Galli writes,
“but in raising such momentous issues, he has raised crucial questions that also must be asked. If universal salvation is true, why does Jesus not showcase it? Why is Jesus’ teaching characterized instead by a relentless focus on the last judgment? Sayings like “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28, ESV) come up repeatedly in the Gospels. Jesus spends more time on this eternal judgment than all the other New Testament voices combined. Bell is not unusual in wondering how God’s love, justice, and omnipotence can be reconciled in the end—this is a long-standing theological mystery. But doesn’t universalism succumb to the theological temptation to explain exactly how God will show himself loving, just, and omnipotent at the end of history?” Read more»