Universalism

An Everlasting Lake of Fire?I'd like to engage on a topic that is very meaningful to me. It is far more than just an excercise in the extrensic because whether true or false, no one can argue, no matter how absurd the argument for or against eternal damnation by fire may be....the stakes are indeed very high.The issue here is a matter of life and death... without end. The centrality of the Atonement of Jesus' perfect sacrifice is no small factor in determining of the popular doctrine of an everlasting torment for the damned be something that Christians should hold to.I'm going to address the above issues that my opponent is requesting by referring to four components of Christianity. But make no mistake, do not miss the forest from the trees. The central and key issue has to do with nothing short of the power of the very Cross of Christ itself. I'll state what is THE question for any who profess Christian Orthodoxy and then answer it through these four components.The Question: Is the Cross of Christ more or less efficacious than the Sin of Adam and the human race?Or to put it another way: Just how powerful is the Blood of Jesus?To demonstrate that the Blood of Jesus is all powerful, (as the old hymn refrain: "Grace that is greater than all my sin"), I point to how Universal Salvation for all is part in parcel with Historic Christianity and the very truth of the matter itself by pointing out it's merit: 1. Scripturally 2. Traditionally 3. Philosophically 4. (most important) Theologically, going to the very character of God and virtue of love.Universal torment, a never ending Lake of Fire is a "Johnny Come Lately" doctrine of the Christian Faith. 1. Scripturally. When Jesus cried "Kulah" from the Cross according to John's Gospel, the very declaration means "a perfect sacrifice". Therefore, New Testament Scripture makes it clear that final Sin Offering for mankind collectively is mysteriously yet judiciously able to satisfy God's righteous, settled opposition to evil once and for all. Therefore, in Romans 5, Paul the Apostle says that "in the same way" Adam plunged the world into a state of brokeness that the "Last Adam", Jesus of Nazareth, brought us out and into righteousness. In fact, Paul goes on to say, "how much more" , as in if Adam brought death to us all, "how much more" shall Christ bring us life through His righteousness. Supporting New Testament texts are found in the following writings of the Apostles: Col 1:18 " Christ has reconciled all things whether in heaven or earth by the shedding of his blood making peace through the Cross"; 1 John 2:1 "Christ died not only for our sins alone but for the whole world"; 1 Tim 4:10 "Our hope is in the living God who is the savior of all people, especially to those who believe"; Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God bringing salvation to all men has appeared"; John 1:29 "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". Also, Revelation points out that millions of people, even beyond number will be around the throne of God singing the song of the redeemed. Philippians tells us every knee will bow and tongue confess, both on the Earth and under the Earth implying that even in Hell, salvation is attainable. (I will address the one text in Matthew Jesus refers to Gehenna in everlasting terms later). As far as Revelation, speaking of the Lake of Fire, it is not hard to include that in the overall genre of the book, which is symbolism and nothing less. 2. Traditionally. The idea of everlasting damnation (not even to mention torture) didn't even make it's way into the Orthodox Christian Faith until 500 YEARS after Christ. The notable exception would be Augustine of Hippo who brought in neo-platonic thought into his doctrine in 330 AD. Everyone else stated otherwise, starting with the Early Church Fathers. The first Christian schools all taught Universal Salvation, Clement of Alexandria and Origen directly espoused Universalism (Origen being indicted for heresies and yet this was not one of them, ever). In fact, it was those with terrible youth backgrounds like Augustine and Tertullian that proposed eternal damnation. Otherwise, for centuries from the time of Christ, the Church believed Jesus preached and freed the dead in Hell (found in 2 Peter 3) and they prayed for the dead and to the dead (tough to do if the dead are preoccupied with flames). It wasnt until Justinian, a half pagan Emporer 5 centuries after Christ, dictated eternal damnation that it began getting traction, finding it's peak during the Dark Ages as Rome used the doctrine for political purposes. Neitzche was too right in saying religion is nothing but a "power grab". Look up the teachings, the Kerygma of the Early Church Fathers. You will not find a word regarding eternal damnation. It was a foreign concept to traditional Judiasm and stayed foreign when the Church was at her most beautiful. 3. Philosophically. CS Lewis made a cogent observation in his own thoughts of Hell when he said, "The door that blocks the entrance of Hell is locked from the inside". Indeed, honoring free will is a grace God has chosen to limit Himself to by granting us this God-like virtue of self sovereignty. By being locked on the inside, the metaphor is describing a place that those who are captive have every option and right to unlock the door and walk out if they choose and when they choose. His little book, "The Great Divorce" is a powerful allegory about this. For some, like a Hitler, this....may...take....a....very....long....time. But even as the Early Church believed in creed and doctrine, there is a redemptive purpose to hell that is purification and not just endless damnation (which does seem to be unhelpful as well as unnecessary). Putting Scripture and reason together with our faith, one sees Heaven AND Hell is something maybe not spacial so much a spiritual and being in the presence of the Living God. As the Jewish Talmud states it, " In Heaven, you will study Talmud with God all day and every day. For some this is heaven, for others hell". Indeed, being in the presence of God's Light will be heaven or it will be hell depending on the state of being of any person at any given time. Eventually, the blood of Jesus will prevail. 4. Theologically. This goes to the very heart of God's character. Would I punish my kids eternally for an finite error or act of disobedience? Jesus said, "If you being evil love to give gifts to your kids how much more does the Father love to give to those who ask". God is not more pernacious than me. And though His ways are greater than ours, often unfathomable in fact, the demonstration of His love by sending and then forsaking His own Son shows us that God Himself would go to hell and back for even one lost lamb. So I ask, is the Cross more powerful or is evil? Is grace more powerful than sin? Hell, yeah....I mean no! Note: Jesus referred to Gehenna on multiple occasions. Gehenna, of course, was the valley outside Jerusalem which very likely was a garbage dump for the city where refuse was constantly burned. Certainly, Scripture points out it was were child sacrifice took place during dark days in Israel history. Both times Scripture refers to "everlasting" torment or damnation, apart from the appoclyptic nature of Revelations literary genre, the word "aionion" in Greek is used. It means forever, an era or epoch, an undetermined period of time. Translators took it upon themselves to chose "everlasting'. Yet even in the one instance Jesus referred to it as that, he was speaking in parabolic story form, not to be taken literally. I am now running out of room. For any footnotes and references, I can definitely make any or all available in another post when I have more space if further clarification is needed.