Today we are given a bit of a historical look at eternal punishment from Willimon's "Who Will be Saved?"
The idea of eternal punishment was challenged by Origen (ca. 185-254) who argued for some sort of apokatastasis, the final restoration of all things. Though Origen's ideas (or at least what the church understood of them) were condemned at Constantinople 543m and though he had some strange metaphysics backing up his soteriology, I think we ought to listen to Origen one more time. Origen agreed that love must take sin and rebellion seriously but stressed that God in Christ has a peculiar way of taking our sin and rebellion seriously. Origen agreed that hell is real but disagreed that it was eternal. Hell is more purifying fire than eternal torment, more educative than retributive. The fire is God who purifies sinners. Hell is more remedial than retributive, a kind of horribly bitter pill that is taken in order to cure us of our sin and its effects. Paul says that Christian leaders who are unfaithful must be purged and thereby "will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15)
I find that it takes quite a bit of energy to come up with the whole notion of hell and damnation. Then it even takes more energy to support it. What I don't understand is why is all that work necessary? What witness is it to the Reign of God - that is sheer gift!?! In many ways, all of this necessity to develop a system of damnation seems to turn on how it can all profit those who are working so hard to make sure the system is in place and unmovable. From my perspective, I like to remind myself of the wonderful picture of the gates of hell not being able to prevail against the Good News of Christ, Jesus. Hell has no chance. Right when the language of hell-fire is at it hottest, the Good News is the quenching water that not only puts out the fire but brings new life to those who are swept up by God unbounded grace and love. The motivator of this new life is not fear of what might be, it is the truth about what is already - salvation for all. It is this announcement that become for power for changing the status quo of religious games and all other games.
Connection: I think we are handed moments of joy when we are brought to new life by God's gracious embrace of us...all of us. Remember what the angels sang over the hills of Bethlehem, "Joy to the World..." There is nothing conditional about that.
Lord of All Hopefulness, you open the door and invite us to come and gather around the fullness of your eternal life. Inspire us again and encourage us to come and rest and live and be filled with the joy of your Reign. Amen.
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