated Bible teaching universal salvation,

tentmaker.org/books/BibleThr … ained.html

Good news of God’s love for all mankind - find it here at Tentmaker
tentmaker.org/FAQ/index.html

Quick Find: Links to Information on Hell and Universal Salvation
[tentmaker.org/bloglinks.htm](http://www.tentmaker.org/bloglinks.htm)

THE SCHOLARS CORNER FOR BIBLE STUDIES IN CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL UNIVERSALISM
tentmaker.org/ScholarsCorner.html

tentmaker.org/sitemap.html
tentmaker.org/articles/savio … /index.htm

pilkingtonandsons.com/urqascriptureindex.htm

(If necessary, copy and paste them into your address bar)
and they will learn that the Bible actually teaches universal salvation instead, not even annihilation.

Or, they will go to the search engine at the top of tentmaker.org and will type in a key word or phrase from any argument or scripture passage. Ten articles will come up refuting the claim that the Bible teaches eternal torment or annihilation. Then they may click to the next page and ten more articles will come up, and so on and so on for many pages.

The many entries in my guestbook that is accessed towards the bottom of my front page at
greater-emmanuel.org/Hope4You/
and the many entries at tentmaker.org/visitorcomments.htm
show just how much this information is helping people.
Also see tentmaker.org/articles/hells_fruit.html

This was the information that enabled me to recover from a twelve year nervous breakdown 1966-78, and it gives me great joy to keep learning that it is helping more and more other people too!! I’m 77 years old.

I am also going to guide you to the testimony of a man whose experience was almost identical to mine. Even the thought processes that took him into, through, and out of his breakdown are the same as mine. His name is Charles Slagle.
He responds to the question, “Which view of salvation is true?”
tentmaker.org/books/Absolute … hrist.html

POST SCRIPT: For those of you who believe the Bible teaches annihilation rather than universal salvation, consider the following,
tentmaker.org/books/EternalDeath.html

#1328

yes, agreed. God ultimately saves and reconciles all His creatures. …in my view, bad men limit God’s love…they limit His power to reconcile…in doing so they mislead and beguile millions of their ‘flock’.

#1329

Sooner or later God will have (wants if you like) 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.

Any cooperation towards our salvation is the result, not the cause of God laying hold on us by His saving grace and causing Jesus to be “choice” in our heart, just like it was in the case of Lydia and Saul of Tarsus.

The opinions of exactly how God will achieve universal salvation may differ from UR to UR just like the opinions of ETers also vary from person to person about what the Bible teaches about salvation.

#1330

yes…sadly, many are in bondage to a religion of fear…fear of God, and fear of eternal torment in hell…the God I know and love does not torment people for eternity…He is a good God not a cruel heartless tyrannical monster.

#1331

THE ENTIRE CONCORDANT LITERAL TRANSLATION ONLINE

studybible.info/version/CLV

#1332

thanks !..just read Matthew 25 (sheep and goats)…the Concordant translation changes the whole complexion of this passage.

#1333

This is a thrilling poem by Matthew Arnold, keeping in mind the following fact.
Universalism was The Prevailing Doctrine Of The Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years
tentmaker.org/books/Prevailing.html

As students of the history of Christian doctrine know, among believers in eternal torment, Tertullian was one of the most extreme. That is why I think this poem is so powerful. It sent a thrill up and down my spine. :slight_smile:

“He saves the sheep, the goats he doth not save!”
So rang Tertullian’s sentence, on the side
Of that unpitying Phrygian sect which cried, –
“Him can no fount of fresh forgiveness lave
Who sins, once washed by the baptismal wave!”
So spake the fierce Tertullian. But she sighed,
The infant church, of love she felt the tide
Stream on her from her Lord’s yet recent grave,
And then she smiled, and in the Catacombs,
With eye suffused, but heart inspired true,
On those walls subterranean, where she hid
Her head in ignominy, death and tombs,
She her Good Shepherd’s hasty image drew,
And on His shoulders, not a lamb, a kid.

#1334

CONSEQUENSES OF TEACHING THE DOCTRINE OF “ETERNAL HELL”

tentmaker.org/articles/hells_fruit.html

greater-emmanuel.org/Hope4You/consequences.html

Many people are unable to love a god who would let anyone choose themselves into a state of inescapable everlasting suffering.

The idea that God lets anyone suffer forever caused me more suffering, including a twelve year nervous breakdown 1966-78, than all the other sufferings of my life combined.

This suffering was caused by the fear produced by not being able to love a god who would let anyone suffer forever and wondering what this god would do to me for not being able to love him. Even though I was and am trusting for my salvation in what Jesus accomplished by His death and resurrection, through the power in the blood of His cross, I was, and still am unable to love a god who would let anyone suffer forever. Here are testimonies similar to mine.

tentmaker.org/articles/hells_fruit.html

greater-emmanuel.org/Hope4You/consequences.html

If you are like me and cannot love a god who would let anyone suffer forever, you can copy and paste (if necessary) the following urls into the address bar and find out that a literally (not interpretively) translated Bible actually teaches universal salvation, not even annihilation.

Copy and paste into Google
THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD SERIES – J. Preston Eby
If necessary, copy and paste the following urls into the address bar.
tentmaker.org/articles/savio … larity.htm

At the top and bottom of that same THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD page, there is the following link to fourteen other writings in the same series that deal with the many aspects of this same subject.
tentmaker.org/articles/savio … /index.htm

#1335

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

#1336

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

#1337

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

According to Jesus, by nature, we are children of the devil (John 8:44).
But over and above that are the words that Jesus spoke to the multitude.
“For One is your Father, Who is in heaven.” (Matt. 23:1&9).

As sinners, by attitude and actions we demonstrate that we are children of the devil.
But by right of creation, and by right of redemption through Jesus Christ, God is the Heavenly Father of everyone, even Satan (Col. 1:20).

For Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole kosmos (Greek). (1John 2:2)

Sooner or later, according to His perfect timing for each individual, God will effectively call everyone out of darkness into His marvelous light, first the chosen generation, then all the rest later. (1Peter 2:9; Col. 1:20)

A snippet from THE OUTCOME OF INFINITE GRACE – LOYAL F. HURLEY

Heb. 11:3 should read, “Through faith we understand that the ages were planned by the Word of God.” The ages will collectively end. A literal translation of Heb. 9:26 is, ‘But now, once for all, with a view to the end of the ages, has He been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.’

Throughout the eons there is sin and evil, condemnation and death. At the end of the eons all will be justified (Rom. 5:18,19), and all will be reconciled through Christ’s blood (Col. 1:20).

GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES OF TIME
THE EONS OF THE BIBLE WITH CONCORDANCE
saviourofall.org/Tracts/Eons2.html

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

#1338

PAUL AND “FREE” WILL

The apostle Paul’s frustration was that, regretfully, he sometimes preferred sinning. The fact that he actually chose sinning demonstrated that, at least momentarily, he preferred it, or he would not have chosen it. **It is what we actually do that demonstrates our true preference. **We can say we don’t prefer it, but our actions speak louder than words.

Sometimes Paul’s sinful nature was the strongest influence in his life.
Romans 7:14-25 makes it plain that in no way was Paul’s will “free.”

But the Spirit of God taught Paul through experiences that in those times that “the sin that dwelt within him” (v20) preferred sinning; he could then reach out to Jesus for rescue. This God-taught attitude gradually, and no doubt reflexively, became the strongest influence on Paul’s will in his war with his sinful nature.

#1339

PERISH

growthingod.org.uk/aidios.htm
“What About how the Bible says that those who do not believe will perish or be destroyed?”
tentmaker.org/FAQ/perish.htm

Kenneth Larsen and James Coram
“Everlasting destruction” would mean that they cease to exist. However, that terminology wasn’t used by any of the prophets. I didn’t make up universal reconciliation. It has strong Bible support.

Where is a resurrection from the lake of fire taught in the scriptures?
The lake of fire is distinctly defined as the second death (Rev.20:14; 21:8). In it is cast all that is still at enmity with God. So that, death is indeed the last enemy (1 Cor.15:26).
And we are just as decidedly told that Christ is the one who abolishes death and brings life and incorruptibility to light (2 Tim.1:10). The reading “hath abolished” is not true as to fact or as to grammar. It is in the indefinite form (commonly called the aorist tense) simply recording the fact apart from time. Death has not been abolished yet.
How and when it will be abolished is told us in the fifteenth of first Corinthians. It is to be abolished by means of universal vivification (1 Cor.15:22). This takes place at the consummation (1 Cor.15:26).
It is useless to look for plain statements on this subject in parts of the Scriptures whose scope is limited to eonian truth, such as the Revelation. It is unwise to look for it anywhere but in the special portion which deals with this topic. Death and resurrection are exhaustively treated in the fifteen chapter of first Corinthians and there it is we should look for clear statements as to the ultimate goal. There we are distinctly told that the last enemy that shall be abolished is death (which must refer to the lake of fire, for the first death cannot be the last enemy). And there we are told that it is to be done by a universal vivification rather than resurrection.
The term “resurrection” is applied to those who have afterward died again, such as those who suffer the second death. Hence there is not a resurrection, merely, from the lake of fire, but a vivification beyond which there can be no death.
concordant.org/expohtml/Ques … x1.html#9a
It is also apparent from Col. 1:15-20and many other texts that the lake of fire is not the end of God’s plan for those cast into the fire.
DESTRUCTION IS NOT ETERNAL
Jesus knew that John 3:16 was not the end of the story…that’s why He continued to John 3:17 and talked about the salvation of all mankind!!!
3. Jesus makes no attempt to use verse 16 to negate or qualify verse 17. He simply makes both statements side by side as if both are completely true. The reason He does this is that both ARE completely true.

We see this over and over in Scripture, especially in the writings of Paul – a statement about people who have faith now (maybe a warning or exhortation or encouragement about the benefits of taking part in the kingdom of God a.k.a. the next two ages of life on earth) right next to a statement about how Christ accomplished the justification of all men. See Romans 3:23-24 and 5:18 and their contexts for example. This is no big deal; none of these statements negate, qualify (change), or contradict each other, because both concepts are 100% true. Some will be saved from death early and take part in the kingdom of God, and everyone else will be saved from death later.

To attempt to use some statements (about those who get saved early) to negate the others statements (about the eventual salvation of all) is to butcher the common sense rules of language and communication. We would never do this to each other in everyday communication; the only reason people try to do it to Jesus and Paul is because they cannot bring themselves to believe the plain statements about the eventual salvation of all mankind.

If I said to my kids, “Those of you who help me clean the yard today will get to go to a movie with me tomorrow, and next week I will take the rest of you to a movie,” I have made it very clear that all the kids will eventually go to the movies. My two statements do not contradict each other or negate each other in any way. This is the exact same thing Jesus does in John 3:16 and 17 – He makes two equally true statements. Yet “hell mindset” Christians try to make one statement negate the other in order to fit their preconceived pagan/Catholic-inherited ideas.
bible-questions-and-answers. … -book.html
Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perish,
and no one takes it to heart;
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.

Oh my goodness righteous people perish!
Does that mean they go to be tormented forever?
Does that mean they don’t get eternal life?
How are they spared from evil since they obviously perished?

Perish simply means to be destroyed, to die, to be lost. The actual Greek word is apollymi.
Guess what: Jesus came to save those who are apollymi.
Luke 19:10For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost (apollymi - same word).

So Jesus will save those who perish. How does He do this? By destroying death! When death is finally destroyed, all will be resurrected, and all will be alive! Jesus is life!

#1340

Questions

In order to have a consistent, logical Biblical worldview, some questions about the Final Destiny of people must be answered. The Bible, to be credible, must be able to be logically explained. This is self-evident. As centuries have passed, ideas that were Orthodox, but unbiblical, have fallen away. Sometimes en masse, as during the Reformation. Sometimes more slowly, as with the gradual abolition of slavery, which was led and championed primarily by Christians.
Here are a few questions about the common Orthodoxy of Eternal Damnation. Unless these can be honestly answered, without rhetorical trickery, the Orthodox is just an unorthodox as Relics and paying for release of dead relatives from Purgatory was during the majority of Christian history.
• If some people will end up in eternal torment, is God unable or unwilling to save them? Logically, it must be one or the other. No tricky appeal to free-will can alleviate the tension of the question.
• If we determine our destiny by our free will, then is not our will stronger than God’s will? How do we deal with passages as in Romans 9 that says we cannot resist His will?
• If some people will be tortured eternally, which is apparently the will of Satan, how is Satan a defeated foe? Doesn’t eternal torment make Satan a partial victor?
• How can there be “no more tears” if some people will be tormented forever?
• How can we say that “His mercy endures forever!” if His mercy for us, in the most practical and real terms, ends if we do not choose to follow Christ before we die?
• Given the Bible’s revealed standards of righteous and justice (which are clear and not myterious at all), how is unending punishment just reward for temporary sin? Again, the Bible is clear on standards so saying “God’s ways are not our ways” or “It’s a mystery with God” is only an avoidance of a hard question. The question must be Biblically answered with justification from Scripture.
• If God “gives up” on those who do not choose Jesus before death, how does the parable of the 100 Sheep, with 99 found and the master leaving the 99 to find the one lost one, make any sense?
• Why does God give up on people after death?
• If eternal Hell is the price for disobeying God and living in Sin, why did God hide that from Adam and Eve and promise a different penalty? Why did God hide the most horrific fate possible, torture in Hell forever, from mankind for entire Old Testament period (probably 4,000 years)?
• How does the idea of Col 1:15-20 “restore All Things” (Ta Panta - The universal All in Greek) make any sense if some things are permanently and irrevocably isolated from and unrestored to God forever?
• Why must an omnipotent, omniscient God, who describes Himself as “Love”, settle for not having everything that has ever been made love and worship Him? Why must He settle for a divided creation in which some live in abundant joy and others live in mind-numbing torture? Is God really that weak or does He want that kind of reality?
• Why do we think that our “will” is so absolutely free, when it is affected by every little around us and we rarely respond from thought alone, but often from instinct built in us from birth?
• How can God be “All in All” as Revelation states He will be in the end if All is not in complete harmony with Him and His character of love, joy, peace, etc.?
• Why did God create a place of unending torture in the first place?
• How is God glorified in unending pain that does not lead to being restored to righteousness and loving relationship to Christ?
These, and many more questions, must be answered scripturally and logically if the idea of an Eternal Torture is to be even considered as a Biblical possibility