universalism – Grace Evangelical Society

Current Issues in Salvation, Part 2: Various Rejections of ECT

August 25, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - conditional immortality, eternal conscious torment, universalism

Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) is the teaching of Scripture (cf. John 3:14-18; Heb 9:27; Rev 14:11; 20:15). However, many schools and many pastors are now rejecting ECT in light of various other views. Those other views include universalism (everyone will eventually be saved), conditional immortality (= annihilationism), and unconscious torment (like an eternal coma). Back

Why Doesn’t Philippians 2:10 Teach Universalism?

November 22, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - John 3:16-18, Philippians 2:10, Romans 10:9, universalism

D. R. asks this important question: A couple we’ve known for many years recently admitted they are universalists. This came as quite a shock to us since they’ve been missionaries in Haiti for 30+ years with a Baptist organization. I’ve looked up some of your articles addressing universalism (which addressed most of the Scriptures they

Do Universalists Have Saving Faith?

June 24, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Eschatology, saving faith, universalism

Q: If assurance is of the essence of saving faith, and universalists have assurance of their salvation through Jesus because they believe everyone will be saved in the end, do they have saving faith? A: That is an interesting question. If I remember correctly, Bob and I discussed either that question or something near to

Universalism and 1 Corinthians 15:22

May 31, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - 1 Corinthians 15:22, General Resurrection, Positional Truth, universalism

First Corinthians 15:22 is a favorite verse for univeralists: For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor 15:22). Universalists say that “all” in Adam is co-extensive with the “all” in Christ. Hence, since all of humanity died in Adam, so, too, all of humanity will be

He Who Lives — John 11:25-26

May 11, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Post-mortem Salvation, universalism

Do unbelievers get a second chance to believe in Jesus after they die? According to universalists they do. They say that someone who dies in unbelief today may still have a chance to believe in Jesus for eternal life in the underworld tomorrow. On that theory, when an unebeliever wake up in Hades, they

Can Spirits Think?

May 9, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - annihilationism, conciousness, Hades, Spirits, universalism

I have dialogued with several people who deny there can be conscious experiences without a physical body. I have heard this objection from both annihilationists and universalists. I don’t know if that is a majority position in either camp, but it has come up enough that I should address it. They claim that once

Life After Death in the Old Testament

May 2, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - annihilationism, Death, disembodied spirits, Eternal Concious Torment, Hell, torment, universalism

Did the Hebrews have a concept of the soul’s life after death? Did they believe the dead continued to exist as disembodied spirits? Many (but not all) who believe in annihilationism and universalism deny it. They say the idea that the soul survives the death of the body comes from Plato, not the Bible. Why