RE: Father Ben Jeffries Excellent Article on Universalism

Over on The North American Anglican, an ACNA Priest has written an excellent article in response to David Bentley Hart’s book That All Shall Be Saved.

Fr. Ben Jeffries argues that Universalism is a Hydra-type heresy with multiple heads that needs to be countered and resisted.

When I was converting to Eastern Orthodoxy, my Intro to Orthodoxy class advocated one such “Hydra Head” Titled “Dare We Hope for the Salvation of All?”

The three Hydra Heads mentioned are straight up Universalism proper, Annihilationism, and hoping for the salvation of everyone, as mentioned directly above.

Fr. Ben is seeking to defend scripture by countering the current Universalism stampede.

Where I currently fall in this debate is as follows:

Like any parent, it is needful that God sometimes uses carrots, and sometimes uses sticks when it comes to the toolbox of motivation.

I’m with Fr. Ben when he argues forcefully against “Straight Up Universalism.”  I believe that unfortunately, hell will indeed be populated.  This is a fearful thing, and should remind us that there is  a hell to shun, and heaven to gain.

How I deal with / understand the firm, scripture-based arguments in support of a populated, eternal hell, is as follows.

God is absolutely good, and being absolutely good, has the prerogative to do what He deems wise and fitting.

He can, therefore, make exceptions to any laws or rules that He has established without violating His Goodness.  God, being a good and perfect Tree of Life by definition only bears good fruit.

In Him there is no darkness at all.

Let God be True and Every Man a Liar.

God is Good, and the lover of mankind.

Who are you, oh man, to talk back to God?

With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

So, I believe, along with Father Ben, that God working through the men who wrote down the Holy Scriptures, included the admonishments about hell on purpose and with goodly intent as a wise and caring Heavenly Father.  However, some of my conclusions differ from the one’s he reached in his article.  A high view and respect for Holy Scripture is completely mandatory for faithful Christians, but this can play out differently than what Fr. Ben concludes as a result.

These frightening scriptures about hell are meant to motivate us towards Godly living and Repentance.  This does not mean, however, that God binds himself by these scriptures, because He is totally a Free Agent.

This is why The Eastern Orthodox believe, along with Anglican writer C.S. Lewis, that people can be prayed out of hell, and that some people actually in Hell can be redeemed, even after their death.  C.S. Lewis The Great Divorce and the examples of the ghostly beings found within the pages come to mind.

God can, if He so chooses, annihilate those who are eternally lost.  If we as human beings put even our suffering animals out of their misery, what do you suppose God might do, being kinder and greater then the very best among us?

We are worth infinitely more than sparrows and animals, and The Lord, being good, is not blind and callous to the sufferings of others.

What did Jesus say?  “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children . . .”

I personally have concluded the following things, because everyone has to by necessity come to useful conclusions about these matters.

First, we can hope for the salvation of some, perhaps even many, but not all.

“Hoping for the salvation of all” should be seen as a hyperbolic statement, only.

God is free to Annihilate lost souls if He so chooses, but we don’t know whether He will or won’t do this.  Again, another matter way above our pay grades.

God is free at all times to alter or make exceptions to anything He has ordained, being the only truly free and non-contingent person / being in the universe.  He is the final and righteous Judge, and His judgements are true, and altogether righteous, based on His Holy and utterly good character.

So if He ultimately acts in a way that seemingly contradicts what He has inspired in Holy Writ, Holy Scripture, that is once again, His sole prerogative.

This is a paradox, and we should not be surprised or astonished by such paradoxes.

Our Holy Faith is full of these.

God in His mercy is likely to do many unexpected things at the Final Judgement, and these things are firmly above our pay grade.

God is great, and worthy to be praised, Amen!