Road to Heaven?: Constructed by Men Alone. By Dale Taliaferro. Dallas, TX: Equipped for Life Ministries, 2018. 160 pp. Paper, $14.99.
This book is written in response to Robert Jeffress’s book, Not All Roads Lead to Heaven. Taliaferro sees that book as a clear example of the Evangelical consensus that one must believe in Jesus in order to go to heaven. He strongly disagrees.
It is of interest that for years Taliaferro agreed with Jeffress. He studied at conservative Evangelical seminaries, and even holds degrees from such an institution. Readers of the JOTGES might find it interesting that early in his ministry Taliaferro was influenced by Earl Radmacher.
After searching the Scriptures, Taliaferro concludes that the Evangelical consensus is not explicitly taught in the NT (emphasis his). One of his major points is that in the NT the word salvation is not about going to heaven (p. 15). The doctrine that one must believe in Jesus for eternal life is turning people away from the Scriptures because of its exclusivity. Taliaferro says that faith in Jesus is not the only way (p. 17).
Taliaferro makes a number of points with which almost all our readers will disagree. He maintains that hell is a remedial place. Once a person goes there and his sins have been duly punished, he will be released. He sees it as a kind of purgatory (p. 23). In addition, Christ’s death has reconciled everyone to God. We ought to expect a universal reunion with God one day (p. 25).
Taliaferro says that God has provided many different ways by which people may acquire the forgiveness of sins. All men have a revelation of God, and this revelation can be used to lead others to God as each person knows Him (p. 27). Each person can, as well, walk with God as he understands Him. This is what Biblical salvation is. The NT never uses it to refer to getting eternal life or going to heaven (p. 55). One can be acceptable to God if he walks righteously, even if he does not believe in Jesus (p. 30). The NT does not promise a heavenly destination or give us a road to travel in order to get there (p. 43). Justification is not related to going to heaven at all. Rather, it is God’s approval on a life that is pleasing to Him (p. 47). If a person does not live righteously, he will temporarily go to hell. This is true, as well, for the person who has believed in Jesus (p. 60). Taliaferro says James 2 shows that one must have works in order to be justified before God.
Ephesians 2:8-9 is not about salvation from hell, according to Taliaferro. It is being set free from slavery to sin as a way of life (p. 74). Readers of the JOTGES will read with interest Taliaferro’s claim that it doesn’t matter whether one is a Lordship Salvation adherent or a Free Grace person. The grace of God does not make possible a trip to heaven. Eternal life describes a quality of life in this present world. Christ brought heaven to man. He did not come to bring men to heaven (pp. 77-79).
The word destruction is not used in the Bible to describe hell. Instead, it refers to destroying one’s earthly life (p. 95). Entrance into the kingdom describes living a righteous life that is not destroyed.
Taliaferro states that when Jesus talked about going to the Father and said that He was the way (John 14:4-6), He was not talking about how to get to heaven, but about how to get to the Father. The Father will render judgment on each person’s life. The issue is how a person has lived. A person does not have to believe in Jesus in order to get to the Father; Jesus is the way to the Father, whether a person believes in Him or not (pp. 98-102).
An interesting idea presented is the author’s belief that OT people were forgiven and saved without believing in Jesus. The OT does not say that they believed in the coming Messiah. Taliaferro maintains that this shows faith is not the issue. Jews in the OT could be righteous before God by following the Law of Moses (p. 109), even if they did not believe in the coming Christ.
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Taliaferro believes that the rich man is in hell. However, he will be removed from this judgment when he has paid the sufficient penalty for his sin. The rich man is seen as being repentant. A loving, merciful God would not keep a repentant person under eternal torment (pp. 116-17).
Final judgment, according to Taliaferro, is based upon works. It will not be based upon faith. Evangelism should not be done in order to tell people how to go to heaven. Instead, its purpose is to tell people to live righteously and to reveal, by their conduct, the character of God. It deals with this present life (pp. 145-46).
The book’s final chapter discusses those who have never heard the message of life in Christ. Not surprisingly, Taliaferro says that they will not be in hell. He says that Jesus never spoke about saving a person from hell, but only about saving them from the corruption of sin in this life. Anybody who fears God, regardless of what they believe, is acceptable to Him. Any punishment in hell will be remedial.
This book would have been easier to read if Taliaferro had given a summary of his beliefs. It takes a little bit of digging, but those beliefs do eventually come through. At the core of these beliefs, Taliaferro is a universalist. He does little exegesis, and it is very unlikely that many will be convinced by his arguments.
I do, however, recommend this book. Based upon his own words, I assume that he is a believer. If so, he will be in the kingdom. But he is a believer who now denies many fundamental doctrines of the NT. Even though many say it is not possible, he shows us that a believer can indeed deny the fundamentals of the faith. As such, his value exists in being a warning to all of us. Any of us can make a shipwreck of our faith. If we do, we can even try to convince others to follow in those footsteps.
Kenneth Yates
Editor
Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
