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New Book on Romans now ready

A few months ago I did a series of weblogs on the book of Romans. I am planning to use these (modified and with additions) as the basis of a commentary on Romans put into spiral-bound books.

Because a single book is just too big, I have broken it into two. The first volume is 149 pages. It was completed just before my trip to San Francisco, but I did not advertise it until now, because I knew I would not be able to handle the volume of orders while on my trip.

Paul's Epistle to the Saints in Rome, Book 1 is now done and ready, covering the first 8 chapters of Romans, where Paul's book has a natural break in the text. It is $20 (including postage). If you want copies, you can either write to our address, or email me and send a $20 "donation".

Gerry Beauchemin's book, Hope Beyond Hell

This book is free to those who request it, but if you are able, I would appreciate if you could send about $5 for shipping costs.

The title of this book tells you what the book is about. It shows from Scripture that "hell" is not the end of the story for the unbelievers. It examines the question from a biblical standpoint much more than Rob Bell's book, Love Wins. Bell's book is very good for beginners, as it is not so heavy into the study of Scripture. Gerry's book, on the other hand, is for those who really want to search the Scriptures to see if these things are true.

I talked to Gerry the other day for over an hour, mostly about Rob Bell's new book, and we agree that we have come to the threshold of a new era in which the Restoration of All Things will soon regain its dominant position in the Church as it was during the first five centuries of Church history.

This great truth was lost during the Dark Ages, when popes replaced Jesus as the Head of the Church, when fear and force replaced love as the primary evangelistic motivator, and when the gospel of eternal torment replaced the idea of "needful corrections" to cause all sinners to repent.

I have a short, pocket size booklet for those of you who want A Short History of Universal Reconciliation. It tells the basic story how this great truth came to be lost through political struggles within the Church. These things are well known to theologians familiar with early Church history, but they have been hidden from the average Christian, lest their eyes might be enlightened.

A Short History of Universal Reconciliation by itself is just $1.50 each, but I will be happy to send it free of charge with the others.

In my view, the gospel has been encumbered by its fear-appeal and by the Christian portrayal of God as one who punishes unjustly. Too much punishment is worse than insufficient punishment, as any sane parent knows. God has been unjustly maligned by the doctrine of endless punishment, based almost entirely upon the mistranslation of the Greek word aionian. The early Church fathers read about aionian judgment and understood it to mean a limited period of time in which God disciplined sinners, holding them accountable for their actions during their life on earth. When modern theologians insist that aionian means "endless," they contradict virtually all of the great Greek-speaking theologians of the first five centuries.

It is time that we clear up this issue and present a just view of God's judgments that line up with the character and heart of God. God's judgments are purpose-driven, and that purpose is to correct and restore all things to Himself. I believe that this understanding is the most important correction that needs to be made in Christian evangelism, and when this happens, we will see the greatest revival ever witnessed on the face of the earth. By the fear message, a few feel compelled to turn to Christ; but "the word of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:19), revealing Christ's heart of love, will open up the heavens and propel the glory of God into the earth.