CHALLENGE
“Richard, the New Testament NEVER teaches that ALL men will be reconciled to God. I understand that you think God uses His postmortem judgment fire to cure, purge, and prepare humanity for heaven, not torture them for eternity. I understand that you believe God's punishments are rehabilitative, not retributive. It's a nice thought but it's nowhere taught in the New Testament. You have no passages to support your position."
RESPONSE
Really? This myopic viewpoint never ceases to amaze me. People have been so indoctrinated with a view of Hell where God sends those who displease and disbelieve Him into eternal conscious torment. This indoctrination comes from endlessly chanting a handful of passages about Hell which have largely been mistranslated (at least from the ways the early church fathers understood them, Patristic scholars who knew Koine Greek far better than do we moderns). Those indoctrinated by Hell's hive mind have been programmed to completely ignore so many other Scriptures, no matter how specific and on point they are.
The verses below say what they say. Notice the use of "all" and "everybody." Notice there are no exceptions given.
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, Who is the Savior of ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY [Greek: "to the greatest degree"] of those who believe. These things command and teach." (1 Tim. 4:9-11). [this passage clearly includes even those who do not believe as being within the ambit of salvation].
"Jesus, was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for EVERYONE." (Heb. 2:9)
"This is good and acceptable in the sight of our God our saviour; Who WILL have ALL men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time." (1 Tim. 2:3-6, KJV).
"He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, BOTH WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN AND WHICH ARE HEAVEN AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH— IN HIM." (Eph. 1:9-10).
"He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject ALL THINGS TO HIMSELF" (Phil. 3:21).
"EVERY MAN'S work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be BURNED, he shall SUFFER LOSS: but HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so AS BY FIRE." 1 Cor. 3:13-15. (Key passage on the postmortem judgment fire of God, where there is suffering and loss for the errant soul, but ultimately salvation, yes as by fire).
"For as in Adam ALL DIE, even so in Christ shall ALL BE MADE ALIVE. But EVERY man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put ALL enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put ALL things under his feet. But when he saith, ALL things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put ALL things under him. And when ALL things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put ALL things under him, that GOD MAY BE 'ALL IN ALL.' Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" 1 Corinthians 15:22-29.
"I heard EVERY creature IN heaven, ON earth, UNDER the earth, ON the sea, and EVERYTHING in them say: Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Rev. 5:13). (Angels here are included in the restoration-- no creaturely exception.)
"Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make ALL things new'" (God will dwell with men and he will wipe every tear from their eyes, death, mourning, crying, pain and the old order of things will pass and everything and everybody will be made new. Rev. 21:5, 3-4).
"At the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:10:11).
"ALL Israel will be saved." (Rom. 11:26)
"Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for ALL, and therefore ALL died." (2 Cor. 5:14)
"Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation of ALL MEN, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for ALL MEN." (Rom. 5:18)
"And I, if I (Jesus) am lifted up from the earth, will draw ["drag" in the Greek, helkuo] ALL MANKIND unto Myself." (John 12:32).
Read this passage together with, "No one can come to Christ unless the Father who sent Him draws him." (John 6:44), and we are left with the unavoidable promise that Jesus WILL draw all men to Himself.
In Jesus Christ is "the restoration of ALL THINGS, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:21)
The Gospel is "good tidings of great joy will be to ALL people." (Luke 2:10)
Believers in Christ are "born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13)
God appointed Jesus "heir of ALL THINGS, and through whom He made the universe." (Heb. 1:2)
"As God gave Jesus authority over ALL FLESH, that he should give eternal life to as many as God have Him." (John 17:2)
The Father "has given ALL THINGS into Jesus' hands." (John 13:3)
Jesus "was the true light which gives light to EVERY MAN who come into the world." (John 1:9)
"Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation of ALL MEN, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for ALL MEN." (Rom. 5:18)
Jesus is "able even to subdue ALL THINGS to Himself." (Phil. 3:21)
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
"God was Christ reconciling THE WORLD to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5:19, 20).
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