What's Good About the Good News?: The Plan of Salvation in a New Light

by Neal Punt

Book Overview

The over-all message of the Bible is either: A) ALL PERSONS ARE OUTSIDE OF CHRIST EXCEPT THOSE WHO THE BIBLE EXPRESSLY DECLARES WILL BE SAVED; or, B) ALL PERSONS ARE ELECT IN CHRIST EXCEPT THOSE WHO... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0945315074
• ISBN13: 9780945315070
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Northland Books
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Unconditional Bad News for Some

Punt's "new insight" was taken from a statement by Princeton Theologian Charles Hodge who interpreted Romans 5:18 as allowing for the salvation of all who die in infancy. Hodge stated in his Systematic Theology: "All the descendants of Adam, except Christ, are under condemnation; all the descendants of Adam, except those of whom it is expressly revealed that they cannot inherit the kingdom of God, are saved." According to Punt, "For those who are finally lost the Bible reveals no other cause than their own willful, persistent, unbelief and sin. For those who are saved, it is God alone who graciously, sovereignly, elects and saves them" (pg. 44). Punt believes that salvation is unconditional (by grace), but condemnation is conditional (by works). He rejects the idea as unbiblical that someone is damned solely on the basis of Adamic solidarity and original sin apart from personal sin. Since those who die in infancy haven't committed any personal sin (although they inherit original sin), they are saved. Original sin that deserves hell is distinguished from personal (willful and persistent) sin that guarantees hell. According to Punt, everybody (including infants) deserves hell (an offensive idea to many, including myself - infants deserve hell?), but only those who personally persist in disobeying God's revealed will in either general or special revelation will actually go to hell. Because Punt believes that everybody is elect in Christ except those who persist in willful sin, he also believes it is possible that some are saved without ever hearing the proclamation of the gospel, provided that they do not persistently resist God's will as revealed to them apart from scripture.As the reviewer from Arizona has stated, there is ambiguity about Punt's view of human freedom as it relates to divine sovereignty. Logically, it seems that Biblical Universalism (BU) must EITHER hold to unconditional election of everybody in Christ, without exception, and then posit that some conditionally fall from that election by willful and persistent sin (just as Adam fell from primal grace when he was free not to), OR hold to unconditional PARTICULAR election in Christ of some and unconditional particular reprobation in Adam of others. Punt rejects both sides to this either/or and argues that BU is "beyond logic" and "splendidly illogical" (see Chapter Seven). To me, this is an evasion. Although Punt makes a distinction between original sin and personal sin, he clearly holds a Calvinistic notion of freedom which rejects the power of contrary choice (pg. 95). So, logically, it appears that God ensures the damnation of some of the human race by not giving them the ability to avoid the sin (original and/or willful sin) that inevitably leads to hell. Punt doesn't want to admit this but prefers to speak about "the mystery of lawlessness" or a "no man's land" that surrounds the camp of those eternally elected. As a moderat