All of us Christians have ancestors, friends, and loved ones who died unconverted. They may (or may not) have been generally good people…but they didn’t believe ‘Jesus saves’. Are they doomed to an eternity of torment in hell-fire? This topic seeks to satisfactorily answer that question, that dilemma.
Nancy Evans Bush Dancing Past the Dark, p.82-83 “As simply a place for the dead, the idea of an underworld has existed as long as there have been societies. Many of the underworlds look remarkably similar, their function as a place of punishment…eternal punishment is a concept only within some sects of Christianity.” (Also there are Islamic scholars who believe in an eternal hell/jahannam.)
There are three main Christian beliefs regarding the ultimate destiny of erring humans: #1 Eternal Conscious Torment in hell-fire; #2 Annihilationism; #3 Universal Reconciliation/Salvation. This topic focuses on Universal Reconciliation through Christ Jesus, that is, Christianity. Protestant views….
Calvinism is a Protestant theology named after the Swiss reformer John Calvin (1509–1564). Calvinists think that God doesn’t desire to reconcile or save all of humanity, because God elected to save only a few. They think most humans are predestined by God to receive eternal conscious torment/punishment in hell-fire (#1). This seems sadistic. (also ref the two-part topic, “Gehenna”.)
Arminianism is a Protestant theology named after the Dutch theologian Jacóbus Armínius (1560–1609). It is today’s most common Christian view. Arminians think that God wills for all people to be saved through Jesus. But they think that God is unable to save or reconcile most of humanity, because God won’t infringe on the free will He gave to mankind. Arminianism thinks that a man may freely choose to accept or reject God. And those who reject God will then be tortured forever in hell-fire (#1).
Annihilationism (#2) is the belief that the wicked who don’t know God will perish, ceasing to exist. It is also called Conditional Immortality; the fate of the wicked isn’t eternal life in hell-fire torment.
Universalism or universal Christian Reconciliation is the belief that all or most humans will ultimately be reconciled to God, saved through Jesus (#3). This may involve living more than one physical life.
However, Christian Universalism doesn’t mean that false religions (e.g. New Age) are of God, or that sin is okay! Jesus declared in Jn.14:6, “I Am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Ac.4:12 Peter said of Jesus, “There is no other name under heaven…by which we must be saved.” According to the New Testament, Jesus is the only way to (universal) salvation!
A person who knows their Bible may cite isolated verses which seem to support any or all of those three main beliefs! Yet God is love (1Jn.4:8). Which belief best reflects God’s character, His love & justice?
New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, v.12, p.96 (quoted in Bob Evely At the End of the Ages, p.113). “In the first five or six centuries of Christianity, there were six theological schools; of which four (Alexandria, Antioch, Caesárea, and Edessa-Nísibis) were Universalist, one (Ephesus) accepted [annihilationist] conditional immortality, one (Carthage or Rome) taught [hell-fire] endless punishment of the wicked.” From approximately 170–430 AD…four schools believed in Christian universalism, one school believed in annihilationism, one school believed in eternal conscious torment.
Let’s examine Bible verses supporting Christian Universalism; most people will eventually be saved.
In the New Testament (NT) and in the Old Testament (OT) Septúagint/LXX, the Greek term for “all” is “pas” (Strongs g3956). This term “pas” occurs 1,240 times in the NT, and 7,000 times in the LXX. Following are representative verses containing the word “all”/“pas”.
The Greek term pas can mean each & every (person). In Ep.4:6 e.g., the apostle Paul asserted that there is “One God and Father of all [pas g3956], who is above all [pas g3956].” Here, “all” indicates ‘each & every’; all are below Father God. Ellicott Commentary Ep.4:6 “The word ‘all’ must be taken as applying to all God’s rational creatures, made in His image (and indeed even to all His creatures).” Also 2Co.5:10 “We must all (pas g3956] be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ.” Everyone must. Barnes Notes 2Co.5:10 “All’ – None shall escape by being unknown.”
Some pertinent OT LXX verses with “all” (pas g3956): Ps.22:27-29 “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; all the families of the nations shall worship before Him…All who descend into the earth shall fall down before Him.” All peoples who lived & died to eventually worship the Lord! Clarke Commentary Ps.22:27-29 “Each family shall embrace it [the gospel] for their own salvation. They shall worship before Jesus the Savior. Every dying man shall put his trust in Christ.” Benson Commentary Ps.22:29 “The whole human race.” All die. Gill Exposition Ps.22:29 “Who go down to the house of the grave’. Christ is Lord, both of the dead and living.” Lord of all (Ac.10:36)!
Ps.65:2-3 “Praise becomes Thee, O God. To you all flesh shall come. You shall pardon our sins.” Pulpit Commentary Ps.65:2 “In this Psalm the writer [David] is universalist, and embraces all mankind.”
Is.40:5 LXX “The glory of the Lord shall appear, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Luke quotes this OT verse in Lk.3:6.) Barnes Notes Is.40:5 “All human beings.” This must be yet future.
Many or most people in history lived their lives without ever hearing the name of Jesus/Yeshúa. (The only name by which there is salvation, according to Peter in Ac.4:12.) Individuals who never heard His name or never knew the Lord’s way of life…would a loving & just God condemn them in their ignorance to endless torment in hell-fire?! Is that really the kind of God we worship and serve?
The Lord foretold in Is.45:23 LXX, “By Myself I swear, My word has gone out of My mouth; that to Me every [g3956] knee shall bow, and every [g3956] tongue shall swear by God”. God swore by Himself! (cf. He.6:13 “When God made His promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.”) Ellicott Commentary Is.45:23 “The highest form of asseverátion.” Benson Commentary “The highest and most solemn oath possible.” Pulpit Commentary Is.45:23 “This universal turning to God.” Poole Commentary “A posture of reverence and subjection.” Is the Lord able to bring it to pass…will every knee bow and will every tongue swear allegiance to God?
Joel 2:28 LXX the Lord promised, “I will pour out My Spirit upon all [g3956] flesh”. (Peter quotes this verse in Ac.2:17 when the Holy Spirit outpouring began at Pentecost.) Cambridge Bible Jl.2:28 “The measure of spiritual illumination will be extended to all. ‘All flesh.” JFB Commentary Jl.2:28 “The consequent conversion of the whole world (Isa.2:2, 11:9, 66:23; Ro.11:12, 15).” Scriptures indicate every knee will then bow in worship to God.
However, the Greek term for “all”, pas g3956, doesn’t always mean ‘each & every’. Mk.1:36-37 “Simon and his companions searched for Him [Jesus]. They found Him and said to Him, ‘The people are all [pas g3956] looking for You.” Here, “all” doesn’t mean ‘each & every’. Gill Exposition Mk.1:37 “Not all the men in the world, nor, all the inhabitants of Capernaúm [v.21], but a large number of them.” Key is the context in which all/pas g3956 appears.
Jn.3:26 “He [Jesus’ disciples, Jn.4:1-2] is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.” But not each & every person came for baptism. Cambridge Bible Jn.3:26 “All’ – an exaggeration very natural in their excitement.” Rather, ‘many are coming’ (as in the Aramaic Bible rendering) conveys the meaning.
Yet would a God whose character is love (1Jn.4:16) only elect a comparative few for salvation?! What about the ignorant multitudes who lived in BC times, before Jesus incarnated in the 1st century AD?
Paul wrote in Ro.3:23, “All have sinned”. Here, “all” does include each & every adult (except Jesus – 1Pe.2:22, 2Co.5:21). Meyer NT Commentary “The sinning of every man is presented as a historical fact.” And Ro.6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”
Lk.13:3 Jesus warned, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish [g622]”. Ro.2:4 “The kindness of God leads you to repentance.” To who all does God give repentance (2Ti.2:25), so they won’t perish?
Peter wrote in 2Pe.3:9, “The Lord…not willing that any perish [g622], but that all should come to repentance”. Benson Commentary 2Pe.3:9 “Any human being, any soul that He has made.” God wills no one perish eternally, that all (eventually) repent from sin! Cambridge Bible “Here the word ‘perish’ doesn’t mean annihilation, but the state which is the opposite of salvation.” Expositor Greek Testament “His will is not even that ‘some’ should perish.” He is God; in due time, can He bring to pass His will?
Job came to realize the Lord’s omnipotence. Jb.42:2 LXX “I know that You can do all [g3956] things, and nothing is impossible with You.” God is more than able to bring to pass His purposes & desires! Gill Exposition Jb.42:2 “Job knew that…He [God] had a right to do what He pleased.”
1Ti.2:3-6 “God our Savior, who wills [g2309] all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.” In this passage, “all” seems to include everyone. (cf. the Lord’s assertion in Is.55:11 LXX, “So shall My word be…until the things that I willed [g2309] shall have been accomplished.”) God’s will be done! Vincent Word Studies 1Ti.2:4 “Prayer to God for all is acceptable to Him, because He wills the salvation of all.” Meyer NT Commentary 1Ti.2:4 “In this verse the idea of the universality of God’s purpose is clearly expressed.” Clarke Commentary 1Ti.2:5 “God equally wills the salvation of all.” Barnes Notes 1Ti.2:6 “Who gave Himself a ransom for all’…a proof that God desires the salvation of all.” JFB Commentary 1Ti.2:6 “In behalf of all, not merely for a privileged few.” Thomas Whittemore (1800-1861) wrote, “1Ti.2:4 Undoubtedly to be understood all the human race”. The passage indicates…God wills all be saved, our Savior died for all. Parallel. So it seems contradictory that God would elect only a few, predestining the majority to eternal torment!
1Ti.4:10 “The living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially [g3122] of those that believe.” But not only of those that believe (now). cf. Ga.6:10 “Do good to all, especially [g3122] to those of the household of faith.” Do good not only to those of the household of faith, those that believe now. cf. 2Ti.4:13 bring all the books or scrolls, especially the parchments. Not only the parchments. God will save ‘all’. He does good to all of humanity created in His image. He saves them out of trouble during their lives. Ps.145:9 “God is good to all. His mercies are over all His works.” Poole Commentary 1Ti.4:10 “[God] the Preserver of man and beast.” And He’s the Savior of all, spiritually too. But not until their time comes, when they believe & repent (Mk.16:16 & Ac.2:38).
Ro.5:12 “Just as sin entered the world through one man [Adam] and death through sin, so death spread to all people because all sinned.” Sin is universal. JFB Commentary Ro.5:12 “Thus death reaches every individual of the human family.” (The next verses, Ro.5:13-16, are in parenthesis.) Ro.5:17-19 “How much greater is the result of that done by the one man, Jesus Christ. As through one trespass all people were condemned, so through one righteous act all people were justified to [eternal] life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of the One many will be made righteous.” This passage too reflects parallelism. Cambridge Bible Ro.5:18 “The parallel of Adam and Christ.” Barnes Notes Ro.5:18-19 “With the same certainty, to the same extent. Connected with eternal life. The ‘many’ – corresponding to the term in the former part of the verse, evidently commensurate with it; for there is no reason in limiting it to a part, any more than there is in the former.” Poole Commentary Ro.5:18 “Many’ is sometimes put for ‘all’, as in Dan.12:2.” It’s not only “many” who have sinned…everybody has sinned! Pulpit Commentary Ro.5:18 “Indisputably denoting universality of effect.” In parallel…as all have sinned, all will (in time) be justified to eternal life through Jesus!
However, we Bible readers may well recognize parallelism & universality in a passage…and yet dismiss its implication because of our presuppositions, preconceived notions, and past (false) teaching. The same even goes for some Bible commentators (quoted by me), resulting in their seeming to contradict themselves elsewhere. (This can give the impression of cherry-picking his contradictory comments.)
Questions to ponder: What is the ultimate fate of the 14-year-old girl who died last week in a car crash, without knowing the Lord? What of the Maori tribesman who died in 1500 AD in New Zealand, never having heard the name of Jesus the Savior? Do we think they’re doomed everlastingly to hell-fire? Would an eternity of torment represent just retribution for them, as fair return for a few decades of life spent in sin or ignorance? Yet God is just (Jn.5:30, Re.15:3).
{Sidelight: The earliest Christian missionaries didn’t arrive in New Zealand until 1814! New Zealand History: Missionaries “They [Maori] rejected the low-church missionaries’ gloomy emphasis on an angry God looking to damn their souls to eternal fires. There were no Maori baptisms until 1830.” It’s understandable that in 1814 those Maori would reject any thought of their (ignorant) grandparents or ancestors, deceased before missionaries arrived, burning forever in hell! God is love, not sadism.}
Christian afterlife belief #3 (see the top), regarding the ultimate destiny or fate of mankind, offers a great hope…for our ancestors, family members, friends & loved ones who died ‘unsaved’! This topic is continued in “Universal Christian Salvation (2)”.
Bible Topic Exposition 