The Restitution Of All Things A.K.A. Universalism

he-man said:

One may assert that St. Paul proclaims universalism, but no one has ever suggested that Christ did.

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Whoever you are quoting there is quite ignorant of universalist authors. From what source or website did you copy that & the rest of your post?

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Taking away the world's sin (Jn.1:29) shall make the world sinless. So, yeah, all will be saved.

This states the purpose of Love Omnipotent's - divine will - in sending His Son:

For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world would be saved through Him. (Jn.3:17)

There we see God's reason in sending His Son, namely to save the world. That was the Diivine will of God, Who is Love Omnipotent. And notice what BDAG says about the "divine will":

“In many cases purpose and result cannot be clearly differentiated, and hence ἵνα is used for the result that follows according to the purpose of the subj. or of God. As in Semitic and Gr-Rom. thought, purpose and result are identical in declarations of the divine will…” ἵνα — с греческого на все языки

They said to the woman, "We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world. (Jn.4:42)

ClementofA said:

Whoever you are quoting there is quite ignorant of universalist authors. From what source or website did you copy that & the rest of your post?

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Christian Universalism: Will Everyone Finally Be Saved? So why it is that Christ is so uncompromising in His words about hell. Paul teaches that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

ClementofA said:

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! Taking away the world's sin (Jn.1:29) shall make the world sinless. So, yeah, all will be saved.

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Statements like that are like Proverbs 18:9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

The theme of the age to come of course comes to the fore in the New Testament. And here, Christ speaks quite categorically: the punishments of Gehenna are eternal. He warns of the impenitent being bound hand and foot and cast into the outer darkness where men will weep and gnash their teeth (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30), and there is no suggestion that this punishment will be temporary.

Indeed, He teaches that in Gehenna, the “unquenchable fire”, the “worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:43, 48).

If the Universalists are correct, then the worm will indeed die and the fire will indeed be quenched, but Christ here says the opposite. In His parable about Lazarus and the rich man, Christ explicitly says that there is a great gulf fixed between paradise and the place of punishment, so that none may cross over from the place to punishment into paradise (Luke 16:26).

Granted that this is a parable and not a behind the scenes peak at eternity, it remains an odd thing to say if in fact everyone in the place of punishment will indeed eventually cross over into paradise.

Also important to the discussion is the fact that Christ describes the two fates awaiting men after the final judgment either as “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”, and “eternal punishment”, or as “eternal life” (Matthew 25:41, 46).

Note that the same word “eternal” (Greek aionion) is used in v. 46 to describe both the eternal life of the saved and the eternal punishment of the condemned. One can debate the meaning of the word aionion if one likes, but the word must have the same meaning in both halves of v. 46. It cannot mean, for example, “the unrighteous will go away into age-long punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”. If the life of the righteous is eternal, then so must be the punishment of the unrighteous.

One may assert that St. Paul proclaims universalism, but no one has ever suggested that Christ did. All of His words about the fate of men in the age to come are emphatic that hell is eternal, and contain not a hint of universalism. One cannot bypass this fact when promoting universalism, as many seem to do, but must rather explain why it is that Christ is so uncompromising in His words about hell.

One cannot oppose Christ to His apostle like this and reject all of Christ’s teaching on hell simply because one prefers what one imagines is the teaching of Paul. Obviously one must interpret both Christ and His apostle so that their teachings are mutually compatible.

Take for example 1 Corinthians 6:10 and Galatians 5:21, where Paul teaches that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. There is no suggestion that actually they will inherit the Kingdom of God after all, but only after a lot of suffering.

Or take for example Ephesians 5:6, where he writes that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. If by “wrath” Paul meant only “temporary anger which will eventually give place to acceptance and bliss”, his warning loses most of its force.

Or take for another example 2 Thessalonians 1:9, where Paul describes the lost as “suffering the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord”. If the banishment from the Lord’s presence were only temporary, it would hardly be eternal destruction. As it is, it looks as if Paul is here echoing Christ’s teaching about the lost being bound hand and foot and cast into the outer darkness.

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever [Greek eis aionas aionon] and they have no rest [they will remain asleep] day or night” (Revelation 14:11). The devil and his angels, far from being eventually redeemed because love wins, will be “thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur…and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” [Greek eis tous aionas ton aionon] (Revelation 20:10).

In 1 Corinthians 15:28, for example, Paul teaches that at the end, all will be subject to God, so that He “will be all in all”. In its context, it is doubtful if this means more than simply all of God’s enemies including death (the main subject of the chapter) will be destroyed, and in the new heaven and new earth, righteousness will finally reign (compare 2 Peter 3:13). This is compatible with the lost no longer being found in the new heavens or the new earth, but in the darkness outside, excluded from the Kingdom (compare Matthew 13:41-43, 25:30).

and that “as in Adam all die so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Here Paul is speaking of the possibility of all men enjoying eternal life, not of the certainty of their eventual salvation. Paul teaches here that in Christ all have been made alive, and their redemption has been purchased—but whether one chooses to be and to remain “in Christ” depends upon their personal choice. Christ is truly the Saviour of all men (1 Timothy 4:10), but for men to be enjoy that salvation, they must believe, otherwise they will be condemned.

FineLinen said:

"Everlasting Destruction"=

In order to understand this phrase we must first look closely at the root words on which the English is based. We should start with “everlasting” which is the Greek word aionios (Strong’s number 166). I refer you to Hope Beyond Hell Chapter one and its accompanying notes, which you will find in the Third Edition only. It will be available soon as a free download. We hope to release it in September 2012. Email me for updates on its release.

Also we need to look at the Greek word for “destruction”

which is olethros (Strong’s number 3639). For this I refer you to Dr. Marvin Vincent D.D. Balwin Professor of Sacred Literature, Union Theological Seminary New York published in 1887. Here is his quote from Volume IV, in Word Studies in the New Testament pages 58 – 62. He expounds on olethron aionion in 2Th. 1:9:

‘Aion, transliterated aeon, is a period of longer or shorter duration, having a beginning and an end, and complete in itself. Aristotle (peri ouravou, i. 9,15) says: “The period which includes the whole time of one’s life is called the aeon of each one.”

Hence it often means the life of a man, as in Homer, where one’s life (aion) is said to leave him or to consume away (Iliad v. 685; Odyssey v. 160). It is not, however, limited to human life; it signifies any period in the course of events, as the period or age before Christ; the period of the millenium; the mythological period before the beginnings of history. The word has not “a stationary and mechanical value” (De Quincey). It does not mean a period of a fixed length for all cases. There are as many aeons as entities, the respective durations of which are fixed by the normal conditions of the several entities. There is one aeon of a human life, another of the life of a nation, another of a crow’s life, another of an oak’s life. The length of the aeon depends on the subject to which it is attached.

It is sometimes translated world; world represents a period or a series of periods of time.

See Matt 12:32; 13:40,49; Luke 1:70; 1 Cor 1:20; 2:6; Eph 1:21. Similarly oi aiones, the worlds, the universe, the aggregate of the ages or periods, and their contents which are included in the duration of the world. 1 Cor 2:7; 10:11; Heb 1:2; 9:26; 11:3. The word always carries the notion of time, and not of eternity. It always means a period of time. Otherwise it would be impossible to account for the plural, or for such qualifying expressions as this age, or the age to come. It does not mean something endless or everlasting. To deduce that meaning from its relation to aei is absurd; for, apart from the fact that the meaning of a word is not definitely fixed by its derivation, aei does not signify endless duration. When the writer of the Pastoral Epistles quotes the saying that the Cretans are always (aei) liars (Tit. 1:12), he surely does not mean that the Cretans will go on lying to all eternity. See also Acts 7:51; 2 Cor. 4:11; 6:10; Heb 3:10; 1 Pet. 3:15. Aei means habitually or continually within the limit of the subject’s life. In our colloquial dialect everlastingly is used in the same way. “The boy is everlastingly tormenting me to buy him a drum.”

In the New Testament the history of the world is conceived as developed through a succession of aeons.

A series of such aeons precedes the introduction of a new series inaugurated by the Christian dispensation, and the end of the world and the second coming of Christ are to mark the beginning of another series. Eph. 1:21; 2:7; 3:9,21; 1 Cor 10:11; compare Heb. 9:26. He includes the series of aeons in one great aeon, ‘o aion ton aionon, the aeon of the aeons (Eph. 3:21); and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews describe the throne of God as enduring unto the aeon of the aeons (Heb 1:8). The plural is also used, aeons of the aeons, signifying all the successive periods which make up the sum total of the ages collectively. Rom. 16:27; Gal. 1:5; Philip. 4:20, etc. This plural phrase is applied by Paul to God only.

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http://www.hopebeyondhell.net/faq-17-what-does-“everlasting-destruction”-mean-2thes-19/
"Everlasting Destruction"=

In order to understand this phrase we must first look closely at the root words on which the English is based. We should start with “everlasting” which is the Greek word aionios (Strong’s number 166). I refer you to Hope Beyond Hell Chapter one and its accompanying notes, which you will find in the Third Edition only. It will be available soon as a free download. We hope to release it in September 2012. Email me for updates on its release.

Also we need to look at the Greek word for “destruction”

which is olethros (Strong’s number 3639). For this I refer you to Dr. Marvin Vincent D.D. Balwin Professor of Sacred Literature, Union Theological Seminary New York published in 1887. Here is his quote from Volume IV, in Word Studies in the New Testament pages 58 – 62. He expounds on olethron aionion in 2Th. 1:9:

‘Aion, transliterated aeon, is a period of longer or shorter duration, having a beginning and an end, and complete in itself. Aristotle (peri ouravou, i. 9,15) says: “The period which includes the whole time of one’s life is called the aeon of each one.”

Hence it often means the life of a man, as in Homer, where one’s life (aion) is said to leave him or to consume away (Iliad v. 685; Odyssey v. 160). It is not, however, limited to human life; it signifies any period in the course of events, as the period or age before Christ; the period of the millenium; the mythological period before the beginnings of history. The word has not “a stationary and mechanical value” (De Quincey). It does not mean a period of a fixed length for all cases. There are as many aeons as entities, the respective durations of which are fixed by the normal conditions of the several entities. There is one aeon of a human life, another of the life of a nation, another of a crow’s life, another of an oak’s life. The length of the aeon depends on the subject to which it is attached.

It is sometimes translated world; world represents a period or a series of periods of time.

See Matt 12:32; 13:40,49; Luke 1:70; 1 Cor 1:20; 2:6; Eph 1:21. Similarly oi aiones, the worlds, the universe, the aggregate of the ages or periods, and their contents which are included in the duration of the world. 1 Cor 2:7; 10:11; Heb 1:2; 9:26; 11:3. The word always carries the notion of time, and not of eternity. It always means a period of time. Otherwise it would be impossible to account for the plural, or for such qualifying expressions as this age, or the age to come. It does not mean something endless or everlasting. To deduce that meaning from its relation to aei is absurd; for, apart from the fact that the meaning of a word is not definitely fixed by its derivation, aei does not signify endless duration. When the writer of the Pastoral Epistles quotes the saying that the Cretans are always (aei) liars (Tit. 1:12), he surely does not mean that the Cretans will go on lying to all eternity. See also Acts 7:51; 2 Cor. 4:11; 6:10; Heb 3:10; 1 Pet. 3:15. Aei means habitually or continually within the limit of the subject’s life. In our colloquial dialect everlastingly is used in the same way. “The boy is everlastingly tormenting me to buy him a drum.”

In the New Testament the history of the world is conceived as developed through a succession of aeons.

A series of such aeons precedes the introduction of a new series inaugurated by the Christian dispensation, and the end of the world and the second coming of Christ are to mark the beginning of another series. Eph. 1:21; 2:7; 3:9,21; 1 Cor 10:11; compare Heb. 9:26. He includes the series of aeons in one great aeon, ‘o aion ton aionon, the aeon of the aeons (Eph. 3:21); and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews describe the throne of God as enduring unto the aeon of the aeons (Heb 1:8). The plural is also used, aeons of the aeons, signifying all the successive periods which make up the sum total of the ages collectively. Rom. 16:27; Gal. 1:5; Philip. 4:20, etc. This plural phrase is applied by Paul to God only.

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The Poor man is lost forever for saying that
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he-man said:

Take for example 1 Corinthians 6:10 and Galatians 5:21, where Paul teaches that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. There is no suggestion that actually they will inherit the Kingdom of God after all, but only after a lot of suffering.

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Paul does more than suggest universalism. He declares it a fact:

Rom 5:18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for ALL MANKIND for condemnation, thus also it is through one just act for ALL MANKIND for life's justifying."

Rom 5:19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, THE MANY were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, THE MANY shall be constituted just."

Paul makes a parallel between "the many" who were condemned & sinners and those who will be justified & constituted just.

“In Romans 5, the justification is co-extensive with the condemnation. Since all share in one, all share in the other. If only a certain portion of the human race had partaken of the sin of Adam, only a certain portion would partake of the justification of Christ. But St. Paul affirms all to have been involved in one, and all to be included in the other.”

And your - not enter the kingdom - proof texts vs universalism fail (as do all your other "proof texts" which have been answered repeatedly):

??? said:

Where does Paul ever qualify his warnings about who cannot enter the kingdom of God by saying "not until they repent & cease being unrighteous?" I can't seem to find that
qualification anywhere in Paul's writings. Do you suppose that Paul forgot to put that in and that is why unis today have to interject that into every one of Paul's warnings?

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It's right in front of your eyes, if you read the next verse after those you quoted:

1 Cor 6:9-11

"Know ye not that THE UNRIGHTEOUS shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

"And SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

As a commentator says:

"Wait a minute. If the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, why does Paul say "and such were some of you?" If they were unrighteous, then how did they inherit the kingdom?"

"They had to be cleansed first, of course. As long as anyone is not cleansed, they have no part inside. But once cleansed, they they entered the kingdom."

So the passages you quoted are perfectly harmonious with universal salvation.

Have you been decieved by your Bible translation?

he-man said:

Paul teaches that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

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Yes, he does. However, how does that happen?

Either,

God keeps the unrighteous out of His kingdom forever.

Or,

God works in the hearts and minds of all to convert the unrighteous into the righteous.

I accept the latter idea because that is how He made me righteous, that is how He made you righteous, and anyone else who is righteous. How is it that we have set the unrighteous aside as "THE LOST," when, just as it is said in the Bible, many of us were such? Those who are saved should not put themselves up on a pedestal or soapbox and proclaim a status (perfection) that they do not yet possess. Further, they should not subscribe to an exclusionary theology. Jesus told the Pharisees that the harlots and tax-collectors would enter the Kingdom before them, but implicitly granted that the Pharisees would do so later.

Lazarus Short said:

Yes, he does. However, how does that happen?

Either,

God keeps the unrighteous out of His kingdom forever.

Or,

God works in the hearts and minds of all to convert the unrighteous into the righteous.

I accept the latter idea because that is how He made me righteous, that is how He made you righteous, and anyone else who is righteous. How is it that we have set the unrighteous aside as "THE LOST," when, just as it is said in the Bible, many of us were such? Those who are saved should not put themselves up on a pedestal or soapbox and proclaim a status (perfection) that they do not yet possess. Further, they should not subscribe to an exclusionary theology. Jesus told the Pharisees that the harlots and tax-collectors would enter the Kingdom before them, but implicitly granted that the Pharisees would do so later.

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Hell, for the Unbelieving Dead

Hell, Where the Unbelieving Dead Spend an Eternity in Fire and Brimstone - The Second Death

The Unbelieving Dead: Who are these who are called "the rest of the dead"? About this there is no question. They are the unbelievers of all ages. (Luke 16:19-31), demonstrates that after death they exist in Hades. They will be brought out of Hades and judged, then cast alive into the lake of fire, which is the second death Second Death (Rev. 20:14). Since these unbelievers are not resurrected to life but to death, a state of separation from God, they are referred to as having part in the "second death". The second resurrection, is a resurrection to death.

This is the link to the entire article for why this is not true can be read here. Hell - The Second Death for Unbelievers -

th1bill said:

Who are these who are called "the rest of the dead"? About this there is no question.

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The very existence of this thread demonstrates that there IS a question.

The "Hel/Hell" chapter from my book:

In the time of John the Apostle when he wrote down the Revelation, this word “hell” would have been in some archaic form, spoken by tribes with which the early Christians as yet had little or no contact. I got curious, so I looked in the OED again, and here are some old forms of “hell”:



Old English (Anglo-Saxon) – hel

Old Frisian – helle, hille

Old Saxon – hellja, hella

Middle Dutch – helle

Old High German – helle

Old Norse – hel, heljar

Gothic – halja

Original Teutonic - halja

The reader may find it of interest that the word “hel” is found in the 1611 edition of the KJV (more on that a few pages ahead) and a few times in “Beowulf.”



I read "Beowulf,” a bilingual version translated by Seamus Heaney. It was a great narrative, but I kept an eye out for "hell," and when I found any instances, checked the facing page for the Anglo-Saxon equivalent. I found "hell" twelve times in the English, and the Anglo-Saxon broke down like this:



"helle" five times



"hel" two times



"hell" one time.



Four times I could not find any Anglo-Saxon equivalent, maybe because I'm not an Anglo-Saxon scholar, but you get the gist, yes? Now, "Beowulf" has a Christian overlay, but the events and people are clearly pagan, so I went through this exercise to bolster my position that the word "hell" comes to us from the languages of pagan north Europe.



Among the linguistic notes in the OED were some very old meanings, such as “literally, the coverer or hider,” (as a noun) and “to hide, conceal” (as a verb). The OED has dated examples of the use of most words, and for “hell,” the earliest was in an Old English document, dated about 825 AD. Note that both Old Norse and Old English shared “hel.” This was well after most of Christian Britain had been overrun by the then-pagan Saxons, Angles and Jutes. By this time the Roman Church had long possessed the Latin Vulgate Bible, using forms of “infernum” to replace “sheol” and “hades.” It was a fine word as used then, and originally meant “beneath” or “buried,” in the same sense as “sheol,” etc. The word only acquired the fiery meaning it has today after the rise of Hell theology. Of course, the idea and doctrine of Hell were already in existence by that date, but if you look into mythology, you will find that the Greek, Roman and and other pagan myths all support some form of Hell. It should not surprise you to learn that Christianity went from the Jews, to the Greeks, to the Romans, and on to the so-called Barbarians, to eventually reach what would become the English-speaking world. I think Christianity picked up a lot more than just converts along the way.



Besides all that, I found that “Hel” was the name of the Norse goddess/ogress of their underworld, as well as the name of the supposed underworld itself, known as “Helheim,” meaning “House of Hel.” Interestingly, the roots of the word “Hel” hark back to the original meanings of “sheol” and “hades” – that is to say, “covered” and “hidden.” [source: Orel, Vladimir. 2003. A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, pp. 156, 168.]



Now, this is almost funny – “Hel” is pagan, but “Hell” is part of the doctrine of many Churches. Do you see the problem, reader? Pagans will tell you that Christianity has “pagan DNA,” and here it is all too clear to see. We need to look a little further – most Christians seem to subscribe to the view that people die, and their “souls” go immediately to Heaven, Hell or maybe Purgatory. The Bible never says anything of the sort, but gives us the promise of the Resurrection. Now if we are already in Heaven, then doesn’t the Resurrection seem just a bit creepy? I’ve never heard anyone tell me how being in Heaven right now and later getting Resurrected are even compatible. As for Hell, it gets really absurd when you consider dying and going there. So you're dead. But...conscious torment in Hell requires you to be alive, right? But you're dead. But you must be alive to suffer Hell. But you're dead... There is no logical solution, unless you opt for the pagan Greek concept of the Immortality of the Soul, and mainstream Christianity did just that. This concept, this doctrine, arose from the teachings of Socrates and Plato, and many early church fathers were Platonic in their outlook – Augustine is a prime example. See the next chapter for more on the nature of man, and what being alive really means.



“Hell” is a verb, as well as a noun, and is derived from an old Germanic word, meaning, as I said, “to cover.” My father told me about this years ago – if a farmer lacked a root cellar or a cellar/basement under the house, and needed a place to keep veggies or fruits over the winter, he would do the following. First, he would dig a pit or trench to below the local frost line. Then, he would line the bottom with straw. On top of that, he’d place a layer of, say, potatoes. More straw went on top of the potatoes, and he would finish the job by shoveling in the dirt previously dug out. Note – it is called “helling the potatoes,” though some came to call it “hilling,” to be polite. Now in the case of Korah and the others who fell alive into the pit which opened under them, they were helled by God, and died in the pit, in the grave, in sheol. An eternal, conscious abode in the Hell of Dante, Milton, and Baxter is not mentioned or implied, so there is no need or reason to interpret it so. Many passages in the Bible having to do with death are subject to the same interpretation.



Picking up our historical thread again, the true Britons, now pushed into such corners as Wales and Cornwall, had a purer version of Christianity than the invading tribes were later converted to, as it had arrived in Britain in the first century. Now that is another story, but I will add that the Saxons, Angles and Jutes were, in turn, partly overrun by the Danes, a branch of the Norse. Since the Norse had Hel, goddess and realm, and the Greeks had Hades, god and realm, I suspect the Norse (and related peoples) had long contact with the Greeks before they moved north and west – but again, that is another story. That, reader, is my take on how “hell” got into the English language, and some of my historical information may not be absolutely accurate, but the very similarity of “hel” and “hell” should send the serious Bible student on a word-study quest. Did you know that the original 1611 KJV contains “hel” twice? We can see it in Isaiah 14:15, from “sheol;” and “hel fire” in Mark 9:47, from “Gehenna.” I checked it on a photo-scan of the first printing of the 1611, and we can only scratch our heads and wonder if these two instances are a link from “hel” to “hell,” or if they are just two more of the typos the 1611 was famous for.



It should also give pause to anyone who subscribes to the doctrine of Hell, as the very name of this Norse underworld exposes the pagan roots of Hell for all to see. Further, I am confident that this exploration of the linguistic basis of Hell knocks a major prop out from under ECT. When I use the name of a particular barbarian tribe in the last few pages, I am using it to stand for all the barbarian tribes of northern Europe in those days – Saxons, Angles, Jutes, Teutons, Franks, Norse, Goths, etc.

ClementofA said:

Paul does more than suggest universalism. He declares it a fact: Rom 5:18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for ALL MANKIND for condemnation, thus also it is through one just act for ALL MANKIND for life's justifying." Rom 5:19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, THE MANY were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, THE MANY shall be constituted just." Paul makes a parallel between "the many" who were condemned & sinners and those who will be justified & constituted just. “In Romans 5, the justification is co-extensive with the condemnation. Since all share in one, all share in the other. If only a certain portion of the human race had partaken of the sin of Adam, only a certain portion would partake of the justification of Christ. But St. Paul affirms all to have been involved in one, and all to be included in the other.” And your - not enter the kingdom - proof texts vs universalism fail (as do all your other "proof texts" which have been answered repeatedly): It's right in front of your eyes, if you read the next verse after those you quoted: 1 Cor 6:9-11 "Know ye not that THE UNRIGHTEOUS shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." "And SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

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Be not deceived imagining, that through your knowledge and profession you shall be saved. It's right in front of your eyes.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?. Be not deceived imagining, that through your knowledge and profession you shall be saved, live as you will: [GILL]

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

The first, that of washing, I understand of that work of the Spirit by which the process of purifying was commenced in the soul, and which was especially signified in baptism - the work of regeneration or conversion to God. By the agency of the Spirit the defilement of these pollutions had been washed away or removed - as filth is removed by ablution [BARNES]

John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word but regenerating grace is meant, or a being born of water, and of the Spirit; that is, of the grace of the Spirit, comparable to water for its purity and cleansing virtue: hence such who are regenerated and sanctified, are said to be washed and cleansed, having their hearts purified by faith, and their consciences purged from sin by the blood of Christ: by the latter the renewing of the Holy Ghost: this is the foundation of all grace and good works, and by which saints appear to be heirs of the heavenly inheritance. [GILL]

ClementofA said:

As a commentator says:"Wait a minute. If the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, why does Paul say "and such were some of you?" If they were unrighteous, then how did they inherit the kingdom?""They had to be cleansed first, of course. As long as anyone is not cleansed, they have no part inside. But once cleansed, they they entered the kingdom." So the passages you quoted are perfectly harmonious with universal salvation.
Have you been decieved by your Bible translation?

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Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord and on all his people as considered in him, when they, in consequence of it, were quickened together with him; and this passes upon the conscience of a sinner at believing, when he may, as he should, reckon himself alive unto God, and is what gives him a right and title to everlasting life and glory. [GILL]

By the fact that the Holy Spirit was imparted to the believer. [BARNES]

Lazarus Short said:

Yes, he does. However, how does that happen? Either, God keeps the unrighteous out of His kingdom forever. Or, God works in the hearts and minds of all to convert the unrighteous into the righteous. I accept the latter idea because that is how He made me righteous, that is how He made you righteous, and anyone else who is righteous. How is it that we have set the unrighteous aside as "THE LOST," when, just as it is said in the Bible, many of us were such? Those who are saved should not put themselves up on a pedestal or soapbox and proclaim a status (perfection) that they do not yet possess. Further, they should not subscribe to an exclusionary theology. Jesus told the Pharisees that the harlots and tax-collectors would enter the Kingdom before them, but implicitly granted that the Pharisees would do so later.

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No, he said they would not enter the Kingdom.

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in
.
Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

FineLinen said:

God's methods with man – G. Campbell Morgan

“Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the word ‘eternity.’ We have fallen into great error in our constant use of that word. There is no word in the whole book of God corresponding with our ‘eternal,’ which, as commonly used among us, means absolutely without end. Men have divided the church, separated from each other, and persecuted one another, upon a though conveyed by an English word which has no equivalent in the Bible.” -G. Campbell Morgan-

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We can say the same for the word "hell."

he-man said:

No, he said they would not enter the Kingdom.

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in
.
Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

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The verses you quote do not really support your assertion. Try again.

Lazarus Short said:

The verses you quote do not really support your assertion. Try again.

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NO, you try again and give your verses that you think support your view

he-man said:

NO, you try again and give your verses that you think support your view

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"The verses you quote do not really support your assertion" sums it up perfectly.

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"You are fully, completely, and thoroughly adored by God."

If endless conscious torments were true, is God a monster?

he-man said:

NO, you try again and give your verses that you think support your view

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Sure, why not? It is not difficult, as I have the following in one of my document files:

GENESIS





18:18 all the nations of the earth will be blessed



28:14 all the families of the earth will be blessed





NUMBERS



16:22 the God of the spirits of all flesh





I KINGS



8:43 all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do.





PSALMS



46:10 "I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world."



65:2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.



86:9 All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name.



138:4 O Jehovah, all kings of earth confess Thee, When they have heard the sayings of Thy mouth.





ISAIAH



11:9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD.



52:10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.



52:15 Kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand.



61:11 or as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.



65:1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, to a nation that was not called by my name.



66:18 it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.



66:23 all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD.





LAMENTATIONS



3:31-32 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.



(NLT)- For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.





DANIEL



7:14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.



7:27 ..the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him."





MICAH



4:1-5 ..he will teach us his ways,

and we will walk in his paths."

For the LORD's teaching will go out from Zion;

his word will go out from Jerusalem.

The LORD will mediate between peoples

and will settle disputes between strong nations far away.

They will hammer their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will no longer fight against nation,

nor train for war anymore.

Everyone will live in peace and prosperity,

enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees,

for there will be nothing to fear.





HABAKKUK



2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea











MATTHEW



20:8-15 That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 'Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.'

"He answered one of them, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair! Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?'





LUKE



2:10 but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.



2:14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"



3:6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'



9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them



19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."



20:38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."





JOHN



1:29 "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!



3:17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.



4:42 Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world."



6:37 those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.



6:39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. *John 13:3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands



6:45 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.



12:32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw (Greek, literal, DRAG) everyone to myself."



12:47 I will not judge those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.





ACTS



3:21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.



3:25-26 You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, 'Through your descendants[a] all the families on earth will be blessed.'





ROMANS



8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but (C)because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.



9:16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.



11:15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?



11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

"THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,

HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."



11:32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.



15:21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,

"Those who have never been told about him will see,

and those who have never heard of him will understand"





I CORINTHIANS



3:14,5 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.



5:5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.



15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son Himself also be subject unto Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

15:5

1 Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed





II CORINTHIANS



5:18,19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation,



to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation.





GALATIONS



3:8 What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, "All nations will be blessed through you."

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,



4:13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.





PHILIPPIANS



2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.



COLOSSIANS



1:20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ's blood on the cross.



I TIMOTHY



1:15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"—



2:4-6 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.



4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.





HEBREWS



2:9 Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.



2:17 so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.



8:11,12And they will not need to teach their neighbors,

nor will they need to teach their relatives,[d]

saying, 'You should know the LORD.'

For everyone, from the least to the greatest,

will know me already.

And I will forgive their wickedness,

and I will never again remember their sins



9:26 else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.



10:10 For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.



10:17 then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."





I PETER



3:18-20 because also Christ once for sin did suffer -- righteous for unrighteous -- that he might lead us to God, having been put to death indeed, in the flesh, and having been made alive in the spirit,

in which also to the spirits in prison having gone he did preach,

who sometime disbelieved, when once the long-suffering of God did wait, in days of Noah -- an ark being preparing -- in which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;



II PETER



3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. *(John 13:3)





I JOHN



2:2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.



3:5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.



4:10 This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.



4:14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.





REVELATION



3:9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.



5:13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:



" Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"



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 to the ages of the ages!'





14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—



15:4 Who will not fear you, Lord,

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship before you,

for your righteous deeds have been revealed."



20:14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire.



21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.



21:5 And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true."



22:2 On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.



22:3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything.



22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let anyone who hears this say, "Come." Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.