“The
conference was PIVOTAL and only enhanced my Faith.”
“I feel so much better prepared now to give
an answer for the hope that lies within!”
“For me it was exactly what I needed to put the lingering doubts about
Universal Salvation to rest.”
“I believe I speak for most when I say we were sad to
see it end.”
Those
were some of the comments from participants who came to the Door Standing Open
Conference 2018 from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York State,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Arkansas,
Oregon, Ontario and British Columbia, Canada, Finland and Sweden.
“Never-ending hell is not Good News!” said
George W. Sarris, award-winning author of Heaven’s
Doors . . . Wider than You Ever Believed! “It is not good news that God loses . . .
forever . . . most of those created in His image.” He explained, “That was not the teaching of
the Early Church. It is not the teaching
of the Bible. And it’s contrary to what
the Bible teaches about the nature and character of God.”
“Just recently Pope Francis questioned the traditional translation
of the Greek word peirasmos as temptation,”
said David Konstan, Brown University Professor Emeritus of Classics and Comparative
Literature. “This is just one of many Greek words in the New Testament
being translated differently these days, involving such fundamental ideas as
sin, repentance, faith, punishment, forgiveness – and eternity,” he added. In his talk, Konstan, who is co-author
of Terms for Eternity: Aionios and Aidios in Classic and Christian Texts, explained in detail “Why Greek
Matters.”
Brad
Jersak, professor of New Testament and Theology at St. Stephen’s University New
Brunswick and author of Her Gates Will
Never Be Shut, discussed why “the concept of universal restoration is far
from heresy or even a novelty among fringe groups.” In fact, it was the central theme of some of
the most respected teachers and theologians in the first five centuries of the
Christian Church.
“The
Universalist interpretation of the Bible is far more plausible than either a
Calvinist or Arminian interpretation,” argued Thomas Talbott, Professor
Emeritus of Philosophy at Willamette University and author of The Inescapable Love of God. His talk explained the reasons why.
W.
Scott Axford, the 19th Pastor of the nearly 200-year-old First
Universalist Church in Providence – a Trinitarian Christian congregation upholding
the Bible and the historic creeds of the Christian Church – discussed the
history of the Universalist Church in America.
It began as a denomination that adhered to the Early Church’s teaching
that God will ultimately restore all, and some individual churches still remain
true to that vision.
“Who’s Your Daddy?” asked Peter Hiett, Lead
Pastor of The Sanctuary in Denver, CO.
His presentation, based on I John 3:1-3, shared what Scripture teaches
about who God is and what He is really like.
He explained that God treats those made in His image as a father treats
his children. He disciplines them, but
always in love. “We are saved by Grace through Faith,” Hiett said, “but God does not love
just a few. In Christ, our Father chooses
to redeem all.”
Petri Tikka is working on his PhD in Helsinki. “All the speakers were really committed and
interesting,” he said. “Another
highlight was talking with people personally.”
He told the conference of his work, and later invited the conferees to
join him in Finland April 24-26 AD 2020 for the Love Is Strong As Death
conference!
One participant summed
up the conference well, “God is doing wonderful
things. I believe we are on the tip of a reformation . . . What an
awesome truth that God loves all humanity.”
