{"id":1539,"date":"2012-06-21T14:22:31","date_gmt":"2012-06-21T21:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/?p=1539"},"modified":"2014-04-02T17:27:12","modified_gmt":"2014-04-03T00:27:12","slug":"a29s-matt-chandler-walking-into-universalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/a29s-matt-chandler-walking-into-universalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Acts 29’s Matt Chandler: Walking Into Universalism?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matt Chandler and all adherents to his theology would be quite shocked to hear such a suggestion. However those of the mindset of Arminian Roger Olson would not find this accusation surprising. Olson constructed in his book Against Calvinism <\/em>how this can easily become the logical trajectory of a Calvinist and in a recent post he even declared boldly that: “Calvinism Leads to Universalism<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

But instead of declaring Chandler a ‘heretic’ we see that he is simply walking into the bigger picture of The Story of God as revealed to him in Scripture. We have shown this to be the case with others such as Keller, Tchividjian, Galli, Chan, D. A. Carson and even Mark Driscoll. It is nearly impossible to stop speaking of the hope that is written on your heart even when it is not written in your theological tradition.<\/p>\n

Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas, took over Driscoll’s role in leading the Acts 29 network of churches (March of \u00a02012). His newest book The Explicit Gospel<\/em> is a curious mixture of overwhelmingly hopeful eschatology while at the same time dragging along the incompatible doctrine of a hopeless eternal hell for most of humanity. It appears that he retains the doctrine of “eternal conscious torment” for no other reason than he believes he must. He gives his reasons but as we will show later they fall flat in light of Scripture and the nature of God. And you will see how they collapse in his own book! The doctrine of an eternal hell certainly does not flow with other breathtakingly hopeful statements he makes or more importantly the Scriptures he quotes. In fact they contradict in a most striking way. It seems that something is driving Chandler to say things he is not supposed to believe!<\/p>\n

First check out the following statements made by Matt Chandler in The Explicit Gospel <\/em>that offer you a God of unfailing love and limitless power to restore His creation to its intended purpose:<\/p>\n

RESTORATION:<\/p>\n

“Because a God who is ultimately most focused on his own glory will be about the business of restoring us, who are all broken images of Him. His glory demands it.” \u00a0(pg 32)<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the biblical story, the gospel\u2019s star figure says, \u2018Behold, I am making all things new\u2019 (Rev 21:5). \u00a0If His word is true, we must take His references to \u2018all things\u2019 seriously. \u00a0As Lloyd-Jones says, \u2018the whole universe is involved.\u2019\u201d (90)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe designation ‘KINGDOM’ itself tells us that the gospel is God\u2019s plan not just to restore mankind, but to restore \u2018all things\u2019 for mankind\u2019s enjoyment, Christ\u2019s lordship, and His triune self\u2019s glory.\u201d (107)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to realize that God will not be satisfied until the entire universe has been purged of all the results of man\u2019s fall.\u201d (quoting Hoekema, pg 159)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good news is that God\u2019s plan for redemption is scaled to His glory, encompassing all creation. \u00a0What is corrupt will be declared \u2018very good\u2019 again. (35)<\/p>\n

“The miracles of Jesus are signs of the right order of things. Jesus was not so much turning things upside down as turning them rightside up or, at least, giving his followers glimpses of the rightside up. The miracles of healing, deliverance, provision, and resurrection all reveal that God, through Jesus, is making all things new, that he is restoring what once was unbroken.” (107)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

THE SCOPE OF CHRIST\u2019S LORDSHIP:<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore, there should be no square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which we don\u2019t say, \u2018His!\u2019 \u2026This is the missional mindset: believing and living as if God\u2019s reconciling work is true in every space we find ourselves in.\u201d \u00a0(In the spirit of Abraham Kuyper)<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026the Gospel is about His lordship over the chaos of fallen creation\u2026His conquest of sin and death.\u201d \u00a0(138)<\/p>\n

“All we see in Romans 8 that’s gone wrong is assailed by God’s gospel offensive. God’s plan is to renew and remake, and God does not lose.<\/em> The gates of hell will not prevail. The missional offensive is the winning offensive. It’s the only<\/em> winning offensive.” \u00a0(pg 153)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

THE SCOPE OF THE CROSS APPLYING TO ALL MANKIND AND THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE :<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026Christ\u2019s atoning work is reconciling all things to Himself.\u201d \u00a0(157)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe iniquity of man is placed upon the head of Jesus so that, at His physical death, the iniquity of mankind would be carried away. \u00a0This is what is meant when John the Baptist proclaims his gospel: \u00a0\u2019Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this side of Christ\u2019s death, resurrection, and ascension we live in the tension of the new world being PAID FOR but not completely rolled out.\u201d (161, emphasis mine)<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026the whole gospel must be explicitly about the restoration of God\u2019s image bearers and also about the entire theater of His glory, the entire cosmos.\u201d (111)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gospel of Colossians 1 is epic; it posits a cross that is cosmic. \u00a0We see that the peace that is made by the blood of the cross covers \u2018all things\u2019. The scope of Christ\u2019s reconciling work on the cross spans the brokenness between man and God AND the brokenness between earth and heaven.\u201d \u00a0(142)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

THE ABSOLUTE HONOR OF HIS NAME FOREVER:<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom beginning to end, the Scriptures reveal that the desire of God\u2019s heart is not our salvation but rather the glory of His name\u2026God\u2019s plan is for it to be supreme everywhere in the world.\u201d \u00a0(34-5) [admin note: he is reflecting Piper here and we believe he is saying that because we are made in His image our salvation restores the worship of His name as in Phil 2: \u201cevery knee will bow and tongue confess Jesus is Lord to the GLORY of God the FATHER.\u201d \u00a0His glory and our restoration are intrinsically woven together.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

THE PURPOSE OF ELECTION:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn essence, we are reconciled to reconcile.\u201d \u00a0(144)<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026Israel was meant to be a light to the nations. \u00a0The prophets would talk, often at great length, about all nations being drawn into God\u2019s kingdom so that it would encompass the whole earth.\u201d \u00a0(161)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

GOD\u2019S PURPOSE OF FIRE AS REDEMPTIVE:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should not see the fire and dissolution Peter speaks of as annihilating creation but refining and remaking it. \u00a0Think of how a blacksmith heats up a piece of metal to soften it before hammering it into shape.\u201d \u00a0(165)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/div>\n

To summarize what Chandler so winsomely establishes in his book, he affirms the following:<\/p>\n

\n
1. The purpose of\u00a0creation is the glory of God (pgs 33-35)<\/div>\n
2. God will have His purpose fulfilled on earth exactly as it is in heaven (pg 107)<\/div>\n
3. Christ\u2019s lordship is over all creation (pg 137)<\/div>\n
4. God\u2019s desire is for His name to be honored forever by every person within every inch of His creation (pg 43)<\/div>\n
5. Christ’s redemption is on behalf all mankind (pg 62)<\/div>\n
6. The scope of Christ\u2019s death and resurrection is cosmic \u00a0(pgs 138-143)<\/div>\n
7. His reconciliation is now an office for the Church (the elect) to the world (pg 161)<\/div>\n
8. God\u2019s nature is missional, that is to redeem and rescue and restore (pg 145, 152)<\/div>\n
9. God’s intention is to make all things new, (pg 90) New as in RENEWED, not brand new (pg 163)<\/div>\n
10. God\u2019s purpose of the fire in 2 Peter 3:10 is refinement \u00a0(pg 164)<\/div>\n
11. The elect will be reconciling, reigning and ruling (somebody) \u00a0(pgs 144, 165, 168)<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Even in light of the astounding statements above Chandler still tries to make his case in support of an eternal hell by saying that it preserves the honor of God’s name. Chandler states that eternal hell is the consequence of “belittling God’s name” and then tells us immediately that to question the ethic of God’s eternal hell is to “belittle God’s name.”<\/p>\n

Well, we would like to offer a way of escape for those who have been trapped in this “Catch 22” bondage (ie.,\u00a0you will go to an eternal hell if you question an eternal hell<\/em>). First realize it is incoherent and inconsistent with God’s holy nature to claim He will punish sin with infinitely more sin.\u00a0For this creates an eternal paradigm where God is NOT receiving ALL the glory but instead receiving begrudging submission–something God explicitly says He hates <\/em><\/strong>(Isa 29:13; Matt 15:8). It is inconceivable that the holy God of the universe would allow for a worship that is empty, vain, forced and false. Philippians 2 describes a worship that is voluntary “to the glory of God the Father” (not Judge). Think: what kind of words would honor you as a parent?<\/p>\n

But in spite of Chandler’s defense of an eternal hell\u00a0The Explicit Gospel<\/em> just continues on throughout the book describing the restoration of God’s creation. If you are paying attention you will see the contradictions Chandler sets for himself. Here is one to encourage you to read his book with a critical, yet hopeful, mind:<\/p>\n

“The consequences of sin must reflect the expanse of God’s glory. God’s glory is eternal; therefore, sin is an eternal offense. This is why we believe in eternal life, an eternal hell, and a remaking of not just some things but all things. \u00a0The good news is that God’s plan for redemption is scaled to His glory, encompassing all creation. What is corrupt will be declared “very good” again.” (pg 135)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Note that this is all one thought strung together! No break. Wow, do you see his struggle to retain both the restoration from the fall and an eternal hell? I am still trying to make sense of what he said in this paragraph, even in the context of the chapter!<\/p>\n

We believe there is little need to read books by “Evangelical Universalists.” Our traditional theologians are extensively covering and supporting the subject in a remarkably powerful way. \u00a0This is proof it is the natural inclination of our redeemed hearts! See how the following theologians make an astounding case for Christian Universalism:\u00a0Tim Keller, Mark Galli, D. A. Carson, Mark Driscoll, Scot McKnight, Francis Chan, Tullian Tchividjian, and many others HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

See also Acts 29 Church Walks Intuitively into Paradigm of Christian Universalism<\/a><\/p>\n

We wrote a gracious and positive review on Amazon for The Explicit Gospel<\/em>. It included praise for Chandler’s powerful ability to communicate many aspects of the Gospel but also highlighted this fact of his being “in two minds” about hell. By default it was the “best critical review” for a number of weeks and therefore generated a significant discussion in the comments. If you want to read the review you can view it on our other site\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matt Chandler and all adherents to his theology would be quite shocked to hear such a suggestion. However those of the mindset of Arminian Roger Olson would not find this…<\/p>\n

Read MoreActs 29’s Matt Chandler: Walking Into Universalism?<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96,12,63,1,107,97,106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-acts-29-network","category-book-reviews","category-david-martin-lloyd-jones","category-evangelical-universalism","category-roger-olson","category-universalism-and-calvinism","category-ur-is-intuitive-to-the-church","excerpt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1539"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1574,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1539\/revisions\/1574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godslovewins.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}