a false teaching?

To someone, who had requested clarification about an article on GoedBericht, I had given a few links to the site. By email, I received a subsequent reaction:

Dear André, (…) In summary, I am convinced that the doctrine of the reconciliation of all is a false teaching. In it, there are many illogical elements, contrary to the Scriptures. After all, one cannot get lost anymore; does not have to inherit eternal life – for that he already has – and so on.

From the last sentence I conclude that the letter writer did not even take note of the link to the FAQ-sheet on the reconciliation of all. Because, then he would have known that GoedBericht certainly does not teach the things he suggests. GoedBericht does not at all claim that no one will get lost. On the contrary, many will get lost in unbelief. However, getting lost is, thanks be to God, not the end destination. The Evangel is precisely the message concerning God, Who seeks the lost until He finds it (Luke 15:4). Neither do I contend that everyone has eternal life. Eternal (or rather eonian) life is the life of the coming eon or age (Luke 18:30). He who believes not, does not inherit this life. However, at the end of Christ’s reign, death will be abolished (1 Cor.15:26), and all will be made alive (1 Cor.15:22). “All”, i.e., no one excluded. When we discern the different times in Scripture, all of this will be in perfect harmony with each other.

Moreover, this doctrine rather parallels with the Roman Catholic purgatory teaching, where someone has to undergo a limited penalty, before he will still be saved. This does not agree with the idea associated with Gehenna, namely, where refuse is being destroyed. Something that is destroyed, does no longer exist. Only the ash. That consequently there will come to be a life again in harmony with our Creator, is not an idea which can be inferred from the Bible; at best, it can be interpreted into it.

Gehenna is the valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem. According to the last verse of Isaiah (and Mark 9:48) there, in the Kingdom of peace, the bodies of the wicked will be burned up. This cremation indeed signifies the end of the wicked. But does Scripture also not speak about the making alive of all (1Cor.15:22)? Why believe the one thing, but not the other? Will death still have the last word? Will God not always carry out His judgements with a view to the salvation that He intends (Lamentations.3:32.33; Ps.30:5)? Would a cremation prevent Him “to make the dead alive and to call into existence what does not exist” (cp. Rom.4:17)? Does ‘judgement’ not primarily mean: setting things right – making corrections?

The word “all”, in the doctrine of the salvation of all, incorrectly is applied to the whole of mankind, while “all” can also refer to “all” in a certain, limited group.

Let us verify this assertion. To begin with, in Romans 5:18 it is stated that one trespass resulted in the condemnation of all mankind, that is to say, everyone of mankind, as a matter of fact, is a sinner and a mortal due to the transgression of Adam. Even so through one act of righteousness, there will come to be justification of life to all mankind. This is what Paul wrote. If the second “all mankind”, is not, indeed and in actuality, speaking of all the people, Paul’s comparison would be faulty and absurd. In Colossians 1:20 (the verse from which the expression, reconciliation of all, is directly derived), it is said that God, through the blood of the cross, reconciles all (ta panta) to Himself. The all, according to the context is so universal, that, from it, not a single creature is excluded: “… in Him is the all created”; “the all has been created through Him and for Him”; “the all has its existence in Him”, etc. (Col.1:16-19). Who would argue that the all does not include all? In 1Tim.4:9,10 Paul writes about a reliable word that is worthy of all acceptation. It is the message of expectation for which he labored and was scorned, but he based it on the living God, Who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. Please note: It does not say, a Saviour for all mankind (which many translations have made of it), but a Savior of all mankind, especially of the believers (a similar sentence structure is found in Gal.6:10). That was Paul’s message! So I could continue. However, with these three examples I think that the letter writer’s claim for now, has been sufficiently refuted.

Oh well, let me put it this way, everyone believes what he wants to believe. For one, this means seeking the actual truth, for the other, wishful thinking.

I believe that God is the Saviour of all mankind, because, so “it is written”, unequivocally! Yes, the Scriptures repeatedly confirm this. Is that wishful thinking? Indeed, GOD wills, that all mankind be saved (1Tim.2:4) and because there is only one GOD, He is the Saviour of all mankind. “What His love wills to achieve, is not beyond His power to accomplish…”. For that purpose has the Man, Christ Jesus, given Himself a ransom for all (1Tim.2:6).

Reality does not change because of what a person wishes to believe. Let that be a warning.

Neither does reality change because of what a person does not wish to believe. That God through the blood of the cross has reconciled all to Himself, is called by Paul nothing less than “the expectation of the Evangel” (cp. Col.1: 20 and 23), and he warns us, emphatically, not to deviate from this. Christianity, as a whole, has deviated from this and often calls “the expectation of the Evangel” a pernicious heresy. The letter writer speaks of “a false teaching”.

For the rest, in due time we will find out what is true. We merely have to wait until we die, right? If you have it right, then nothing matters; no matter how wickedly anyone lives, eternal life will be his, anyway. Is Scripture right, then there is a problem for a certain category of people. A site like www.alverzoening.info is not exactly helpful to this category of people, to induce them to think things through, more to the point, it is a effective promotion for a false teaching. Regards, N.

It certainly is not true that it makes no difference how a person lives. God is not mocked, and whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. (Gal.6: 7). Take note: nothing is as serious as to pervert the Evangel of grace. One should read Galatians 1. The Evangel is the message that God, in Christ, IS Lord and Savior! Not on any condition of…, but as a FACT. That is what people should believe. And someday shall this actually be so, when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess this very truth! To the glory of God the Father (Phil.2:9-11). ——————————— translation: Peter Feddema

Delen: