Many believers are being deceived by the teaching that no one will be left out of salvation in Christ, and the idea that there is no day of future judgment for those who do not obey the Gospel. Through careful research, Jon examines which words of Jesus and Paul in the New Testament are being ignored and denied, and explains how an unhealthy reliance on a 20th Century philosopher and sociologist—Rene Girard—has taken the place of the reliability of the Scriptures.
Read the PDF here: Don’t Forget the Part About the Sheep & the Goats!
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Author, speaker, editor of Searching Together, itinerant encourager of relational communities.
Thanks Jon for writing such an in depth and biblical response to this extremely deceptive and dangerous teaching. Great work! I recommend everyone read it.
Not surprised that the church is dealing with this philosophy. When one takes Christ out of the scriptures all kinds of teaching rushes into the void to fill its place; and what is more appealing than a “love is all you need” gospel?
My friend Jon’s take represents but one take on the Biblical passages on judgment. I don’t think it is so easy to emphasize some passages, and sweep others under the rug: “Jesus Christ, the Savior of all men, but especially those who believe.” (1 Tim 4:10).
A healthy view of the body of Christ is one where we grant the Spirit permission (ha) to speak through all our brothers and sisters. Neither Jesus nor his immediate followers prophesied of a book that would govern all life and faith… but Jesus did speak of the Spirit leading us to all… All truth.
I find it ironic that you quote a blurb from the back of my book, which spends 3-4 pages exegeting the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, in an article where you ask to not “forget the Sheep and the Goats.” Quite misleading there sir! Perhaps if you actually read the book instead of simply tossing my name into the piece, you would know that. By the way, really poor critique of Girard. There are much better critiques of him, including the very person who edited my book, All Set Free.
I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. But I will check it out. Thanks for the recommendation:)
‘I loved you at your darkest’ “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Marc, that is a clear misunderstanding of Ultimate Reconciliation/Christian Universalism.
Powerful truth, however, unfortunately traditional church doesn’t communicate it very well. Somehow we need to get beyond church.
This is rediculous, you’re spreading untruths about Renee Girard and people who come after them. The teachings are Christ centered. Don’t hate on things you don’t understand.
The parable of the ‘Sheep and the Goats’ is one of several parables Jesus told in a single setting beginning in Matthew 24:1 and ending in Matthew 26:2. It is obvious that he was warning his immediate audience (which included religious leaders) of a soon-coming judgment that came to pass in A.D. 70 when the Roman Armies invaded the Holy Land and devastated 978 towns including Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, killed one-million Jews including the priesthood and carried captive fifty-thousand Jews as slaves into the provinces of the Roman Empire. These parables had absolutely NOTHING to do with a so-called ‘end times’ judgment. Jesus specifically set the time frame for this impending holocaust, saying, “I tell you the truth, THIS GENERATION will certainly not pass away until ALL these things have happened” (Mt 24:34 NIV). Finally, another thought for your consideration: Before the sacrifice of Christ “for the sin of the world,” the old covenant temple priests sacrificed BOTH sheep and goats to atone for the sins of the people.
Thanks, Bruce. You say, “If one ceases to exist when they physically die, how can they be resurrected?” The state after death is designated as “sleep.” Those who do not obey the Gospel will cease to exist after they are resurrected and Christ deals with them as described in Matt 25 & 2 Thess 1.
Ivan, to limit what happens in Matt 25 to the events surrounding 70 AD seems strained. In this future scene, it is the “nations” that are gathered & the sheep and goats are separated by the Lord, not just 1st century Israel. The scope of what Jesus described goes far beyond a narrow focus on Jerusalem. The 70 AD judgment came about because Israel killed the prophets and apostles, and then the Son. There is no mention of these dimensions in Jesus’ words about the sheep & goats.
Imputing “hate” to me seems inappropriate. Thanks for your opinion!
Thank you, Jim! I wrote this piece, in part, because certain people were emphasizing no passages, sweeping others under the rug, and in the process running roughshod over key words that our Lord has spoken. The truth will flow out of Jesus’ words. That which contradicts His words is false.
Hi, Matthew! I had read most of your book, and certainly the section on the Sheep/Goats. I found your comments on Matt 25 to be unconvincing and weak. With the conclusion you bring to the passage, you have to come away with a certain answer. Your understanding of Matt 25 rests on the huge assumption that it is a parable. Once you assign it that genre, then, as you say, you don’t have to take it literally. The scene Jesus describes does not have the marks of a parable. The only figurative parts about it are the two animals representing two groups of people. The rest of the narrative is straightforward — at the end of history Jesus separates the world’s inhabitants into two groups, He reviews how they helped the needy, and then assigns each their destiny, the sheep into the inheritance prepared for them since the creation of the world, and the goats into the judgment prepared for the devil and his angels. All humanity is resurrected to be in front of Jesus — a resurrection of the just (sheep) and the unjust (goats). Whatever else the NT says, it cannot come to a different conclusion than what is revealed in the Lord’s words in Matt 25, and elsewhere.
Wait…there’s something you need other than love?
Yeah, Bruce, the lives of the people on whom the tower fell did cease to exist. My main point is that “perish” cannot mesh with the idea of “forevr & ever.” Just as those in the Flood did not drown forever. Their lives perished.
If you check out E.W. Bullinger’s writing on Luke 16, you’ll see there is much more to consider when interpreting this passage.
Your particular understanding of the 1000 years is a Pandora’s Box all of its own!
I edited out your F-A-B-L-E-S part because it did not seem to add to the points you had made, plus you seem to add these words to the end of other posts you do. In any event, here it is:
As a brother in Christ I would plead with you to rewrite your pages 7-10 and remove this gross error (“to perish means to cease to exist”) which is marked by all 6 scriptural marks of fables….
F-It is a fair speech never taught by the Lord Jesus or his apostles which will deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:17,18
A-It is a doctrine which cannot be stated in the pure words of the Lord but must be stated using additional words to His. Proverbs 30:5,6
B- It will never be embraced by Bereans and those who follow their example described in Acts 17:11.
L-It is a lie designed to toss children to and fro with winds of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive. Ephesians 4:14
E- It was never taught by eye-witnesses of the Lord’s majesty but is rather a cunningly devised fable which they rejected! II Peter 1:16
S – It can only be stated in words which man’s wisdom teaches. (I Cor.2:13) it cannot be stated in the pure words of the Lord (Psalm 12:6), and cannot be stated in words which the Holy Spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual! (I Cor.2:13)
I am praying for you, brother, that the Lord will give you wisdom and grace to reject and repudiate the error which mars your otherwise excellent refutation of universalism. — Bruce W.
Perish in my mind means perish.
For someone to read the words consume, perish and destroy and come up with burning in a torture pit forever and ever…
The mind boggles.
Ahh, yes, Lazarus and the rich man. The parable! “It’s not a parable it’s true!!” Really? So we go to Abraham’s bosom when we die!?
We communicate to people in hell fire from heaven? We only need one drop of water to cool the torture from God’s eternal flames?
Ok. If your idea of heaven is Abe’s boob. Thumbs up.
Great website!