GOD HAS A RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER HE PLEASES . . . WE NEED TO ASK GOD TO HELP US THINK RIGHTLY ABOUT HELL - Francis Chan
There are so many response books coming out on Rob Bell's book "Love Wins." Obviously Bell's book hit a nerve within the Christian community. One of the more popular books I am currently reading is Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle's "Erasing Hell." I for one after reading Bell's book would like to say that Rob Bell did not erase hell, but he did soften it and possibly tried to empty it of its finality. Does hell matter? Chan and Sprinkle certainly think so and say it does matter. One may wonder if this doctrine actually effects a person's personal salvation or not but how we practice our faith in regards to others around us may very well impact their salvation!
Where Bell's book convicted me the most is the hypocrisy of the traditional viewpoint that doesn't seem to stir people to witness to other people about their faith in Christ anymore than it does people who profess faith in Christ and do not believe in hell. Bell's book is a 'wake up" call for anyone who wants to think deeply about these issues rather than simply ignoring them or not thinking about them at all.
There is a profound humility and honesty in Chan's and Sprinkle's book which is refreshing. They may deal with history and biblical exposition on contested biblical passages better than Bell but there still seems to be a popularized version of Evangelical interpretation of history that I for one find problematic.
For example, Origen's universalism is so different than later eighteenth century enlightenment thinkers that it is really not fair to link them together in some way. Origen is an early Christian martyr and early church father. Again, I find it troubling to link the condemnation of later Origenists (who miscontrued Origen's teachings) to somehow to Origen himself (which the early council did but the long history itself actually tells a different story). One of the ways to learn from Origen in being a disciple of Jesus is how intellectually credible Origen made his Christian views to the people of his day and even how he was willing to be torutured and killed for his Christian faith. How many Christians are willing to risk all for the gospel of Jesus Christ? If Origen is a universalist, I wish there were more like him! Where are those Christians who take a more tradititional take on hell when it comes to sharing one's faith and laying one life down for others?
I would love to hear a conversation between Rob Bell and Francis Chan because I cannot help but wonder if they are not talking past each other on some of these very important issues.
There are so many response books coming out on Rob Bell's book "Love Wins." Obviously Bell's book hit a nerve within the Christian community. One of the more popular books I am currently reading is Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle's "Erasing Hell." I for one after reading Bell's book would like to say that Rob Bell did not erase hell, but he did soften it and possibly tried to empty it of its finality. Does hell matter? Chan and Sprinkle certainly think so and say it does matter. One may wonder if this doctrine actually effects a person's personal salvation or not but how we practice our faith in regards to others around us may very well impact their salvation!
Where Bell's book convicted me the most is the hypocrisy of the traditional viewpoint that doesn't seem to stir people to witness to other people about their faith in Christ anymore than it does people who profess faith in Christ and do not believe in hell. Bell's book is a 'wake up" call for anyone who wants to think deeply about these issues rather than simply ignoring them or not thinking about them at all.
There is a profound humility and honesty in Chan's and Sprinkle's book which is refreshing. They may deal with history and biblical exposition on contested biblical passages better than Bell but there still seems to be a popularized version of Evangelical interpretation of history that I for one find problematic.
For example, Origen's universalism is so different than later eighteenth century enlightenment thinkers that it is really not fair to link them together in some way. Origen is an early Christian martyr and early church father. Again, I find it troubling to link the condemnation of later Origenists (who miscontrued Origen's teachings) to somehow to Origen himself (which the early council did but the long history itself actually tells a different story). One of the ways to learn from Origen in being a disciple of Jesus is how intellectually credible Origen made his Christian views to the people of his day and even how he was willing to be torutured and killed for his Christian faith. How many Christians are willing to risk all for the gospel of Jesus Christ? If Origen is a universalist, I wish there were more like him! Where are those Christians who take a more tradititional take on hell when it comes to sharing one's faith and laying one life down for others?
I would love to hear a conversation between Rob Bell and Francis Chan because I cannot help but wonder if they are not talking past each other on some of these very important issues.
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