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Ashland Theological Seminary ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY A RESOURCE FOR CHRISTIANS TO CONSIDER GOD’S POTENTIAL PURPOSES FOR ETERNAL PUNISHMENT A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY DON ELIJAH ECKHART ASHLAND, OHIO NOVEMBER 22, 2020 Copyright @ 2020, by Don Elijah Eckhart All rights reserved ii To the participants who gave of their time to read the resource and complete the survey iii Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV) iv APPROVAL PAGE Accepted by the faculty and the final demonstration examining committee of Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Ministry degree. ______________________________ _______________ Academic Advisor Date ______________________________ _______________ Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program Date v ABSTRACT The purpose of this project was to create a biblical theological resource that provides a plausible interpretation of Scripture about eternal punishment as an alternative to the Augustinian viewpoint which has prevailed in the Western Church since the sixth century. God wants everyone to be saved (1 Tim 2:3-4). Still, some people will go to eternal punishment (Matt 25:46). Both statements are true. The Greek word aionios, often translated eternal, can mean age or eon. Therefore, it is plausible that God can purify and save people in the afterlife. In a survey, mainline Protestant pastors agreed with this interpretation, whereas certain other pastors disagreed. vi CONTENTS ABSTRACT . vi CONTENTS . vii LIST OF TABLES . viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . ix Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW . 1 2. BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS . 24 3. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . 64 4. DESIGN, PROCEDURE, AND ASSESSMENT . 101 5. REPORTING THE RESULTS . 114 6. SUMMARY AND REFLECTIONS . 138 Appendix 1. PROPOSAL . 164 2. ASSESSMENT TOOL . 189 REFERENCES . 195 vii LIST OF TABLES . Page Table 1. Goal #5: Jesus as the Mediator . 116 Table 2. Goal #1: Revelations from the Holy Spirit Prompting Study . 119 Table 3. Goal #6: Disobedient To Be Purified in the Afterlife . 122 Table 4. Goal #8: Teaching Alternative to Augustine’s Theology . 124 Table 5. Goal #2: Scriptural Interpretation of Eternal Punishment . 126 Table 6. Goal #3: Biblical Theological Resource . 129 Table 7. Goal #4: God’s Desire for People in the Afterlife . 132 Table 8. Goal #7: Eternal Destiny of Loved Ones . 134 Table 9. Goal #9: Biblical Theology for Christian Organizations . 136 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation has benefited from the contributions of many people. I am grateful to those cited below, as well as many others. To my parents Melvin Eckhart and Elizabeth Eckhart (both deceased) for faithful spiritual guidance through the years. To my brother Pastor Dale Eckhart and his wife Edith. He and his friends read and commented on my book, which became the resource for this project. To my wife Sue Ellen Eckhart for her patience while I pursued this goal. To our son Nathan, who works in missions with a church in Columbus. To our son Greg and his wife Kim. To Dr. Dawn Morton, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. To Dr. Russell Morton for serving as adviser for the dissertation. To James Goetz for serving as field consultant for the dissertation and as developmental editor for my book (resource). To Dr. Brenda B. Colijn for her guidance in preparing my book. To Dr. JoAnn Ford Watson for her endorsement of my book. To Rev. Thomas A. Snyder for his endorsement of my book. To the Cascade Home Group of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Grove City, Ohio, for participating in two Bible study sessions on the resource. To Jesus Christ the Savior and Everlasting Hope of Humankind. ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW “If I examine myself seriously, I find that I have to say; I myself am not a universalist, but God may be one” (Moltmann 1994, 143). Jürgen Moltmann’s statement is both perplexing and profound. In this dissertation, we will strive to accomplish the purpose of providing a plausible interpretation of Scripture about eternal punishment as an alternative to the Augustinian viewpoint. At the same time, we must always recognize that God makes the ultimate decisions about salvation. Purpose Statement and Research Question The purpose of this project was to create a biblical theological resource that provides a plausible interpretation of Scripture about eternal punishment as an alternative to the Augustinian viewpoint which has prevailed in the Western Church since the sixth century. The research question follows: To what extent did the biblical theological resource provide a plausible interpretation of Scripture about eternal punishment as an alternative to the Augustinian viewpoint which has prevailed in the Western Church since the sixth century? The Augustinian viewpoint of eternal punishment is everlasting conscious torment. Augustine probably derived his view by reading Scripture in Old Latin, rather than in Greek, and by his belief in predestination. Still, variations of his viewpoint are evidenced in most church denominations today. This project examined biblical studies and theological views that demonstrate a plausible interpretation of Scripture as an alternative to the Augustinian viewpoint. 1 Conclusions The project concludes that God can save persons in the afterlife. As a result, universal salvation is also a feasible alternative. It is up to God to decide. The survey shows that three mainline Protestant pastors plus one similar scoring nondenominational pastor agreed with the project’s biblical theology that God can save persons in the afterlife, whereas three Baptist pastors and two Pentecostal pastors disagreed with the biblical theology. Two other nondenominational pastors did not have the same intensity of views as the previous pastors. However, if each is included with its nearest group, five pastors (i.e., about half of the eleven pastors) agreed with the project’s biblical theology, and six pastors (i.e., about half) disagreed with the biblical theology. Overview The resource resulted from a study of the Bible about God’s desire that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Augustine’s interpretation has been the predominant view for about fifteen centuries; it holds that people who are lost (implicitly most people) will face endless conscious torment in the afterlife. However, the Church Fathers before the time of Augustine held diverse views on this topic. Some adhered to a view of universal restoration, whereby God could restore lost souls in the afterlife. The resource examined the dilemma of God’s desire that all be saved as contrasted with the theology promoted by Augustine and many other theologians up to today. The resource looked at this dilemma by researching what the Bible says and building upon the work of scholars and theologians. 2 The research project surveyed pastors of denominational and independent churches to obtain their responses to the resource. Their input was valuable as review of the resource and suggested ideas of how this study can progress. This feedback can be important for me or for others to develop the concepts further. Foundations How many Christians are saddened, even distraught, by the thought that their deceased parents or grandparents will face an existence of endless conscious torment? This sorrow is very real and personal to first-generation Christians, especially in areas where Christianity is growing (e.g., Africa, Asia, and Latin America). While these new Christians believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, many of them have been taught a theology that those who died without knowing of and believing in Jesus Christ are doomed forever. From another perspective, how many Christians agonize over the eternal destiny of their children and grandchildren who show no interest in the church or in following Jesus Christ? This concern is more pronounced in areas where Christianity is declining, such as America and even more so Europe. What can the Church say to these people, as well as to the world? The resource for this project asserts that there is much that the Church can say to Christians and to the world on these questions. It is a positive message about the God we serve and about God’s desire for people. Prompted by a vision from the Holy Spirit, I engaged in a thorough examination of Scripture, theology, historical views and church history, and contemporary perspectives on this subject. I believe that Christians will be surprised and encouraged to learn 3 that traditional theology of everlasting conscious punishment for the lost is just that; it is a theological interpretation, not the one and only way in which the Bible must be read. This resource presents a biblical theology which is more plausible than traditional theology, which has been prevalent since about the 6th century. Personal Foundation With the tune of the old hymn “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” playing in my head, new words came to my mind in the early morning of April 3, 1999. I got out of bed and wrote down these words. It was the first time I had heard them, and I knew they were from God, not me. Adding to the assurance that this was a revelation, I had seen visions earlier that morning. The Lord called me and has led me in examining the biblical basis for the ideas in this revelation. 1. Beyond the cross of Jesus, I cannot bear to see, The sight of that dear dying man Who gave His life for me; And when the picture quickly fades, I see the risen Christ, The One for Whom I’ll die myself...greets me saying “arise!” 2. Upon the cross of Jesus, for sin His blood was poured; His love a sacrifice for all, Christ is my Living Lord; So as my life has grown with Him, the story to be told; The One for Whom I’ve died myself...the first for me to hold.
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