Learn why universalism is popular, but fatally flawed…

This is the title and heading of a website I found after doing a Google search on universalism. The article is posted on the Learn Religions website at https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-universalism-700701. The article is written by Jack Zavada who is listed as a “Christianity Expert” whatever that means but he is a Christian writer having written several books on Christian lifestyle topics according to his bio on the site. I’m sure Mr. Zavada is a great writer but the article is poorly written only in that it doesn’t really address what universalists believe. It merely addresses what traditional Christians believe about universalism based on the dogmas and traditions of Christianity. There were many false Christian ideas inserted into the article which I intend to address because I want people to be clear about the views of universalists. This review is not an attack on Mr. Zavada but simply a defense of the things he wrote regarding universalism. I will quote each section of the article in “bold” and then provide my responses subsequent to each section in normal typeface. All scriptures will be quoted from the New King James Version unless noted otherwise.

The Review

Universalism (pronounced yu-ni-VER-sul-iz-um) is a doctrine that teaches all people will be saved. Other names for this doctrine are universal restoration, universal reconciliation, universal restitution, and universal salvation.

This is essentially what universalism teaches but how we get to this conclusion is where the ideas become flooded with Christian dogma.

The main argument for universalism is that a good and loving God would not condemn people to eternal torment in hell. Some universalists believe that after a certain cleansing period, God will free the inhabitants of hell and reconcile them to himself. Others say that after death, people will have another opportunity to choose God. For some who adhere to universalism, the doctrine also implies that there are many ways to get into heaven.

The main argument for universalism is NOT a philosophical argument as stated in the author’s article. While I completely argue that the philosophical idea he mentions has merit, that is not the main argument of universalism. The main argument for universalism is that the salvation of all is recorded in the very Bibles that Christians read and adhere to. There are many scriptures in the Bible that support the teaching that all will be saved including 1 Timothy 4:9-11;

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach.

1 Timothy 4:10 clearly states that God is the Savior of all men which literally means all peoples or all of humanity. If God only intended to save Christians or those who “believe” in Christ, then there would no need for God to add, “especially of those who believe”. Believers clearly have a more special calling than non-believers but there is no indication that God won’t or can’t save unbelievers. What were you before God seemingly called you according to His purpose? Were you not an unbeliever too? These are the things that typical Christians leave out when they criticize universalism. Arguments that I’ve heard to refute the saying that God is the Savior of all people include statements such as, “God is the only Savior available” but this is a fallacy because this interpretation adds to the Word of God. We don’t use our doctrines to form scripture. We form our doctrines from scripture. I totally agree that a good and loving God would not condemn people to eternal torment in hell but this is not the main argument for universalism.

The next statement made in this section suggests that universalists believe in hell but this is based on Christianity’s improper translating of the Greek word “hades”. Most popular English bibles translate hades as hell but hades does not mean hell in any context. Hades means the grave and it is biblical and practical to believe Jesus will deliver humanity from the clutches of the graves since He died for the sins of the world.

After death comes the judgment (Hebrews 9:27) and according to the prophet Isaiah, when God’s “judgments” are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (26:9). It is an insinuation for the author to suggest that people will another opportunity to choose God suggesting that people have to choose God. People can’t choose God anymore than a child can choose their parents. Everyone will choose God eventually but it will be because of God and not because of humanity.

I’m not arguing that there aren’t some who believe that there are many ways to get to heaven but I deny this view. I deny this view because the idea of getting into a place called heaven is unbiblical. Heaven is one of Christianity’s biggest idols yet they have no clue what it is. Jesus tells us in John 3:13 that no one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man but billions of Christians still believe that they will ascend to heaven when they die regardless of what Jesus said. I don’t have time to unpack the entire concept of heaven here but the Christian view of heaven contradicts what the Bible teaches about death and the resurrection. Heaven is not a place people get into like an amusement park.

In the past several years, universalism has seen a resurgence. Many adherents prefer different names for it: inclusion, the greater faith, or the larger hope. Tentmaker.org calls it “The Victorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

There is a resurgence in universalism because the truth can only remain hidden for so long. Eventually the truth will shine through the darkness.

Universalism applies passages like Acts 3:21 and Colossians 1:20 to mean that God intends to restore all things to their original state of purity through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:18; Hebrews 2:9), so that in the end everyone will be brought into a right relationship with God (1 Corinthians 15:24–28).

The author is not wrong in his assessment of what passages universalists use to support the belief in the salvation of all. The scriptures he offered are good scriptures but the issue here is how he and most Christians apply these scriptures to the scriptures they believe support their views. Read what he says in his next paragraph;

But such a view runs counter to the teaching of the Bible that “all who call upon the name of the Lord” will be united to Christ and eternally saved, not all people in general.

Notice that the author is using SCRIPTURE to disqualify the scriptures he doesn’t believe. Let’s take a look at the scriptures he mentioned;

Acts 3:21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. (Note: the phrase “the free gift came” is not in the Greek. This was added by the bible translators to suggest that one has to choose or accept this free gift in order to be justified to life but that is not what the scripture is teaching. No one had to choose the judgment that came from Adam’s offense).

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Note: the word “might” is not in the Greek).

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

From these scriptures listed above, we see that there will be a restoration of ALL THINGS, ALL THINGS will be reconciled to God, ALL MEN will be justified to life, Jesus died for EVERYONE, and God will ultimately be ALL IN ALL! How could any of this ever be debatable? THESE ARE SCRIPTURES TOO! It literally blows my mind how Christians are so quick to dismiss these scriptures because they seem to contradict the evil carnal minded interpretations that Christians believe regarding other scriptures.

The author quotes Romans 10:13 and he uses this scripture to suggest that everyone will not be brought into a right relationship with God because everyone doesn’t call upon the name of the Lord but this is cherry picking at it’s best. The context of Romans 10 has to do with Israel’s need for the gospel and how they rejected it. And there is no indication anywhere in the Bible that people cannot call upon the name of the Lord after death. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED”. Then we read in Philippians 2:11 that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. I quoted Philippians 2:11 from the New American Standard Bible because the the NKJV uses the word “should” instead or “will” in regards to the act of confessing but the NASB is closer to the Greek in terms of accuracy. Everyone will eventually call upon the name of the Lord and be united in Christ and this is exactly what the Bible teaches. Scripture doesn’t contradict scripture and it is foolish to ignore or discount the dozens of scriptures that support universalism simply because there are other obscure or unclear passages in the Bible. Our job should be to reconcile the scriptures we don’t quite understand as opposed to just dismissing them.

Jesus Christ taught that those who reject him as Savior will spend eternity in hell after they die:

Matthew 10:28
Matthew 23:33
Matthew 25:46
Luke 16:23
John 3:36

Jesus Christ NEVER taught anything close to what the author has suggested here but this is a commonly held theme among Christians. The 5 scriptures the author quotes are all favorites among Christians when it comes to them defending their pagan hell. I am not going to write another long piece about hell because I have already exposed the heresy of hell here – The False Doctrine of Hell Exposed. If you haven’t read my series on hell, you need to if you want to understand how hell entered the Church. The scriptures the author uses to attempt to justify hell are all products of tradition. Christians don’t even try to study to show themselves approved they just repeat and parrot what other Christians have said before them. Let me correct the author’s statement; Christianity teaches that those who reject Jesus as Savior will spend eternity in hell after they die. This is what the author means but many of Christianity’s horrible doctrines are placed on Christ which is blasphemy. I am going to address each scripture so that my readers can see how I reconcile these proof scriptures for hell with universalism.

Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The first issue with this verse is how the Greek word “Gehenna” is translated. Gehenna is translated as hell in most popular English Bibles but Gehenna has NOTHING to do with the modern view of hell. Gehenna is a word that comes from two Hebrew word meaning Valley of Hinnom. There was a time when the Israelites had their children pass through the fire to the pagan god Molech and this was done in the Valley of Hinnom until it was destroyed by King Josiah. The place later became used as a garbage dump where refuse and dead bodies were thrown. Jesus used “Gehenna” here as a metaphor. It is not literal. Jesus spoke in parables and used metaphors all the time so it is quite strange that Christians are so quick to assume that Jesus was literally talking about some godless hell from the imaginations of men. Gehenna is a symbol for judgment but God’s judgment is different than the judgment of men. Jesus said, “Everyone shall be salted with fire” but what exactly does He mean? This is referring to judgment by fire because everyone will pass through the fire and be judged by their works. There is a difference between being killed and being destroyed. Men can kill your body but men cannot kill your soul? The Greek word translated as soul is “psychē” and it actually means breath in reference to the life that we have. Christianity has some very weird views when it comes to the topic of a soul but to be clear, a person is a soul, a living soul. Human beings do not have souls, human beings are souls. God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, then man BECAME A LIVING SOUL! Men cannot kill your life because God is the source of life. When we die, where does our life go? It goes back to the source which is God just like our bodies returns to the ground. The problem with Christianity is that it assumes that we own the life that was given to us. We don’t… life belongs to God who gives it and takes it away. There isn’t a single person on this planet that can add a second to their life if it’s their time. But notice that God doesn’t kill life either He destroys it. How does God destroy people? By sending them to an eternal hell to be tortured for all eternity? No, that’s what the heathens believed but Abraham Lincoln famously said, “I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends”. If an alcoholic goes to rehab and recovers from their addiction, isn’t the alcoholic version of them destroyed? This is how God destroys. He destroys to rebuild. God will destroy the “Adam” in all of us as we are being made in the image of the Elohim God family. This scripture has nothing to do with Christianity’s pagan hell.

Matthew 23:33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

Once again, the word hell is used in this scripture as the translation for Gehenna but Gehenna is NOT hell. It never was and it never will be. These ideas crept into the Church during the dark ages which was a period of time when there was very little enlightenment but sadly, many Christians still have that dark age mentality. The phrase, “condemnation of hell” seems to be pretty straightforward since that’s how it’s recorded in the NKJV but what if this is not what God inspired the original Bible writers to say? In Young’s Literal Translation, Matthew 23:33 is translated very differently;

`Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?

Is the judgment of gehenna the same as the condemnation of hell? This is what “gehenna” looks like today!

Let me be clear in saying that the word we should be looking into here is “gehenna” and not the word hell. Hell has nothing to do with gehenna and it is a terrible translation. Look at the picture above… where is the fire? Where are the souls being tortured? Gehenna was never used to describe hell but rather, it was used to describe the judgment of God. Most Christians have been brainwashed to believe that God’s judgment is a bad thing but judgment is actually a good thing.

Genesis 18:25 …….Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

What does it mean to do right? Most people confuse judgment with vengeance but they are not the same. Vengeance is about getting even or settling the score while judgment has to do with making things right. Judgment might not always be fun but the end result is always something better. People learn from judgment. Jesus never condemned anyone to some pagan hell but He has warned about God’s corrective judgment that will destroy the works of the flesh.

Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

This scripture is at the top of the list when it comes to the scriptures Christians use to justify their own heresies but sadly for them, this scripture is grossly mistranslated. I have discussed the topic of words eternal and everlasting many times and it is actually part of my hell series. Go to The Truth about Eternal & Everlasting to read more about it but to summarize, the punishment in Matthew 25:46 is better described as correction because that’s what the root word in the Greek implies. The Greek word “kolasis” comes from a word that means to lop or prune, to check, curb, or to chastise. When a tree is lopped or pruned, the dead branches are cut-off so that the tree can become healthier and produce more fruit. That’s a good thing. When we “check” someone, we are attempting to correct undesirable behavior. Curbs are placed on roads so that people do not drift off into the ditch. Parents chastise their children as a form of discipline to teach appropriate behavior. Punishment is not necessarily a bad translation but people tend to view punishment from a negative perspective when punishment is not always a bad thing. Punishment may not be fun, but punishment should always have a corrective or have a rehabilitative component. Punishment that is intended to only inflict pain with no redeeming value is just evil. Even prisons are called “correctional facilities”. So with this understanding we can properly define “aionios kolasis” as age-abiding correction as it is translated in Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible;

Matthew 25:46 And, these, shall go away, into, age–abiding correction, but, the righteous, into, age–abiding life.

Some Christians assume that life for the righteous must end if it’s not eternal but that is just bad logic. Believers are raised immortal in the resurrection so they don’t need eternal life. They need an age to live in that the rest of the world doesn’t experience because they are still dead in the grave awaiting the resurrection to judgment.

Luke 16:23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

The first thing that I want to address is the fact the the NKJV leaves “Hades” in the Greek as opposed to translating it as hell like the KJV does and many other translations. This passage of scripture is part of a parable and I already know that there are some who do not accept that as fact but it is a parable nonetheless. Some people will say that it’s a real story because Jesus never used proper names in parables but this is just another strategy that Christians use to justify what they want to believe. This is a commonly parroted defense that Christians use regarding this parable but it’s silly. Jesus never gave instructions as to what constitutes a parable and what doesn’t but according to Matthew 13:34, Jesus only spoke to the multitudes in parables. You can read The Parable of the rich man and Lazarus Explained if you would like to get more information on this but the point here is that hell is not even what Jesus says in this scripture. Hades is properly defined as the “unseen” or the place of no return. It is the realm of the dead but hades doesn’t have a physical location. We call it the “grave” which is not necessarily wrong, it just doesn’t fully grasp the idea of hades. The best way for me to explain the concept of hades is to think of the place you were before you were born. You wasn’t seen and you had no knowledge of anything because you weren’t born yet. You didn’t exist and at death, we go back to being non-existent. That’s what hades means essentially. The NKJV also changes the word order for being in torments, hades, and lifting up his eyes. The rich man was NOT in torments in Hades. This translation following translation has a more accurate word order that follows the order of the Greek;

Luke 16:23 and in the hades having lifted up his eyes, being in torments, he doth see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, (Young’s Literal Translation)

The rich man died and went to hades (the just like everyone does) and then he lifts up his eyes but when do people lift their eyes up from the grave? When you go to sleep at night, when do you lift up your eyes from your sleep? In the morning when you wake up yes? Death is likened to sleep in the scriptures…

Psalm 13:3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Why is death likened to sleep? Because people will rise from the dead in the resurrection!

Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting (age-during) life, Some to shame and everlasting (age-during) contempt.

The rich man is SLEEP metaphorically in Hades. He is not in torments because the dead KNOW NOTHING and they have no consciousness in Hades (Ecclesiastes 9:5). The idea behind this metaphor is that death is temporary just as sleep is temporary. We will rise from death in the resurrection but when the rich man lifts up his eyes, he will rise in the resurrection to judgment where he will be tried by the fire. He will be in pain and it will be unpleasant but being tried in the fire is how God purifies the heart. Even the Greek word “basanos” which is translated as the word torment is a word that is defined as a touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the color of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal. Jesus uses “basanos” as an analogy in this parable. How does God test people?

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

The purpose of God’s testing is to refine. God doesn’t torment people just for the sake of tormenting them. Luke 16:23 is just another scripture that Christians have interpreted poorly and they use their poor interpretation to justify their own false doctrines.

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

This is another common scripture that Christians quote because it gives some credence to their idol of everlasting life. Believers do NOT have everlasting life as it is described in this scripture. Believers have a life that doesn’t end but that’s because they are made immortal in the resurrection but John 3:36 is not talking about the immortality of believers. John 3:36 is speaking about the life that believers have in contrast to the life that unbelievers won’t have in the age to come. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life which is referring to the life in the age to come and the wrath of God will still abide over them. What is this wrath of God? Believing in the Son is what gives us life because Jesus died for our sins. The wrath of God on sinful humanity was a death sentence so for those that haven’t be subdued to Christ will still be under the penalty of death during the age when believers rise in the resurrection to life. This scripture in no way supports the author’s claim that Jesus Christ taught that those who reject him as Savior will spend eternity in hell after they die. This is pure Christian dogma which begs the question as to what it really means to reject the Son. Belief in Christianity is not equivalent to believing in the Son and any true believer in the Son would also believe that He will accomplish His Father’s will which is to save the world.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

How can someone do the will of the Father in heaven if that person doesn’t even believe in the will of the Father?

Universalism Ignores God’s Justice

Universalism focuses exclusively on God’s love and mercy and ignores his holiness, justice, and wrath. It also assumes that God’s love depends on what he does for humanity, rather than being a self-existing attribute of God present from eternity, before man was created.

Christians love to talk about God’s justice but the truth is that they superimpose their view of justice on God which is really no justice at all. Many Christians still adhere to the eye for an eye form of justice even thought Christ taught us to love our enemies. Christ teaches us to forgive those who have sinned against us so that the Father can forgive our sins. Universalism does not focus exclusively on God’s love and mercy while ignoring His holiness, justice, and wrath. Universalism encompasses them all because they all compliment each other. God’s love does not contradict His justice because His justice comes from His love. Even in James 2:13 it says mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy is better than judgment. It is better to show mercy than it is to judge. Consider this;

Luke 11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every kind of garden herb, and yet you ignore justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. (New American Standard Bible)

Notice here that Jesus groups justice with the love of God as He chastises the Pharisees for their religious works. God’s justice does not dismiss His love, His judgment is because of His love and that is why I’ve always claimed that judgment is a good thing. This is where Christians err in their understanding because they carry a very carnal way of thinking when it comes to matters of the spiritual. It is just a talking point for Christians to claim that universalists ignore God’s holiness, justice, and wrath. I am a father of 4 children and I can tell you that my justice as a father never outweighed my love for my children and I am an imperfect being. God’s holiness is not a weakness. The second statement made by the author is quite foolish in my opinion because it suggests that God isn’t responsible for what He creates. The author stated and I quote, “It also assumes that God’s love depends on what he does for humanity”. Excuse me? Let’s take a step back for a second to remind ourselves that SCRIPTURE declares that God IS love…. God doesn’t posses love, He IS love! The very nature and essence of God is love. I would even go so far as to say that everything God does comes from love even when it’s hard for us to understand. What the author is essentially saying from my best estimation is that God doesn’t have to love humanity. God chose to love humanity but He didn’t have to make that choice. This is absurd. My love for my children was never a choice, it was a direct effect based on the cause of their creation. I created them. They came from me. They are an extension of me. They have my blood, my genetics, and my image. They carry my name. They are my legacy! Any parent that doesn’t love their children and take care of them properly is not considered to be a good person. Parents are expected to love and care for their children. It is ridiculous to think that my love doesn’t have any correlation to what I do for my children. My children didn’t ask to be born but they are here nonetheless because of me. I have a duty to love them and God has a duty to love humanity. For God so loved the world….? Why did God so love the world? God created the world. The world belongs to Him so why wouldn’t He love what He is creating? Love is not a self-existing attribute of God, God is love. Humans have the capacity to love but that capacity increases when we have children. There is no greater capacity of human love than when a person experiences a child they created being born into this world. God loves us even in our sinful condition;

Romans 5:8 God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Psalms speak repeatedly of God’s justice. Without hell, what justice would there be for murderers of millions, such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao? Universalists say Christ’s sacrifice on the cross met all the demands for God’s justice, but would it be justice for the wicked to enjoy the same rewards as those who were martyred for Christ? The fact that often there is no justice in this life requires that a just God impose it in the next.

The Psalms do speak repeatedly of God’s justice but hell is NOT an example of God’s justice. The author is wrong to associate hell with the justice of God. The author as well as Christians in general have a weird view of justice that comes from the darkest depths of the human heart. There is NO earthly crimes that could ever warrant eternal torture in hell. It is easy for most to bring up the worst of sinners such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao when it comes to the justice of God but according to Christianity, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao would’ve been forgiven for their sins if they had given their life to Christ. It is a known fact that Jeffrey Dahmer gave his life to Christ after he was incarcerated for his horrible crimes. He was not released from prison but according to Christianity, he would be in heaven with everyone else that seemingly gave their life to Christ in their earthly life. Saul before his transformation to Paul was a notorious murderer of Christians yet he is considered to be a great within the Christian religion. Paul was judged during his earthly life for his calling. He lived a miserable life after God called him to teach the message of salvation to the Gentile nations. The idea that God can’t reform Hitler, Stalin, and Mao without a hell is a knock on God’s power. What redeeming value will there be to torture Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and the likes when God raises ALL of their victims from the grave? Imagine Hitler standing before all of the millions of people he had killed in the presence of the Creator as he faces judgment for his sins… Do you believe that Hitler can learn righteousness? Do you believe that God is powerful enough, capable enough, and loving enough to teach righteousness to Hitler? Christianity sure doesn’t which is really quite sad because there were many things that had to happen the right way for Hitler to be Hitler. We could’ve all been Hitler under the right circumstances so it is inexcusable for anyone to cast judgment since we are all sinners and capable of gross evil;

Romans 2:1-3 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Who is this O man? The O man is the “old man” in us which is Adam, the carnal man that is under the law of sin. We are all guilty of all sins even if we haven’t committed them because we all have the capacity for evil. We are all just clay pots and God is the Master Potter. He makes vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. To some He shows mercy and to others, He hardens. The author doesn’t realize that he is setting himself up for a harsher judgment based on his own self-righteousness and the fact that he is teaching this nonsense to others. Universally, torture is considered to be inhumane amongst most civilized nations but this is the method of which Christians believe God is going to execute His judgment. This is BLASPHEMY! Justice must be meted out with balance but according to Christianity, murderers are no different that liars and cowardly people.

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Hitler, Stalin, and Mao are considered to be some of the world’s most notorious murderers but according to Revelation 21:8 and the views of Christians, liars and cowards will all go to the same place which is the lake of fire. Do you think it is just for a liar and a coward to be judged in the same way as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao? This is a false balance;

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. (New American Standard Bible)

Hell is a false balance. Eternal punishment is a false balance and these false balances are considered to be ABOMINATIONS to God. Notice in Revelation 21:8 that the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The Greek word translated as “part” in Revelation 21:8 is “meros” and it literally means a portion or share.

Luke 12:46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

The word “portion” is translated from the same Greek word “meros” that’s translated as “part” in Revelation 21:8. The lake of fire is NOT eternal so the judgment of God is also not eternal, it is appointed to everyone’s portion/part which is a just weight.

Christ sacrifice on the cross met all of God’s demands to remove the death penalty from humanity. Universalists do not oppose the judgment of God because universalists understand that God’s judgment is rehabilitative in nature. The author use of extremes is not an effective way to deliver a message because the far majority of Christians are NOT martyrs for Christ. The far majority of the wicked and unbelieving have NOT committed acts of genocide. There is no reason for the author to use these kind of extremes except to give his point an appearance of validity but this is misleading. The scriptures are clear that rewards and punishments will be given according to people’s works but the author is content on justifying the concept of infinite punishment for finite crimes. This type of thinking is anti-Christ and does not demonstrate any characteristics of the fruits of the Spirit. This is the same way carnal humans think when it comes to holding grudges and getting even. The unrighteous do not enjoy the same rewards as the righteous but that is a false view that many Christians have about universalists. God will impose justice in the age of judgment and when God’s judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9).

James Fowler, president of Christ in You Ministries, notes, “Desiring to focus on the rosy optimism of the universal perfection of man, sin is, for the most part, an irrelevancy… Sin is minimized and trivialized in all universalistic teaching.”

I’m not sure that I follow Mr. Fowler here but I see this as just another weak attempt of a Christian trying to discredit universalism. The “rosy optimism” of the universal perfection of man is God’s plan after all, we are BEING made in His image. Once that image is completed, we all will be perfected but that does not come without trials, tribulations, suffering, learning, etc. The sin Mr. Fowler seems to be trying to glorify is the same sin that Christ died for so why should we be focusing on sin? Should we not be focusing on the things of the spirit? Sin is not minimized and trivialized in all universalistic teaching, it is properly placed unlike the over emphasis of it made by Christians.

Universalism was taught by Origen (A.D. 185–254) but was declared heresy by the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 543. It became popular again in the 19th century and is gaining traction in many Christian circles today.

There is no reason for anyone to automatically cling to the authority of this ancient religious council but defectors of universalism are quick to use this as an argument nonetheless. Upon further research, this claim is not as solid a defense to condemn universalism as some Christians would have you believe. This is the same council that declared the Trinitarian doctrine but that doctrine is rank heresy so we don’t need to assume that their actions were infallible. There is an article by Father Aidan Kimel titled, “Did the Fifth Ecumenical Council Condemn Universal Salvation?” that you can read here if you want to read the whole piece. https://afkimel.wordpress.com/2020/05/31/did-the-fifth-ecumenical-council-condemn-universal-salvation/. It’s quite long but the conclusion is that universalism, the apokatastasis, nor the restitution of all were never declared heresy. We know that the salvation of all is God’s desire (1 Timothy 2:3-4) so by implication, defectors of universalism are suggesting that God desires something that is heretical. The basis of heresy cannot contradict God’s will or desire since we measure heresy against of God’s truth.

Fowler adds that one reason for the resurgence of universalism is the current attitude that we should not be judgmental of any religion, idea, or person. By refusing to call anything right or wrong, universalists not only cancel the need for Christ’s redeeming sacrifice but also ignore the consequences of unrepented sin.

I respect that fact that Mr. Fowler has his own opinion and Mr. Zavada views him as someone worthy to quote but I disagree with his assessment. There are many reasons why there is a resurgence of universalism but the most prevalent of reasons has to do with the doctrine of hell. My path to universalism began with my disgust for hell. The concept of hell or eternal torture in real fire is beyond insanity and the people that defend it only prove how depraved the human heart can be. Matthew 7:1 tells us not to judge but this instruction was given because at certain times in our lives we aren’t qualified to judge. Get your own house in order before you try to talk to someone about theirs. However, if we must judge, then we are to do it righteously and not with threats of an eternal hell. A person doesn’t even have to be religious to call something right or wrong but the idea that universalists try to cancel the need for Christ’s redeeming sacrifice is just ignorant. No one can cancel that because it’s already happened and in effect. We are all sinners but Christians are real quick to dismiss their sin while they judge others for their sins. There isn’t a single person on this planet that can overcome their sins without the assistance of God. Conversion takes time and overcoming sin is a process so there is nothing to ignore. Universalists just have enough sense not to get in God’s way as He works in the lives of other people.

As a doctrine, universalism does not describe one certain denomination or faith group. The universalist camp includes members of varying doctrinal categories with differing and sometimes contradictory beliefs.

This could also be said of Christianity and having different denominations of faith groups is certainly no virtue. The fact that Christianity has so many denominations is a testament to Christian dissension. There is no other religion on earth that has more contradictory beliefs that Christianity. Hell, the trinity, heaven, immortal souls, infallible bibles are just a few to name. There are many more and virtually every fundamental Christian doctrine is based on same form of falsehood.

Are Christian Bibles Wrong?

Much of universalism relies on the premise that Bible translations are wrong in their uses of the terms Hell, Gehenna, everlasting, and other words that claim eternal punishment. Despite the fact that recent translations such as the New International Version and English Standard Version were the efforts of large teams of knowledgeable Bible scholars, universalists say the Greek term “aion,” which means “age,” has been consistently mistranslated across the centuries, leading to false doctrine about the length of hell.

There is no assumption that some Bible translations are the product of the Catholic churches corruption and to verify this one would only need to do some research on the Johannine Comma. This doesn’t even factor in that the original King James Bible of 1611 had 14 WHOLE BOOKS removed so was that Bible “wrong” before those books were removed? Have you ever heard of the “She Bible”? Go look it up if you haven’t. What the author fails to consider is that there are dozens of Christian Bibles that do not include hell at all. Young’s Literal Translation does not translate any Hebrew or Greek word as hell. Furthermore, most Bibles translate 4 different words as hell. Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and Tartaroo are all translated as hell in the KJV and other bibles. This should be the first red flag for anyone that truly is in search for the truth. Tartaroo is not even a noun, it’s a verb which means it should never have been translated as hell. The sad truth is that there are some Christian church leaders that KNOW that hell is a lie but they continue to teach it because it’s a part of their system, their money making system. They don’t want to be ex-communicated from the system they’ve known so for them, it’s better to just keep the status quo. Every single Bible translation that exists came from the efforts of large teams of knowledgeable Bible scholars but this doesn’t prove that they can’t be wrong. This is only an appeal to authority but Revelation 12:9 tells us that the devil deceives the whole world so if this is true, then there has to be room for this level of deception. What better way for the devil to deceive the WHOLE WORLD than to manipulate the scriptures through the works of men? If Bibles are inerrant, then why do they keep changing? Can you explain why “hell” is found in the King James Version 54 times while in the New International Version, it is only found 15 times? In the Old Testament of the King James Version, “hell” is recorded some 31 times but in the Old Testament of the New International Version, “hell” is not recorded at all. So these large teams of knowledgeable Bible Scholars decided that the translators of the King James Version was wrong in their inclusion of hell. They obviously still held to some of the tradition in the New Testament but we can’t just ignore this information as if it doesn’t mean anything. Hell is disappearing from Bibles because people are starting to wake up. The author is attempting to place an extremely high level of weight on the so called “large teams of knowledgeable Bible scholars” as a crutch to disqualify certain claims from universalists. The Greek term “aion” has been mistranslated across centuries and that has been proven by the very Bible translations we have in existence. Hell is a false doctrine by itself so universalists aren’t concerned with its length because hell doesn’t exist accept in the minds of the deceived.

Critics of universalism state that the identical Greek term “aionas ton aionon,” which means “ages of the ages,” is used in the Bible to describe both the eternal worth of God and the eternal fire of hell. Therefore, they say, either God’s worth, like the fire of hell, must be limited in time, or the fire of hell must be neverending, like God’s worth. Critics say universalists are picking and choosing when aionas ton aionon means “limited.”

The Greek term “aionas ton aionon” is NOT used in the Bible to describe the “eternal” worth of God. This speculative statement is based on the critic’s interpretation and not what the scriptures intended to convey. Notice that the author did not quote the scripture for which this “critic” thinks “aionas ton aionon” refers to the eternal worth of God but I will so you can try to follow their line of logic;

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The phrase “forever and ever” is what most English bibles translate from the Greek phrase “aionas ton aionon” but this is a gross mistranslation based on tradition not scholarship. Ages of the ages is the proper translating of “aionas ton aionon” but this doesn’t diminish God’s worth. These are ideas that Christians use to defend their false doctrines. The same phrase “aionas ton aionon” is also found in Revelation 20:10 which is what this critic is referring to regarding the eternal fires of hell.

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

If “forever” refers to unending time, then what is “forever AND ever”? How many forevers or evers are there? There is no plural form of the English word “ever”. This is obviously a contradiction but the truth is that Christians don’t want to give up their pagan hell. They want the world to be tortured in fire for all eternity because the damnation of the world makes them feel special. It’s amazing how hard Christians work to defend a doctrine that is worse than Hitler’s Auschwitz. Let’s take a closer look at this phrase, “forever and ever”.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

This verse is telling us that Christ will reign forever and ever when the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of Christ but does Christ really reign forever and ever?

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Christ will eventually deliver the kingdom to the Father after He puts an end to all rule, authority, and power. He will reign UNTIL He puts all enemies under His feet but afterwards, Christ will be subject to the Father so this CONCLUSIVELY proves that Christ does NOT reign forever and ever. The Greek term “aionas ton aionon” does NOT mean forever and ever, it means “ages of the ages” which denotes a very long time but an unspecified amount of time. A better way to think of it would be, “as long as it takes”.

The phrase “ages of the ages” is not a limitation of God’s immortality or worth which is an asinine thing to think for one. God was referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament in numerous instances but is this a limitation? Is God only the God of God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? That’s absurd! God is God over all and that is universally understood. I’m not sure why Christians or critics of universalism insist on placing such human limitations on God. Who does God need to impress? Who gives God a sense of worth? God is King in all ages so He is the Eonian King or the King of the Eons. God as the King of the Ages is worthy of our honor and glory for the ages of the ages but this doesn’t mean that honor and glory will only be subject to those ages. It’s simple a reflection of what is happening within the ages. Universalists don’t pick and choose when “aionas ton aionon” means limited because it always means limited. It NEVER refers to an eternity.

Universalists reply that to correct the “errors” in translation, they are in the process of producing their own translation of the Bible. However, one of the pillars of Christianity is that the Bible, as the Word of God, is inerrant. When the Bible must be rewritten to accommodate a doctrine, it is the doctrine that is wrong, not the Bible.

Universalists don’t need to produce their own translation of the Bible to correct the errors that exist. There are and have been better translations that do not carry the tradition of the King James line of Bibles but there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with producing a translation that is consistent with the original languages. The Concordant Version is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. This translation does not follow after the patterns and traditions of Christianity but rather, it follows closely to the Hebrew and Greek. Bibles are NOT the Word of God. Bibles are TRANSLATIONS of the Word of God and there is NO perfect way to translate one language from another. The original scriptures that were penned by the original bible authors is the Word of God but the translations we have today are Bibles. The Word of God is inerrant but Bibles are far from being without error. I have already provided some details about the inaccuracy from the Bibles of men but this doesn’t mean that we can’t use Bibles. We are admonished to study to show ourselves approved and not to just repeat and take in whatever someone who calls themselves a “Christianity Expert” says. Christianity as an institution has many false or inaccurate pillars for which it was founded. The reason why many stay deceived is because they remain enslaved in their minds to the indoctrination of Christian tradition. No one even thinks to question these ideas. People just listen to whatever their pastor tells them and they have no idea that their very own pastor could be misled. Universalists aren’t rewriting the Bible to accommodate a doctrine. The salvation of all is clearly written in the same Bibles we all have. The reality here is that Christianity is responsible for inserting it’s dogmas in the Bible but Christians aren’t concerned about their own false doctrines. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 is God’s doctrine not the doctrine of universalists. Universalists just believe what God says unlike Christians whose god is Christianity.

One problem with universalism is that it imposes human judgment upon God, saying that logically he cannot be perfect love while punishing sinners in hell. However, God himself warns against attributing human standards to him:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9 NIV)

Universalism does NOT impose human judgment upon God but this is a common attack on Universalists. The irony here is that Christians are the ones that actually impose human judgment upon God. Hell is a man-made doctrine that was added to the scriptures when the Church figured out how effective it was in scary people into submission. This is why the Church had no problem burning people at the stake because they believed their god was going to torture most of humanity in some place called hell. I have already discussed the fact that God doesn’t punish sinners in some godless hell for all eternity because that form of judgment would be a false balance. Only a reprobate mind would try to argue that love could never be reconciled with evil. The doctrine of hell is pure evil and for the author to suggest that God can still be perfect in love while torturing people’s family members in real fire for all eternity is just appalling. It is embarrassing and offensive for someone that claims to be a Christian or “Christ-like” all while failing to display a single characteristic of Christ’s love. Then the audacity of the author to use Isaiah 55:8-9 to try to justify this claim that hell is a form of God’s higher justice. Unbelievable! Jesus has already given us examples of God’s ways that are not ours. Loving your enemies, turning the other check, praying for those that mistreat you, treating your neighbor as yourself, giving to the poor, giving up your life for your friends, etc. All of these ways are contrary to the nature of human beings and this is why God’s ways are HIGHER not lower. This is what the scriptures say about love and you tell me if any of it could be reconciled with the idea of punishing sinners in hell for all eternity;

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;  it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;

Punishing sinners in hell for all eternity could only be described as God holding an eternal grudge against His own creation. Everything about hell contradicts love in general and the love of God. The author of this article has universalism completely wrong and it is my hope that people can have a better understanding of universalism without having to consider the lies and bogus assumptions that Christians attribute to universalists.

Sulaiman Randolph