A Defense of the Gospel of Grace and the Unity of God’s People Through All History

Salvation Has Always Been by Grace

The central error of Dispensationalism is its claim that God saves people differently in different “dispensations.” Scripture is clear: salvation has always been by God’s grace through faith — never by works, law-keeping, or human merit.

No one can be saved by their own merit: Romans 3:20–24; Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:4–7.

Old Testament believers were saved by grace through faith:

• Abraham was justified by faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1–3; Galatians 3:6–9).
• David was forgiven apart from works (Psalm 32:1–2; Romans 4:6–8).

The Gospel is eternal and unchanging: Revelation 14:6; Hebrews 13:8.

God’s covenant with Israel required obedience to specific laws, but these laws were about national blessing and physical consequences, not eternal salvation. When Israel sinned, they suffered physical punishment — exile, famine, war — but their covenant relationship with God as His people was not nullified (Leviticus 26:44–45; Psalm 94:14).

Physical Punishment Then and Now

Under the New Covenant, salvation is secure in Christ (John 10:28–29; Romans 8:38–39). However, persistent sin still brings temporal consequences:

• God disciplines His children for their good (Hebrews 12:5–11).
• Persistent, unrepentant sin can lead to physical death (Acts 5:1–11; 1 Corinthians 11:27–32; 1 John 5:16–17).
• Sin is “missing the mark” (Romans 3:23). If we persist without resisting, it leads to destruction (James 1:14–15).

The Church is Not Distinct from Israel

Dispensationalism’s claim that the Church and Israel are separate peoples of God contradicts Scripture. True Israel has always been defined by faith, not ethnicity or nationality.

True Israel is the people of faith:

• Romans 9:6–8 — “They are not all Israel who are descended from Israel… it is the children of the promise who are counted as offspring.”
• Galatians 3:7 — “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”
• Galatians 3:29 — “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

The Church is the continuation and fulfillment of Israel:

• Ephesians 2:11–22 — Jews and Gentiles made “one new man” in Christ.
• Romans 11:17–24 — Gentiles grafted into the same olive tree of God’s people.
• 1 Peter 2:9–10 — The Church called “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” — titles given to Israel in Exodus 19:5–6.

No racial or ethnic superiority: Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11; Acts 17:26.

The Israelites intermarried with surrounding nations (Ruth 1:4; 1 Chronicles 2:34–35; Ezra 9–10), proving there was never a “pure race.” Dispensationalism’s obsession with ethnic lineage fuels racism and contradicts God’s Word.

Romans 11 and Universal Salvation

Romans 11 is not teaching that only ethnic Jews will be saved at the end. Paul’s statement, “And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), must be read in the context of his definition of Israel: all people of the faith of Abraham, Jew and Gentile alike.

• Romans 4:16 — The promise rests on grace “to all his offspring… to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”
• Romans 11:32 — “God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:22 — “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
• Philippians 2:10–11 — Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Romans 11 teaches the universal salvation of all peoples through Christ’s mercy, not a future ethnic privilege.

The Unity of God’s People in Every Age

The idea that God has two separate peoples — Israel and the Church — is foreign to Scripture. God has one flock (John 10:16), one body (Ephesians 4:4–6), and one covenant of grace through Christ’s blood (Hebrews 13:20). From Genesis to Revelation, God is building one redeemed family, not two.

• Old Testament saints looked forward to Christ: Hebrews 11:13–16; John 8:56.
• New Testament saints look back to Christ’s finished work: Hebrews 9:15; Revelation 5:9–10.
• All are reconciled through the same cross (Ephesians 2:14–16).

The Gospel of Grace Refutes Dispensationalism

Dispensationalism and Hyper-Dispensationalism undermine the Gospel by teaching separate plans of salvation and perpetuating racial supremacy. The true Gospel proclaims:

• One way of salvation in all history — grace through faith in Christ alone (Acts 4:12; Hebrews 13:8).
• One covenant family of God — the Israel of God is the Church (Galatians 6:16).
• One ultimate purpose — the reconciliation of all things to God through Christ (Colossians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 15:28).

Key Scriptures Proving Israel is the Church

• Romans 9:6–8 — True Israel defined by promise, not bloodline.
• Galatians 3:7, 29 — Believers in Christ are Abraham’s offspring.
• Ephesians 2:11–22 — Jew and Gentile made one.
• Romans 11:17–24 — Gentiles grafted into Israel’s tree.
• 1 Peter 2:9–10 — Church inherits Israel’s covenant titles.
• Galatians 6:16 — “The Israel of God” = the Church.

Conclusion: Dispensationalism divides what God has united. The Gospel of Grace reveals that there has always been one people of God, saved by one Savior, through one covenant of grace — from Adam to the final resurrection. The Church is the true Israel, and God’s plan has always been the salvation of all people without racial or ethnic distinction.

✝️ Understanding Heresy: What Does the Bible Really Say?

As Christian Universalists, we deeply honor Scripture and the teachings of Jesus Christ. We believe that truth matters — and that false teachings (heresies) can misrepresent God’s love, character, and plan for humanity.

But we also believe that the term “heresy” has often been misused — especially to silence views rooted in Scripture but outside traditional interpretations.

So what is heresy, really?

📖 What the Bible Says About Heresy

In the New Testament, the Greek word translated as heresy (αἵρεσις – hairesis) originally meant "choice" or "faction", and later came to mean false or divisive teaching that leads people away from Christ.

✍️ Scriptures That Mention Heresy or False Teaching:

2 Peter 2:1 – “There will be false teachers among you… bringing in destructive heresies…”

Galatians 1:6–9 – “…If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

These are serious warnings. But let’s ask: What made a teaching “false” in these passages?

Answer: It was teaching that denied the central message of Christ — His identity, His resurrection, or salvation through Him.

❤️ Universal Reconciliation: A Biblical Hope, Not a Heresy

We believe that Christian Universalism is not a heresy, but a recovery of a lost truth in early Christianity:

In Christ, all shall be made alive.
— 1 Corinthians 15:22

Far from denying Christ, we center our faith on Him. We affirm:

• Salvation is only through Jesus Christ
• God's judgment is real and purifying
• God’s love never fails and will not abandon any of His children forever

We believe the idea of eternal conscious torment is a distortion — a misunderstanding of the Greek word “aionios” (often translated "eternal"), and a misreading of God’s justice.

Instead, we affirm what Scripture says repeatedly:

"God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
— 1 Timothy 2:4

🔥 Aren’t Some Things Worth Calling Heresy?

Yes — and we agree. Heresy is real. It’s dangerous when teachings:

• Deny Christ’s divinity or resurrection
• Promote violence, injustice, or selfishness in God's name
• Turn the gospel into a system of fear or manipulation

But Universalism does none of these. In fact, we believe eternal torment is more deserving of the term “heresy” — because it portrays God as infinitely cruel and retributive, contradicting the God revealed in Jesus.

🌿 A Gospel Big Enough for All

Christian Universalism does not mean “all paths lead to God” or that sin doesn’t matter. It means:

• Jesus is the way — and He is patient, persistent, and victorious.
• God’s justice restores; it doesn't destroy forever.
• Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

We know Universalism is controversial. But controversy is not the same as heresy. We invite all believers to reexamine the Scriptures — not through fear, but through faith, hope, and love.

Because in the end…

“At the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
— Philippians 2:10–11

And we believe they will do so willingly, not under compulsion — because they will finally see Him as He truly is.

✝️ Understanding the Issue

As Christian Universalists, we fully affirm the authority of Scripture and the centrality of Jesus Christ. But we believe the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment (ECT) misrepresents both the heart of God and the message of the Bible.

Here's why we believe ECT cannot be reconciled with the nature of God as revealed in Christ—or with the overall witness of Scripture.

1. God Is Love — Not Endless Punishment

“God is love.” — 1 John 4:8

Love isn't just something God does—it is who He is. Eternal torment suggests that God's love has a limit, and that He abandons billions to unending suffering. But true love never gives up.

Jesus taught us to forgive 70×7 times. He told stories of lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons—each of which ends in joyful restoration, not eternal separation.

“Love never fails.” — 1 Corinthians 13:8
If love never fails, how can God’s love end in eternal rejection?

2. God’s Justice Restores, It Doesn’t Torture

“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” — Genesis 18:25

Yes, God is just—but His justice is restorative, not vengeful. Over and over in Scripture, God’s judgment has a refining purpose—to heal, correct, and ultimately reconcile.

Eternal torment is not justice. It is endless punishment with no possibility of redemption. It’s the opposite of what the Bible reveals about how God disciplines His children (Hebrews 12:6).

Would a just God punish finite sins with infinite torment?

3. The Bible Doesn’t Teach “Hell” the Way We Think

Many doctrines about “hell” are based on mistranslations and cultural assumptions, not Scripture.

The word often translated "eternal" is aionios, which actually means “age-long”—not infinite.

The Greek word “gehenna” referred to a valley outside Jerusalem associated with judgment and purification—not eternal fire.

Matthew 25:46 speaks of “aionios kolasis,” which can mean “corrective punishment for an age.”

What if these passages were never meant to teach forever suffering, but temporary correction leading to healing?

4. Eternal Torment Denies God's Victory

“God will be all in all.” — 1 Corinthians 15:28

The Bible tells a story of redemption, not defeat. In the end, God wins—not just partially, but completely.

“Every knee will bow… every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10–11)

“As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

“Through Him to reconcile all things…” (Colossians 1:20)

If billions suffer forever, then sin wins, death wins, and God’s love is not victorious. Eternal torment teaches that evil has the final word, not Christ.

5. Eternal Torment Undermines the Gospel

The gospel is good news—but eternal torment turns it into a threat:
"Love God, or else."

This fear-based version of Christianity drives people away. It creates trauma, shame, and anxiety—not the freedom and joy the Spirit brings.

“Perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” — 1 John 4:18

The gospel isn't about escaping hell. It's about being transformed by the love of a God who will never stop pursuing us.

✅ Summary: A Love That Never Fails

The doctrine of eternal torment paints a picture of a God who loves some, but not all—a God whose mercy ends at death, and whose justice demands infinite suffering for finite sins. But Scripture tells a better story.

It tells of a God whose love endures forever, whose justice is restorative, not cruel, and whose mercy is new every morning. It tells of a Savior who does not lose any of His sheep, who came to seek and save the lost, and who will ultimately be all in all.

The gospel is not about fear. It is not a message of "love me or burn." It is good news—that in Christ, God is reconciling the whole world to Himself. It is the announcement that love never fails, and that even judgment serves a redemptive purpose.

Eternal torment contradicts that gospel. It shrinks God's love, weakens His victory, and misrepresents His character. But universal reconciliation reflects the heart of the Father revealed in Jesus—a God who pursues, restores, and never stops loving.

We believe the end of the story is not eternal separation, but eternal restoration.
Not fear, but faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

We believe that God’s love is bigger than hell and His grace deeper than judgment.

In Christ, the story doesn’t end with eternal separation. It ends with union, with healing, and with God all in all.

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” — 1 Corinthians 15:22

Let that promise shape our hope.

Why Scripture Alone Is the Final Authority  

📌 Claim #1: Apostolic Succession Is Necessary for Church Authority

Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches teach that Christ gave authority to the apostles, who passed it on through an unbroken line of bishops. According to this view, only those in that line can properly interpret Scripture and lead the Church.

❌ The Biblical Response

1. The Bible Never Teaches Apostolic Succession

Nowhere in the New Testament do we find the apostles teaching that their authority was to be passed down. While they appointed elders and overseers (Titus 1:5), they never claimed these leaders would inherit apostolic authority.

2. The Apostolic Office Was Unique and Unrepeatable

Apostles were chosen directly by Jesus and had to be eyewitnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:21–22). Paul himself asked, “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1). These qualifications no longer apply to anyone living today.

3. True Authority Comes from Scripture

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching… so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped.”
— 2 Timothy 3:16–17

If Scripture fully equips the believer, no apostolic succession is needed for truth or authority. The Bible is our sufficient guide.

📌 Claim #2: Oral Tradition Is Equal to Scripture

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Sacred Tradition (unwritten teachings passed down orally) holds the same authority as Scripture. This tradition is said to originate from the apostles and to be preserved by the Church.

❌ The Biblical Response

1. Jesus Warned Against Human Tradition

“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
— Mark 7:8

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for allowing tradition to override God's Word. This is a direct warning against elevating oral tradition above Scripture.

2. Apostolic Traditions Were Later Written Down

Yes, Paul speaks of “traditions” in places like 2 Thessalonians 2:15, but contextually, these were living teachings before the New Testament was completed — many of which became part of the written Word. There is no evidence that essential doctrine was preserved solely in oral form for later Church leaders to define.

3. Scripture Is the Final Standard for Truth

The Bereans were praised for testing Paul’s message — not against tradition, but against the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). Even apostolic teaching was measured by the written Word.

✅ Conclusion: Why We Stand on Scripture Alone

• Apostolic succession is not biblical and adds a man-made layer between believers and Christ.
• Oral traditions, when not rooted in Scripture, open the door to doctrinal corruption.
• The early Church was built on the gospel of Jesus Christ — not on bishops, councils, or institutional hierarchy.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
— Isaiah 40:8

The truth is not passed down through a chain of men. It is preserved in the unchanging Word of God, which is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). Scripture is enough.

At its core, the early Church was founded on:

• The person and work of Jesus Christ
• The preaching of the apostles
• The empowerment of the Holy Spirit
• The good news (gospel) that Jesus died, rose again, and reigns as Lord

This is clearly reflected in Scripture:

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Corinthians 3:11

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
— Acts 2:42

The New Testament shows the early Church centered on faith in Christ, the authority of Scripture, community, and spirit-led mission — not on formal hierarchies.

🏛️ But Did Leadership and Structure Develop?

Yes, but it was simple and functional at first.

In the earliest churches, leadership existed but was local, plural, and based on spiritual maturity — not an institutional hierarchy.

• Elders (presbyteroi) and overseers (episkopoi) were appointed to teach sound doctrine, shepherd the flock, and protect from false teaching (Titus 1:5–9, Acts 14:23).
• There is no evidence of a centralized bishopric or institutional magisterium in the apostolic era.

The idea of a monarchical bishop (one bishop ruling a city or region) developed gradually after the apostolic age, especially by the 2nd and 3rd centuries. This was not part of the original gospel foundation.

🛑 Councils and Institutional Hierarchy Came Later

The first ecumenical council (Nicaea, AD 325) didn’t occur until three centuries after Christ. By that time, the Church had become more structured — partly in response to heresies and political shifts.

While councils clarified doctrine, they were not the foundation. That foundation was always Christ and the message of His kingdom.  

The apostolic Church was founded on Jesus Christ and His gospel, not on institutional structures. Leadership was local and plural, consisting of elders, overseers, and deacons — not centralized under a single bishop. The early Christians looked to Scripture and apostolic teaching as their final authority. Over time, however, the Church gradually developed hierarchical systems, centralized leadership, and reliance on church councils and tradition, which often added to or distorted the original message. As Christian Universalists, we affirm the authority of Scripture alone, uphold the simplicity of the gospel, and accept only the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 — rejecting all later councils insofar as they conflict with the truth revealed in Christ.  

🗣️ So Was the Church Built on Bishops and Councils?

No.
The early Church was built on Jesus Christ, the gospel, and Spirit-empowered communities of faith. Leadership served the mission — it wasn’t the foundation.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God… on this rock I will build my church.”
— Matthew 16:16–18

That “rock” wasn’t a bishopric. It was the confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

A Christian Universalist Response

As Christian Universalists, we affirm the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 as a Spirit-led moment of discernment and unity in the early Church. But we reject the authority of all later ecumenical and institutional councils to the extent that they contradict the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture.

✅ We Accept the Council of Acts 15 — and Why It Matters

The Council recorded in Acts 15 was convened by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to answer one core question:
Must Gentiles become Jews (e.g. be circumcised, keep the Law of Moses) to be saved?

The answer from the apostles was a resounding no:

“We believe that it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
— Acts 15:11

This council upheld salvation by grace through faith in Christ, not by religious law, ritual, or institutional authority. It reaffirmed the simplicity and power of the gospel, and it preserved the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ.

❌ We Reject Later Councils Insofar as They Add to the Gospel

While some later councils defended truth (e.g. affirming Christ’s divinity), others introduced serious distortions:

• Eternal torment as dogma
• Salvation tied to church membership or sacraments
• Veneration of saints or Mary
• Doctrines based more on philosophy or politics than Scripture

We reject these as man-made traditions, not divine revelation.

“You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.”
— Mark 7:13

No council has the authority to redefine the gospel, add conditions for salvation, or override the clear teaching of Scripture.

📖 So What Is the True Gospel?

We know the true gospel is this:

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to save sinners.
Through His life, death, and resurrection, He has defeated sin, death, and all powers of darkness.
Salvation is by grace, through faith — not by works, law, ritual, or human merit.
God’s love is unrelenting, and His purpose is to reconcile all things to Himself in Christ.
His judgments are real, but they are just and restorative, not eternal torture.
In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will joyfully confess:
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10–11)

This gospel is rooted in Scripture — not in man-made creeds or councils. And it is good news for all people, in all times, everywhere.

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…”
— 2 Corinthians 5:19

As Christian Universalists, we honor the courage and conviction of the Protestant Reformers, who stood against corruption, affirmed the supremacy of Scripture, and reclaimed vital truths about grace, faith, and the authority of Christ.

They were right to reject:

• Papal supremacy
• Salvation by works
• The selling of indulgences
• The institutional control of Scripture

However, we also recognize that the Reformation did not go far enough in recovering the full gospel of Jesus Christ.

❌ Retained Doctrines That Contradict God’s Character

Despite their breakthroughs, many Reformers still clung to inherited man-made and harmful doctrines, such as:

• Eternal conscious torment — a view of God as inflicting never-ending punishment on most of humanity
• A limited atonement — as in Calvinism, where Christ died only for the elect
• A fear-based view of salvation, where God’s mercy ends at death

From our perspective, these teachings distort the nature of God, contradict the witness of Scripture, and misrepresent the gospel’s good news for all people.

“Much of what the Reformers recovered was true — but the fire of love still had to burn away the lingering shadows of fear.”

✅ What We Affirm

• We affirm the Reformation cry of Sola Scriptura — when Scripture is rightly interpreted in the light of God’s revealed love in Christ.
• We affirm salvation by grace through faith, not by works or church rituals.
• But we reject any gospel that includes eternal torment or excludes most of humanity from redemption.

🗣️ In Short:

The Reformers were partially right — and God used them to break spiritual chains. But they also carried forward doctrines rooted in fear, not love. Eternal conscious torment is not just mistaken — it is a demonic distortion of God’s nature and the gospel of peace.

“Perfect love casts out fear.” — 1 John 4:18
“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” — 2 Corinthians 5:19

The Reformation helped recover truth. Christian Universalism helps recover the whole gospel.

🔥 End-Times Views Examined from a Christian Universalist Perspective

As Christian Universalists, we affirm the ultimate reconciliation of all things through Christ (Colossians 1:20), but we also take seriously the biblical framework of final judgment, resurrection, and the return of Jesus. This includes a commitment to rightly understanding prophecy and eschatology — the study of the end times.

We believe Scripture supports a premillennial, post-tribulation return of Christ, and we respectfully reject amillennialism and postmillennialism as inconsistent with both the biblical text and God’s redemptive purposes.

❌ Amillennialism Debunked

Amillennialism teaches that there is no literal 1,000-year reign of Christ. Instead, it views the millennium as a symbolic period (the Church age), and Christ’s reign as spiritual and present.

Why We Reject It:

• Revelation 20 clearly describes a future, literal resurrection of the dead (vv. 4–6), followed by Christ reigning with His people.
• The binding of Satan in Revelation 20:1–3 is described as a specific event, not symbolic language for the present Church age.
  → Satan is clearly not bound today (1 Peter 5:8).
• Amillennialism spiritualizes key prophecies and ignores the real, visible return of Christ to rule the nations (Revelation 19:15–16).

❌ Postmillennialism Debunked

Postmillennialism teaches that the world will gradually become more godly through the Church’s influence, and that Christ will return after a “golden age” of righteousness.

Why We Reject It:

The Bible teaches that evil increases leading up to Christ’s return — not decreases:

“Evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse.” — 2 Timothy 3:13

Jesus warned of great tribulation and apostasy, not a global Christian utopia (Matthew 24:9–12).

Revelation portrays the world as hostile to God before Christ’s return — culminating in war against Him (Revelation 19:19).

Postmillennialism puts false hope in human progress and delays Christ’s reign until after human effort succeeds — contrary to the gospel, which proclaims Jesus as King now, and returning soon to set all things right.

✅ Premillennialism Affirmed

Premillennialism holds that Jesus will return before a literal 1,000-year reign on earth, after the great tribulation.

Why We Affirm It:

Revelation 19 shows Jesus returning in glory, followed by Revelation 20’s literal 1,000-year reign.

The first resurrection (Revelation 20:5) precedes the millennium — this means people are raised to reign with Christ physically.

Christ’s coming brings judgment, restoration, and global justice, consistent with prophecies like Isaiah 2:2–4 and Zechariah 14:9.

✅ Post-Tribulation Rapture Affirmed

We reject the pre-tribulation rapture as unbiblical. Scripture clearly teaches that believers will go through tribulation and that the rapture and resurrection occur at Christ’s visible return.

“Immediately after the tribulation... they will see the Son of Man coming... and He will send out His angels... and they will gather His elect.”
— Matthew 24:29–31

“At the last trumpet... the dead will be raised imperishable.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:52

“The Lord Himself will descend... and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16

This is not a secret escape, but a glorious appearing where the saints meet Christ and return with Him to reign — not to leave the earth, but to transform it.

🌍 The Universalist Connection: Why This Matters

We affirm judgment, tribulation, and Christ’s literal return — but we also believe that God's justice is restorative, not eternal torment. The millennium and final judgment lead not to endless separation, but to purification and eventual reconciliation.

The Lake of Fire is real (Revelation 20:15), but it is the second death — not eternal torment.

Death and Hades are destroyed (Revelation 20:14), leading to the end of death itself (1 Corinthians 15:26).

After judgment, the gates of the New Jerusalem are never shut (Revelation 21:25), and the nations are healed by the tree of life (Revelation 22:2).

The millennium is not the end of God’s plan — it is the beginning of the restoration of all things.

Amillennialism and postmillennialism deny or distort the plain reading of Revelation and the prophetic hope of Christ’s return.

Premillennialism and a post-trib rapture best align with the full witness of Scripture.

As Christian Universalists, we affirm that Jesus will return to judge, to reign, and ultimately to restore all through grace and justice.

“He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet… and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:25–26

Even in judgment, the Lamb reigns. And His reign ends not in eternal division, but in universal restoration.

As followers of Jesus committed to the truth of Scripture and the universal scope of His redeeming love, we believe it is vital to evaluate all church traditions — whether Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant — by the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the apostles.

While many of these traditions have preserved important truths and a rich heritage of Christian thought and practice, they have also, at times, obscured or distorted the simplicity and beauty of the gospel.

📖 The Apostolic Standard

The apostle Paul gave a strong warning:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
— Galatians 1:8 (ESV)

The true gospel, as revealed in Scripture, is that salvation is the work of God through Christ alone, given freely by grace — not earned through merit, rituals, or religious institutions. It is good news for all people (Luke 2:10), not just a select few.

🕊️ Where Institutions Have Gone Wrong

Throughout history, some church institutions have introduced teachings that add human effort, fear, and hierarchy to the gospel. These include:

Systems of merit-based salvation (earning grace through sacraments, works, or religious obligations)

Teachings that limit God’s grace to a chosen few, denying His will to save all

The doctrine of eternal conscious torment, which portrays God's justice without His restorative purpose

While often sincere, these teachings can lead believers away from the heart of the gospel — that God is love, and that Christ came to seek and save the lost, not to condemn the world (John 3:17).

✅ Honoring Reform, Seeking Restoration

We acknowledge and appreciate what the Protestant Reformers recovered:

• The authority of Scripture
• Justification by faith
• A call to spiritual renewal and accountability

But we also recognize that many Reformers retained doctrines that continue to hinder a full understanding of God's redemptive plan — particularly the idea of eternal punishment without end, and exclusivist theology that limits Christ’s victory.

As Christian Universalists, we believe that Christ’s atoning work is sufficient for all — and that God will reconcile all things to Himself (Colossians 1:20).

✝️ A Better Way: Returning to Christ

We are not here to condemn churches or individuals, but to call the global body of Christ back to the pure, liberating, and hope-filled gospel:

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:19

This is the gospel we seek to uphold — not by rejecting all tradition, but by submitting all tradition to the lordship of Christ and the truth of Scripture.

Gregory of Nyssa understood the “unforgivable sin” of blaspheming the Holy Spirit not as a single act or careless word, but as a persistent refusal to accept the Spirit’s purifying and healing work within the soul. For him, the sin is called “unforgivable” not because God withholds grace, but because the person resists the only remedy available, thereby preventing forgiveness from taking effect. In this life, such resistance leaves the soul unhealed, and in the life to come it requires a severe process of purification through fire and correction. Within Gregory’s universalist framework, even this sin does not result in eternal damnation, but rather in a longer and more painful purification, since God’s love will ultimately overcome all resistance and bring every soul to reconciliation.

🔍 1. Meaning of “Unforgivable Sin”

In Mark 3:29, the Greek phrase translated “eternal sin” actually uses the adjective aionios, which means “age‑long” or “pertaining to an age”, not an endless duration (triumphofmercy.com).

Matthew 12:31‑32 speaks of this sin not being forgiven “in this age or in the age to come”—suggesting a time‑bounded period (mercyonall.org).

Universalists argue that these phrases describe a punishment within a limited timeframe, not perpetuity.

🧠 2. Universalist Interpretations (from Christian Universalist sources & community)

✳️ Age‑long, not eternal:

One explanation: the sin is “unforgivable in this age,” but not necessarily beyond all future ages (Reddit).

Another sees “[no] excuse throughout the age” as indicating limited duration, not the absolute permanence often assumed in traditional translations (Reddit).

✳️ Punishment, not permanent exclusion:

As one universalist puts it:

“Eternal is the wrong translation … Jesus would never say that any sin is unforgivable … it was a sin unique to time and circumstance” (Reddit, Reddit).

Another explains:

“You will have to suffer some determinate amount of time in the consuming fire… But the unforgivability does not imply eternal damnation” (Reddit).

Some interpret the sin as a willful hardness of heart—an ongoing rejection of the Spirit—not something God eventually cannot forgive if the person turns around (Reddit).

✴️ 3. Theological Framework: Corrective and Restorative Punishment

Christian Universalists view hell—as depicted in the Old Testament and early Church—as temporary and remedial, aimed at turning hearts back to God (Wikipedia).

The sin against the Holy Spirit may not be forgiven immediately, but it still falls under corrective judgment that ultimately reconciles (after its due debt is paid) (Monergism).

As Matthew Roark summarizes:

The sin’s consequences may span this age and the next—but do not stretch beyond them (mercyonall.org).

✅ Summary  

Christian Universalists argue that the "unforgivable" nature of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Matthew 12:31–32 and Mark 3:29, does not imply eternal damnation but rather a punishment limited to “this age or the age to come.” The Greek word often translated as “eternal” (aionios) more accurately refers to an age or long period, not endless time. Therefore, the judgment is seen as age-long and corrective, not infinite or vindictive. While this sin may result in serious consequences—possibly extending through this life and the next—it is not viewed as permanently excluding anyone from God's grace. Instead, Universalists affirm that all divine judgment ultimately aims at restoration, and even those who resist the Spirit now may be reconciled to God in the fullness of time.

📖 Sample Text from Universalist Sources

One article summarizes:

“The Christian Universalist will insist … that the noun and adjective should always be translated in a manner conveying an indefinite (but limited) amount of time … except … when applied to God” (mercyonall.org, Wikipedia, triumphofmercy.com).

🎯 Final Points

• Christian Universalism affirms Jesus’ words about the severity of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—but interprets them within an age‑long view, not an endless hell.
• The sin may require time in divine correction, but Universalists know that at the end, God’s mercy prevails, and no one remains forever excluded.
• Rather than eternal torment, Christians are invited to see the blasphemy as a sign of a heart resistant to transformation, not an unchanging decree.

A Christian Universalist Critique Through Middle Knowledge  

Christian Universalists affirm that salvation is ultimately for all—through Christ’s work alone—not through any human ritual or external act. From this lens, the idea that water baptism is required in order to be saved (as some teach in the Church of Christ or certain sectarian groups) is viewed as a works-based addition to the gospel, undermining both the sufficiency of grace and the universality of God's redemptive will.

🔹 Theological Error: Making Salvation Conditional on a Ritual

Water baptism is undoubtedly important in Christian tradition—Jesus was baptized, and the early church practiced it. However, to make it a prerequisite for salvation (as if those who are not water-baptized are damned) raises several issues:

• Contradicts Grace:
  Salvation is "not by works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9). Requiring a physical act implies a meritorious system, which contradicts the nature of grace.
• Limits God's Power to Circumstances:
  From a Middle Knowledge view, God knows who would choose Him freely under any circumstance, even if they never had the opportunity to be baptized (e.g., due to death, persecution, ignorance, etc.).
• Creates Injustice in Application:
  If salvation were dependent on water baptism, what of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43)? What of infants, or those in regions without access to Christian teaching?

🔹 Middle Knowledge & Divine Fairness

Middle Knowledge (Molinism) affirms that God knows all counterfactuals of creaturely freedom—what any free creature would do in any situation. In this light:

• God knows who would have received baptism in faith had they been given the chance.
• Therefore, lack of baptism does not bar someone from salvation, because God’s judgment is based on deeper knowledge of the heart and will—not on outward rituals alone.

This view allows for a non-random, just, and universal application of salvation grounded in divine omniscience and compassion.

🔹 Christian Universalism: Salvation is Ultimate, Not Instantaneous

Christian Universalists believe that all will be saved, though not all at once. Even if someone dies unbaptized or unreconciled, God’s refining judgment (like fire) will purify them in the age to come (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:13–15).

From this perspective:

• Water baptism is a beautiful symbol of repentance, faith, and death to sin.
• But it is not a cosmic gatekeeper to God’s mercy.
• Making it a requirement for salvation places undue weight on a human act, and is viewed as a subtle form of legalism.

✅ Summary Statement

To insist that water baptism is necessary for salvation is, from a Christian Universalist and Middle Knowledge perspective, a distortion of the gospel. It imposes a temporal ritual as a condition on eternal grace, and ignores God's ability to save based on what He knows people would do if they had full knowledge and opportunity. God’s love and justice are not limited by human rituals—but are infinitely wise, restorative, and universal.

Faith as Trust, Not Merit – A Christian Universalist and Middle Knowledge Perspective

In debates about salvation and grace, a common concern arises: If people must believe in order to be saved, isn't that a "work"?
The answer from both classical Christian theology and Christian Universalist thought is a firm no—faith is not a work. Rather, it is the God-enabled response of the human heart, rooted in trust, not merit. Let's explore why.

🔹 What Is “Faith”?

In Scripture, faith (Greek: pistis) refers primarily to trust or confidence in God’s character and promises, not performance or achievement.

• Ephesians 2:8–9 says:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast.”

Faith is explicitly distinguished from works. It is the reception of a gift, not the earning of one.

🔹 Faith Is Non-Meritorious

Faith does not earn salvation; it simply receives it. Theologians often use the analogy of an empty hand:

“Faith is the hand that receives the gift; it contributes nothing to the value of the gift.”

Believing is not something we present to God as currency—it is the absence of self-sufficiency, the confession of need.

🔹 Faith Originates in Grace

From a Middle Knowledge perspective (Molinism), God knows who would respond to His grace under any circumstances, even if they never hear the gospel in this life.

In this view:

• Faith is enabled by prevenient grace—the grace that goes before.
• No one initiates faith apart from God’s drawing (John 6:44).
• Therefore, believing is not a human-generated work, but a Spirit-enabled response to revelation.

Even in the Christian Universalist view—where all are eventually saved—faith still plays a role in aligning the soul with truth. But its origin lies in God, not in human willpower alone.

🔹 Romans 4: Faith vs. Works

Paul makes a clear distinction:

“Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 4:4–5)

• Faith is contrasted with work.
• Believing does not obligate God; it acknowledges that only God can save.

🔹 Christian Universalism: Faith and Timing

Christian Universalists affirm that all will come to believe, even if not in this life.

Believing is not a qualification to enter salvation but a transformative recognition of truth.

In this view, faith is part of sanctification and reconciliation, not an entrance fee.

Eventually, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess…” (Philippians 2:10–11)—not because people are forced, but because they will come to trust and love.

✅ Summary Statement

Believing is not a work because it does not earn salvation—it merely receives it. It is not merit but surrender; not achievement but trust. From a Christian Universalist and Middle Knowledge perspective, belief is a grace-enabled response that flows from God’s initiative, not man’s performance. Far from being a “work,” faith is the very opposite: the abandonment of works in favor of trusting God entirely.

Faith as God’s Work – A Christian Universalist & Middle Knowledge Perspective

Scripture: John 6:28–29 (ESV)

• Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
• Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

🟠 The Question: What Must We Do?

The people asked Jesus, “What must we do to be doing the works of God?”

They were thinking in terms of performance—expecting a list of religious tasks or laws to obey to earn divine approval.

But Jesus shifts the focus entirely.

🟢 The Answer: Belief, Not Performance

Jesus responds:

“This is the work of God: that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

He doesn’t tell them to follow rituals or perform duties.

Instead, He directs them to believe—to place their trust in Him, the One sent by the Father.

Yet He also calls this belief “the work of God”—not man.

🔵 What Does “The Work of God” Mean?

From both Christian Universalist and Molinist (Middle Knowledge) perspectives, this means:

🔹 God is the initiator of faith.

🔹 Faith is not a human-generated work, but a grace-enabled response.

🔹 The ability to believe is part of prevenient grace—grace that comes before any human action.

In Molinism, God knows who would freely respond to His grace in any possible circumstance.

In Christian Universalism, all eventually come to faith, but not because they earn it—because God lovingly leads them to truth.

Faith Is Not a Work — It’s Trust

This passage reaffirms that faith is not a meritorious act.

It is not something we give to God—it is something God does in us.

📝 “You think you need to perform works to please God. But the only thing God desires is that you trust Me—and even that trust is a gift from Him.”

✅ Faith as Surrender, Not Effort

John 6:28–29 clearly shows that believing is not a work in the traditional sense.

It is the opposite of self-effort—it is surrender to grace.

From both the Middle Knowledge and Universalist views:

• Faith originates in God’s initiative
• It is Spirit-enabled, not self-powered
• It is given to all—though its recognition may come at different times

Faith is not about earning God’s love. It’s about receiving it.

✨ "This is the work of God: that you believe..."

A gift, not a requirement.

Why Apostolic Truth Is Found in Scripture—Not in Big Buildings or Religious Institutions

Acts 17 as a Biblical Rebuke of Ecclesiastical Power

📖 Acts 17:24–25 (ESV)

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”

🟠 Paul Preaches Against Institutional Religion

When Paul stood on Mars Hill (Areopagus), he wasn't impressed by Athens’ majestic religious structures. He did not praise their ornate temples or liturgical traditions. He confronted them:

Their religion was based on superstition and philosophy without truth (Acts 17:22).

Their temples and rituals could not house or please God.

Instead, God calls all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30)—not to build cathedrals.

Conclusion:

Paul’s apostolic preaching stood outside of religious buildings.

He preached in synagogues, marketplaces, homes—not palaces of power.

🟢 Apostolic Doctrine Is Rooted in Scripture, Not Bishops

Nowhere in Acts 17—or the rest of Scripture—do we find bishops reigning over cities or regions. There is:

• No pope. The term pope means bishop, and Peter was never called this in Scripture.
• No succession of ecclesiastical thrones. Paul doesn’t urge loyalty to a bishopric—he urges loyalty to Christ.
• No holy cities or power centers. The gospel spreads through Spirit-filled preaching, not institutional hierarchy.

📝 Apostolicity is not about lineage of ordination—it’s about fidelity to the gospel and Scripture.

🔴 Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Other Groups Refuted by Christ

Eastern Orthodoxy, like Roman Catholicism, clings to buildings, robes, relics, incense, and hierarchy. But Paul’s message in Acts 17 cuts through it all:

• “God is not served by human hands.”
• “He does not live in temples made by man.”
• Christ destroys these forms of spiritual death by offering resurrection through truth and reason.

“Now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed…”“Now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed…” (Acts 17:30–31)

God does not recognize an Orthodox patriarch, a Roman pope, or a bishopric succession.

He recognizes faith, repentance, and truth revealed by the Spirit through Scripture.

🔵 The Holy Spirit Empowers Truth, Not Institutions

Paul reasons with the philosophers—not with appeals to tradition, but with rational discourse and Scripture.

This is the model for the Church today:

• Preach Christ, not a building.
• Reason from the Word, not from councils.
• Call people to repentance, not to a denomination.

✅ Summary: Apostolic Faith Is Scriptural, Not Institutional

Acts 17 destroys the myth that the early church was about bishops and buildings.

It proves:

• Apostolic faith comes from Scripture and the Spirit, not apostolic succession.
• God does not dwell in cathedrals, but in the hearts of believers.
•  Paul did not preach to defend institutions, but to proclaim the risen Christ.

✨ The true Church of Christ has no throne but His. No pope but the Spirit. No building but the Body.