It is with a certain bit of anticipation that I start reading the book. I have read plenty about the book already. I have read the reviews, both the Swedish and international ones. The vast majority has been very critical and describe Bell's book as a clear deviation from the classical Christian faith. I'll try to read the book without any preconceived ideas, even though I have very real problems in accepting the teachings emanating from the Emerging Church movement.
Introduction
Even in the introduction I suddenly understand why so many designate the book as deviating from traditional Christian teachings. It is simply because Rob Bell distances himself from classical Christianity. He writes in the introduction that the dominant Christian teaching on the dual outcome (end), heaven and hell, is completely misleading. Bell stages a frontal attack on the doctrine of the dual-outcome and writes that this erroneous doctrine has been announced as the central truth of Christian faith (page VIII).
The only argument for this claim that I can detect are the disconnected words (contextual error) from the Bible verse: "For God so loved the world ..." (P. VII). However, if one reads the continuation of the verse, we read that ‘love’ provides the explanation that relates to the dual outcome.
"... That He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Oops, Rob Bell, it was hardly a good start to use a Bible verse on the dual outcome to argue that that very doctrine (the dual outcome) is not valid.
Chapter 1
In chapter one, he questions all traditional salvation teaching/preaching and presents many questions that in themselves can be very important to reflect on.
This chapter includes, as I said, a lot of questions but no answers. The answers are promised in the upcoming chapters. I look forward to these.
Chapter 2
Rob Bell:
The second chapter deals with heaven, eternity and the world to come. The message is that heaven, eternity and the world to come is not a different place (eternal location) and that it is not about life after death.
Heaven is not a place where we find ourselves after death. Heaven is about life here on earth when it transforms (improves) into something better. Heaven is when we feel intense joy, peace and love in this life (p. 59). When Jesus speaks of heaven, he uses it often as a name for God (sid.58). Eternity is not primarily about time without end, but more about the quality of life here on earth. The eventual-coming ‘eternity’ time is not something that comes after death, but something that is created here on earth.
My comment:
There is a lot of what Rob Bell writes in this chapter that I can agree with. I believe that eternal life begins here in the present time, when we are saved and accept Jesus. But I do not believe that eternal life relates solely to circumstances improving in ‘this time’. I also agree that we should contribute to the Kingdom of God coming here on earth and that we can get a foretaste of the coming world’s power. (Hebrews 6:5).
But is this really all Jesus has to offer? That we will have it better in the present? I find nothing in Rob Bell's exposition on heaven that speaks of eternity in relation to time parameters. None of us living on this earth will do so forever. I think it's a poor world-view. What does this say to all the martyrs of the past and present day? Is the message to them that they will have it better on the earth tomorrow? Ther’ll be nothing left in the morning! When Jesus said to the thief on the cross that he will be with Jesus in paradise today, did Jesus mean that he would have it better here on Earth???
And if heaven only exists here on earth why should we then pray "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"?
Chapter 3 - Hell
Rob Bell turns to abuses of Christian preaching and starts the chapter with some demonstrators wearing jackets; "Turn or burn". Bell uses several examples of how Christians describe hell as a place where you will burn and suffer (be tortured) forever. It's just that I never in my life heard such preaching. I have attended worship services my entire life, since I was ten years old, and have never heard anything like that being preached. So Bell bases his reasoning from something that I believe few have experienced (heard preached).
Bell speaks a lot about hell as something we experience here on earth, and to the extent we experience hell after death, it is a temporary state and not eternal suffering.
Furthermore, he says that those who talk about people going to hell are often those who care least about the hell that is going on right now (earthly experience), while the people who care about hell on earth right now, appear to be the least interested in hell after death. It is possible that there may be some truth in that statement, but I have for the most part experienced the opposite. Those who truly believe in hell after death are those who are most eager to save people from hell, both hell after death and the hell (experienced) in this life.
I work in a context where one of the articles of faith speaks of "the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked." (Salvation Army Articles of Faith). Among the circle of people around me who signed on to this article of faith, work is carried out daily to provide food, clothing, warmth and care for people living in unimaginable misery. So there can be found much compassionate care and human concern among those who believe in an eternal hell after death.
I agree with Bell that many people live their lives on earth in an indescribable hell. I see them daily, and we are engaged on a daily basis in trying to alleviate this hell. But I think that Bell overemphasizes the hell we experience on earth and ends up in a type social gospel with very little focus on the eternity that follows death. The consequences of Bell's focus is that it’s likely that we spend all our energy on helping people during the years we spend on earth, but forgetting that salvation in Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life in fellowship with Jesus.
When I read the chapter, it is reminds me of William Booth's prophecy of the future where he says among other things that proclamations will include "heaven without hell." Hell is mentioned (appears) in Rob Bell's book, but it is redefined to relate mainly to the present time (earthly period) and to the extent that there is a hell after death, it is simply a transient phenomenon.
I will return when I had time to read more in Bell's book.
Lt. Peter Baronowsky
Regional Commander
Latvia
PS
This is not an attempt at a scientific analysis of Rob Bell's theology. This is a blog post. Blog entries typically express the spontaneous reaction to what we encounter in life. This is my spontaneous reaction when reading Rob Bell's book.
Translation from Swedish: Dr. Sven Ljungholm
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