Chapter 3 ALL ARE . . . SOME ARE NOT
In this chapter we will examine the evidence for Biblical Fact # 3:
“We must accept the so-called ‘universalistic’ texts as written. We may allow only those exceptions that are necessarily imposed upon these passages from the broader context of the Scriptures as a whole.”
It looks like we painted ourselves into a corner. Posting 1 concluded that the so-called "universalistic" texts speak of a certain-to-be-realized salvation in terms of all persons. Posting 2 recognizes that some persons will not be saved. These two biblical facts certainly appear to contradict each other.
The title of this third Posting purposefully reflects this dilemma─Posting 1 says, “All Are,” while Posting 2 says, “Some Are Not.” Can the Bible say both “all are” and “some are not”?
UNIVERSAL STATEMENTS
This apparent contradiction does not arise out the premise of Evangelical Inclusivism: “All persons are elect in Christ except those who the Bible expressly declares will be finally lost.” It arises from the fact that the three main branches of Christian theology (Arminianism, Calvinism, and Universalism) have failed to recognize the basic difference between “universal statements” and “generalizations.” These are often confused but there is a world of difference between them.
This study consistently refers to the texts listed in Posting 1 as the so-called “universalistic” texts. This is because they are not true universals, they are generalizations. True universal declarations allow no exceptions. Generalizations are universal declarations that have known exceptions.
Generalizations are often used in the Bible, as well as in other literature. They are far more common than universals. This failure to recognize that the so-called "universalistic" texts (see Posting 1) are generalizations, not universals, has caused major divisions within the Christian church.
Because they insist that the so-called “universalistic” passages are true universals, Arminians insist that these passages speak of a potential salvation for all persons without exception. Calvinists contend that these same texts must refer to the fact that all elect persons will be saved in Christ without exception. Universalists conclude that these texts proclaim actual salvation for all persons without exception.
GENERALIZATIONS
The Bible frequently uses generalizations, that is, universal statements that have known exceptions. We see this in Ps. 14:3; Eccles. 7:20; Rom. 3:9, 10, 12, 23; Rom. 5:12 and 5:18a, etc. where the Bible boldly claims that “all men sinned.” No exceptions are found in the immediate contexts of these references. All three branches of Christian theology acknowledge that these texts have an exception that is found in the broader context of Scriptures. "The corruption spread, by God's just judgment, from Adam to all his descendants ─ except for Christ alone" (Canons of Dort, III–IV, 2, emphasis added). Jesus Christ is an exception to the many universal declarations that say, "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Rom. 3:10).
It is exceedingly strange that Arminians, Calvinists, and Universalists accept Rom. 5:18a as a generalization that has an exception even though no such exception is found in the immediate context. Nevertheless, all three of these schools of thought insist that Rom. 5:18b must be a universal with no exceptions. There is no structural or grammatical difference between 18a and 18b that makes 18a a generalization and 18b a universal! Notice: “Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.”
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF GENERALIZATIONS
Whatever the Bible says, it says from within its entire context. When the so-called "universalistic" texts speak of an accomplished, certain-to-be-realized salvation in terms of all persons (see Posting 1), they may never be understood apart from the exceptions that are found in the broader context of the Scriptures of which they are a part. These so-called “universalistic” texts are like fish out of water, having no sustainable life of their own, when they are read in isolation from the rest of the Bible.
The Bible itself alerts us to the fact that its universal declarations may have exceptions that are not found in the immediate context of the declaration. "For he 'has put everything under his feet'" (1 Cor. 15:27a). This universal declaration is taken from Ps. 8:6. It is also found in Heb. 2:8 with this qualifying phrase added: "In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him." There is not the least hint of any exception in the immediate context of either Ps. 8 or Heb. 2.
This emphatic universal declaration has an exception as 1 Cor. 15:27b tells us explicitly: "Now when it [the Bible] says that 'everything' has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ." First Cor. 15:27 tells us that when reading Ps. 8:6 and Heb. 2:8 we must supply the exception that is found only in the broader context of the Bible.
We can construct a parallel to 1 Cor. 15:27 as follows: "Now when it [the Bible] says that 'all persons will be saved in Christ'” (see Posting 1), “it is clear that this does not include” those that are described in the Bible’s broader context as those who will not be saved.
Universal statements (having no exceptions) are exceedingly rare in the Bible. Nearly every universal declaration found in the Scriptures has exceptions that are revealed in the broader context of the entire Bible. We can begin with: "I am going to put an end to all people" (Gen. 6:13). Noah and his family proved to be an exception. "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26); yet God "cannot disown himself" (2 Tim. 2:13). "In Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22); nevertheless some "will be punished with everlasting destruction" (2 Thess. 1:9).
We already noted the familiar universal claim that "all men sinned.” Nevertheless, there is one man who "knew no sin." “God left nothing that is not subject to him” (Heb. 2:8); 1 Cor. 15:27b reveals an explicit exception. "Everything is permissible for me," says Paul (1 Cor. 6:12); surely blasphemy and murder were not “permissible for” Paul. Prayers should be made "for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1); but not for the dead and possibly not for some others (1 John 5:16). "Everyone in the province . . . deserted me" (2 Tim. 1:15); the next verse speaks of an exception, etc.
As long as we are mindful of the exceptions that are found in the broader context of the Bible, we can accept all these universal declarations as written: “all men sinned;” God did put “all things under Christ's feet;” “All things were permissible for Paul;” with God “all things are possible;” we ought to “pray for all persons;” "everyone in the province . . . deserted” Paul. The exceptions do not negate the basic truth set forth in the universal declaration. They merely set a boundary for the universal extension of the claim, turning it into a generalization. All these passages say, “All are . . . some are not.”
FOCUSED AND PERIPHERAL VISION
We must view the so-called “universalistic” passages of the Scriptures with both our focused and our peripheral vision. With our focused vision we see that the so-called “universalistic” texts, within and including their immediate context, clearly say "all persons will be saved." At the same time our peripheral vision (the broader context of the Scriptures) tells us that there are exceptions—those who will be finally lost. Those who will be finally lost are described in no other way in the Scriptures than those who, in addition to their inherited sin in Adam (original sin), willfully, persistently, and finally reject or remain indifferent to whatever revelation God has given of himself to them.
To view universal declarations of the Bible without using both our focused and our peripheral vision necessarily results in error. Consider 1 Cor. 6:12, where Paul twice says, "Everything is permissible for me." If we view this text with our focused vision exclusively (seeing nothing but the text and its immediate context) we would have to conclude that murder and adultery were "permissible" for Paul. With our peripheral vision we are made aware that those things explicitly forbidden by God "are not permissible" for Paul.
So also, if we view the so-called "universalistic" texts with our focused vision exclusively (seeing nothing but these texts and their immediate context), we wrongly conclude that they teach that everyone (without exception) will be saved. Our peripheral vision (the broader context of the Bible) fills in the picture that includes certain exceptions.
We make a serious error if we either do not accept the truth proclaimed in the Bible's universal declarations, or if we overlook the exceptions that must be understood from the broader context of the Bible.
WHAT PURPOSE DO GENERALIZATIONS SERVE?
Generalizations appear to be self-contradictory. Murder, blasphemy, and many other things were "not permissible" for Paul. How can the Bible say "Everything" was permissible for Paul (1 Cor. 6:12) and yet clearly teach that some things were "not permissible" for Paul. How can there be such a flat contradiction in the Bible?
Generalizations are not contraries. Generalizations reveal the mindset with which the author is working. They give expression to the perspective from which the matter at hand is to be viewed.
In 1 Cor. 6:12, Paul celebrates the new mindset of Christian liberty. Paul is no longer a legalist viewing all things as unlawful except what the Law permitted. Paul has a glorious new perspective, a new freedom in Christ.
"Everything is permissible" for Paul, except those things specifically forbidden by God. Not having been nurtured “under the law” as Paul was, it is difficult for us to realize how liberating this new perspective was for Paul.
A similar purpose is served by the so-called "universalistic" texts (see Posting 1). They reveal the mind-boggling change that has taken place through the work of Christ. “We are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died . . . So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view” (2 Cor. 5:14, 16). We no longer regard anyone “from a worldly point of view” as those outside of Christ. We may now consider all persons as among those for whom Christ died, unless we have specific knowledge to the contrary concerning some particular person. No such knowledge to the contrary will be given us until “the last day” (John 12:48; Rom. 2:16).
These universal accents give us reason for singing “Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King” (Luke 2:10).
It is difficult to recognize that our understanding of the Bible's message is colored by the mindset (the generalization) with which we work. It is even more difficult to change that mindset. Most of the time we are not even aware of the assumption that affects our understanding of what we read. Our mindset will even determine what we find in the Bible (see Posting “It Makes A Difference.”)
A FAMILIAR PATTERN
The premise being proposed, that “All persons will be saved except those who the Bible declares will be finally lost” (Assumption B), follows the pattern of God's dealing with the children of men throughout biblical history. God created man good and in a right relationship to himself. "God blessed them" (Gen. 1:28). This blessedness of knowing God and living in fellowship with him was not something conferred upon mankind in response to or merited by obedience. However, this blessedness would no longer be theirs if they willfully walked in disobedience. The blessing was unconditional; the judgment had to be earned.
An unconditional blessing was promised to the descendants of Abraham before they were born. "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you" (Gen. 17:7). Abraham and his descendants would enjoy the unearned blessing and favor of God unless they refused to believe in him or to walk in obedience to him. The blessing was unconditional; the judgment was contingent upon man's action.
The commandments were not given to the children of Israel so that by keeping them they could merit God's favor. They were already God's adopted children when they received the commandments. "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son" (Hos. 11:1). They were the recipients of God's blessing. However, it was also true that if they willfully and finally refused to walk in accordance with God's revealed will, they would not experience his blessing.
God's favor at the time of creation, in the covenant with Abraham and in the affirmation of God's goodness to Israel, was not given on the basis of faith, obedience, holiness or any other good quality in man as a cause or condition for those blessings. In light of this history, it is not surprising the good news is that in Christ all persons will be saved by God’s sovereign grace, except those who the Bible declares will be finally lost. Salvation is by God's grace. Condemnation results from the sinner's willful, persistent, evil deeds.
From the above we ought not to conclude that among those who were the recipients of God’s blessing of saving grace later lost this grace by their indifference and/or rejection of God’s will for their life. The situation is parallel to what we read in 1 John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”
Similarly those who by their persistent indifference to God’s will for their life earn God’s final judgment, thereby reveal that they never were among those who received God’s blessing.
We must accept the so-called "universalistic" texts as written, telling us that all persons will be saved. We can do so as long as we keep in mind the exceptions that are found in the Bible itself. The exceptions are those who reject or remain indifferent to God’s will for them. It may be that the only testimony concerning God’s law some persons receive is that “the requirements of the law” were “written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness . . .” (Rom. 2:15). Those who will be finally lost are those, and only those, who have willfully, persistently, and finally remained indifferent toward or who have rejected God’s will as he has made it known to them, whether in nature/conscience (Rom. 1 & 2) or in gospel proclamation.
As difficult as it may be for our logic to embrace, the Scriptures teach us that “all are” even though “some are not.”
