Didn’t Jesus teach hell himself? What about “whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell” (Mt 5:22 NET)? How does that fit together with the reconciliation of all people? By giving the Old Testament background of Gehenna, I’ll show that Jesus didn’t teach eternal punishment in hell but imminent national judgement.
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Was the Doctrine of Universal Reconciliation the Dominant Belief of the Early Christians?
Sometimes I hear people say that the idea of God saving everyone (The Victorious Gospel) is a rather modern idea. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, the Victorious Gospel was not only a doctrine a few exotic believers held but it was taught at most theological schools in the first five centuries.
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Scriptures that point toward the salvation of every person
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.
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The word “hell” doesn’t exist in the Bible!
The word “hell” doesn’t exist in the Bible!
Whenever I am asked my opinion on the subject of hell, I usually answer with a counter-question: “What hell do you mean?” The word hell doesn’t exist in the Bible! Rather, there are 4 different words in the Bible, all of which have a different meaning, but unfortunately, all of them are often translated with the word hell. However, none of these 4 words has the meaning we often associate with the word hell. These 4 biblical words are often translated as hell:
13 reasons why I believe that in the end, Jesus will reconcile all people to himself
For me, the belief in an eternal hell has never been a problem. I’ve talked about hell more than any other Christian I’ve known. The teaching that God will reconcile all human beings with himself was a dangerous heresy for me. Here I want to explain 13 reasons why I can no longer believe in eternal torture, but am convinced that in the end, God will reconcile all people with himself.
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The Gospel of the first Christians
How did early Christians define and share the gospel? Is there a biblical summary of the gospel? In 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, we find a kind of mini-summary of the gospel of the first Christians. What does this passage teach us about the message the first Christians proclaimed.
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The only way to know God’s character for sure!
There are different images of God in the Bible. How do we know what God really is like? What is the standard by which we evaluate different images of God in the Bible? Is there a revelation from God that trumps all others?
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What is God’s wrath?
God is love. But how does this fit together with the wrath of God? Should a God of love not refrain from any form of anger? Indeed God’s wrath is a beautiful expression of his love.
As a father of 4 wonderful kids, it would be perverted not to react with anger if I see someone severely abusing my children. Since I love my children and want their best anger is an expression of my love for them if I see someone treading them unjustly or abusing them.
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