Thank you, SkovandOfMitaze. I really appreciate the respectful tone and the thoughtful Scripture you brought into the discussion—it’s clear you care deeply about rightly understanding God’s heart. I also agree that we have to wrestle with difficult texts and not simply rely on traditional assumptions, especially when talking about something as heavy and eternal as judgment.
Regarding aiōnios—you’re right that the word doesn’t always mean “eternal” in the strict philosophical sense of “without end.” Its nuance can depend on the context. Romans 16:25, for example, speaks of a mystery kept secret for “long ages” but now revealed, so yes, that use of aiōnios describes something hidden for a long period, not forever. But that doesn’t automatically transfer over to how aiōnios is used when describing punishment or life in Matthew 25:46, where the parallel structure matters deeply: “These will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.” The same adjective qualifies both “punishment” and “life.” If one is temporary, it logically diminishes the force of the other. For me, Jesus’ deliberate parallelism implies finality and permanence on both sides.
As for kolasis—yes, some argue that it can carry a restorative sense, like corrective discipline. But again, in context, especially in Matthew 25:46, there’s no hint of restoration. Jesus is describing the final separation at judgment. The punishment there isn’t framed as a discipline leading to healing; it’s the conclusion of judgment. Other places, like 2 Thessalonians 1:9, speak of “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.” That seems more final than corrective.
You also asked a crucial question: would Jesus ask us to forgive more than He does? That’s powerful. But I don’t believe that Jesus’ call for us to forgive endlessly diminishes the reality of final judgment. God’s forgiveness is freely offered—but it must still be received. Jesus’ death made forgiveness available to all, but not all accept it. And at some point, even divine patience comes to a close (2 Peter 3:10, following the verse you quoted). I don’t see judgment as God being less forgiving than us—I see it as the sobering reality of human will in the face of divine mercy.
I hear your use of 1 Corinthians 15:22. But Paul doesn’t stop at “all will be made alive”—he qualifies it in verse 23: “But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” So yes, all die in Adam, but only those who are in Christ are raised to life in glory. The same chapter later speaks of some inheriting incorruption while others face destruction.
Finally, I agree completely that God’s desire is for none to perish—that’s why the gospel is urgent. But God’s desire isn’t the same as human response. He desires all to come to repentance, but that very phrase shows that repentance is the condition. If all were saved regardless, the urgency in these passages would vanish. Love that ignores truth is sentimentality, not salvation.
I don’t take pleasure in this position—I honestly wish universalism were true. But I can’t ignore the weight of Scripture’s consistent message: salvation is through Christ, by grace, received through faith, and rejection of that gift carries eternal consequences. That tension between mercy and justice is where I believe the cross speaks most clearly.
