Theology

It was first period around 8:00 a.m. when a student in the back of the class raised his hand and asked, “How can a loving God who knows people will reject him, create those people knowing that they will end up in hell forever?” Only a Bible teacher could be asked that question at that … Read more

Every theological system has difficult texts to explain and ultimate restoration is no different. We have already considered several exclusionary passages, but there are more challenges to consider. Blasphemy Jesus gives a warning in the Gospels that seems to shut the door on any hope of future forgiveness: And so I tell you, every kind … Read more

Theological solutions often include a combination of ideas while emphasizing particular concepts. This is not easy to do because it involves holding multiple ideas in mind simultaneously while recognizing their interrelatedness and placing them in an appropriate order. If there is one guy who excelled at this task, it was the apostle Paul. So what … Read more

Have you ever heard something about someone that you knew couldn’t be true? If someone told me that they saw my wife doing daredevil stunts in our car, I wouldn’t believe it. From all the years we’ve known each other, that wouldn’t make any sense.[i] Likewise, the traditional view of hell presents a divine character … Read more

The previous chapter offered an historical overview of Christian universalism. This chapter will focus on the biblical data. Separation If you’re ready to refute Christian universalism with a litany of verses, let me quickly concede that two outcomes, involving a separation between the righteous and the wicked, appear to be clearly expressed in certain passages. … Read more