Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Universalism Refuted


Universalism is the teaching that God, through the atonement of Jesus, will ultimately bring reconciliation between God and all people throughout history. This reconciliation will occur regardless of whether they have trusted in or rejected Jesus as savior during their lifetime. This universal redemption will be realized in the future where God will bring all people to repentance. This repentance can happen while a person lives or after he has died and lived again in the millennium or some future state. In ancient times, some of the so called Church Fathers (Clement of Alexandria, Gregory of Nyssa, and Origen) held and taught Universalism.

The second article of the Winchester Profession (New Hampshire, 1803), which is the historic symbol of the Universalist denomination, says: ‘We believe that there is one God, whose nature is Love, revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ, by one Holy Spirit of Grace, who will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and happiness’.

To support their teaching, Universalists quote some Bible passages from the Holy Scriptures which are the following ones: John 12:32; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:2; 1 Timothy 2:4; Ephesians 4:6; Romans 3:23-24; 5:18.*

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