What Did The Early Church Really Believe About Hell?

 

What the Early Church believed and taught is important because the early Christians were closest to Jesus and the Apostles.  They read the New Testament in their native tongue.  They had the greatest impact on the surrounding culture of any time in history.  And they established the Faith that we now profess. 

They were the ones who wrote the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed to explain clearly what true Christians believed.  They were the ones who formulated the doctrines of the Divinity of Christ and the Trinity.  And they were the ones who assembled the 27 books we now call the New Testament.

During the first 500 years after Christ, a prominent view, and according to some scholars, the dominant view within the leadership and laity of the Church was that God will ultimately restore all of His creation to the perfection He initially intended. 

Clement of Alexandria

For example, that was the view of Clement of Alexandria.  Clement was born around AD 150, within a couple of generations of Jesus and the apostles.  For him, to believe that God is powerless to save all was unthinkable, because that would mean God is weak.  To believe that God does not want to save all was also unthinkable, because that would mean that God is not good.  For Clement, God’s ultimate plan is the salvation of the universe.

“For either the Lord does not care for all men; and this is the case either because He is unable, which is not to be thought for it would be a proof of weakness, or because He is unwilling, which is not the attribute of a good being . . . Or He does care for all, which is befitting for Him who has become Lord of all.  He is Savior; not of some, and of others not ... For all things are arranged with a view to the salvation of the universe by the Lord of the universe . . .” 

In response to those who thought that God takes vengeance on the wicked, Clement said, “No.”  That could not be the case because that would be returning evil for evil.  Clement saw God as One who always acts for the good of those He created. 

“But as children are chastised by their teacher, or their father, so are we by Providence. But God does not punish, for punishment is retaliation for evil. He chastises, however, for good to those who are chastised, collectively and individually.”

Gregory of Nyssa

Another leader in the Early Church who believed in the ultimate restoration of all was Gregory of Nyssa.  Gregory added the phrase, “I believe in the life of the world to come,” to the Nicene Creed.  He died around AD 395 and is still revered as one of the greatest of the Eastern Church fathers.   In AD 787, the Seventh General Council of the Church honored Gregory by naming him, Father of the Fathers.

Does God punish forever with terrifying pain?  Gregory explained that those who are immature think this and fear it.  They are thus motivated to flee from wickedness.  However, those with more maturity understand the true purpose of after-death punishment.  It’s a remedial process instituted by God to ultimately restore to health those who are sick.  Like a skilled surgeon who doesn’t stop until his work is finished, God does not give up on those He created.

“If, however, the soul remains unhealed, the remedy is dispensed in the life that follows this  . . .  and this to the thoughtless sort is held out as the threat of a terrible correction, in order that through fear of this painful retribution they may gain the wisdom of fleeing from wickedness: while by those of more intelligence it is believed to be a remedial process ordered by God to bring back man, His peculiar creature, to the grace of his primal condition.”

Gregory explained,

“In due course evil will pass over into non-existence; it will disappear utterly from the realm of existence.  Divine and uncompounded goodness will encompass within itself every rational nature; no single being created by God will fail to achieve the kingdom of God.” 

Other well-known leaders within the Early Church who believed in the ultimate restoration of all, include Origen, Didymus, St. Anthony, St. Pamphilus Martyr, Methodius, St. Macrina, St. Evagrius Ponticus, Diodore of Tarsus, Theodore of Mopsuestia, St. John of Jerusalem, Rufinus, Cassian, St. Isaac of Nineveh, St. John of Dalyatha, Ps. Dionysius the Areopagite, St. Maximus the Confessor, and John the Scot Eriugena. 

Even St. Augustine, the most influential supporter of endless punishment in the Early Church, acknowledged that in his day

“. . . some – indeed very many – deplore the notion of the eternal punishment of the damned and their interminable and perpetual misery.”

From How Wide Are Heavens's Doors?

Available in Paperback, eBook and Audiobook Formats

For more information, visit GeorgeWSarris.com

What About Forfeiting Your Soul?

 

One of the best known tales in English literature is The Tragic History of Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.  

It’s based on the German legend of a successful scholar who was dissatisfied with his life and decides to make a deal with the devil.  He sells his soul in exchange for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasure. 

For a period of time, Dr. Faustus experiences power and earthly delights beyond his wildest dreams.  But in the end, his time runs out and the exchange takes place.  He’s damned forever.  He gained for a moment what was valuable in this world, but lost for eternity what was valuable in the world to come.  The story is definitely tragic. 

Is that the kind of exchange Jesus is talking about when he asks, 

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” 

Doesn’t Jesus’ comment here indicate that some people will forfeit their immortal souls and experience endless torment in hell because of it?  Aren’t they in essence making the same deal that Dr. Faustus made? 

No, they’re not. 

Jesus made this statement in Matthew 16:26 while talking to His disciples immediately after predicting His upcoming death and resurrection.  

In the verse just before this one, Matthew 16:25, He tells them that anyone who wants to be His disciple must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him.  He then says that whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it.  

The Greek word that’s translated as life in that sentence is the same word that’s translated as soul in the verse we’re looking at.  Translating the word differently in the two connected sentences gives the mistaken impression that Jesus is talking about two different things – one’s life on earth on one hand, and one’s eternal soul on the other.   But He’s not. 

Jesus is not speaking about gaining or losing one’s eternal soul in this passage.  He’s talking about the cost of being one of His followers here and now.  Those who pursue their own agendas instead of following Him may gain earthly riches and honor, but they will lose the truly meaningful and purposeful life for which they were created. 

Just after writing that paragraph for my book, I saw this sign in the subway in New York City. 

“Sometimes when people get what they want, they realize how limited their goals are.”

 

That phrase actually captures the essence of what Jesus is saying in Matthew 16:26.  Those who pursue worldly power and delights in this life instead of indentifying with Christ are short-sighted, not realizing that in the end they’ve wasted their lives on things that are trivial.

From Heaven's Doors . . . Wider Than You Ever Believed!

Available in Paperback, eBook and Audiobook Formats

For more information, visit GeorgeWSarris.com

Will The Unpardonable Sin . . . Ever Be Pardoned?

 

One of the greatest fears of Christians down through the centuries is that they’ve somehow committed the unpardonable sin, a sin so serious that it could never be forgiven.  It’s led some people to depression and despair, and caused others to give up.  It’s been the reason behind some people abandoning faith and morality because there’s nothing left to lose. 

 While Bible teachers might agree that most people who express this concern have probably not committed such a sin, it’s possible that some have.  And if a sin is unpardonable, how can it be pardoned?

The fear actually stems from the words of Jesus Himself.  He says that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is a sin that will not be forgiven.

Jesus made His comment when He healed a demon-possessed man who could neither see nor speak.  The common people were amazed and wondered if Jesus could be the promised Son of David.  But instead of seeing what Jesus did as a true miracle of God, some of the religious leaders accused Him of being possessed by the devil, having an unclean spirit, and driving out demons by using the power of the devil himself.

The book of Mark records Jesus’ response with these words,

“I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.  But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” 

Those are strong words.  And they definitely give the impression that whoever commits this sin is in very great danger.

In order to get a better idea of what He meant when He said this, it’s important to note that the word never in this passage is not in the Greek text.  Jesus did not say the person will never be forgiven.  He actually said that whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven to the age.  Or as it reads in Matthew, “either in this age or in the age to come.”

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is refusing to acknowledge that what God is doing is really from God.  It’s resisting His work in our lives.  It’s saying no to Him.  As long as that continues, nothing can be done.  It’s impossible for someone to experience God’s forgiving grace when that person doesn’t want it, whether it takes place in this age, the age to come, or in one of the ages to come. 

However, if after-death punishment is a place for healing sinners, when that is accomplished and they stop resisting God in their lives, then God’s forgiveness is granted and heaven’s doors are opened. 

George MacDonald addressed this situation in his Unspoken Sermon on Light:

“For the man who in this world resists to the full, there may be, perhaps, a whole age or era in the history of the universe during which his sin shall not be forgiven  . . . How can they who will not repent be forgiven, save in the sense that God does and will do all he can to make them repent? Who knows but such sin may need for its cure the continuous punishment of an æon?” 

God doesn’t act graciously toward His creatures only in this age or in the age to come.  According to the Apostle Paul, the incomparable riches of God’s grace will be shown in the ages to come.

God doesn’t give up!

From Heaven's Doors . . . Wider Than You Ever Believed!

Available in Paperback, eBook and Audiobook Formats

For more information, visit GeorgeWSarris.com

Who Is God. . . Really?

St. Anselm defined God as "that Being than which none greater can be conceived."

I think that is a pretty good definition, and as I think about it . . . 

I can conceive of a God who is all-powerful, all-wise and good.

I can conceive of a God whose power is irresistible, whose love is unconditional and who never gives up on any of those He created in His image.

I can conceive of a God before whom every knee will one day freely and joyfully bow, and every tongue will one day freely and joyfully confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

I can conceive of a God who will one day restore all of His creaton to the perfection He intended, so that at the end of time He will once again look out on all that He has made and declare that it is very good!

One of the most common responses I receive from those who hear that I believe in this ultimate restoration of all things is, "I sure wish that were true, but . . . " and then they quickly bring up the subject of hell.

Although they would never admit it, what they are actually saying is,

"Deep down inside, I wish God were different.  I wish He were more loving, or wiser, or more powerful than He is."

Although they would never admit it, what they are actually saying is,

"I can conceive of a God who is greater than the one I worship.  One who would be able to save everyone He created.  But I am forced to believe in this lesser God because of what I've been told the Bible teaches about hell."

What most people don't realize, howevr, is that the belief that God will one day restore all of His creation to the perfection He initially intended was a prominent, and according to some scholars, the dominant view within the Early Christian Church leadership and laity during its first 500 years of existence.  

Unfortunately, much of what people have been told that the Bible teaches about the nature and duration of hell has been misunderstood, misinterpreted and misrepresented, and is not true.  The view that God will one day restore all is strongly supported by the teaching of Scripture! 

I'll be sharing some of that information in the weeks months to come.  In the meantime, be encouraged that the God of the Bible really is that Being than which none greater can be conceived!

Adapted from How Wide Are Heaven's Doors?  The Biblical Case for Ultimate Restoration

Available in Paperback, eBook and Audiobook formats

For more information, visit GeorgeWSarris.com

The Most Important Lesson

   By George W. Sarris

“For Thou Art Good and Lovest Mankind.”

That phrase, from the ancient liturgy of the Early Christian Church, and still used in the Eastern Orthodox Church today, speaks volumes about who God really is and what His disposition is regarding those He created.  

Of all the lessons about God that I have learned during the course of my life, the most important one is that the all-powerful, all-wise Creator of the universe is good, and He desires the very best for all those He created in His image.

God’s Goodness

The God of the Bible is good.  His love is unconditional.  His power is irresistible.  And He never gives up on those He created in His image! 

That’s why He didn’t abandon Adam and Eve when they sinned in the Garden of Eden.  That’s why He didn’t abandon Israel when its people turned away from Him to follow other gods.  And that’s why He won’t abandon you, or me, or any of those He created.

God’s love and faithfulness were communicated over and over throughout the Old Testament when the priests and the people praised the God of heaven.

“He is good; His love endures forever!” (II Chronicles 7:3) 

It’s what David understood, especially after he fell far short of being the man after God’s own heart in the affair with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.  David wrote in Psalm 103,

“He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103: 8-14)

God’s good purposes for judgment are expressed clearly in the book of Lamentations.

“For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.  Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love.  For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.” (Lamentations 3:31-33 

It’s what the prophets proclaimed as they looked to the distant future to see how God will treat the nations.

“The LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples . . . He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:6-8) 

Even Sodom, a city that had experienced punishment from which the imagery of hell was developed, isn’t without hope of restoration.  After telling Jerusalem that she not only walked in the ways of Sodom and Samaria, and became even more depraved than they, Ezekiel explained that God

“. . . will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them . . . And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before, and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.” (Ezekiel 16:53-55)

God’s Amazing Grace

God’s grace is far greater than mankind’s sin.  In his letter to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul explained that where sin increased, grace increased all the more! (Romans 5:20)

He went on to point out that all mankind has sinned.  All mankind needs a Savior.  And God will have mercy on all mankind.

“For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all.” (Romans 11:32)

Paul told his readers in Corinth,

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” (II Corinthians 5:19) 

 And in his letter to the Colossians, he said that just as God created everything and everyone in heaven and on earth through Christ, so He will reconcile to Himself everything and everyone in heaven and on earth through Christ  

“For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. . . For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,  by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:16, 19-20)

What Do We Know About God?

The early Christians got it right.  God is good!  And He loves mankind!

For more information, visit GeorgeWSarris.com

What About Free Will?

 

One of the questions that often comes up in conversations about ultimate destinies is, “What about free will?” 

I’ve heard it expressed in various ways: 

“God doesn’t force anyone into heaven!” 

 

“How can you love someone if you’re not free to choose?”  

“God gets one vote. Satan gets one vote.  You cast the deciding vote.” 

 

“CS Lewis said that the door to hell is locked from the inside.”

This is definitely a foundational question that needs to be addressed by anyone who holds the view that God will ultimately restore all of creation to the perfection He initially intended.  So, here are a few observations.

Only God has absolute free will! 

Only God is free to accomplish all that He desires.  He gives each person a free will, but always within limits and in the context of His absolute free will. 

For example, none of us was given the freedom to choose when we were born . . . where we were born . . . who our parents would be . . . what our physical stature and mental capacities would be . . . whether we’re male or female . . . or even when and how we will die.  We have no control over many of the factors that directly impact our situations and our decisions every day. 

Joseph didn’t choose to be made second-in-command in Egypt.  God arranged the circumstances for that to happen.  Jonah ran away from God, but God’s will prevailed and Jonah found himself in Nineveh proclaiming the message God had given him. 

Scripture is clear when it says,

 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He wishes."

“The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

God is not helpless in the face of mankind’s free will. 

God specifically said that it is His desire that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.  He specifically said that one day every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will freely and joyfully confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

God can give free will because of the nature of love, the nature of sin, the nature of God and the nature of mankind.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe, because it is the only power that accomplishes its purposes without coercion.

Sin promises power, pleasure, success fulfillment, etc., but always leads to misery in one way or another.  There are always unwanted consequences to sin, and can be seen in the experiences of people with addictions who have lost their health, their families, their finances.

God is all-wise.  Like a Chess Master who plays against a novice, He doesn’t force any moves, but He always wins in part because He knows the game so much better than the novice. 

God also never gives up.  Physical death is not the end of when God’s grace is at work in the lives of people.  Like the Good Shepherd searching for the lost sheep, His grace continues working in the ages to come “until” the lost sheep is found.  As one friend said, “God is too holy to look upon sin without doing something about it, namely loving it out of existence with harsh discipline if necessary."

Members of the human race always act in what they perceive as their own best interests, except in love.  Ultimately they will come to a place where they recognize the nature of sin and their need for God’s saving grace in Christ. 

Evil will not remain a part of God’s creation forever.  At the end of time, all those God created in His image will enjoy the peace and joy of being in His presence.

Am I Really a False Teacher?

In my book, Heaven’s Doors . . . Wider Than You Ever Believed! I share about a sad experience of having a dear friend who I had known well for over a dozen years come up to me at a conference to inform me that, in essence, he didn’t want to be my friend anymore.  His reason?  He had concluded that I am a false teacher who is leading people astray by my blog posts and a then-to-be published book addressing the issue of ultimate destinies.

Neither my friend’s words nor the spirit in which they were communicated motivated me to change my beliefs.  However, his words did make me think. 

What Characterizes False Teachers?

Both Paul and Peter expressly warn us to stay away from false teachers.  And Jesus told us to watch out for ravenous wolves who dress in sheep’s clothing.  But, what exactly is it that makes someone a true “false teacher?” 

Are Calvinists false teachers because their theological understanding of God’s sovereignty and grace differs from that of Arminians?  Are Baptists heretics because they disagree with their Presbyterian friends about the mode or age at which people should be baptized?  Are Charismatics really wolves in sheep’s clothing because they disagree with non-Charismatics about whether or not the gifts of the Spirit are relevant to life today? 

False teachers are deceptive in their dealings.

It would seem reasonable from a quick look at the actual phrase itself to expect false teachers to teach something that is false.  Peter pointed out that the false teachers he was referring to lied by exploiting others with “stories they have made up.”  Wolves “who come to you in sheep’s clothing” are seeking to deceive those they are preying upon. 

In contrast, Calvinists and Arminians, Baptists and Presbyterians, and Charismatics and non-Charismatics who differ with one another do not generally lie to their followers about what Scripture actually says.  Rather, they each look at the text and come to different conclusions.  They definitely believe their theological opponents are mistaken, but they don’t usually see them as being deceitful.  As a result, they don’t generally call each other heretics or false teachers. 

In my particular situation, it has been my goal to point out truth.  In a former blog post for example, I noted that the original NIV translators inappropriately used the word “hell” to translate the Greek word “hades” in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, and that those same translators never translated hades that way anywhere else in Scripture.  I didn’t lie.  I didn’t seek to deceive my readers.  I stated the truth.  And, in fact, the 2011 revision of the NIV actually corrected their error.  

False teachers are interested in profits.

The false teachers Peter speaks of are greedy for gain.  They “follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.” 

I have known – or known of – those within the religious community who have been motivated to a great degree by a desire to make money.  Some have built large empires that later collapsed when fraudulent fundraising and accounting practices were exposed. 

My motivation for writing my book and blog posts has not been to get rich.  In fact, I have lost far more money than what I have gained from what I have written.  I was terminated from a ministry that I had worked with for over ten years after passing along a copy of my manuscript to the head of the ministry to let him know my thinking on the issue. I was no longer able to speak and perform at various conferences and churches because of my views.

False teachers pursue sensual pleasure. 

They “carouse in broad daylight.”  Their eyes are “full of adultery.”  They “seduce the unstable,” and appeal to the “lustful desires of sinful human nature.” 

Major scandals have plagued the religious world in recent years involving well-known figures whose moral failures have brought disrepute on the gospel of Christ. 

My wife and I celebrated our 53rd wedding anniversary in 2024.  I have never been involved in an illicit affair.  And, I can honestly say that I love and admire my wife more today than when we were first married.

Who Decides?

I honestly love my friend – and, yes, as far as I am concerned he is still my friend.  I am honestly sad that he no longer wants to continue in fellowship with me.  But, I am also honestly convinced that I am not a heretic, and that my friend does not really understand what actually constitutes a false teacher. 

Jesus followed His warning about wolves in sheep’s clothing by explaining how we would be able to know who they are – “By their fruit you will recognize them.” 

Because someone disagrees with you on a theological issue doesn't automatically make that person a false teacher.

We need to look at their lives.  Are those we label as false teachers deceptive, or greedy, or immoral?  If not, we should be very careful about labeling them that way.

The views I have expressed on these blog posts and in my book are not new.  In fact, much of what I have written has been an attempt to inform people in this generation of ideas that were held by the Christian Church in the earliest years of its existence – when it was closest to the Apostles, when its leaders read the New Testament in their native language, and its influence on the surrounding culture was the greatest it has ever been.  

In a tract written in about AD 1627, a little known German divine named Rupertus Meldenius penned three short and very profound statements about how Christians should treat those with whom they disagree:

In essentials unity. In nonessentials liberty. In all things charity.

We would do well to follow that advice today.