Rob Bell on Hell

I am well aware (as I assume you are as well) that Rob Bell, his new book and this video which previews his book are highly controversial at the moment. I really don't want to get sucked into the debate but I think I am and should. I should preface that I have not read his book yet so I will try be fair in that regard. I have been to Bell's church (Mars Hill) and thought the experience was positive. He is a very charismatic leader and teacher, thus his book (and not to mention his ministry) has the opportunity to impact the church in a big way: to grow or to spread false teaching. I could see Rob's book going either way.

The fact that Rob is asking and spurring the church to think deeply about heaven and hell is great! His video seems to be implying that he has something new to say about the topic. And yes, Bell does imply that he is presenting a new or non-main stream gospel when he says, "... that whatever we've been told or taught - the good news is actually better than we could ever imagine."

I am skeptical whenever someone announces a new idea. Most often the latest and greatest spiritual growth book that everyone is reading in Christian circles, is re-digested literature from past Christian thinkers or church fathers. Many times the latest material (in my opinion) is inferior to the older "classics". Lets approach Rob Bells book with some skepticism in asking ourselves if his views can be represented by past Christian thinkers. I am open to new ideas, but I am not so naive to think that uniquely new concepts happen very often at all; and possibly in Bell's book he identifies where his views fit within historical theology. I would bet that Bell himself is not so naive to claim that his theology is radically new - non-mainstream, yes, but not new.

Do I agree with Rob Bell that the mainstream view of the gospel and theology is flawed and/or unbiblical? --- Yes and no. It depends on what you categorize as mainstream. Is it the majority of academic theologians? The answers you get from a survey from Gallop Poll of people who call themselves Christians? Or is it what you read from popular Christian writers? There are definitely some "mainstream" ideas out there that are very unbiblical and frankly lies.

I'd like to discuss some of the questions that Rob Bell raises. Lets try to pull out the main questions that Bell is asking in this video clip...

1. "Gandhi's in Hell? He is? Can someone know this for a fact?" --- Can you know for certain that a particular person is in Hell?
2. "Will only a few select people make it to Heaven?" --- How many people will be saved?
3. "Will billions and billions of people burn in hell?" --- How many people will go to Hell?
4. "How do you become one of the few?" --- How is someone saved?
5. "What is God like? Because millions and millions were taught that the primary message, the center of the gospel of Jesus is that God is going to send you to Hell unless you believe in Jesus. So what gets subtly caught and taught is that Jesus rescues you from God. But what kind of God is that that you would need to be rescued from this God? How could that God ever be good? How could that God ever be trusted?" --- What is God like? Is he a contradiction?
6. And how could that ever be good news?" --- How could the prospect of an eternal judgment ever be good news?