Bell a Universalist?

[Cajun Huguenot]

Absolutely, and I'm sure there will be lots of good detailed reviews once the book is released.

Here's a short review of one of Bell's Nooma videos for any who are new to his teachings:

Thanks desmalia, that video of Bell speaks volumes. Bell's "Jesus" is closer to the Norman Vincent Peale's Power of Positive Thinking version of the gospel. This is very far from the Gospel of Christ and the Scriptures.

Kenith

 

[JSGuitarist]

I suppose whatever direction the book goes, this much can be said, that love is not contrary to justice. If God were to condemn everyone in history, with none entering heaven, none having a propitiation, then God would have been just in doing this, because the Bible is very clear that the wickedness of every man and woman deserves such. Were we to negate this on the basis of love, we would have to say that love means cancelling justice; and for any judge to not carry out justice makes him a corrupt judge; and so were God to do the same thing, this means that He has become evil, but God can never contradict Himself, and ever be anything other than perfectly good. If love ever means sinning, it is no love at all. And if God loves what is right, then he hates what is evil.

So my question is, will Rob Bell be truthful about the true condition of man, that he is born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and goes astray from the womb (Psalm 58:3), being desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), all his righteousness being as filthy rags (John 6:44), having no true understanding of spiritual things (Romans 3:11), with a mind that is constantly consumed with evil (Genesis 6:5), not only doing wickedness but approving of those who do wickedness (Romans 1:32)? And so, supposing he touches on the subjects of heaven and hell, will he consider divine justice with this Biblical view of man, and shape his views on eternity accordingly?

Though if one believes this, then why would it be repulsive to think that billions may actually reside in hell for all eternity? As a matter of fact, going from there, what stretch of the mind would it be to think it just if the entire world were condemned without hope by nature of being sinners? Scripture is clear that none is righteous, not one (Romans 3:10). For God to save anyone and to satisfy justice on behalf of anyone, especially through the precious blood of Christ, is pure mercy. Every man deserves hell, no man deserves heaven, yet Christ not only extinguished guilt, but imputed merit.

Do we need to be rescued from God? Yes, or we will perish. Do we deserve rescuing? By no means; he who attempts to without the satisfaction of divine justice is one who has justified the wicked, and he who justifies the wicked is an abomination (Proverbs 17:15). In a sense we are coming like the prodigal son, but also we are certainly coming as a man about to be overwhelmed by an enemy, as in Luke 14:31-32.

"Kiss the son, or he will be angry,
and your way will lead you to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." - Psalm 2:12

 

[the geech]

I think this one provides a good answer to the hysteria people who haven't read the book are generating.

That's a fantastic article that expresses long-held sentiments of my own. So many neo-conservative, fundamentalist Christians make these sweeping judgments about him based on fragments of his written works, podcasts or interviews taken out of context and think they have reached a solid conclusion. Yet another failure of inductive reasoning.

Thank you for posting that article, cryptoscript.

 

[kiwimac]

That's a fantastic article that expresses long-held sentiments of my own. So many neo-conservative, fundamentalist Christians make these sweeping judgments about him based on fragments of his written works, podcasts or interviews taken out of context and think they have reached a solid conclusion. Yet another failure of inductive reasoning.

Thank you for posting that article, cryptoscript.

Indeed.

 

[heymikey80]

Dream Awakener » Rob Bell’s New Book – Love Wins – Gets Judged Before Most Read It

I think this one provides a good answer to the hysteria people who haven't read the book are generating.

It may be worth trying to ask -- is it possible to be foolish if God is so loving? What's Jesus teaching about in terms of wise and foolish builders, guests, servants, lampholders?

 

[kenrapoza]

I suppose whatever direction the book goes, this much can be said, that love is not contrary to justice. If God were to condemn everyone in history, with none entering heaven, none having a propitiation, then God would have been just in doing this, because the Bible is very clear that the wickedness of every man and woman deserves such. Were we to negate this on the basis of love, we would have to say that love means cancelling justice; and for any judge to not carry out justice makes him a corrupt judge; and so were God to do the same thing, this means that He has become evil, but God can never contradict Himself, and ever be anything other than perfectly good. If love ever means sinning, it is no love at all. And if God loves what is right, then he hates what is evil.

So my question is, will Rob Bell be truthful about the true condition of man, that he is born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and goes astray from the womb (Psalm 58:3), being desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), all his righteousness being as filthy rags (John 6:44), having no true understanding of spiritual things (Romans 3:11), with a mind that is constantly consumed with evil (Genesis 6:5), not only doing wickedness but approving of those who do wickedness (Romans 1:32)? And so, supposing he touches on the subjects of heaven and hell, will he consider divine justice with this Biblical view of man, and shape his views on eternity accordingly?

Though if one believes this, then why would it be repulsive to think that billions may actually reside in hell for all eternity? As a matter of fact, going from there, what stretch of the mind would it be to think it just if the entire world were condemned without hope by nature of being sinners? Scripture is clear that none is righteous, not one (Romans 3:10). For God to save anyone and to satisfy justice on behalf of anyone, especially through the precious blood of Christ, is pure mercy. Every man deserves hell, no man deserves heaven, yet Christ not only extinguished guilt, but imputed merit.

Do we need to be rescued from God? Yes, or we will perish. Do we deserve rescuing? By no means; he who attempts to without the satisfaction of divine justice is one who has justified the wicked, and he who justifies the wicked is an abomination (Proverbs 17:15). In a sense we are coming like the prodigal son, but also we are certainly coming as a man about to be overwhelmed by an enemy, as in Luke 14:31-32.

"Kiss the son, or he will be angry,
and your way will lead you to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." - Psalm 2:12

Yes - this is the perspective that has been so sorely lacking in pop-American Christianity for the last century or so.

 

[student ad x]

From Tim Challies blog:

This review was co-written with my friend Aaron Armstrong who writes at Blogging Theologically. All quotes are taken from an Advance Reading Copy of the manuscript that was provided specifically for review purposes; they will be verified against a final bound copy of Love Wins following the book’s release.

Love Wins - A Review of Rob Bell's New Book | Challies Dot Com