Universalism, 4 - Jesus and Universalism? (2)

Of Gnashing of Teeth, Outer Darkness, and the Valley of Hinnom.

In all four Gospels, in at least twenty distinct passages, Jesus makes it clear that He believes in judgment, and in a class of people that will bear that judgment. The whole idea of hell and torment surfaces as a major theme of the Son of God. Obviously He wants us to know about this, and follow His example in warning others. Never did He try to soften the blow or ignore the subject.

Many of the punishment passages are in multiple Gospels. I will be following the Matthew account when there is a duplication, then add those few teachings that are unique to Mark, Luke, and John.

Are you ready? Let's continue our walk-through of the New Testament. We'll cover the first three passages this time around.

Matthew 8:11-12. Jesus has just healed the centurion's servant. He compares the faith of a Roman soldier to that of His people in the flesh, Israel. Israel comes up short in the comparison.

He then announces the tragic results of unbelief. Gentiles will actually enter the Kingdom of God while those for whom it was originally prepared will be thrown into an unspecified location in "outer darkness" where will be not only weeping, but the gnashing of teeth that can only happen when torment is horribly intense. Some have therefore surmised that the eternal destiny of the lost is on another planet. In this way a lake of fire is no contradiction to outer darkness. Regardless of where this takes place, the fact that it takes place at all should give pause to Universalist talk.

Matthew 10:28. Jesus, unimaginably to some, teaches the fear of God. And here He makes a clear distinction between purely physical punishment and punishment of the soul. No annihilation will take place. Death will come to all men because of sin, even the Christians, but physical death is not the final judgment of Christ-deniers. Soul and body, the resurrected body promised even to the damned, is envisioned here.

Does Jesus' usage of "destroy" in reference to the soul imply that eventually the soul ceases to exist? Not necessarily. The destruction of the body, death, does not mean that the body is gone forever. And Mark's clear description of an undying life form (see Mark 9 below) lets us know that soul-destruction can simply mean a rendering powerless of all soulish functions.

"Hell" in this passage is gehenna, named after the valley of Hinnom, an awful place in Jesus' day where refuse was always being burned. It was the perfect picture of the punishment Jesus had in mind, a picture perfected later by the apostle John in his book of Revelation.

Another important point to make here: Not every verse tells the whole story. Proof-texting won't work with this or any major doctrine of the Bible. It is the whole counsel of God we seek. Put it all together, step back, look at it all. This is how Universalism falls on its face. To use my humble yard again, an individual weed might look a lot like a blade of grass. A collection of weeds in a grass yard stands out

Matthew 10:33-39. Here is a collection of verses that emphasize the distinctiveness of the two classes of people in the world, the saved and the unsaved. They are called the confessors and the non-confessors, the lovers and the non-lovers, the cross-bearers and the non-cross-bearers, the life-grabbers and the life-losers. But it is all the same.

In every case, there is no hint of a time when the ones who did not confess, will one day confess. No time when those who did not love Jesus enough will suddenly love Jesus. No day will arrive when those who were not willing to bear Jesus' cross will have a different frame of mind. No time after death when self-centered people will be turned around. These divisions are final. This life is the time when all these decisions are made.

Numbers four and following next time.

Taking Daily Steps to the Cross   Christian Churches Become Wealthy While Children Die From Starvation   Hated by All Nations For The Testimony of Christ   Getting the Best From Pastoral Counselling   God Sees All and Knows All, Especially Our Hunger   Do Not Worry