The Doctrine of Reserve

In my research on the views held by the ancient Church Fathers on the subject of universal salvation of all (USOA), I found something I wasn't even looking for.

Before I disclose my surprise discovery, let me share three related personal experiences as a believer in, and teacher of, USOA.

1. I had a very close friend with whom I enjoyed regular fruitful discussions about the Bible and church life generally.
He would always agree that the Bible did indeed seem to teach USOA, and that he would like to believe it, but it just seemed too far of a stretch and, in any case, contradicted what his church leadership had taught over his lifetime in the church.
He always confessed that he could not fault my exegesis of the Scriptures on this matter, but was unable to dismiss his longstanding position that was formed and frequently reinforced by decades of prior teaching.

2. Interestingly, in one of the churches he belonged to, I was told that I would be welcome to become a member provided I didn't share my views on USOA with other members of the congregation.

3. For over 20 years, my circle of friends included several church ministers of various denominations. One of them confided that he would like to believe in USOA, but even if he did, he would not be able to publicly support or preach it. Why?
Firstly, he would probably lose his denominational ministry position, and consequently his livelihood.
Secondly, he believed preaching USOA could easily lead some of his congregants to careless living and even gross sinning, because they might assume there were no longer any consequences for personal sin.

All three personal experiences were examples of the outworking of my surprise discovery in the writings of ancient Church Fathers - the doctrine of Reserve.

Although I had personally seen it in action, as described above, I had no idea it was a widely practised doctrine of the Christian Church, beginning right back in the second century AD.

So what is the doctrine of Reserve?
This doctrine teaches that it is right to withhold or disguise, or even deny, any Biblical truth if there is sufficient reason for doing so.

It was thought that it was perfectly alright for Church Fathers to hold or reserve the "deeper truths" for themselves, and to consider the people not ready for them. These were professional secrets, and it was considered not wise to confuse or confound the common people.

One such deeper truth that suffered, and still suffers, under this doctrine was USOA. Many of the Church Fathers reserved their belief in the USOA for themselves, and for other "doctors of divinity", but felt that it was not safe for the multitude, and so they taught them endless torment.

USOA is thought by some to be a recently invented belief used to attract people from our "everyone gets a prize" generation.
Not so! It seems the ancient Church Fathers held this belief, even though they were careful to keep it hidden from the masses.
 
Blessings, Barry