What Rob Bell says (or doesn't say) in his promo video is not the issue, because he doesn't "say" much of anything. He simply asks a bunch of questions – yes, provocative questions, but just questions nonetheless. If Mark Driscoll, John Piper or some other well-known conservative preacher/teacher would have used the exact same script to introduce a new series on Heaven and Hell, no one be would be up in arms over it – but this is probably because their stance on the issue is no secret, unlike Bell's often nebulous position.
To some degree, Rob Bell has brought this amplified amount of scrutiny on himself since he has such an hefty appetite for stirring the pot. He may be a lot of things, but he's not dumb – he knew exactly what he was doing with this promotion. When you try to create a buzz about a new book, video or sermon series this is what happens, and I suspect this is precisely what he and his publisher had in mind.
Though Bell may have asked for this to some extent, his critics have certainly jumped the gun by labeling him a universalist. Because of Bell's flirtations with the biblically scandalous in the past, it wouldn't surprise me at all if his book does indeed confirm the dreaded speculation, but it's still too early to say – both unwise and unfair to judge his position so prematurely.
Jesus himself asked lots of questions: "Who touched me? Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink? Who do you say that I am?" He knew the answer before he asked and only did so to prove a point, to teach a lesson and yes, to stir the pot. When Jesus asks you a question, be afraid – be VERY afraid – because when he aims his high-powered perception in your direction, it's likely your heart is about to be filleted and exposed for what it truly is. Sometimes the point is made by simply verbalizing the question – "Where are you, Adam?" Boom, roasted.
There were also times that Jesus was on the other end of the question and refused to give an answer. But whether he was being interrogated by Herod or when he wouldn't answer questions directly about his deity during his early ministry, Jesus always had a good reason for his silence and it wasn't simply for the sake of being provocative.
It's great when people ask questions, especially big questions. And you obviously can't expect the questioner to always provide the answer too, especially if he or she is genuinely seeking counsel.
Many people don't have access to knowledgeable pastors or the skills needed to properly read and interpret Scripture – so how are they to tread these waters? What about all those who wouldn't consider themselves believers at all? They have a personal stake in Bell's purported universalism because the verdict affects them in THE most severe ways. Givn this, how are they supposed to seek out answers in an unbiased manner? And it's not as simple as asking the Holy Spirit to give you the answers either. The Spirit can certainly illuminate his word so that it convicts or encourages us in ways that we previously missed, but just consider how many denominations, cults and schisms have been started over the claim that the Spirit "led" them to interpret a particular passage a certain way. If God has not seen fit to settle hot-button issues like predestination, "once-saved-always-saved" or the modern validity of miraculous gifts, I think it's fair to say that we cannot expect the Holy Spirit to write the answer to this question on the wall either.
Cortney and I were talking the other day and she brought up a great point – that the most frustrating thing will be if Bell doesn't settle the issue. That is the crux of this whole dispute: Will Rob Bell actually attempt to answer the questions he has raised? Or will he leave everyone hanging? His line of questions have drawn a clear line in the sand, and if his intention has been to leave everyone wondering what his answer is at the end, he will have been less than honest in the promotion of his new book and irresponsible with the gifts that God has entrusted to him.
As a teacher, author, pastor and recognized expert, Rob Bell is clearly operating in a role of authority, as someone who is supposed to have answers and speak with wisdom. This is why the Bible says, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1). People are looking to HIM for clarity on this issue and rightly so.
In and of itself, I don't see anything wrong with this so-called heretical video, IF... (and that's a big "if") IF he tries to faithfully answer the questions he has raised. Now, certainly Bell cannot really speak to questions like "Is Gandhi in Hell?" and he is absolutely right to call this kind of presumptuous judgmentalism into question. No one should feel THAT comfortable sitting on the Great White Throne.
I think the thing that has really gotten so many people in a frenzy over this is that they think Rob Bell is implying that no one knows the answers to ANY of the questions he mentions. For example, no one would get upset over a video that asked, "Are the streets of Heaven 14K or 24K gold? Will the Great Tribulation happen before or after the rapture? Did Adam have a bellybutton?" These kinds of questions don't make national headlines because they are widely debated, if not completely inconsequential. There are no solid answers to these questions this side of heaven.
However, when you question things that ARE clearly answered in Scripture, the game changes completely. Bell asks, "How do you become one of the few? Is it what you believe? Is it who you know? What is God like?" At the root of all the blogging and charges of heresy is that Bell's critics are worried that he is going to avoid the hard questions by chalking them up to mere opinion or that he might even try to rewrite doctrines that have stood for thousands of years all because this topic is uncomfortable to talk about. This issue, more than most, tends to separate the men from the boys and many Christians are worried that Bell is going to dance around the issue or even dismiss it as a real issue altogether. I too am concerned as to what Bell's answer will be but the best course of action is to wait and see.
I hope the rumors aren't true, for Bell's sake and for those who look up to him as an authority. But I am also worried that his staunchest critics will respond poorly no matter what his new book actually reveals about Bell's position. If it's bad news, I'm concerned that his critics will continue the usual barrage of stone-throwing blogs and "I told you so" sermons. And if it's not as bad as they are predicting, I think his critics will still find some way to denounce Rob Bell in order to save face – too immature to eat the fish and spit out the bones, let alone, give him props for entering the public octagon on such a brutally unpopular issue. But again, this too is speculation. If he HAS adopted a universalist position, there will no doubt be a great deal of carnage left in his wake and I fear that Bell's critics won't be effective at reaching those who don't know what to think about his new book. I even worry that some Christians actually WANT him to come out in favor of universalism just so their suspicions will be confirmed.
Bell has a responsibility to answer the questions he raises (at least the ones that actually have clear-cut answers) AND to call out those who speak presumptuously about who God will sentence to Hell and who He lets into heaven. Scripture is clear that there will be a LOT of surprises handed out on both sides of the aisle on Judgment Day. People who thought they had a one-way ticket to heaven will say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" (Matt 7:22) to which Christ replies, "Depart from me, I never knew you." While others who got in by the skin of their teeth or suffered in silence and obscurity will be rewarded in ways that self-righteous veterans of the faith might be surprised, “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matt 20:1-16).
God is love. God is justice. Some sinners will suffer in Hell for their crimes against God and humanity, those who are made in His image. Monsters who have exterminated vast races of people; those who have raped and plundered the innocence of children for twisted pleasures; those who have, and continue to, buy, sell and use people as if they are nameless commodities... we all intuitively recognize that these and a host of other atrocities, MUST not go unpunished. How could a loving God be so unjust and so unloving to the victims of such offenses as to turn a blind eye? We recognize this as the role of a holy Judge who has the power, wisdom and perspective to determine what is good and right in the end.
We who are blessed to one day enter the eternal rest of God's presence must be vigilant to remember that it is not our good deeds or our lesser degree of sin that has earned us a spot in heaven. We share in the guilt of the condemned, we simply have been rescued by Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) This means it is His decision, and His alone. Ultimately, the answer to the question, "Is Gandhi in Hell" finds its source in the same place as "Will I be in Hell?" It depends on Christ, our righteous, loving and holy Judge. I am comfortable leaving it up to His judgement when it comes to the salvation or condemnation of others. And I am helplessly dependent on Him when it comes to my own salvation – may I never be comfortable in such a way as to take it for granted.
This blog has a pretty short shelf-life given that Bell's book comes out in a couple of weeks, but I think there are some important lessons in here that would do us good to learn even after he drops his bombshell (or dud) on March 15th. I pray that Rob Bell's critics won't forget to look in the mirror just as much as I pray that those who are seeking the truth will accept it no matter what they find. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).
