Universalism is the belief that everyone will eventually go to Heaven. Universalism is a doctrine that teaches all people will be saved. Other names for this doctrine are universal restoration, universal reconciliation, universal restitution, and universal salvation.
The main argument for universalism is that a good and loving God would not condemn people to eternal torment in hell.
Some Universalists believe that after a certain cleansing period, God will free the inhabitants of hell and reconcile them to himself. Others say that after death, people will have another opportunity to choose God. For some who adhere to universalism, the doctrine also implies that there are many ways to get into heaven. In the past several years, universalism has seen a reappearance. Many adherents prefer different names for it: inclusion, the greater faith, or the larger hope. Tentmaker.org calls it "The Victorious Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Universalism applies passages like Acts 3:21 and Colossians 1:20 to mean that God intends to restore all things to their original state of purity through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:18; Hebrews 2:9), so that in the end everyone will be brought into a right relationship with God (1 Corinthians 15:24–28). But such a view runs contrary to the teaching of the Bible that "all who call upon the name of the Lord" will be eternally saved, not all people in general.
Jesus Christ taught that those who reject him as Savior will die. And when the judgement comes they will be tossed into the lake of fire and destroyed.*
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Now the way this verse reads it looks like it points to a place and time when destruction of the soul and body takes place. According to the translation the name of this place is hell. Depending on how you understand the word hell one could assume an entire plethora of opinions regarding the realm of hell. Some are complete with the devil with a pitchfork tormenting the unredeemed for eternity. That makes for a good horror story but it is not supported by scripture. Most churches teach that hell is a place of eternal torment for the ungodly and unredeemed. If this is true, the devil would be capable of having eternal life and would live on forever in hell. This clearly contradicts the teaching of scripture and the lake of fire in the book of Revelation.
The King James Version did a great injustice translating the Greek with the word hell. The New American Bible does a much better job.
NAB Matthew 10:28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
The Greek word is ge,enna gehenna {gheh'-en-nah} Strongs number 1067.
Strongs goes on to say that hell or geenna is the place of the future punishment called "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire". This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.
The Easton Bible Dictionary states the following: Hinnom is a deep, narrow ravine separating Mount Zion from the so-called "Hill of Evil Counsel." It took its name from "some ancient hero, the son of Hinnom." It is first mentioned in Joshua 15:8. It had been the place where the idolatrous Jews burned their children alive to Moloch and Baal. A particular part of the valley was called Tophet, or the "fire-stove," where the children were burned.
After the Exile, in order to show their abhorrence of the locality, the Jews made this valley the receptacle of the offal of the city, for the destruction of which a fire was, as is supposed, kept constantly burning there. The Jews associated with this valley these two ideas, (1 that of the sufferings of the victims that had there been sacrificed; and (2 that of filth and corruption. It became thus to the popular mind a symbol of the abode of the wicked hereafter. It came to signify hell as the place of the wicked. "It might be shown by infinite examples that the Jews expressed hell, or the place of the damned, by this word. The word Gehenna (the Greek contraction of Hinnom) was never used in the time of Christ in any other sense than to denote the place of future punishment."
About this fact there can be no question. In this sense the word is used eleven times in our Lord's discourses. This is a far cry away from the current teaching that "hell" is the place of eternal torment for the unsaved when they die.
Let's take the time to look at the 12 occourances of the Greek word gehenna.
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say,Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell (gehenna) fire.
This is the first occurrence of the Greek word Gehenna # 1067 in the New Testament. Here it's used at the end of a progression of exacerbating sins. Listed first here you have someone who is angry with his brother without cause. This person can place himself in danger of judgement. Because of our sin nature we all are born with different levels of sin and darkness in our lives. Next is insulting your brother. This will place you in judgement before the council or Sanhedrin. But the worse listed is saying, "thou fool". Some translate the verse "if you curse someone others rebel". The point is the third person listed has no regard or respect for God and the things concerning God's salvation and therefore rejects them. This is what places a person in danger of hell or gehenna fire, for his name is not written in the book of life.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The Jews used four kinds of punishments before their government was taken away by Herod: hanging, beheading, stoning, and burning. It is burning that Christ meant, because burning was the greatest punishment. Therefore by making mention of a judgment, a council, and a fire, he shows that some sins are worse than others are. If we do not confess and repent of those sins, we must give account for them and will be punished for them accordingly.
Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell(gehenna).
The point of the verse here is if you are sinning do whatever it takes to stop even if it extreme measures are needed. Don't ignore sin because if you do you will eventually get comfortable with it and at some point you will not be able to discern your sin anymore. You will then find yourself making excuses to justify your behavior and become numb to sin. Do whatever you need to do to insure you don't miss out on salvation.
Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell(gehenna).
In the above verses Jesus used a figure of speech to convey the importance of what he was teaching. The figure is called hyperbole. We know it as exaggeration. "I'm starving" or "I'm dying over here" or "I'm wilting away to nothing". This overstates the point but it gets people's attention.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell(gehenna).
The one who people should fear in this context is the one who has the power to destroy the body and soul in (gehenna).
Revelation 20:11-15 11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The one who has the power to destroy both soul and body in gehenna is the LORD GOD.
Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell gehenna fire.
Here the word fire is added to associate gehenna with fire; like in Matthew 5:22.
*Gary Amirsult
To be continued