Help???

[Nadiine]

I'm not going to get into this because it's really off-topic, but if you're interested at all, here's some studies done by Universalists on the subjects of salvation, hell, the reason for Jesus' crucifixion, and why we believe what we believe.

http://www.tentmaker.org/FAQ/index.html

http://www.biblicaluniversalist.com/index.html

Also, the book "The Inescapable Love of God" by Thomas Talbot is an excellent read.

The simple fact of the matter is that the original Biblical texts do not contain anything about an eternal hell. And the very idea is completely illogical; what would be gained by torturing people for all eternity without end? There's nothing to be gained by it for God or anybody else.

Thanks for the links but I've been to those sites and reject their spin on God's word and I have links to sites that counter that stuff with the greek definitions they use...

Matthew 25:46
"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

But the bigger issue as I see it is your view of God. If you think God is cruel, heartless or sadisitic becuz Hell or eternal condemnation exist, you better recheck your position and attitude becuz if you're wrong, then that's the God you claim to serve... OR WOULD YOU DENY THAT GOD ALTOGETHER?
That would be my bigger question outside universalism. God doesnt' change - if you read all the harsh judgments and punishments He performed (incl. striking Ananias & Sapphira dead for lying to Him) and what He demanded, I don't see how eternal condemnation is so far removed from His true Character (& attributes) of pure holiness & justice.

Aside from all that, back to the OP directly:

I grew up in church, and am very thankful for it. It has enabled me to keep my faith no matter what I am facing. My question now is this. As I have gotten older, I have come to dislike the ideas of denominations... Now every time I try to read my Bible I am in fear that all of what I read is shaped around what I was taught in church. Obviously if there are this many different interpretations, not all of them can be right. So how can I read my Bible and know that what Im learning is from God, and not just from what ive been told my entire life? Thanks in advance

Both my brother and myself grew up in the Baptist church and household - very strict and traditional orthodoxy.
My brother went thru a 'challenge' of his own faith after graduating from high school and had this same question you have, so I take it to heart.
He dug into his Bible and started reading it for what it said to him. Not long after that, he had a strong desire to learn more about God - incl. Greek & Hebrew so he could better grasp scripture teachings.

It didn't take him long until he went from the Baptist denom. to Reformed due to what he read without the "baptist" filters... not that the Baptists are wrong... but that he sees more behind what he was taught.

In my case, I went the route of being the wild child/ blacksheep of the family that had to rebel against all religion & sow some wild oats. I had no interest in salvation for alot of years.

Long story short, God called me back unmistakably. When I came back to reading my bible, I also didn't want to just read His word with the "Baptist" filters I was raised with -- I sought Him personally thru those verses and I found that what I was taught wasn't at all far from the same truths I read privately.
Yes they differ some on some minor doctrines - end times interpretation... and they're stricter than my non denominational teachings today (like you won't be struck dead if you enter church without a suit & tie, or have a tattoo or like secular hard rock etc.).
It's mostly just minor stuff.

A true Christian can ask the Spirit to lead them into truth of His word - and He will do that. The problem is, many CLAIM God, then veer away from central doctrines that salvation hinges on... so they start thinking "God" is leading them into 'new truths' that are completely false. (which is a sign of the end times according to Paul):

1 Timothy 4:1
[ Apostasy ] But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times
some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons​

"GOD" isn't leading people to false untraditional concepts. We have to not only take into account the verses themselves, but we also have to consider the CUSTOMS of how they lived - including their moral examples.
Today, people who claim God are moving to the untraditional to be "different" and get out of the "mainstream" church as if it's so ebil and ungodly... searching for "new" truths (usually in the venue of PC liberalism)...
But God's word & truth hasn't changed for thousands of years, so why do we think CHANGING things to the alternative is true? What changes is MAN'S morals and man's philosophies. Not God's. So we shouldn't be shaping God's truth into current world affairs.

We have to have the Spirit of God in order to STAY in God's truth - otherwise, we'll be casualties of the faith & shipwreck it.

1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:15
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us

 

[Droppo]

Thanks for the links but I've been to those sites and reject their spin on God's word and I have links to sites that counter that stuff with the greek definitions they use...

What are they? If there's information I can find to the contrary, I would change my beliefs. I've yet to find anything that does not support the idea of universal salvation, except for a few incorrect English translations.

Matthew 25:46
"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

That verse is improperly translated. The phrase "eternal punishment" is written as "kolasin aionion" in the original Biblical text. "Aionion" is the adjective form of "aion", which refers to a period of time with a beginning and an end; the exact oppositeof "eternal".

http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/EternalPunishmentNotTrueToGreek.html

But the bigger issue as I see it is your view of God. If you think God is cruel, heartless or sadisitic becuz Hell or eternal condemnation exist, you better recheck your position and attitude becuz if you're wrong, then that's the God you claim to serve... OR WOULD YOU DENY THAT GOD ALTOGETHER?
That would be my bigger question outside universalism. God doesnt' change - if you read all the harsh judgments and punishments He performed (incl. striking Ananias & Sapphira dead for lying to Him) and what He demanded, I don't see how eternal condemnation is so far removed from His true Character (& attributes) of pure holiness & justice.

I serve the God that is taught about in the Bible as it was originally written, not the spin that was put on it when it was translated into English. Fortunately for all of humanity, no such God who is cruel enough to create life for no purpose other than to torture it in fire day after day, week after week, year after year, century after century, and on and on into all of eternity, exists. There is no Biblical backing for such a thing, and no God who loves his creations would do something so horrible when he could just as easily teach them about their wrongdoings and rehabilitate them into people who can atone for their sins and serve him in heaven.

A true Christian can ask the Spirit to lead them into truth of His word - and He will do that. The problem is, many CLAIM God, then veer away from central doctrines that salvation hinges on... so they start thinking "God" is leading them into 'new truths' that are completely false. (which is a sign of the end times according to Paul):

1 Timothy 4:1
[ Apostasy ] But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times
some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons​

"GOD" isn't leading people to false untraditional concepts. We have to not only take into account the verses themselves, but we also have to consider the CUSTOMS of how they lived - including their moral examples.
Today, people who claim God are moving to the untraditional to be "different" and get out of the "mainstream" church as if it's so ebil and ungodly... searching for "new" truths (usually in the venue of PC liberalism)...
But God's word & truth hasn't changed for thousands of years, so why do we think CHANGING things to the alternative is true? What changes is MAN'S morals and man's philosophies. Not God's. So we shouldn't be shaping God's truth into current world affairs.

We have to have the Spirit of God in order to STAY in God's truth - otherwise, we'll be casualties of the faith & shipwreck it.

1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:15
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us

The funny thing is, the idea of an eternal hell is a new one that came about when the Bible was translated into English. The ones who are going against tradition are those who teach about souls that will tormented for all eternity- there was no such belief when Christianity was new.

Which brings me back around to the topic at hand (thank goodness). This is why it is so important to seek God himself rather than a church that is potentially full of human error. I was raised Baptist, and if I had stayed with that, I never would have grown to love God the way I do. I would still just be going through the motions, the only thing keeping me there was my fear of eternal retribution. Once I struck out using God and His teachings alone, I discovered the depths of his love for all of mankind. Now I worship God because of genuine love, not because I feel obligated.

And that's why I believe it's more important to find Jesus Himself though whatever means He leads us with, not the way a church leads. Some people need to believe in hell, and for those, that is the way God has laid out for them. God has presented himself to everyone in the way that they will need to understand his message- to lead a life that is holy in the eyes of God, one just needs to follow Him. If God leads us to a church, then that is where He wants us. Some of us need other means to find Him. Where we are meant to be spiritually is not up to us, it's up to God.