"And then there are others who can live with two destinations, two realities after death, but insist that there must be some kind of 'second chance' for those who don't believe in Jesus in this lifetime. In a letter Martin Luther, one of the leaders of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, wrote to Hans von Rechenberg in 1522 about the possibility that people could turn to God after death, asking: 'Who would doubt God's ability to do that?'"
Now Luther in context. Kind of interesting how Mr. Bell takes a eight word question in this letter and makes it sound like Luther is on his side.
"If God were to save anyone without faith, he would be acting contrary to his own words and would give himself the lie; yes, he would deny himself. And that is impossible for, as St. Paul declares, God cannot deny himself [II Tim. 2:13]. It is as impossible for God to save without faith as it is impossible for divine truth to lie. That is clear, obvious, and easily understood, no matter how reluctant the old wineskin is to hold this wine—yes, is unable to hold and contain it.
It would be quite a different question whether God can impart faith to some in the hour of death or after death so that these people could be saved through faith. Who would doubt God’s ability to do that? No one, however, can prove that he does do this. For all that we read is that he has already raised people from the dead and thus granted them faith. But whether he gives faith or not, it is impossible for anyone to be saved without faith. Otherwise every sermon, the gospel, and faith would be vain, false, and deceptive, since the entire gospel makes faith necessary. (Works, 43, ed. and trans. G. Wienke and H. T. Lehmann [Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1968], 53-54; WA 10.ii, 324.25-325.11)"
I think any Christian could say, "Who would doubt God's ability to do that?" about ANYTHING. But what Luther is not saying here, in context, is that everyone will be saved in the end. It would contradict what he had just said in the paragraph previously.
Now back to Mr. Bell:
"And so space is created in this 'who would doubt God's ability to do that?' perspective for all kinds of people--fifteen-year-old atheists, people from other religions, and people who rejected Jesus because the only Jesus they ever saw was an oppressive figure who did anything but show God's love.
And then there are others who ask, if you get another chance after you die, why limit that chance to a one-off immediately after death? And so they expand the possibilities, trusting that there will be endless opportunities in an endless amount of time for people to say yes to God.
As long as it takes, in other words.
At the heart of this perspective is the belief that, given enough time, everybody will turn to God and find themselves in the joy and peace of God's presence. The love of God will melt every hard heart, and even the most 'depraved sinners' will eventually give up their resistance and turn to God.
And so, beginning with the early church, there is a long tradition of Christians who believe that God will ultimately restore everything and everybody, because Jesus says in Matthew 19 that there will be a 'renewal of all things,' Peter says in Acts 3 that Jesus will 'restore everything' and Paul says in Colossians 1 that through Christ 'God was pleased to...reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven.'"
Let's start with the scripture:
Matthew 19: I just read it and that mini quote is no where to be found, but this is verse 29:
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."
Acts 3:
18 "But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that this Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness."
I don't know if "restore everything" and "restoring all the things about which God spoke" are the same thing, or if Mr. Bell just took two words out of a passage that doesn't mean what he thinks or wants it to mean. Bottom line is that Paul is far two clear about salvation, especially in Acts 4, for us to jump to universalism from two words that Mr. Bell took out of context in Acts 3.
Colossians 1:
15 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning,the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."
Does Mr. Bell not look at verse 23? It is far too easy to refute universalism with the actual sections of scripture that Mr. Bell uses himself to try to prove universalism.
So help me here folks. How is Mr. Bell not teaching universalism? I don't believe these early church fathers Mr. Bell refers to, or Martin Luther would agree with Mr. Bell on his takes in scripture. But if they did I would look at them as unbiblical as well. I don't think any of us should ever place someone on Christ's throne. If someone believes something that is contrary to the gospel and scripture then they are a false teacher.
