Scriptures Affirming Universalism

As I mentioned in the introduction, I was initially intrigued by the Universalist affirmation that scriptures that speak of the salvation of all humanity, really mean that all humans are saved. The following is a brief list of some of these scriptures.

The list is certainly not exhaustive, nor is it meant to be a list of proof-texts; I realize that each passage should be interpreted individually based on its unique context. Most of them can readily be interpreted as generalized statements not meant to necessarily affirm that all will be saved. But a couple of them I found to be extremely compelling, especially Rom. 5:18, 11:32, 1 Tim. 4:10, and others.

John 1:9 – “The true light gives light to every man.”

John 1:29 – the Lamb of God “takes away the sin of the world.”

John 3:17 – the Son was sent to “save the world.”

John 12:32 – Jesus, through the cross, “will draw all men” to himself.

John 12:47 - Jesus came “to save” the world.

Acts 3:21 – Jesus is in heaven “until the restoration of all things”.

Acts 3:25 – “And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Acts 3:26 – God sent Jesus “to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities

Romans 3:23, 24 – all “are justified freely by his grace.”

Romans 5:18 – “one act of righteousness” brings “life for all humanity.”

Romans 11:32 – God “has bound all men . . . so that he may have mercy on” all.

1 Corinthians 15:22 – “all will be made alive.”

2 Corinthians 5:14 – “one died for all, and therefore all died.”

2 Corinthians 5:19 – God has “reconciled the world to himself” and does not count “men's sins against them.”

Philippians 2:10, 11 – every knee shall bow and every tongue will “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

1 Cor.12.3 – “no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.”

Colossians 1:20 – through his Son God has reconciled “all things” to himself.

1 Timothy 2:6 – Christ Jesus “gave himself a ransom for all men.”

1 Timothy 4:10 – God “is the Savior of all humanity, especially believers.”

Titus 2:11 (RSV) – God's grace “has appeared for the salvation of all humanity.”

Hebrews 2:9 – Jesus tasted “death for everyone.”

1 John 2:2 – Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and “for the sins of the whole world.”

Calvinists interpret these passages to refer to a “Certain-to-be-realized Salvation” because God is Sovereign and chooses whom to love and whom to hate. However, this salvation is Not applicable to all humanity, only the elect – because some people are “Certainly Lost”. God does not love “all humanity”, only the chosen. The foundational principles of Calvinism are 1) God’s Sovereignty, 2) total depravity of man, 3) unconditional election, 4) limited atonement in scope, 5) irresistible Grace, 6) perseverance of the saints, and 7) the certainty of damnation for some (for others). To the Calvinist, the above scriptures cannot mean that all humans are actually saved because some are certainly damned, and thus the Atonement must be Limited in scope.

Arminians interpret these passages to refer to All Humanity because God loves All Humanity. However, the salvation spoken of is not Universal; rather, it is only “Potential Salvation” NOT “Certain-to-be-Realized Salvation.” The foundational principles of Arminianism are 1) Human Autonomy, 2) partial depravity of man, 3) conditional election, 4) limited atonement in effect, 5) resistible grace, 6) potentiality of saints being lost, and 7) the certainty of damnation for some (for others). To the Arminianist the above scriptures cannot mean that all humans are actually saved because some are certainly damned, and thus the Atonement must be Limited in effect.

Universalists accept these passages as referring to a “Certain-to-be-Realized Salvation” that is applicable to “All Humanity”, because 1) God is Sovereign and human autonomy is limited, 2) man is spiritually dead, 3) Grace is irresistible (if not in this life, certainly in the life to come), 4) God loves All Humanity and Jesus died for All Humanity, and 5) punishment in the afterlife is remedial! Salvation is thus by grace for all humanity. Some will accept this salvation in this life, though many, if not most, will not accept this salvation until the afterlife. Punishment in the eternal, in the afterlife, is not "endless and vindictive"; rather, it is just, merciful, and remedial – the chastisement of the Lord! The Lord chastises those whom He loves and He loves all humanity. Thus Universalists agree with both foundational assumptions of Calvinists and Armenian’s concerning salvation but disagree with them on the nature and purpose of punishment in the afterlife.

I find it very interesting that Calvinists and Arminians disagree concerning the essence of salvation, the sovereignty of God, the depravity of humanity, the essence of Grace, human autonomy, the effect of the atonement, even the security of the believer, but their shared belief is the certainty of damnation for others (not themselves)!  In other words, their "shared faith" is not in "salvation" but in "damnation for others". Amazing!

4 Sources of Authority for Faith

Theologians commonly speak of four sources of authority for faith -- Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason. Of course, a banner of Protestantism is "sola scriptura". However, we should recall though that scripture itself is a result of Tradition, for it was the consensus of the church accepting specific letters/books/authors as inspired and others as not inspired that gave us scripture as we know it.

And let us not forget the role of experience! Throughout scripture and church history experience and personal revelation have played a vital role in the lives of many brothers and sisters in Christ, in the lives and ministries of believers in both the Old and New Testaments and throughout church history. In many ways, an experience (testimony) is never out weighed by a theory. And our experiences, or lack thereof, significantly influence how we understand scripture and our world-view.

For Western cultures especially, Reason also plays a tremendous role in establishing our beliefs. It must make sense to us. It's got to fit! We strive to systematize our lives and our theology, ergo "Systematic Theology". We seek to make everything fit into a specific system of reason. If it doesn't make sense to us, it's hard for us to accept it is as real or true.

Various branches of the church and various individuals focus more or less of their attention and effort on each one of these four sources of theology. For the older denominations (RCC & EO) and for many Christians regardless of their denominational affiliation, Tradition is a primary source for their beliefs. XX is what I've always believed and what those whom I respect (bishopric, apostolic succession, etc.) accept as true; thus I believe XX is true and am not open to anything else.

Protestantism's banner waves "Sola Scriptura", raising a call to affirm Scripture as the "sole" source of faith; but it would be better if the call was "prima scripture", affirming scripture as the primary source of faith and yet recognizing the value and importance of the other sources. It would also do Protestants service to recognize that they value Reason as highly or almost as highly as Scripture for their beliefs are based on their personal and corporate "understanding" of scripture.

For "Liberals", Reason actually holds a higher place in their considerations than scripture or tradition, and there is no appeal to Experience (except possibly what they have not experienced). Though significant portions of scripture are contrary to their beliefs, if it doesn't make sense to them, they set scripture aside and maintain their beliefs, what they accept as true.

For the mystics of the middle ages and the Pentecostals and Charismatics of today, Experience plays a vital role in their faith. Their understanding of scripture, their tendency to downplay reason and tradition, all are related to their code (though not stated) of "experience first".

For myself, I value all four sources -- Scripture, Experience, Reason, and Tradition. I am diligent to study scripture and some tradition, using reason as best I can. But I also value the personal experiences that I've had with the Lord and seek the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit.

I must confess, Tradition is the least of my considerations. From "Experience" I've found that Tradition, my traditions, have often hindered me from receiving new-to-me truth, truths that brought me into a stronger relationship with the Lord, freedom from sin, and more love for my fellow man; and I've noted many others who have a very difficult time even considering something as possibly true if it is outside of their Tradition. And of course, in Scripture, Jesus also challenges Tradition, actually saying that tradition nullifies the power of the word of God.

On the other hand, I've come to tremendously value Tradition from another perspective - the Traditions of the greater Body of Christ! By studying (Reason) the beliefs of other branches of the church, and by being exposed (Experience) to other believers from different branches of the Church, my faith in Christ has been tremendously enriched and expanded! I've gained knowledge (Reason) and grown in humility, and respect and love for others. Having worked for a para-church ministry, studying at an interdenominational seminary, and attending an interdenominational fellowship of believers has greatly aided me in this exposure to the greater Body of Christ.

Well, having said all this, it's my hope and prayer that we shall all grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we all seek to grown in our knowledge of scripture and tradition! And may we increasingly walk in respect and love for one another!