I'm not going to get tangled into the arguments here--simply note a fact. I know a fellow musician friend who attends a universalist church on occasion. While certain points I do disagree with him on, he almost makes me feel guilty. He is so accepting of others. He listens, then he discusses. He accepts what you say is valid for who you are. Even if he is in complete disagreement, he can see the other person's perspective. I respect that. And while he struggles with life just as much, maybe more, than I do. He can be so accepting.
We know from Matt 7:14 that
FEW go by th narrow strait way [of saints] in this life
We know from Rev 7:9-10 that
uncountatbly many of all nations are saved afterward according to Jesus and that they won't even be resurrected until after the Millenium :-
Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finished.
So the broad way leads countless many to salvation at a very different time than the few saved at Jesus' return ... this is not opinion, or interpretation, it is simply what Matthew and Jesus say , read it yourself, prove it yourself, decide if you believe Jesus or not ... it is your choice of what to believe, but at least read what Jesus says instead of listening to interpretations by sinners...
The advantage of reading the scripture is that one can come to understand that Jesus predicted that the whole world would , indeed MUST go the wrong way in religion bar the few [tens of thousands only according to Enoch and Jude 1:14, exactly 144,000 according to Jesus - Rev 13:3-4]... so one can see that divided religion of sinners of this world has to go wrong as one might deduce from the division , but it really doesn't mean that the many are all lost , it does however mean that they are saved after the Millenium ,not by the diverse priesthoods of sinners of this world and their many teachings by interpretation which one can see are just diverse 'spins' incompatible with even the above passages spoken by Jesus ...
there is no point in not accepting what people believe if people's minds are set, because if their beliefs are false [as some of the divided beliefs inevitably must be, if not all] then it is God who deludes them for a while :-
2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
One is not going to get anywhere by dsipute, one can only point at what Jesus actually said which shows the inconsistencies of the religion of sinners with the words in scripture of the saints and Jesus.
It is very hard really to confuse a saint and a sinner , but that is the way of modern religion ,despite that scripture says that they go separate ways to all accepting Jesus in the end:-
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
the new covenant shows one will get nowhere by preaching , Paul's attempts to teach the gentiles about Israel ended up in apostasy as Rome forced by arms a new religion on people and eliminated or scattered the Hebrew saints who followed Jesus.
It truly had to happen, according to scripture [2 Thessalonians 2] , else Jesus would never rule on earth with his saints as the only kings and priests ministering at last to the masses.
I will mention that I believe that there is a way, a truth, and a life. But also this deal about hell is not a truth. Hell is not a place and that isn't a biblical doctrine. I am not bashing anyone's opinions here.
It truly is determined what most will believe for now
Hell is simply a final cleansing of evil, an eternal separation from God.
Enough said from me,
How on earth did yu reach that conclusion ???
whilst separation from God would be unbelievably unpleasant if it were possible, it is not so because the spirit belongs to God and returns to Him at death ,according to Solomon :-
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and
the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
'hell' is something that happens at death and hell gives up the daed according to Jesus :-
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Again, Jesus says NOT , peace comes in fanal rest in the spirit, not now :-
Luke 12:51
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you,
Nay; but rather
division:
The division at Jesus return is very simple according to Jesus, he simply takes those who have stopped sinning :-
Luke 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are;
depart from me,
all ye
workers of iniquity.
The very principle of acceptance to God is t OBEY Jesus ad love, stop all sin , stop breaking God's law:-
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the
foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ
depart from iniquity.
One cannot really have it any more plainly stated , by a saint, but the fact is that almost no-one wil believe this or what Jesus says, because of modern religious teachings by sinners ... remarkable, almost incomprehensible to me, but Jesus says it must be so and indeed it is , Jesus also explains why .. the kingdom is just not ready for over 12 billion to be ministered to perfectly in al truth [Joel 2:28, John 16:13] until after the Millennium.
So it seems that no-one here will see these words even though they could read them in their own bibles for themselves... it is a fascinating phenomenon that men prefer the familiar divided religions of sinners to what Jesus and the saints say... it seems to be a social or herd instinct thing, but I confess that I cannot fully comprehend it yet... why are so few interested in finding out all taht Jesus said? It surely has nothing to do with interpretation cos' he speaks very plainly ...
God points out how useless Pau's 'proselyting' will be in the new covenant itself :-
Hebrews 8:11 And they shall
not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for
all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
One is forced to conclude then that Paul's work, taken over and paganised by Rome, was just the first stage of the 'great delusion' ofmenkind by religion that terminates in the unity of the world opposing the few saints left alive by then [maybe a couple of thousand only]