Universalism and 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

[Homer]

I was reading this passage today in my garage sale find - a New Testament translated from Aramaic (cost me $1 ). Anyway, I noticed the implications regarding the Universalist claims. Here is the passage from the NKJV:

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (New King James Version)
9. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10. and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12. that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The Universalist posits an endless opportunity for all who are not saved in this life to repent and be saved post resurrection. If this is so, then why would God judge certain persons during this life, and by His positive action prevent them from repenting during this life? I have long believed that there are certain persons, during their life here on earth, who become hardened to the point that there is no practical possibility for them to repent. This passage seems to say as much, and that God acts to ensure it.

How do Universalists, or those sympathetic to, or knowledgeable about, the teaching of Universalism, explain the apparent contradiction to their doctrine in this text? It seems odd indeed that God would prevent men from repenting in this life only to convert them post death.

[Todd]

How do Universalists, or those sympathetic to, or knowledgeable about, the teaching of Universalism, explain the apparent contradiction to their doctrine in this text? It seems odd indeed that God would prevent men from repenting in this life only to convert them post death.

Hi Homer,

This is a good question. I believe you may be correct that there is a "point of no return" for someone overcome in sin. This may be what Paul is talking about in Rom 1:28 where it says that God gives them over to a "debased mind." This person may have become so corrupted by sin that he cannot be persuaded to repent. This must be God's wrath upon them and they will continue to wallow in the mire of their own sinfulness and never know the joys of knowing Christ in this life.

As you know, the way I view Universalism is different from some others who believe in a post-death conversion of some sort in the Lake of Fire. The way I would see this is that when someone dies, his soul becomes free from the flesh with all its lusts and human frailties; the flesh decays and is gone, along with any propensity to sin. This is because the bodies we have in this life are corruptible. When one is resurrected he is given an incorruptible body that is not capable of sin. Realizing that Christ is the Savior is an epiphany - not a decision one makes. In this we find, "every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord," and Christ becomes "all in all."

Todd

[Homer]

Hi Steve,

I believe you were travelling when I started this thread, and I was hoping you or a traditional universalist would reply. Anyway, I noticed just now that on the old forum, February 17, 2004, you wrote:

I tend to believe that "free will" will continue as a part of human nature, even in whatever circumstances may prevail in the afterlife. If this is true, it would seem theoretically possible for particularly stubborn people to resist God's mercy adamantly and terminally—so that annihilation would be the only just option for their final disposition. If God really does have the power ultimately to force inward compliance, then one wonders while He would not employ this ability on each man in his lifetime, leading to conversion prior to death (which is, apparently, what God would desire for all men).
On the other hand, I find it difficult to imagine, even with free will fully intact, that any individual could fail to be brought to repentance and submission, given the patience of God and the infinity of His resources to influence a man's decisions. With this in mind, it is not impossible to imagine a universalist outcome, even without the cancellation of every man's freedom to choose.

I would be very interested in hearing how you see the scripture in my initial post, which might answer to what you wrote.

God bless, Homer