This is the third in a mini-series of posts responding to the arguments offered by Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) against God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation.
His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings, the first of which is a. The Scriptures Used. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)
Under the a. The Scriptures Used heading Dr Arnold quotes five (carefully chosen) texts that he claims teachers use to prove the truth of a second probation, as Dr Arnold calls it.
He says, Basically they point to five passages of Scripture ... The third passage is Colossians 1 : 20, which states that God will reconcile all things unto himself, both in the earth and in the heavens.
and through him (Christ) to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[Colossians 1 : 20 NIV]
Dr Arnold's objection is that in this verse reconciliation does not mean all are saved. In fact, the very term "reconciliation" only means that all are savable. They still must believe and if they die without believing there is no further opportunity.
There are three parts to this objection - the meaning of reconciliation, the need to believe and no after-death opportunities.
Firstly, the meaning of reconciliation.
I can't find any dictionary that offers a definition of reconciliation as making people savable.
My Oxford dictionary offers five meanings for the verb "reconcile":
1. Make friendly after estrangement (between people)
2. Purify (a consecrated place after desecration)
3. Make acquiescent or contentedly submissive
4. Heal, settle (a quarrel)
5. Harmonize, make compatible
To me, people who have been reconciled to God have had their relationship to God saved (to get the word "saved" into the discussion), even if they aren't aware of it during their life on this planet in their earth-suit.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
[2 Cor 5 : 19 NIV]
because
(God) desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.
[1 Timothy 2 : 4 - 6 NIV]
Why would God bother to reconcile the world to Himself, inflicting such humiliation and suffering on His Son, if He didn't plan to save us all?
Making a distinction between reconciliation and salvation seems quite a stretch for me.
In any case, Paul speaks specifically of the joint ministry of Jesus' death and resurrection in his letter to the Romans - we are reconciled to God by Jesus' death and saved through his life.
For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life.
[Romans 5 : 10 NIV]
Secondly, the need to believe.
God is surely the Saviour of the whole world, including current unbelievers.
That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4: 10 NIV]
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.
[Titus 2 : 11 ESV]
And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.
[1 John 2 : 2 GNB]
So do people need to believe in order to be saved?
No, not at all.
God has already taken care of our salvation 2000 years ago without any input from us.
So what's this thing about believing?
You can only believe in something that already exists. (If you believe in things that don't exist you are a strange person indeed.)
God chooses to give faith to some so they can appreciate, experience and enjoy the salvation that Jesus has already won for them - as well as become His messengers of reconciliation.
These are the "especially" people mentioned in 1 Timothy 4 : 10 above.
Those not given faith while in their earth-suits, whose salvation has also been won, will need to wait until the Great White Throne judgement to appreciate what Jesus has done for them.
Salvation is our joy right now as God gives faith to those He has chosen to be the advance party (the Body of Christ), and will be the joy of those not in the Book of Life who will see Jesus and come to the knowledge of the truth at the Great White Throne.
So 'yes' we do need to believe, but not so that we will be saved, but to appreciate the salvation already granted to us.
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.
And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
[2 Cor 5 : 19 NLT]
Thirdly, no after death opportunities.
I can't find a text to support or refute Dr Arnold's opinion that people have no after death opportunities.
However God does have a plan for His creation.
With all wisdom and understanding, he (God) made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 8 - 10 NIV]
This plan, motivated by God's love for His creation, must be implemented, since God is in sovereign control.
So my logic tells me that
if God's plan is to bring unity to all things, and
if God has already reconciled the world to Himself, and
if God is the Saviour of the world
then people who do not believe in the Saviour Jesus before they die will do so after they die.
Otherwise
God doesn't achieve His unity plan, and
God has not reconciled the world to Himself, and
God is not the Saviour of the world, and
Jesus was not successful on the cross, and
God is not the God of love and sovereignty I serve.
Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.
[Romans 11 : 36 MSG]
Blessings, Barry
This is the second in a mini-series of posts responding to the arguments offered by Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) against God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation.
His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings, the first of which is a. The Scriptures Used. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)
Under the a. The Scriptures Used heading Dr Arnold quotes five (carefully chosen) texts that he claims teachers use to prove the truth of a second probation, as Dr Arnold calls it.
He says, Basically they point to five passages of Scripture ... The second passage is 1 Corinthians 15 : 27 - 28, which states that all things, will be subjected to the Son.
For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 27 - 28 NIV]
Dr Arnold's objection is that the "all things being subject to the Son" does not mean the salvation of all, but only that the unsaved will be in subjection to Him.
I agree that, as King, Jesus will have all things in subjection to him by the end of the kingdom age.
But that's not all!
What also happens when the kingdom age is completed?
Previous verses, which provide the context for the two verses Dr Arnold quotes, indicate that this subjection to Christ is in a setting of all (people) being made alive in Christ
Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us.
[1 Cor 15 : 22 CEV]
and Jesus having destroyed death as the final enemy.
Christ will rule until he puts all his enemies under his power, and the last enemy he destroys will be death.
[1 Cor 15 : 25 - 26 CEV]
It seems obvious to me, that if all are alive because of what Christ has done (just as all die because of what Adam has done), and death itself is now destroyed, then life is the only condition possible from then on.
And since these events happen at the end when Christ hands over His kingdom to God the Father,
Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father.[1 Cor 15 : 24 CEV]
and God becomes everything to everyone,
After everything is under the power of God’s Son, he will put himself under the power of God, who put everything under his Son’s power. Then God will mean everything to everyone.
[1 Cor 15 : 28 CEV]
then the life we will all experience together must be eternal life.
So all are indeed saved, given eternal life, even though the verses quoted by Dr Arnold, isolated from their context, only tell part of the story.
Because eventually ...
Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord forever! Amen.
[Romans 11 : 36 CEV]
Blessings, Barry
This is the first in a mini-series of posts responding to the arguments offered by Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) against God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation.
His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings, the first of which is a. The Scriptures Used. (see previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)
Under the a. The Scriptures Used heading Dr Arnold quotes five (carefully chosen) texts that he claims teachers use to try to prove the truth of a second probation, as Dr Arnold calls it.
Before I address these five passages of Scripture, it is worth mentioning that there are many, many more [and more emphatic] passages that demonstrate God's intention to save all His creation, as a quick scan through this BLOG site will reveal.
He says, Basically they point to five passages of Scripture. The first is Acts 3 : 21, which speaks of the times of restoration of all things.
Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. [NIV]
Dr Arnold's objection is that the "all things" is limited to that which was spoken by the prophets, and that did not include any kind of universalism, limited or unlimited.
Well, I wonder what Isaiah and Malachi, for example, might say about that.
Although the Old Testament prophets were usually focused on contemporary Israel for their near-future insights and the Messianic Kingdom age for their far-future insights, their writings did occasionally give a strong hint of God's bigger picture.
Isaiah prophesies that all people will worship God ...
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.
They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’”
All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.
[Isaiah 45 : 22 - 24 NIV]
and that all nations will feast at the table of the Lord
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
[Isaiah 2 : 2 NIV]
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
[Isaiah 25 : 6 - 8 NIV]
Malachi also mentions that all nations will worship, and bring offerings to the Lord.
"My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
[Malachi 1 : 11 NIV]
David's description of God's character would back these hints from the prophets.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow in anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
[Psalm 145 : 8 - 9 NIV]
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
[Psalm 107 : 1 NIV]
Although Acts 3 : 21 is not a verse that I personally use to "prove" the truth of UR, it cannot be dismissed as being antagonistic to the Biblical theme of UR, as Dr Arnold suggests.
For all things were created by him, and all things exist through him and for him. To God be the glory forever! Amen.
[Romans 11 : 36 GNB]
Blessings, Barry
Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) is a brilliant Messianic Jewish theologian living in USA whose expertise in the Scriptures, particularly regarding Israel's past, present and future, is outstanding.
Although I am learning so much from his written and video publications, I do not agree with his opposition to God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation, a position I find promised in a correctly translated Bible and discussed in my book "The Really Good News About God" published in 2015.
Dr Arnold sees three different versions of what he calls "Unlimited Second Probation".
1. Universalism, which he defines as "all are eventually saved without the necessity of after life repentance".
2. Restorationism, which he defines as "all are saved because of a second chance to hear the gospel after death and a subsequent repentance after death".
3. Universal Reconciliation, which he defines as "after a long period of existence in the Lake of Fire, all are going to be reconciled back to God, all are going to be saved, including Satan".
We will focus on Dr Arnold's third definition in this series of posts as that definition is closer to what the Bible seems to teach than the other two.
Dr Arnold presents his criticism in a paper titled "The intermediate State Between Death and Resurrection (MBS104)" available for download on the Ariel Ministries website www.ariel.org.
His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings:
a. The Scriptures Used
b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead
c. The Basis of the Final Judgement
d. The Final Decision Made in this Life
e. The Contradiction to Scripture.
In the upcoming posts, I will address each of these arguments and demonstrate from Scripture why I think they are insufficient to dismiss God's plan to eventually reconcile all creation to Himself, and thus save everyone.
After all, the Bible does say ...
Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us.
[1 Cor 15 : 22 CEV]
which encourages us to
... put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10 NIV]
confirming Jesus' words cited by John.
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
[John 12 : 32 NIV]
Blessings, Barry
PS. In the following posts, I will use underlining to help identify Dr Arnold's actual words.
