1. What did God mean when He said, “Come let us reason together” and when Jesus told the Pharisees to “make good judgments.” Does not reason play a significant part regarding our knowledge of Him and therefore this issue?
2. In light of Jesus’ statement, “I will also ask you one question, and answer Me …” does it not appear that God’s goal is to engage us into the process of thinking and meditating on Him? Also God says through Isaiah, “No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding …” (Isa. 44). Are we not given the impression that we are expected to think and reason about the nature of God, without fear?
3. Is not 1 Thessalonians 5:21 giving us permission to test the doctrine of an eternal hell since it says, “Examine all things; hold fast to that which is good.” If we are feeling uneasy about it, sense that it is not good, and wish it were not true why should we be afraid to examine it and put it to the test?
4. What about the test of, “Does it glorify God”? Can we honestly say that to consign most of His crown of creation to an eternal existence cycling sin and punishment while in a state of death is glorifying to Him? Would this glorify an earthly king to have 90% of his subjects never submit their wills to him? How would a parallel state of eternal sin and death be glorifying to a holy God?
5. Have you ever considered what the verses that speak of the restoration of all creation would sound like if you put all the qualifiers on them that you say you believe are there?
“And he is the head of the body, the Church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in [a few hearts] he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself [a few things], whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col. 1:18-20)
“For from Him and through Him are all things and [a few will make it] back to Him.” (Rom 11)
“As in Adam ALL die so in Christ [very few] will be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22)
“For God so loved 5-10% of the world that He gave His only begotten Son …” (Calvinists) (John 3:16)
“God was in Christ reconciling [a tiny portion of] the world to Himself.” (2 Cor. 5:19)
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin [of a few people] of the world.” (John 1:29)
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of a few from every people group in the world!” (1 John 2:2)
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death [for a minority of My human creation].” (1 Cor. 15:26)
“Behold, I am making [a few] things new!” (Rev 21:5)
6. Why do Christians who believe in an eternal hell use the verse from Isaiah 55, “For My ways are not your ways neither your thoughts My thoughts …” to defend the incoherent nature of their eternal hell when this entire chapter is about the MERCY of God and not judgment?
Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
…Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.