BUT, Before we discount the claim as heretical, or blindly accept it as fact, let’s consider the Word.
The entire argument rests upon the true nature of God.
What is God truly like? What are His attributes, what are our restrictions, how truly vast is His grace for His creation?
Listen to a Brief Overview of How & Why Jesus Restores ALL Things to Himself!
Universalism In Scripture
Some will think this list contains too few verses — others too many.
To those who think it contains too few: we have tried to offer the shortest, most clear-cut scriptural path for those new to the subject. This list reflects the most explicit affirmations of universal reconciliation, requiring the fewest theological and philosophical commitments.
To those who think it contains too many: every verse here, through the most elementary reasoning, leads to universal reconciliation. We ask that you give more attention to the verses and their implications.
And as always, we urge everyone unfamiliar with the biblical languages to read these verses in a variety of translations. The English Standard Version (ESV) was chosen for this list because of its popularity and for the sake of consistency, but no translation is perfect. The true meaning of the text is often distorted or obscured by the use of a single translation read in isolation.
Romans 14:11 provides an excellent example:
ESV
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall CONFESS to God.”
NASB
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give PRAISE to God.”
In the ESV, this verse appears gloomy simply because ‘to confess’, in colloquial English, connotes a sad admission of guilt, perhaps under threat of punishment. We think of a criminal ‘confessing’ his crimes to an interrogating policeman.
But the Greek word in question has the more formal (and neutral) meaning ‘to acknowledge’ or ‘to admit’ with the additional senses of giving thanks, warm approval, and admiration—‘praise’. Every tongue will confess to God as a cheerful acknowledgement and act of worship–not as a painful and coerced admission of guilt.
Exclusive reliance on a single translation puts the reader in danger. In this example, the full meaning of Romans 14:11 became distinct only when we compared the ESV to the NASB.
Therefore, we urge all readers to consult a range of translations, especially for the verses below. — Matthew Roark
Reforming Hell
Debate over universalism in theology and philosophy—Robin Parry
Within contemporary theology and philosophy, there are lots of debates related to universalism. There are lots of issues that come up under discussion and are well worth thinking about. I don’t know the answers to all of them, by the way, but the following are the kinds of issues that would be talked about and raised.
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