Biblical Universalism - Northland Books

Posting #12

Positive Responses

(See also "endorsements" above.)

"No thoughtful reader is likely to agree fully with any book as stimulating and provocative as this one. But Neal Punt probably will not mind. He is far more interested in stirring up fresh thought than in eliciting sleepy 'Amens.' If reading this book makes you respond, 'but something more needs to be said,' Punt will say 'Amen.' And challenge you to say it!" (Edward Fudge, in Foreword to What's Good About the Good News?).

I neither ask for nor do I publish the many "Amens" I receive in response to these postings. This posting will be an exception to this policy.

I recognize my accountability for "aggressively promoting" Biblical Universalism* "to CRC pastors via email." (See Frequently Asked Questions, No. 12) To do so responsibly I must be made aware of valid criticism. However, in addressing only negatively framed questions some readers have been left with the impression that I do not receive any positive responses.

Contact Neal Punt at: whenindoubt3@att.net

Hello Rev. Punt.

I'm the pastor of [name] CRC in [City]. I want to thank you for your postings and your emails. I've been studying your teaching on the scope of God's saving grace and 'Biblical Universalism' (I've read both of your books and all your postings) and I have been persuaded that your approach is the correct one. I've preached one sermon on the basic premise of how we are to understand the so-called 'Universalistic' texts- focusing mainly on Romans 5:18. I acknowledged to the congregation that only one sermon on this new way of looking at the subject matter left many unanswered questions and loose ends and that I would like to follow that one sermon up with other related messages if the elders of the church agreed that it would be worth while. Well, that sermon initiated a lot of healthy discussion among the people of our church and in our consistory. Over all, the reaction has been very positive and the elders were unanimous in having me preach several more messages on this subject. I'm enthuiastic about this and between now and Sunday morning will be developing a sermon on passages like John 3:16 which talk about the role of faith in our salvation.

Almost all of my questions have been answered in your books as well as your postings. I sometimes have other questions and may ask you some time. Yet, while I may still have some lingering questions, the perspective of Biblical Universalism has answered many more questions that I had before reading your material. Keep the postings coming.

Thanks again for your service to the Christian community and to the Lord.

Neal Punt,

When your book was first published, I bought a copy, and have returned to it many times throughout my 17 years of active ministry in the CRC. I am so blessed by that book. It has helped me immensely in dealing with the Biblical teachings of election, predestination, etc. So I am so very glad that you have written these postings, and although I have not read them all, I have enjoyed the discussions that have ensued. Keep up your good work. I have just two days ago recommended your book to an aspiring preacher now in his pre-sem years.

Shalom in Christ,

Neal,

You are on solid ground--biblically, confessionally and theologically. Keep up the good work!"

Neal -- Praise the Lord for the wide distribution of your considerable analyses of the more troubling aspects of the New Testament message---I'm with you on your conclusions.

But this e-mail you quoted reminds me that the idea of 'giving account to God' of one's use of the talents is so often presented as a scary proposition. Well, for the guys with 5 talents and 2 talents, it wasn't scary at all; it was celebration time. Only the guy who buried his & didn't make it count for anybody's good, found giving account a scary proposition.

Cordially,

Dear Neal,

I want to say that I admire so much all that you have done to provoke careful thinking about the atonement of Jesus. I also believe you are being a good steward of God's gifts of insight to you in your sharing of them with as many people as possible. All of us as CRC clergy, or any other clergy or insightful Christians for that matter, should be able to read, study, and evaluate Scriptures teaching with new appreciation because of your great and wonderful contribution.

I want to thank you very much and want you to know that your insight into the atonement provides answers to problems about our traditional view that have bothered me for a long time.

A friend in Christ,

Dear Neal,

You are a prophet, worthy of the Name.

Love,

I respect you pluck. You care about something important and you stand up and are counted. Keep it up!

Dear Neal,

I have greatly appreciated your postings over the past year and I want to say that the wayyou have clearly stated the proposition [He then quotes the definition of Biblical Universalism below*] is exactly what I believe and have been convinced of for a long time. You have done a great job of supporting this belief biblically and articulating it.

. . . I have always believed that 'whatever light of revelation' God has given to those where Christ has not been explicitly preached, is not an endorsement of false religions but that this 'light' if it were saving would ultimately have to be Christ himself though not known by that name and, if time and opportunity allowed such a person so saved would immediately embrace Christ if he were explicitly presented. I understand you to be saying the same. And far from making the missionary effort irrelevant, it always urgent and compelling that we be obedient to His command to preach the Gospel. Keep up the good work.

Respectfully in Christ.

*NOTE --BIBLICAL UNIVERSALISM is the teaching that all persons are elect in Christ except those who the Bible expressly declares will be finally lost, namely, those who ultimately reject or remain indifferent to whatever revelation God has given of himself to them whether in nature/conscience or in gospel presentation.

Biblical Universalism is based upon these three biblical facts:

a) The so-called "universalistic" texts speak of a certain-to-be-realized salvation as Calvinist have consistently maintained and they do so in terms of all persons as Arminians have always affirmed (Posting No. 2).

b) 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 (Posting No. 3).

c) All persons, except Jesus Christ, are liable for and polluted by the imputed sin of Adam (original sin). However, the Scriptures do not teach or imply that anyone is consigned to eternal damnation solely on the basis of their sin in Adam APART FROM actual, willful and persistent sin on the part of the person so consigned (Posting No. 4).

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