Just a warning for those who aren’t familiar with Martin’s trademark odd-ball humour, the little introduction he gives at the beginning will seem a little over the top, but his brief presentation is worth it.

If you’re interested, you can subscribe to Martin’s weekly reports (he alternates between a video and a newsletter every other week) at www.martinzender.com.

It seems to have a couple unusual pauses in the dialogue for reasons I haven’t determined yet, but otherwise it seems to have come out well for my first attempt at a video.

Really, to come to the traditionalist ideas about salvation and hell requires some serious eisegesis. If you want to justify the idea that damnation is everlasting, you can’t continue to believe in salvation by grace through faith apart from works and claim to remain consistent, at least not from a biblical perspective, because the only passages that hint at the duration of this judgement being forever (depending on the translation you’re using as not all Bible translations do) also point to doing good works and mutilating your body as the means of avoiding this outcome.

In the end, there are only two reasons to believe in everlasting torment in hell for non-Christians. The first reason is because so many of the leaders of the Christian religion have taught it for so long and most people are too afraid or too lazy to question the teachings of these leaders and find it easier to just assume that these leaders know what they’re talking about. The second reason is because you simply want it to be true that some people will suffer forever with no chance to escape and are hoping that this is what God will do.

So, in the spirit of one of television’s great hosts, I am declaring a New Rule: If you want to continue teaching that non-Christians will suffer in hell for eternity you have to demonstrate your sincerity by cutting off a limb or plucking out an eye (see Mark 9:43-48). If you don’t take the Bible seriously enough to take the bodily mutilation part of the damnation passages literally then there’s no reason for the rest of us to take the consequences for not doing so literally. If that’s too much for you, then you at least have to stop teaching that avoiding hell is based on grace rather than good works and start feeding the hungry and giving drinks to the thirsty and inviting strangers into your home and giving clothes to those who need clothing and visiting those in prison (see Matthew 25:31-46). You can’t completely ignore the first half of the passages you’re basing your claims on and then expect us to take the rest your theology at all seriously.

Why?

Well, most evangelicals, aside from certain Calvinists, believe in a doctrine called “the age of accountability.” A child reaches the age of accountability when they are old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong and can be held accountable for their sins. Up until they reach this age, children who die apparently go to heaven (or so the doctrine goes) because they’re too young to understand the consequences of, and hence be held responsible for, their actions. However, once someone reaches this age (which supposedly varies from individual to individual) they will end up in hell forever if they happen to pass away without first becoming a Christian.

Now I’d estimate that 90% or more of the human population will go to hell forever, at least according to the traditional view that this is the fate of non-Christians who die in their sins, so if everlasting torment in hell for non-believers past the age of accountability is true then perhaps abortionists should be considered the greatest missionaries there are as they’d probably be responsible for helping more souls avoid hell than all of the missionaries alive today combined. Not only that, shouldn’t those traditionalists who have babies be thought of as the greatest monsters there are, seeing as they’re willing to risk the eternal souls of their offspring simply to satisfy a desire (either for children, or simply for sex for those who believe that birth control is wrong)? Since there is a greater than 90% chance that your child will end up in hell if they reach the age of accountability (depending on where and when you happen to live the odds might vary, but they’re still pretty grim), wouldn’t you be much better off killing them before they get that old? If you believe in everlasting hell for those past this age then would not someone like Andrea Yates, who killed her children so they would be sure to avoid such a terrible eternal outcome, be one of the best examples of good motherhood we have? Sure, it might be a sin to commit murder, but sins can always be forgiven while you’re still alive and her children are now guaranteed a place in heaven (or so the logic should go if traditionalists are correct).

If a parent allowed their child to participate in any activity where their kid has a 90% or greater chance of dying, or even just getting seriously injured, one would (rightly) consider that parent to be negligent and report that parent to the child protective agencies, and yet how many Christian parents are willing to gamble their children’s soul with a fate far worse, and far longer, than simple death or injury?

No matter how horrible this might sound to you, I challenge you to show me where I’m wrong. I’ve made this challenge before and have yet to have anyone correct my logic, and I don’t expect to have it happen anytime soon either.

Just for the record, since I’m a Christian Universalist I obviously don’t believe that anyone ends up in hell for eternity so I am not promoting murder here, nor is this a post in favour of, or against, abortion. This post is simply to challenge yet another inconsistency in traditionalist Christian ideology.

Bob: Hi, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.

Me: Sure, why not? What’s up?

Bob: If you were to die today, do you know for sure where you’d end up?

Me: Creepy question, but okay. I’d probably end up in a coffin or an urn.

Bob: What I meant was, do you think you’d end up in heaven or in hell?

Me: I’d have to say heaven.

Bob: That’s good to hear. Does that mean you’ve accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour?

Me: I have, and I also do all sorts of good works.

Bob: But don’t you know that salvation is by grace through faith, and not of works?

Me: Of course, Ephesians 2:8 and 9.

Bob: Then how can you believe that you’re going to heaven based on your good works?

Me: When I read about the subject in the Gospels, I notice that Jesus seemed to teach that there are a few reasons one goes to hell, as well as a few ways to avoid going there. The Bible says He taught that those who were rich and those who said that the work of the Holy Spirit is actually the work of the devil and those who didn’t help the helpless and those who didn’t amputate body parts that offended them were the ones who had to worry about going there. He also seemed to tell us that the way to escape this fate is to feed the hungry, to give something to drink to the thirsty, to invite strangers into your home, to give clothing to those who need it, to take care of the sick, to visit those in prison, to cut off body parts that offend you, to be poor rather than rich, and to never say that the work of the Holy Spirit is actually of the devil. Avoid those things, and Jesus tells us we’ll avoid going to hell and instead we’ll go to heaven, at least based on a literal interpretation of Scripture.

Bob: Yes, it does seem that Jesus taught those things, at least if we take them at face value without properly interpreting them. Since the apostle Paul taught us that salvation is not by works, but is by faith, then obviously Jesus didn’t mean for us to interpret those things literally.

Me: So you’re saying that He meant for us to interpret those passages figuratively, then?

Bob: We’d have to, in light of what Paul said.

Me: Okay, fair enough, the passages are figurative. I assume you’re going to be consistent and interpret the whole of the passages figuratively, right?

Bob: What do you mean?

Me: Well, if we’re going to interpret the passages figuratively, to be consistent we’d have to say that the “everlasting punishment in hell” part is meant to be figurative as well, right?

Bob: Well, um…

Me: Because there’s nothing in those passages that gives us any reason to believe that Jesus suddenly went from figurative speech to literal speech when He went from talking about how to escape from the punishment to talking about what the actual punishment itself is, right?

Bob: I don’t know. Are you saying that hell isn’t real?

Me: I’m just saying that, to be consistent, one can’t just choose to interpret half of a Bible verse figuratively and the other half literally for no good reason. Wouldn’t you agree?

Bob: Technically, yes… but Jesus spoke more about hell than He did about heaven, so it must be real.

Me: First of all, I never said hell wasn’t real. Secondly, Jesus is recorded as having spoken about everlasting torment in hell a grand total of three times, according to my concordance. That’s many, many times less than He’s recorded speaking about heaven. Thirdly, that has nothing whatsoever to do with what we’re talking about, which is being consistent in our interpretations of Scripture.

Bob: Okay, then what about Ephesians 2:8 and 9? You agreed that it says that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works.

Me: I did, which means that salvation and escaping from hell must be two completely different things if we’re going to remain consistent in our interpretations, at least according to the traditional methods of interpretation.

Bob: But that doesn’t make any sense. Everyone knows that salvation is about escaping hell and going to heaven.

Me: Do they now? Whether that’s true or not, how do you explain the fact that it would be inconsistent to interpret it that way?

Bob: I don’t know. I just know that this is what I was taught. Are you saying that my pastor is wrong?

Me: Are you saying that your pastor is incapable of being wrong?

Bob: Well, no. But that’s what Christians have always believed. Isn’t it?

Me: Actually, no. Many Christians have had a completely different take on heaven and hell than what you’ve been taught, from today going all the way back to the early church.

Bob: Really? Like what?

Me: These Christians believe that the passages talking about how to avoid everlasting torment in hell are indeed meant to be taken figuratively, but they remain consistent and interpret the whole passage figuratively, not just the first half. They believe that judgement in hell is not everlasting, but is only temporary, and that eventually everyone will end up in heaven.

Bob: You’re talking about Universalism. We know that can’t be true since the Bible teaches that hell is eternal.

Me: Only if one is inconsistent in their interpretation of the three places Jesus spoke about “everlasting torment in hell,” which we just covered.

Bob: But that would mean that everybody gets the same reward. That means that all the good works I do, and all the sin I avoid, is for nothing, because someone who lives a life full of sin is going to heaven anyway. What was the point of all my good works?

Me: Good question, you tell me. Didn’t you just try to tell me that salvation isn’t based on good works?

Bob: Well, yeah, I guess. But still, what’s the point of living a good life if you’ll just go to heaven anyway?

Me: Because living a good life is its own reward, perhaps? Certainly not so you’ll go to heaven, since salvation isn’t by works, right?

Bob: I suppose. But these people didn’t choose Christ, so why should they get to go to heaven?

Me: When you quoted Ephesians to me earlier, you left out a vital part of the passage. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Our faith in Christ is not of ourselves, it is entirely of God. We don’t choose to have faith in Christ, God chooses for us by giving us the faith.

Bob: You’re talking about predestination.

Me: Sure.

Bob: Okay, but whether they choose it for themselves or are elected by God, the Bible still tells us that only those who have the faith are saved.

Me: Actually, no, it doesn’t. It tells us that God is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. It doesn’t say “particularly those who believe,” or “only those who believe,” it says especially. If a teacher were to say at the end of the school year, “everybody passed this year, especially Lisa who got an A+,” we’d know that while nobody else got an A+, they still passed, since “especially” doesn’t mean “only.” To try to say this passage doesn’t teach that everyone gets saved is reading one’s own doctrinal bias into the passage, particularly since there’s no good, biblical reason to believe otherwise, as we’ve already covered.

Bob: Okay, but what about the Lake of Fire?

Me: What about it? We know that it isn’t hell, since the book of Revelation tells us that hell will be emptied and then cast into the Lake of Fire itself (hell, that is, not the people in it).

Bob: But aren’t people whose names aren’t written in the book of life thrown in there as well?

Me: Revelation does say that, yes, but you’ll notice that it doesn’t say that they’ll be in there forever. Neither does it say how one’s name gets put in the book of life. In fact it doesn’t even say that anyone’s name won’t be written in the book of life, just that if someone’s name isn’t in there they’ll be cast into the Lake of Fire for an unspecified length of time. Add all that to the fact that Revelation is entirely figurative up until this point, and, just like Jesus’ warnings about hell, there’s no reason to assume that this passage is suddenly meant to be interpreted literally after 20 chapters of symbolism either.

Bob: Hmmm. What about the other passages that warn about hell?

Me: Which ones? We’ve already covered every warning in Scripture about “everlasting torment in hell.” There are other warnings about everlasting destruction and things like that, but we’d have to read these passages figuratively to read them as referring to everlasting torment in hell since they don’t literally say that, they say things like “destruction.”

Bob: Interesting. Do you have any more information on this subject? I obviously need to do some more research on the subject.

Me: Definitely. Check out my website at www.ChristianHeretic.com where you’ll find writings by all sorts of Christian Universalists over the last two centuries or so.

Bob: Thanks. Can I follow up with you if I have any more questions?

Me: Of course.

Bob: Thanks.
————————————————————-

The preceding was a combination of discussions I’ve had online and offline with various different Evangelical Christians. I hope you all enjoyed it.

1. Total Depravity/Total Grace: Every part of our lives is affected by sin, but where sin abounds grace super-abounds so every sin has already been forgiven and all of humanity has already been ontologically saved in Christ.
2. Unconditional Election: God elects to noologically save some people based upon no merit of their own.
3. Limited (noological) Salvation in this Age: Only those to whom God has revealed the truth of their ontological salvation will be noologically saved during their lifetime.
4. Irresistible Grace: Those whom God elects cannot resist (noological) salvation.
5. Perseverance of God: God will sacramentally save everyone in the end.

This post explains the references to the three different stages of salvation (ontological, noological and sacramental), just in case you’re not familiar with them.

Interestingly, traditionalist Christians will exegete passage after passage in order to prove that homosexuality or premarital sex or abortion is a sin, not to mention in order to prove a multitude of completely trivial doctrines, and yet you’ll have an easier time trying to kill a grizzly bear with a toothpick than you will getting a believer in Everlasting Torment to explain how those passages actually back up this particular belief. My theory is that they realize none of those passages actually even seem to imply salvation by grace through faith and not of works but are in denial about the whole thing. They can (and sometimes will) argue that it’s just so obvious that there’s no point in explaining their interpretations of these passages, but, as I said, they’re happy to exegete passages to defend much lesser doctrines at the drop of a hat so that makes such arguments suspect in my opinion.

So, to those who insist that people will spend eternity suffering in hell if they don’t put their faith in Christ before they die, and that good works won’t help them, remember that extreme assertions require extreme proof, and we’ve yet to see even minor proof from your side. I’ve given my defense of Universal Reconciliation on this site and on various message boards, even from a completely biblical inerrantist position, but we’re all still waiting to see what you guys have to Scripturally and consistently back up your soteriology. The ball’s in your court now, let’s see what you’ve got.

Let’s start with the Old Testament as it must be chock-full of warnings about ET:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” – Daniel 12:1-3

What’s that? This is the only passage in the entire Old Testament that hints at the idea of ET? That can’t be right. There were about 2,000 more years between Creation and the Incarnation than between the Incarnation and today, that’s double the amount of time. If ET is true then it seems that God didn’t bother to warn even His chosen people, much less the rest of the world, about it until many thousands of years after the fall. If we’re to take the concept of ET seriously, it seems that God decided the only people worth saving are those who came after the Incarnation since He didn’t even bother to tell anyone how to avoid this horrible fate in this passage beyond “being wise” and having your name written in some book. Still, nothing about “non-believers in Christ (apart from any works) in this passage so I’m going to have to write it off as a good defence of ET for non-believers until someone can demonstrate a good exegesis of this passage that does defend the idea of non-believers in Christ going to hell forever.

Well, that was it for the Old Testament, but surely the New Testament must be full of passages that tell us that non-believers in Christ (apart from any works) go to hell forever. After all, it’s such an important part of our Protestant theology. Let’s take a look:

“And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” – Matthew 12:31-32

“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” – Luke 12:10

That’s the first statement, repeated in the three Synoptic Gospels, that a traditionalist could use from the New Testament to try to back up their belief in ET. Taken at face value it seems to say that every sin will be forgiven except the “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” (which is, literally, to say that a work of the Holy Spirit was actually done by the devil, something that very few people have ever done or will do). Matthew also seems to tell us that after the age to come ends this sin will be forgiven, so those few people who have committed this sin might just be in luck once the next age ends, presumably after the 1,000 year Millennial Reign concludes. Since that warning only applies to those who say that the work of the Holy Spirit was actually done by the devil most of us don’t need to worry too much about it, so time to move on.

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” – Matthew 18:8-9

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’” – Mark 9:43-48

This is the second statement that Jesus made that might be interpreted as a warning about ET. However, if someone can interpret “non-believer in Christ (apart from any works)” out of not mutilating one’s body they’re a better exegete (or should I say eisegete?) than I am. This passage seems to tell us that those who go to hell are those who let parts of their body cause them to sin without amputating those parts, but it sure doesn’t seem to tell us that non-believers go to hell forever. So I guess we’ll have to move on to the many more warnings Jesus gave about ET:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”" – Matthew 25:31-46

I’ve read and re-read this passage and the only thing I can get out of it, at least if taken at face value, is that those who help the helpless go to heaven forever and those who don’t get punished forever. Just like the passages about bodily mutilation, I just don’t get how one reads “non-believer in Christ (apart from any works)” into “those who don’t feed the hungry or look after the sick,” particularly since I know of many believers who don’t and many non-believers who do. In fact, this passage seems to imply that more non-Christians might go to heaven than Christians and more Christians might end up in hell than Atheists. But I’m sure some good theologian out there will fill me in on why I’m reading that wrong. In the meantime let’s check out all the other warnings about ET that Jesus gave us:

Wait, that was Jesus’ last warning about ET in the Gospels? But I thought He spoke more about everlasting punishment in hell than He did about heaven? That was only three warnings, and none of them mention non-believers in Christ (apart from any works) at all. In fact two thirds of them seem to imply that certain works must be done to avoid everlasting damnation. Okay, well, maybe we confused Jesus with the Apostle Paul, it must have been him who gave all those warnings. Let’s check them out:

“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10

Finally, a passage that seems to tell us that non-believers will go to hell forever. What? The passage doesn’t even mention hell? It says destruction? Well, surely I could be forgiven for reading into that word based on all the other passages that talk about non-believers going to hell forever, a little eisegesis never hurt anyone, right? Oh, that’s right, none of the other passages so far actually mentioned non-believers in Christ, they all seemed to refer to those who didn’t do certain works. It seems that if we want to take this passage literally we’ll have to become believers in Annihilation rather than ET. But I’m sure Paul must have given us lots of other warnings that we can use to defend the position. He didn’t? That can’t be right. The great evangelist to the Gentiles never once spoke of everlasting torment in hell? Not even in his sermons to the Jews or the Pagans recorded in Acts? Well there must be something else in the Bible that we can use to defend the idea. Ah, here we go:

“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”" – Revelation 14:9-11

That only tells us that those who worship a certain beast (could this be a metaphor for a particular person?) will be punished forever, not that non-believers in Christ (apart from any works) will be. Of course, one would also have to justify taking the effect (the punishment) literally when we’re not taking the cause (the worshipping of a beast) literally. But since this doesn’t speak of non-believers we’ll have to move on.

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. – Revelation 20:7-10

Well, this passages seems to say that Satan, the beast and the false prophet (and maybe the nations who marched with them against the city God loves depending on how you read the passage) will apparently be thrown into the lake of fire and will be tormented forever, but still nothing about non-believers in Christ (apart from any works) so let’s move on to the next passage:

This can’t be right, I can’t find any more. But that was only 10 passages (7 if you take the fact that three of them were repeats of passages in Matthew into consideration). That was the whole foundation upon which the concept of Everlasting Torment rests? But what about all the passages that are supposed to tell us that non-believers in Christ (apart from any works) will go to hell forever, where are they? Isn’t this is one of the most important teachings of the evangelical church? Well, after comparing those passages to the multitude of passages backing up the idea of Universal Reconciliation (UR) that I’ve referred to previously on this blog I’m going to have to go with the idea that seems to actually be backed by Scripture. If anybody wants to try to defend their beloved doctrine of ET I’d be happy to listen, but until then I’m going to have to stick with UR.

Auctor: The only way for that to work would be if faith came after salvation. The faith one has would be faith that Christ has already saved them, in other words.

Lector: So then what does faith do for us if we’re already saved?

Auctor: Why it saves us, of course.

Lector: Ah, of course, it… wait, it does what? If we’re already saved how do we get saved again?

Auctor: Because “salvation” isn’t always the same thing as salvation. The same word can mean different things.

Lector: So “salvation” means two different things then?

Auctor: Actually it can mean many more than just two things, but for what we’re discussing here it actually refers to three different things.

Lector: Do tell.

Auctor: Well, to begin with, there is ontological salvation. This is the salvation I already referred to, the salvation that God gives us even before we begin to have any faith. This salvation happened to all of us in Christ apart from anything we have done or will do. When Christ died all died, and when He rose all rose, and we have all been saved, ontologically speaking, in Him.

Lector: That’s a pretty bold statement.

Auctor: It is.

Lector: How do you justify such a claim?

Auctor: It’s not my intention to even try to do so right now, that would too big a tangent for this discussion. For now it’s enough to remember that if God doesn’t save us apart from anything we do then salvation is a transaction.

Lector: Okay. So what about faith?

Auctor: That’s the second sort (or stage) of salvation, what I refer to as noological salvation. While ontological salvation is (among other things) union with God through Christ, noological salvation is freedom from the power of sin by being given knowledge of our ontological salvation and truly believing it. Faith, in other words. When someone comes to realize that they are already united to God through Christ and that there is nothing they have to do to please God or earn His forgiveness they are freed from the power of sin, which is the law or religion.

Lector: Ah, I see. But you mentioned three different types of salvation. What’s the third one?

Auctor: That would be what I refer to as sacramental salvation, the physical realizing of salvation which occurs at our resurrection when the mortal puts on immortality and we can finally see the salvation that we had all along in Christ.

Lector: Interesting. So we’ve been saved, we’re being saved, and we will be saved, all at the same time.

Auctor: That’s one way to put it. As long as we remember that there is nothing that we ourselves do to gain any of these salvations.

Lector: But what about faith? If we have to have faith to have what you called noological salvation then isn’t that still a transaction?

Auctor: Not if the faith is given to us by God. Remember, we’re saved by grace through faith, and that is not of ourselves but is a gift from God. The only way that it can be a gift is if God gives us the faith. If we have to build that salvific faith up then it would be a work.

Lector: Even if it’s just the amount of a mustard seed?

Auctor: Even that would still be a work. We don’t have to worry though. Only God can give us the faith that is necessary for the freedom that is noological salvation, we couldn’t possibly muster it up on our own anyway.

This magical incantation, when spoken out loud (and truly believed), is supposed to somehow change the location that we end up in after we die from hell to heaven. Not only that, but speaking (and believing) this spell aloud is supposed to also spiritually transform the speaker into a better person, a “new creation.”

Of course there are some Christians who have realized that “The Sinner’s Prayer” is not actually spelled out anywhere in the Bible and they will tell you that it’s not the prayer that transforms your spirit and alters your afterlife itinerary but rather it’s the faith one has in Jesus to save you that does the trick. The problem is that this still makes salvation into a transaction between you and God. Even if it’s just a small transaction, a transaction it remains if there is something, anything, that you have to do to “get right with God.” Unfortunately a transactional salvation is not salvation by grace, it’s salvation by work, even if that work is simply “trusting Jesus.”

So with all that in mind, how exactly is one saved apart from some sort of transaction? Well, I’ll get to that in an upcoming post.

Universal Reconciliation does not at all remove our ability (or responsibility) to choose, it simply reveals that the choices are different from what most Christians assume they are. According to evangelical Christianity our choice is enjoying life forever in heaven vs. suffering torment forever in hell. With traditional Christian Universalism our choice simply shifts over to choosing to be resurrected for the age (or ages) to come vs. spending the ages in “hell” until the final resurrection and consumation of the ages when death and hell are defeated and God becomes all in all (see 1 Corinthians 15), or with a more metaphorical version of Universalism (which I personally lean more towards) it comes down to a choice of living life here on earth, and possibly in the afterlife as well, under the power of religion (hell) vs. living free from the power of religion in Christ (heaven). With the latter take on Universalism one is in hell right from the beginning and only when they choose to leave it behind do they enter heaven, either in this life or the next. This version even allows for loss of “salvation” if one needs that in their theology since one can always put themselves back under the authority and power of religion again if they so choose. Either way, though, it is quite clear that Universalism doesn’t remove our ability to choose, it simply changes what we believe our choices are.

Well, presuming for a moment that the Bible is meant to be taken as literally as most evangelicals seem to believe, what does it say that I have to do (and avoid) in order to go to heaven and not get sent to hell? Here are some of the requirements I’ve managed to find in Scripture so far:

- Say the right things.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified. — Matthew 12:37

- Do the right things and avoid doing the wrong things.
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life. — John 5:29

For you render to each one according to his works. — Psalm 62:12

When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness … and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul. — Ezekiel 18:27

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16.27

Who will render to each one according to his deeds. … For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. — Romans 2:6, 13

For we must all appear before the jugment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. — 2 Corinthians 5:10

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. — 2 Corinthians 11:15

The Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work. — 1 Peter 1:17

I will give unto every one of you according to your works. — Revelation 2:23

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 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. — Revelation 20:12-13

- Feed the hungry, give beverages to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. — Matthew 25:34-36

- Have faith.
A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. — Romans 3:28

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. — Romans 5:1

A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. — Galatians 2:16

For by grace are ye saved through faith. — Ephesians 2:8

- Have faith and do works.
Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:17

- Believe in Jesus.
Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. — John 3:16

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life — John 3:36

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. — Acts 16:31

- Just ask.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.– Matthew 7:7-8

- Be born again.
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. — John 3:3

- Hear the words of Jesus and believe in whoever sent him.
He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. — John 5:24

- Be born of water and the spirit.
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. — John 3:5

- Be washed by the Holy Ghost.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. — Titus 3:5

- Be converted and become like a little child.
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 18:3

- Believe and be baptized.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. — Mark 16:16

- Call upon the name of the Lord.
Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. — Acts 2:21

- Confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. — Romans 10:9

- Follow the commandments (at least some of them).
If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. — Matthew 19:17-19

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life. — Revelation 22:14

- Keep the commandments (at least some of them), sell everything you own, give all your money to the poor, and follow Jesus.
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? … Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
…lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.– Luke 18:18-22

- Be poor, not rich.
Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. — Matthew 19:23-24

But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. — Luke 6:24

Ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. — James 5:1

- Keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. — Revelation 14:12

- Endure to the end.
He that endureth to the end shall be saved. — Matthew 10:22, 24:13, Mark 13:13

- Don’t judge other people.
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. — Matthew 7:1, Lk.6:37

- Have lots of babies (if you’re a woman) and make sure they don’t backslide when they grow up.
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. — 1 Timothy 2:14-15

- Be given by the Father and come to the Son.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. — John 6:37

- Be chosen (predestinated) by God.
For many are called, but few are chosen. — Matthew 22:14

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate … Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.– Romans 8:29-30

For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. — Romans 9:11

He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestinated us … according to the good pleasure of his will. — Ephesians 1:4-5

- Be more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees.
Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 5:20

- Eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood.
Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. — John 6:53-54

- Don’t blaspheme the Holy Ghost.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. — Luke 12:10

- Mutilate your body whenever it offends you.
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. — Mark 9:43-48

Okay, that’s all I could come up with for now, but I’m sure I missed some so I hope somebody can fill me in on the rest because I don’t want to risk going to that place where I have a worm that doesn’t die (no idea what that means but it doesn’t sound fun) and there’s a fire that isn’t quenched.

The above list should get us asking ourselves why we choose certain Bible verses over others when it comes to salvation (not to mention everything else, but we’ll focus on soteriology for now). Many of those verses, if taken literally, contradict each other, yet seem to clearly tell us that the requirements in each verse is necessary for salvation. Many Christians take the last half of Mark 9:43-48 literally when they want to prove that there is an everlasting torture chamber called hell, for instance, and yet they don’t seem to take the first half very seriously or else we’d see a lot more blind and disabled Christians. So, what reasons do we use to justify picking the particular verses we prefer when it comes to soteriology and deciding that the rest of the verses are not meant to be taken literally?