On March 15th, Rob Bell's latest book Love Wins was released. Even before its release, the book created quite a bit of controversy. Well, what's the big deal? Rob Bell, the minister at Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan has always been known for being a little edgy and at times controversial.Well, the big deal is the ideas being put forth in this book by Rob Bell. King Solomon wisely stated that "there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9)and nothing could be more true of the teachings in Bell's new book. Bell even says this himself in the introduction to his book. He says, "...nothing in this book hasn't been taught, suggested, or celebrated by many before me. I haven't come up with a radical new teaching that's any kind of departure from what's been said an untold number of times."
Even though Rob Bell denies being a universalist that is precisely the doctrine he is espousing in his book.
I want to give you a break down of the book, chapter by chapter.
Chapter one was entitled, "What About The Flat Tire?"
In this chapter Bell simply asks a series of questions about doctrine. He doesn't provide any answers but questions he has. Lots of them. He asks about the doctrine of the age of accountability. He asks about the sinners prayer? He asks if all that matter is if we have a "personal relationship" with Jesus or not even though that phrase is not found in Scripture. (And in passing, he mentions that a woman authored the book of Hebrews - which for someone who seems to be so in tune with Jewish history, this is a real stretch to say the least.) He asks if what we say is what saves us? He asks if what we do is what saves us? He asks if it is who we forgive that saves us? He asks if it is the faith of our friends that saves us (Mark 2)? He asks if it is through childbearing that saves us (1 Timothy 2)?
As I said, no answers. Just questions.
Chapter two was entitled, "Here is the New There"
In this chapter Bell puts forth his belief about heaven. He recounts the story of the rich young ruler. Bell points out that the rich young ruler was not corrected by Jesus when he asked: What must I DO to get eternal life? Because most contemporary preachers would have pointed out to the rich young ruler you don't DO anything, you can't earn it. But instead, Jesus tells the man to obey the commandments and then to sell off all his possessions.
Bell teaches in this chapter that heaven is not a place we go to, it is a state of being that we are invited by God to participate in here and now. Unfortunately for Bell, Jesus does not teach this. Jesus spoke of going to his Father's house (John 14:1-4). In the book of Hebrews (authored by a man, by the way), the idea of heaven being a place is furthered by the teaching of heaven as the future "country" of the saints (Hebrews 11:16). In Philippians 3:2o Paul (another male) says that our "citizenship" is in this new country/place. The Bible describes heaven as a place in it's descriptions of heaven as a city (Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:2). The Bible does not support Bell's understanding of heaven being a state of mind that we are invited to participate in here and now. Heaven is the future home of the saints of God. It is a prepared PLACE for those who are prepared to go there.
Chapter three is aptly entitled, "Hell"
In this chapter, Bell recounts the story Jesus tells in Luke 16 of Lazarus and the rich man. Bell points out that the fact that the rich man asks for Lazarus to bring him water means he still desired for people to serve him. The rich man's "hell" was that he as in a lower status than Lazarus after death.
Bell spends a great deal of time in this chapter showing that God clearly punishes to reconcile. He points out that Sodom and Gomorrah are restored according to Ezekiel 16.
Bell teaches that ultimately hell is a metaphor to describe present-day evils much like (according to Bell) "Gehenna" [the dump outside of Jerusalem] was for Jesus in his day.
But Scriptures teach a different story again. The Scriptures teach that hell is a real place that was originally created for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). The Bible teaches that those who reject God and do not obey the gospel will go there (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 20:15).
Chapter four is entitled, "Does God get what God wants?"
Bell quotes 1 Timothy 2:4 which states that God "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Bell asks, "So does God get what He wants? Or does God fail in the end?"
Bell teaches that God will eventually win everyone over with his love, if not in this life, then after death. He espouses in this chapter that even the early church fathers held this view (which is historically inaccurate).
Bell concludes his chapter by saying, "Telling a story about a God who inflicts unrelenting punishment on people because they didn't do or say or believe the correct things in a brief window of time called life isn't a very good story."
Again, the word of God does not support any idea of a sinner's salvation after death. Instead, the male author of Hebrews clearly declares, "it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." (Hebrew 9:27) And, to be honest, I disagree with Bell, I think it is a good story. Because any story that's true is a good story.
Chapter five is entitled, "Dying to Live"
I really enjoyed the bulk of this chapter. Bell teaches about the resurrection and its implications for us in the here and now. I honestly didn't have much of a problem with this chapter at all.
Chapter six is entitled, "There are rocks everywhere"
In this chapter Bell amazingly tries to explain that when Jesus declares that He is "the way the truth and the life," No one comes to the Father except through him, that this is actually a very open statement of Jesus. Because Jesus doesn't explain the mechanism of how one gets to the Father through him. So this "opens the door to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Baptists from Cleveland." Bell says, "Jesus is as exclusive as himself and as inclusive as containing every single particle of creation."
Need I mention more about the absolute heretical thoughts Bell is trying to convey? Muslims do not accept Christ as the Son of God, yet Bell is saying that doesn't matter. A Hindu does not accept Christ as the Son of God. They believe that people who are economically depressed or diseased have had this happen to them because of some wrong they committed in a past life. A Buddhist does not believe Christ is the Son of God. But somehow all of these religions are equal?
It really is like a funnel, according to Bell. In the end, Jesus will funnel all to the Father, no matter what the believed or did.
This is blasphemous heresy.
Chapter seven is entitled, "The Good News is better than that"
In this chapter Bell tells the story of the two sons from Luke 15. He believes that story is a metaphor for how when we believe our own version of our life's story over God's version then we create hell here and now for ourselves. Bell says, "Hell is our refusal to trust God's retelling of our story." Bell believes that we actually shape God who in turn shapes us.
I don't give humanity that much credit. I am not a Calvinist, but the one point I would be most willing to accept is the depravity of man. We are fallen creatures with very little power. It seems that the gospel has man at the center doing a lot that makes God almost unnecessary according to Bell. I reject his view outright.
Chapter eight is entitled, "The end is here"
This chapter is a basic recap of the book.
Ultimately Bell is trying to rescue Christianity from itself. Bell attempts to reduce the Bible, and particularly, the Gospel to a story, and (as Albert Mohler points out) it is his duty to tell us which story is better than another. The problem is this...the church must tell one story. The story in the Bible, every Word of it. We do not get to choose what we think would be a more compelling story for an unbeliever.
We are compelled to preach the offensive message of the cross of Christ and any attempt to offer a story superior to the comprehensive story of the Bible fails on all fronts! It is an abdication of biblical authority, a denial of biblical truth, and a false Gospel. It misleads sinners and fails to save. It also fails in its central aim — to convince sinners to think better of God. The real Gospel is the Gospel that saves — the Gospel that must be heard and believed if sinners are to be saved.
In the end, Bell's book: Epic Fail!
