Recently, one of my friends sent me a link to a video of Pastor John Piper walking through Colossians 1:19-20 as part of his “Look at the Book” series. In his explanation of the passage, Piper mentioned that some people point to this passage to defend their belief in Christian Universalism. He went on to condemn Christian Universalism as an utterly unbiblical position. My friend asked me: “How would you respond to this?”
Here is what I wrote to my friend:
Two Threads in the Bible
Piper is certainly right about the plethora of passages in both the Old and New Testaments that affirm the urgent, heavy reality of God’s sovereign judgment of the wicked. But is he right to appeal to these texts as ruling out the possibility of a future reconciliation of all? While Piper quoted passages that appear to teach an eternal hell, he did not mention the long list of verses that universalists would argue teach ultimate reconciliation. For example:
Romans 5:18 (ESV): "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."
Romans 11:32 (ESV): "For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all."
Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV): "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
1 John 2:2 (ESV): "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
(For a much longer list, see Universalism in Scripture.)
The Bible appears on face value to affirm both an eternal judgment for some and an ultimate reconciliation for all. As Robin Parry points out, “At the heart of the biblical debate [over universalism] is how we hold these two threads together.” The traditional route is to “start with the hell passages and reread the universalist texts in the light of them.” But is there another way? What if “We start with universalist passages and reinterpret the hell texts in the light of them?”
Such is the case of the Christian Universalist. In these glorious texts, we believe God Himself gives an unshakeable promise:
And the promise is beautiful: God—through His Son, Jesus Christ—will reconcile the whole universe, including every single person, to a loving relationship with Himself. Despair and decay, sickness and suffering, all the brokenness of our bodies and our relationships will be healed. Even death, and all the sorrow that accompanies it, will cease to be. God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, will make the whole universe new. Sin will end. All people will be reconciled to God and to each other. This is the Good News!
It is a breathtaking vision. If it is indeed true, it is news that every Christian should enthusiastically embrace. But many Christians, including John Piper, are convinced the Bible does not teach this good news. In the following paragraphs I hope to address some of his concerns. I’ll start with the first passionate objection raised by Piper.
God Will Not Let Wicked Sinners into Heaven
In the Look at the Book study, John Piper expresses strong disagreement with any interpretation of Colossians 1:19-20 that envisions God saving “sinners that are impenitent.” Piper wants to make it clear that God will not welcome Sin-loving, Gospel-rejecting rebels into His Kingdom without a change in their hearts. I agree with Piper. In fact, all Christian Universalists agree on this point. Consider these quotes from two well-known Christian universalists:
“[That] only those who have heard the Word of reconciliation and have gladly accepted it will experience reconciliation in the full redemptive sense [is a] a premise which Christian universalists also accept, even insist upon” (Thomas Talbott on Colossians 1:19-20 in The Inescapable Love of God, 64).
“Christian universalists deny pluralism. They insist that salvation is found only through the atoning work of Christ. Without Jesus nobody would be redeemed!” (Robin Parry).
Of course, this “Evangelical Universalism” depends on the offer of additional chances to accept Jesus after one’s death. Many exclusivists will push back on this point, often arguing primarily on the basis of Hebrews 9:27 and Luke 16:19-31 that there are no second chances after death. However, Hebrews 9:27 simply states there is judgment after death. Every evangelical universalist can wholeheartedly affirm this without giving up their universalism. Luke 16:19-31 potentially presents a stronger argument against chances of salvation after death; nevertheless, it falls short of a clear teaching that would out rule the possibility of Christ reaching across the chasm and bringing people to Himself.
Personally, I do not find any verses in the Bible that straightforwardly teach the opportunity for repentance after death. But this does not shake my universalism. I agree with Keith DeRose when he writes, “My belief in universalism is not based on my belief in further chances; rather, it’s the other way around.”
While I affirm post-mortem salvation, I also affirm post-mortem judgment for those who die in rebellion against Christ. The Bible clearly teaches the existence of a place of judgment for the wicked. I do not deny the existence of hell. I do deny the teaching that hell is never-ending. As Daniel O’Brien summarizes nicely:
“[Christian universalists] may unabashedly believe in the capacity for sin to bring death while simultaneously emphasizing that ‘the last enemy to be destroyed is death.’ Both death and hell are present in Christian universalism but are never permanent states because of Christ’s victory over them.”
What about “Forever”?
Throughout the Bible, “forever” is often used in ways that make it clear “forever” does not always mean “eternal.” For a succinct example from a short passage, consider Isaiah 32:14-15. In Isaiah 32:14-15, Isaiah prophecies coming judgment and subsequent restoration:
“For the palace will be deserted, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become barren places forever, the joy of wild donkeys, and a pasture for flocks, until the Spirit from on High is poured out on us. Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the orchard” (CSB).
Isaiah speaks of the judgment as lasting forever to highlight the hopelessness of those caught in their sin; we cannot escape the consuming fire of God’s holy wrath (see Isaiah 33:14). We must wander forever in the desert of our own making. Yet “forever” does not limit God. His relentless love poured out through His Spirit transforms the desert into an Edenic garden. This motif of “eternal” judgment followed by restoration is found throughout the Old Testament prophets (for example, judgment in Jeremiah 25:9 followed by restoration in Jeremiah 31:34).
The Greek word used in the Septuagint in these verses for “forever” is “aiōn,” the same word often used in the New Testament to refer to describe the judgment of the coming age (“aiōn” is used in all of the passages Piper quotes: Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, and Revelation 14:11). Jesus, Paul, and John were intimately familiar with the Jewish Scriptures (both in Hebrew and Greek), as were most of their audience. In many cases their words about the coming judgment are direct allusions to these Old Testament passages.
Piper refers to “forever and ever” (Revelation 14:11) as “the strongest expression of eternity in the Bible.” Because of Piper’s absolute confidence this verse teaches eternal conscious torment, it is worth spending some extra time on this passage. John is combining language of judgment from Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isaiah 34:10, Jeremiah 51:25-26). The context of Revelation 13-18 is a direct and extended allusion to Jeremiah 51 (compare Revelation 14:8 to Jeremiah 51:7, Revelation 14:14-20 to Jeremiah 51:33, Revelation 18:21-24 to Jeremiah 51:61-64, Revelation 18:20 to Jeremiah 51:48). Jeremiah wrote his message of judgment to call God’s people to forsake their ties to the pagan Babylon and persevere in holiness and hope:
“Come out from among her, My people! Save your lives, each of you, from the LORD’s burning anger. May you not become cowardly and fearful when the report is proclaimed in the land, for the report will come one year, and then another the next year. There will be violence in the land with ruler against ruler” (Jeremiah 51:45-46, CSB).
Likewise, the point of these chapters in Revelation is not to teach an eternal hell, but to call God’s people to persevere in holiness amidst the world’s evil. “This calls for endurance from the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus” (Revelation 14:12, CSB). “Come out of [Babylon], my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4, CSB).
As for the specific phrase, “forever and ever,” it must be understood as an example of the hyperbole that characterized the prophetic, apocalyptic literature. The inadequacy of a simplistic literal interpretation can be clearly seen by considering a parallel passage, Isaiah 34:9-10:
“[Edom's] streams will be turned into pitch, her soil into sulfur; her land will become burning pitch. It will never go out-day or night. Its smoke will go up forever. It will be desolate, from generation to generation; no one will pass through it forever and ever” (CSB).
Edom was destroyed in the 6th century BC by the Babylonians. Is the soil still pitch? Has no one ever again passed through the land? And if one insists the soil and rivers are literally consumed in unending fire, how do you explain the presence of the animals—the birds, goats, and hyenas—in the land (34:11-17)? It is obvious we are not meant to understand Isaiah’s words here as woodenly literal. Rather we are to come away with a profound impression of the utter destruction and chaos of the judgment.
Another clue for interpreting Revelation 14:11 is found in the previous verse. John refers to the judgment as “the cup of [God’s] anger” (14:10, CSB). The analogy of a cup is an odd choice to describe an unending judgment, but makes perfect sense when applied to an intense, but limited period of fire (consider Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane: Matthew 26:39, 42). Confirming this, Revelation 15:1 explicitly declares, “God’s wrath [against the worshipers of the beast] will be completed.”
Conclusion
I have great respect for Pastor John Piper. I enjoy his energetic preaching and I deeply admire his evident love for Scripture. For years, he has faithfully proclaimed that God is bigger and better than we often think. But the happy twist is this: God is bigger and better than even Piper realizes. God is the Good Father who desires the salvation of all of His children and He will go to any lengths to bring them home. Someday Piper will no longer seek to minimize God’s infinite love and grace; instead, he will revel in a fuller understanding of God’s goodness. I look forward to joining him in that eternal celebration!
