The Necessity of Divine Revelation | Part Five

Our efforts at self-discovery are feeble and frail compared to the effectual word of God. Scripture reveals our condition. But it is not just true that Scripture is one place where we can know ourselves correctly. It is certainly true that Scripture is the only place we can go to know ourselves as we ought. Read More

The Necessity of Divine Revelation | Part Four

Without Scripture we would hopelessly flounder in search of the truth. We must realize, though, that we suffer the same when we neglect the word of God. We in the 21st century have more access to the word of God than any other generation. This is a privilege, but it leads us to underappreciate what we have. This deluge often produces apathy toward what we have. Our ready access to Scripture can, ironically, lead us to neglect it. Read More

Is Hell Eternal? | Part 5

True Christian fellowship is birthed from a common faith, a common doctrine, a common love. The depth of unity experienced when we agree on the truth far surpasses the fragile unity experienced when the truth is compromised because we all just want to get along. Let us strive for the “unity of the gospel”—that is, unity in the gospel, not unity that sacrifices it. Read More

Is Hell Eternal? | Part 4

We need to deal with some of the key words used in Scripture to describe hell. This will get a bit more technical, but I encourage you to stick it out. If we believe that God inspired the very words of Scripture, we must be concerned with the specific meanings of those words. Much of the Conditional Immortality framework depends on subtle redefinitions of language. Read More

Is Hell Eternal? | Part 3

Edward Fudge uses Psalm 37:10 as the starting point for his presentation on Annihilationism, interpreting it as conclusively teaching that the wicked will be annihilated in the judgment. But is that what it means? Read More

Is Hell Eternal? | Part 2

I think we can admit that there’s a certain appeal to the Conditional Immortality understanding of hell. Hell is uncomfortable to talk about and horrifying to think about. Conditional Immortality creatively weaves Scriptures together to soften the severity of hell without erasing it entirely. There’s a good deal of emotional appeal to the idea that God will eventually release sinners from suffering. It portrays a kinder God and eases the terrors of hell. But is it what the Bible teaches? Read More

Is Hell Eternal? | Part 1

You’ve likely been taught that we all will live eternally in one of two places. There are two choices we can make, and two destinies available to us: Eternity with God in heaven, or eternity in hell under God’s judgment. But not everyone agrees. Recent scholarship has resurfaced an alternate view of hell. Read More

Conditional Immortality

I’m hearing rumblings of an alternate definition of hell, one that’s contrary to the historic Mennonite position, and indeed, to the position of nearly all biblically-minded believers since the beginning of the church in the first century. This view is more palatable to our human nature, but it departs from Scripture. Read More

The Necessity of Divine Revelation | Part 3

The Bible is necessary for us to understand God’s will. By God’s will, I mean “that which God desires to do and to have done on the earth.” This includes both what God Himself intends to do and is even now doing, and what He wills for mankind to do. Read More

Powerless Absolution

The nature of Christ’s atonement is becoming a common discussion. It’s an important one, one upon which our salvation rests. What exactly did Christ do in His death that freed us from sin? Bound up in this is our understanding of what it is that separates us from God. What interferes with full fellowship? What prevents God from embracing all of His creatures in His love? What must we be saved from if we are to be saved to God? Read More