THE (QUALIFIED) UNIVERSALIST CONVICTIONS OF A CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN

[Origenian]

I am a Catholic Christian (previously a Calvinist Evangelical) who as a result of a recent encounter with the Holy Spirit has come to an understanding of Scripture which affirms God's reconciliatory purposes for humanity go well beyond the narrower perceptions traditionally understood by the churches, i.e. they are not restricted to God's "elect" or chosen people (such a broader perspective is in in accordance with Catholic teaching since the 1960's Vatican II council but typically they do not clearly underpin their teaching from Scripture:Chinscratch:). I cannot positively affirm absolute universalism from my current understanding of Scripture but am open to the possibility (even probability), at least in the Origenian sense (hence the handle). That third century Church Father is revered by many traditional Catholics, still more so by Eastern Orthodox Christians as well as Universalists from the Protestant Evangelical tradition. He believed that it was God's purpose ultimately to reconcile all human beings to Himself, albeit that would be a humiliating and painful experience for some, who in view of their hateful and depraved activity whilst in the body must receive temporal punishment, and not exclusively for remedial purposes but to pay for the misery and pain they have caused to others. That compensatory aspect (like it or not) appears to be the consistent teaching of OT/NT/Jesus/Paul (e.g.2Thes1:5,6KJV). Such punishment could be substantial but never infinite.
One of the most powerful biblical arguments I have encountered to support the fact that God's aim is to reconcile the world, not just His chosen people (Israel/the Church) to Himself is a statement of Paul's which nobody including myself until the aforementioned spiritual encounter has really understood: Eph3:9-11 where he refers to "koinonia tou musteriou" – "the Fellowship of the Secret". So I have written an e-book about it, which I mention now as it is freely available from Amazon via my website from today (28th April) through till end-Thursday 30th. Some may find it a blessing (and it also contains a prophecy), but it is bound to raise questions which I will be glad to answer privately or on the forum.  For more info and free acquisition: http://www.richardbarkerauthor.info.
PS - I'm relatively new to this forum but find the "atmos" considerably more :friendstu: than traditional CFs :thumbsup:

[Tom]

I'm an ex-Catholic from way back who became aware of universal reconciliation after seeking the truth for years through various means. I was raised in the Catholic Church, but I left it when I was young. I tried the Protestant Church for awhile, but I no longer follow church doctrine. I read an accurate translation of scripture everyday though. When I first became aware of universal reconciliation, I found it hard to believe, and I did a lot of searching online trying to disprove it. After reading a lot of information about it, supported by a better translation of scripture than I'd been reading for years, I finally came to the conclusion that it had to be true. It's hard for those of us who have been used to church tradition for years to accept universal reconciliation because it is a very different story than we were taught in church, but it is the simple truth of scripture that is revealed in one verse.

"through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens" (Colossians 1:20)

All on the earth and in the heavens is the entire universe, all of creation, which is why it's called universal reconciliation. That one verse of scripture is not canceled out by any other verse in the Hebrew or Greek scriptures. The only reason there is any confusion is due to intentional mistranslation of the ancient manuscripts in popular versions to propagate church doctrine.

God's ultimate plan is not to torture the majority of humanity in fire forever, but to reconcile all on the earth and in the heavens to be all in all. You won't hear that in church though, which is why I don't go to church anymore, but I believe the inspired written word of God.   

[sheila]

 while I feel Origen has truth in some things..I also find him a 'little bent " in somethings.  severe asceticism,self castration..etc

   KEEP ASKING FOR HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH AS IT PERTAINS TO THE GOSPEL

   AND RECONCILING OF THE WHOLE CREATION THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.      :friendstu:

[Tom]

I heard he regretted chopping them off later. That was definitely a severe case of confusing figurative language for literal.

[eaglesway]

Of course, it was a different time, and we really have little idea what kind of spiritual warfare Origen endured. Also, the story of self-castration was popularised in the middle ages and it is thought that it may have been originally put out by one of his enemies. In Eusebius' account it was said Origen did it to avoid slander, but then he says origen couldnt hide it, contradicting himself because if he did it to avoid slander he would not have tried to hide it.

In other words it is as like to be religious folk-lore as it is to be true.

[Tom]

Yeah, I was surprised when I read about it because it seems like he would have been a smart enough guy to know that wasn't necessary. So I wouldn't be surprised if it was just something put out there to bring him down. I think we need to take any new information with a grain of salt and even a touch of humor. This is a crazy old world. So not much surprises me anymore. I do believe scripture is legit though.

[eaglesway]

I do believe scripture is legit though.

Amen.

[Origenian]

while I feel Origen has truth in some things..I also find him a 'little bent " in somethings.  severe asceticism,self castration..etc

 

I wouldn't disagree with you there; also he was a little too heavily into Plato for my liking. I chose him for a handle because His God is my God:

"a just and good God in that He confers benefits justly and punishes with kindness; since neither goodness without justice nor justice without goodness can display the real dignity of the divine nature"

I also share his sacramental and ecclesiological perspective which is why I'm where I am at the moment Church-wise.

[Origenian]

God's ultimate plan is not to torture the majority of humanity in fire forever, but to reconcile all on the earth and in the heavens to be all in all. You won't hear that in church though, which is why I don't go to church anymore, but I believe the inspired written word of God.

You're right about God's plan but for the fourteen years I've been a Catholic there's very little emphasis on Hell, certainly compared to within Evangelicalism (where I was briefly a hell-fire preacher  :Shoot: before I came to understand Scripture better by not relying on vernacular translations but attending to the original Greek text). Here in the UK I'm equally comfortable in many (High) Anglican churches. Be assured if there was so much as a whiff of the gospel being presented from the traditional Reformed perspective with its emphasis on God's narrow and exclusive plan of salvation, I'd be out of the door like a shot!