Slides for a talk on universalism

1. will all be saved?

2. Two main forms:

3. Two main forms:
All religions lead to God

4. Two main forms:
All religions lead to God
God through Jesus has accomplished
salvation for all

5. Advantages

6. Advantages
•No evangelism

7. Advantages
•No evangelism
•We can do what we want

8. Advantages
•No evangelism
•We can do what we want
•We can believe what we like

9. Advantages
•No evangelism
•We can do what we want
•We can believe what we like
•We can ignore the hard teachings of Jesus

10. Advantages
•No evangelism
•We can do what we want
•We can believe what we like
•We can ignore the hard teachings of Jesus
•We don’t have to take discipleship seriously

14. Mahatma Ghandi:
“My position is that
all the great religions
are fundamentally
equal.”

15. Ramakrishna:
“Truth is one;
sages call it
by various
names”.

17. Pluralism

18. Inclusivism Pluralism

19. Exclusivism Inclusivism Pluralism

20. Exclusivism Inclusivism Pluralism
All religions
lead to God

21. Exclusivism Inclusivism Pluralism
In Christ all All religions
are saved lead to God

22. God
Humanity

23. God
knowledge
Humanity

24. God
knowledgeasceticism
Humanity

25. God
good deeds
knowledgeasceticism
Humanity

26. God
good deeds
knowledgeasceticism
morality
Humanity

27. God
good deeds
knowledgeasceticism
morality
power
Humanity

28. God
good deeds
asceticism
morality
power
Humanity

29. God
good deeds
morality
power
Humanity

30. God
morality
power
Humanity

31. God
power
Humanity

32. God
Humanity

33. God
Humanity

34. Inclusivism
Exclusivism Pluralism

35. Gavin D’Costa:
"The pluralist is in
fact, no different from
the exclusivist, except
in the criteria
employed for what
counts as truth."

36. Texts that (appear to) support universalism

37. Texts that (appear to) support universalism
I Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be
made alive.

38. Texts that (appear to) support universalism
I Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be
made alive.
Colossians 1:20.19For in him [Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth
or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

39. Texts that (appear to) support universalism
I Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be
made alive.
Colossians 1:20.19For in him [Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth
or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Romans 5:18: 18Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all
men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all
men. 19For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

40. Texts that (appear to) support universalism
I Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be
made alive.
Colossians 1:20.19For in him [Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth
or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Romans 5:18: 18Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all
men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all
men. 19For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
one man's obedience many will be made righteous.
Romans 11:32: For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may
be merciful to all.

41. Some problems with universalism

42. Some problems with universalism
1. It undermines the need for evangelism

43. Some problems with universalism
1. It undermines the need for evangelism
2. It undermines the need for discipleship

44. Some problems with universalism
1. It undermines the need for evangelism
2. It undermines the need for discipleship
3. Undermines the biblical teaching on hell

48. revelation

49. Creational
revelation

50. Creational
Scriptural revelation

51. Creational
Scriptural
Incarnational
revelation

53. “If the gospel is to challenge the public life of
our society, if Christians are to occupy the
“high ground” which they vacated in the noon
time of “modernity,” it will not be by forming a
Christian political party, or by aggressive
propaganda campaigns. Once again it has to
be said that there can be no going back to the
“Constantinian” era. It will only be by
movements that begin with the local
congregation in which the reality of the new
creation is present, known, and experienced,
and from which men and women will go into
every sector of public life to claim it for Christ,
to unmask the illusions which have remained
hidden and to expose all areas of public life to
the illumination of the gospel. But that will only
happen as and when local congregations
renounce an introverted concern for their own
life, and recognize that they exist for the sake
of those who are not members, as sign,
instrument, and foretaste of Godʼs redeeming
grace for the whole life of society.”

54. “If the gospel is to challenge the public life of
our society, if Christians are to occupy the
“high ground” which they vacated in the noon
time of “modernity,” it will not be by forming a
Christian political party, or by aggressive
propaganda campaigns. Once again it has to
be said that there can be no going back to the
“Constantinian” era. It will only be by
movements that begin with the local
congregation in which the reality of the new
creation is present, known, and experienced,
and from which men and women will go into
every sector of public life to claim it for Christ,
to unmask the illusions which have remained
hidden and to expose all areas of public life to
the illumination of the gospel. But that will only
happen as and when local congregations
renounce an introverted concern for their own
life, and recognize that they exist for the sake
of those who are not members, as sign,
instrument, and foretaste of Godʼs redeeming
grace for the whole life of society.”

55. “If the gospel is to challenge the public life of
our society, if Christians are to occupy the
“high ground” which they vacated in the noon
time of “modernity,” it will not be by forming a
Christian political party, or by aggressive
propaganda campaigns. Once again it has to
be said that there can be no going back to the
“Constantinian” era. It will only be by
movements that begin with the local
congregation in which the reality of the new
creation is present, known, and experienced,
and from which men and women will go into
every sector of public life to claim it for Christ,
to unmask the illusions which have remained
hidden and to expose all areas of public life to
the illumination of the gospel. But that will only
happen as and when local congregations
renounce an introverted concern for their own
life, and recognize that they exist for the sake
of those who are not members, as sign,
instrument, and foretaste of Godʼs redeeming
grace for the whole life of society.”

56. “If the gospel is to challenge the public life of
our society, if Christians are to occupy the
“high ground” which they vacated in the noon
time of “modernity,” it will not be by forming a
Christian political party, or by aggressive
propaganda campaigns. Once again it has to
be said that there can be no going back to the
“Constantinian” era. It will only be by
movements that begin with the local
congregation in which the reality of the new
creation is present, known, and experienced,
and from which men and women will go into
every sector of public life to claim it for Christ,
to unmask the illusions which have remained
hidden and to expose all areas of public life to
the illumination of the gospel. But that will
only happen as and when local
congregations renounce an introverted
concern for their own life, and recognize that
they exist for the sake of those who are not
members, as sign, instrument, and foretaste of
Godʼs redeeming grace for the whole life of
society.”

57. “If the gospel is to challenge the public life of
our society, if Christians are to occupy the
“high ground” which they vacated in the noon
time of “modernity,” it will not be by forming a
Christian political party, or by aggressive
propaganda campaigns. Once again it has to
be said that there can be no going back to the
“Constantinian” era. It will only be by
movements that begin with the local
congregation in which the reality of the new
creation is present, known, and experienced,
and from which men and women will go into
every sector of public life to claim it for Christ,
to unmask the illusions which have remained
hidden and to expose all areas of public life to
the illumination of the gospel. But that will only
happen as and when local congregations
renounce an introverted concern for their own
life, and recognize that they exist for the sake
of those who are not members, as sign,
instrument, and foretaste of Godʼs redeeming
grace for the whole life of society.”