In the Bible, there are many verses that indicate that one day God will reconcile the whole cosmos and that he will be Lord over everything and everyone. Here is a small selection of such Bible passages. Some verses can certainly be understood differently, but others are very clear in their message. The highlights are from me and serve only the faster overview.
Some of the key verses:
Romans 5:18-19 (NET):
5:18 Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness leading to life for all people. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous.
Remark: The whole idea of Romans 5:12-21 is that ALL came under condemnation through Adam and that ALL are made righteous through Christ. The “many” in verse 19 is only a synonym for “all”. Grace triumphed over sin. What Christ accomplished triumphed over what Adam did. Claiming that Adam led ALL people to condemnation but Christ saved A FEW means to contradict the whole idea of this paragraph.
1 Corinthians 15: 21-22 (NET):
15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. 15:22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Remark: This idea of Christ reversing what Adam had done was central in Paul’s theology. He purposefully placed this idea at the center of his argument in the letter to the Romans and to the Corinthians.
1 Timothy 2:3-6 (NET):
2:3 Such prayer for all is good and welcomed before God our Savior, 2:4 since he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 2:5 For there is one God and one intermediary between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human, 2:6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, revealing God’s purpose at his appointed time.
Remark: God’s will is that everyone will be saved. Ultimately, God’s will be accomplished. He wants to save everyone and he will.
2 Corinthians 5:19 (NET):
5:19 In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.
Remark: The Greek word that is translated as “world” literally means “cosmos”. God reconciled the whole cosmos to himself.
Colossians 1:19-20 (NET):
1:19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son 1:20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Remark: These verses are part of a creed of faith of the very first believers. It shows that they understood the work of Christ in universal terms.
Romans 11:32 (NET):
11:32 For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.
Remark: Paul concludes his whole argument from Romans 1-11 with this verse! God will show mercy to all. That’s the central message of Paul’s letter to the Romans. God’s mercy will triumph over man’s disobedience.
Acts 3:21 (NET):
3:21 This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets.
Matthew 26:27-28 (NET):
26:27 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 26:28 for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Remark: “The adjective many is not restrictive in the sense of excluding some; rather it is all-inclusive, as it frequently is in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, and many translations have “all people” (Newman, 1992:805).
John constantly portrayed Jesus as the savior of the whole world:
John 1:29
The next day Jesus came to John. When he saw him coming, he cried, “Look, here is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away sin from the whole world!
John 4:42
“We have now heard him with our own ears and know that he really is the savior of the world.“
John 12:32
But I will be exalted above the earth, and then I will draw everyone to me.
1 John 2:1-2
He, who never did wrong, became an atonement for our sins through his death, and not just for our sins, but for those of the whole world
1 John 4:14
Another reason we are certain is that: ‘We have seen and can testify that the Father sent his Son to us as the Savior of the world;
More NT verses that point toward a universal reconciliation:
1 Timothy 4:10
for we have put our hope in the living God, and he is the helper and savior of all people – in a special way of those who believe in him.
Phil 2: 10-11
And because Jesus bears this name, everyone will one day throw themselves on their knees before him, everyone who is in heaven, on earth and under earth. 11 Everyone will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord and will thereby give glory to God the Father.
Remark: We know that this confession will not be forced but will be from a sincere heart because only the Holy Spirit can bring forth this confession (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Ephesians 1:9-10 (NET):
1:9 He did this when he revealed to us the secret of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 1:10 toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ—the things in heaven and the things on earth.
2 Peter 3:9 (NET):
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Titus 2:11 (NET):
2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.
James 2:13 (NET):
2:13 For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.
Remark: Judgment is important and has its place. But in the end, mercy will triumph over judgment.
1 Corinthians 3:15 (NET):
3:15 If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Ephesians 4:10 (NET):
4:10 He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
Matthew 25:46 (YLT):
And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.
Remark: Read more about this parable and its meaning HERE.
Matthew 13:33 (NRSV):
The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.
Luke 2:10-11 (NET):
2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: 2:11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David.
Remark: If eternal torment would be real in what way would that be good news to all people?
Matthew 18:34-35 (NET):
18:34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.
Rev 21: 25-22:2 (NET):
21:25 Its gates will never be closed during the day (and there will be no night there). 21:26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth of the nations into it, 21:27 but nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life—water as clear as crystal—pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 22:2 flowing down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations.
Remark: Outside of New Jerusalem are the ones that didn’t repent yet (Rev 22:15), those who were thrown in the lake of fire (according to Rev 21:1-8). The gates of New Jerusalem will never be shut. God’s mercy will never come to an end. The leaves in the city are for the healing of the nations. Revelation ends with God’s invitation: “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge” (Rev 22:17 NET). God’s loyal love endures forever. The father always waits with open arms, just as Jesus taught us (Luke 15:20).
Verses from the OT:
1 Chronicles 16:34 (NET):
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loyal love endures.
Remark: The phrase that “God’s loyal love will endure (forever)” is the most repeated description of God in the OT! God’s loyal love will never come to an end. This is certain.
Lamentations 3:31-33 (NET):
3:31For the Lord will not reject us forever. 3:32 Though he causes us grief, he then has compassion on us according to the abundance of his loyal kindness. 3:33 For he is not predisposed to afflict or to grieve people.
Remark: Yes, God judges, he corrects and he causes us grief but all of that is for a restorative purpose, to lead us toward repentance.
Isaiah 25:6-8 (NET):
25:6 The Lord who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine— tender meat and choicest wine. 25:7 On this mountain he will swallow up the shroud that is over all the peoples, the woven covering that is over all the nations; 25:8 he will swallow up death permanently. The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face, and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
Genesis 12:3 (NRSV):
…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Psalm 30:5 (NET):
30:5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one’s life. One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.
Psalm 103:8 (NET):
103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. 103:9 He does not always accuse, and does not stay angry.103:10 He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve.
Isaiah 53:6 (NRSV):
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Conclusion
More important than isolated verses in the Bible is the entire testimony of the Bible. The entire Bible reveals a good and merciful God who is in the process of redeeming His rebellious creation and drawing it back to Himself. His will is to redeem and renew His entire creation. His love will not fail.
Ultimately, His desire to save all will be fulfilled and He will reconcile the entire cosmos to Himself. This message is truly good news for every human being.
Bibliography:
Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Mt 26:27–28). Biblical Studies Press.
Newman, B. M., & Stine, P. C. (1992). A handbook on the Gospel of Matthew (p. 805). New York: United Bible Societies.
I have not read the entirety of the articles on this site, but have read some. Upon arriving on this site, I am encouraged by the curiosity of Scripture and how much attention is devoted to it. With that, I am greatly concerned with the use of Scripture, and that eisegetically. Before I lose you on that last sentence, I want to ask 2 questions for clarification. The first is, while you have presented multiple Scriptures here regarding salvation and atonement, there has been no treatment of verses which teach election or the reality of damnation for those who do not believe in Jesus. Without both, we do not receive the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
The second question is about the site itself. It is said on the About Us page that Christians are rethinking their theology like Martin Luther, and I agree to an extent, indeed that is part of the Holy Spirit’s work in a believer’s life (Rom. 12:2). However, as devoted as this site is to Scripture, it says that it is time for another reformation. The Reformation was an astronomical event in the church brought about by the Holy Spirit through Luther and others who faithfully went back to the Gospel from the Word of God because their culture and religious leaders had departed from both. Luther was specifically saved through reading God’s Word on His own. Is there some Scripture that has led you to believe that there is need for another reformation? If so, can you share it?
Do not hear me negating the need to delve into these topics, and it may even be surfacing from someone who is searching for answers. If that is so then wonderful! It is very important to ask the honest questions. What is gravely dangerous is doing so in a vacuum, away from wise counsel and mature believers who have an accurate understanding of Scripture and are able to teach it (2 Tim. 2:24). There is also a danger from leaving orthodox doctrines that have been drawn from the Word and have two millennia of saints in history who fought to protect and preserve them to keep others from being led astray. Praise God He is faithful to provide all for us even as we ask!
If you wouldn’t mind I would love to hear your answer to those two questions originally. Thank you immensely for having read this far, your time is a gift.
May the Lord bless you as you study His Word!
Hi Jake.
Thank you for sharing your concerns.
Answer to question 1:
This blog is specifically about scriptures that point towards universal reconciliation. Therefore, in this specific blog, I neglect verses that people usually use as proof texts for eternal conscious torment because one blog can’t cover everything. But I cover many of the key “hell texts” in more depth in other blogs. Here are four examples:
https://www.jesusreformation.org/en/2021/the-meaning-of-gehenna-in-the-teachings-of-jesus/
https://www.jesusreformation.org/en/2021/the-rich-man-and-lazarus/
https://www.jesusreformation.org/en/2021/does-the-parable-of-the-sheep-and-the-goats-teach-hell-or-universal-reconciliation/
https://www.jesusreformation.org/en/2022/jesus-rejecting-deniers/
Answer to question 2:
I wholeheartedly agree that it is the Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth, that is what Jesus taught his disciples. The Holy Spirit is constantly working towards revealing truth and overcoming lies. Since the church is far away from how Jesus desires it (disciples living Christlike lives, being characterized by humility and unity…) it is obvious that we need to keep reforming. The key verse that the Holy Spirit points out to me is Hebr 1:3 and Col 1:15. Jesus is the clearest revelation of what God is like, and I simply try to apply this truth consequently to all my theology.
I certainly don’t theologize in a vacuum, but rather in fellowship with brothers and sisters from different denominations and different continents. The church has left the orthodox doctrines long ago, a lot of what I say has been believed by many of the greatest church fathers. Many believed in the apokatastasis (the restoration of everything). The belief in universal reconciliation was certainly no minority view, but very common in the early church:
https://www.jesusreformation.org/en/2021/a-quick-history-of-the-doctrine-of-universal-reconciliation/
I hope this helps.
May the Lord bless you!
Shalom
Nick
Food for thought be it Reformation or Catholic history (King James as well for KVJ only crowd). This goes with let every man be a liar, and let God be true. Call no man rabbi,master,etc…One (God) is your teacher,master,etc.. Call no man good, only God is good.
Before Saul became Paul he was on a temple sanctioned Jihad of sorts. Your true believer. Your zealot assassin. Christian Bale in the Equilibrium movie about a drug company that sorta ruled the world suppressing all emotion kinda. Hunting down upstart heretics that followed Christ. Messing with Judaism and all things temple business. So Saul was out there murdering people, their children, their entire families. He calls himself chief of sinners for a good reason because when he went by well….religion alone he was his worst. Not a living word.
When he met up with the Lord on the road, he got the epiphany package. Including a vision,blindness, terrible physical pain, an inquiry why do you persecute me? And so the story goes care in his blindness after his murder posse eventually abandoned him from whatever frightful thing happened by a man who he had wronged and who was on the kill list.
From his encounter he went from persecutor to apostle to the Gentiles really. Always considering them. Not to burden them with this tradition,or that one, and not to rub their noses in their idolatry but saying things like this “unknown God” statue you Greeks have in the square with the others you worship I can tell you about him.
Per history, in all of your church fathers Catholic, Protestant, whatever it is. Martin Luther (seething hatred of Jews- likening them to dogs? Sound familiar- the temple sowed that to Gentiles in the bible, Jesus even called a woman that, likely to test her, and she had great faith in what was right despite him calling her that! ), Calvin, all these kings,popes,etc…
For having the claim of MORE than a mere encounter with Christ, but to be authorized/appointed/chosen by him and ever serving him. What were their fruits? Were they like Saul->Paul transformation? From condemn to consider? Kill to suffer for? Or did they hunt entire families down and burn them alive at the stake? Some few of them may have merely signed off on it, but is a murderer acquited by distance of a pen?
A quick study of European church history in this will reveal Saul after Saul after Saul in all flavors,stations,even to kings leaving one to wonder where is the Paul in this? Where is the incredible repentance and salvation that comes from the Lord?
Saul—> Paul is an example of the Lord at work. As church business, historically as now, is an example of temple business.
There are no church fathers to need to work around. There are but loads of men and bigger loads of messes stemming from them. There is God the Father and you don’t work around him he can work YOU no matter how you feel or where you are. At “temple” or brothel no matter. Pleasure can be a snare/valuable attribute just as Sauls murderous zealousy was. There is only one proper management who can make someone shine even if violent (the worst), lustful,addicted,etc… and that’s from THE FATHER, not men. Not church fathers- who you told you should call no man father.
To suggest via universalism that the Book of Life is unnecessary and therefore Revelation 20:15 won’t occur is fanciful, Pollyanna-ish.
No Christian doubts that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. His death paid the enormous price of sin for all people.
In that sense, the ticket for heaven has been paid for. But it is not free, one must accept it.
Acceptance involves a quid pro quo. Something for something. It is a contract, as were all but one of the covenants throughout the bible.
This contract involves 2 parties. The 1st party, God offers the promise of a) forgiveness of sin, b) eternal life and c) adoption into the family of God. The 2nd party, any person, in return must believe in Jesus as his/her personal Saviour. Belief requires proof in the form of action: worship and obedience to the commands of Jesus.
It is trite to say never has so much been offered for so little in return. Yet so many have said “no, I don’t want to worship and obey”.
So, despite God’s love for all people, there is no heaven, no eternal life, for those who say no.
While God loves all people; and desires all to be with him for eternity, he is also just and he promises justice. The 2nd resurrection is necessary to accomplish and fulfill that promise.
There is a reason the Old and New Testaments dwell on sin and destruction. The unholy can not abide with the holy. Only the holy and righteous will be allowed eternal life. There is no place in heaven for rebellion, disobedience, hatred, covetousness and the like, all of which is called sin, sin against God, sin against man.
Many have died without the opportunity, apparently, to accept that above contract. How will they be judged? Perhaps by their own code of conduct or for the young, by their parent’s code? Does antone know how God will judge them?
Many have died after decidedly rejecting the contract. God tells us often and throughout the Old and New Testaments the outcome of their judgement is destruction, confirmed by Rev 20:15.
To me, the problem for universalists is that we have a loving, merciful God who also demands justice. And, God will not allow anything unholy into his eternal kingdom. Our hearts have to change, our human nature has to change to Godly nature. The Holy Spirit will empower us to make that change but ONLY if we are willing.
Everyone would think, Who would not be willing upon seeing God and experiencing his great power and majesty first hand? Yet the OT and NT provide many examples of people’s response to seeing the miraculous power of God – initial wow! factor followed by back to normal sinful nature soon thereafter. The parted Red Sea, manna from heaven, flocks of quail, tumbling walls of Jericho had only temporary effect, did not change people’s hearts. The same people who followed Jesus and experienced his miracles firsthand ended up choosing no-miracles-Barabas rather than Jesus.
The evidence, including the Book of Life, is strong that not everyone will attain eternal life and the bible itself warns constantly about this outcome.
But the ones who say, only those who come to God before their death will be saved for eternity, are they entirely on solid ground? By God’s grace upon this bunch, they are saved. Who says God cannot also pour out his grace upon the dead who knew not Christ, the dead who were deceived about Christ, the dead who upon judgement experience the same heartfelt remorse about their sins as the saved ones did, and who genuinely repent as the saved ones did and desire to worship and obey Jesus as the saved ones do? Will a merciful loving God, who wanted this heart change all along, say no, too late for you. Perhaps he set a boundary but this lack of mercy in the circumstance would seem out of character.
Either of the two oppositions, universal salvation and only-a-few salvation, are opinions of man. They both limit God, box him in as humans are wont to do.
I am thankful, through the grace of God, I don’t have to worry. But I have friends and family who don’t seem that terribly evil, yet do not wish to worship and obey God. Most or all of them may die in that same position. They will arise in the 2nd resurrection. I hope and pray for that 1st or 100th chance for them and the many, many others like them.
God’s will be done. His will is the wisest will and the most loving will. Praise be unto God.