Hi all... I'm new to the universal salvation stuff but am on board 100% I started attending a non-denominational church when I was 8 years old and attended it or other churches of the same type my whole life. I'm now 9 years old and 8 months. Just kidding! I'm 36. I'm also new to the "hell is a myth" camp but believe that 100% as well. Two books by Martin Zender really helped me along when I started questioning the validity of the belief based salvation model. Things just weren't adding up and I needed to address the issues the best I could. Unfortunately, I couldn't get those answers from the mainstream church. It was all the same old stuff that just filled me with more questions.
So yes, Everlasting and Eternal aren't really biblical and neither is freewill or hell. I've been studying and making lots of notes on the bible verses that say the entire world will be reconciled to Christ one day and have been learning more and more. I look forward to being here!
Good Morning Tobias,
I happen to like SOME of Jeff Priddy's(Aka-Martin Zender's) stuff, He does a pretty good job with the Free Will Myth, but it's against Forum Rules to discuss Him here. Actually, Ray mentions that He's friends with Jeff in one of His Audios, but Ray doesn't agree with the Concordant Fellows on everything. Ray says that Jeff is a nice Guy, but a little nuts in one of His Audio Studies, don't recall which one. Jeff Priddy is pretty funny with some of His Video's. Read below a comment from Ray regarding The Concordant Publishing Concern.
Denny,
[after some things personal...]
I came to understand a doctrine held by most people connected with the Concordant Publishing Concern (which includes Jeff and many of his Biblical teacher friends), with which I absolutely could not disagree more. It is the teaching that there are TWO administrations, and almost two of everything:
Two ADMINISTRATIONS
Two CALLINGS
Two GOSPELS [Peter vs. Paul]
Two RACIAL distinctions [the circumcision Jews and the uncircumcision Gentiles]
Two RETURNS of Christ for His TWO sets of saints
Two RESURRECTIONS [one at a co-called Rapture, and the other for the National lineage of Israel]
Two REWARDS [again, one for Paul's group and one for Peter's]
Two area of RULERSHIP [one for Israel on this earth, the other in the Heavens for the believers following Paul's gospel]
Two DIFFERENT BODIES [one physical, terrestrial for earth-bound saints and one spiritual for those ruling in outer space--yes, they believe heaven is outer space], etc.
I completely Scripturally destroy this unscriptural and foolish doctrine with about two thousand Scriptures and a hundred pages in my paper located on the bible-truths.com site entitled: "EXPOSING THE SECRET RAPTURE THEORY." It is my sincere hope and prayer that everyone will read my paper before they get involved in this deceitful doctrine.
I want to say this as clear as I possible can so as to not be misunderstood in the least by anyone: I believe that the doctrine of TWO ADMINISTRATIONS to be a damnable doctrine of demons. That's how strongly I feel about it. Read my paper...
Here is the sad thing about all this: There are numerous studies and gatherings of people around the country who absolutely and Scripturally, believe that God is going to save all humanity. And that is a good thing. However, that knowledge alone is NOT THE WHOLE GOSPEL, as Jeff suggests. There is more, MUCH MORE! Everyone knows that I have quoted I Tim. 2:4 and written more about that one verse than maybe anyone else known, and yet, that verse alone is not the WHOLE GOSPEL. It is merely the CONCLUSION, THE AIM, THE PURPOSE, THE GOAL, THE CONSUMMATION of the gospel. And yes, it is the grandest conclusion possible.
The above is just part of it, Tobias, you can check under Ray's Categorization of Ray's Emails & The Secret Rapture Article. Of course the above information has nothing to do with what you choose to believe or what I choose to believe, it's just meant to clarify that although Ray calls Jeff Priddy His Friend and says He's a nice Guy, He doesn't agree with Him.
Kind Regards, Samson.