Erasing Hell or Erasing Grace? Francis Chan
I was eager to read Francis Chan’s “Erasing Hell”, having read and appreciated “Crazy Love” and “Forgotten God” (both of which I highly recommend). Chan writes in response to Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” (see last blog post), the book at the center of a recent firestorm of controversy.
Chan should be commended for his introduction. Discussing hell shouldn’t be enjoyable. We shouldn’t relish the idea that some will reject God and choose hell over grace. We cannot put ourselves in the role of “Holy Bouncer” and decide who gets in and who doesn’t.
Somehow I never knew that Chan was a graduate of John MacArthur’s The Master’s College and Seminary, institutions firmly rooted in the Reformed (Zwingli/Calvin/Knox/Beza, frequently mislabeled “Calvinist”) tradition. This tradition is known for academic discipline and an emphasis on God’s sovereignty over all else.
(Ironically, this same Reformed tradition also gave us the universalist movement Chan is writing against. The progression of early universalist logic: if God’s will is always done, and God’s will is that all be saved, then all will be saved.)
Herein lies, for me, the disappointment in Chan’s arguments. Objective truth as a system of logic seems to be primary, and a sense of loving relationship with God comes across as secondary. Having read Chan’s other books (again, which I highly recommend), I know this is not what he believes.
The dividing question I see here is “What is your dominant image of God?” For many, the dominant image is a judge in a courtroom. God has decreed a law, and is now honor-bound to see that that law is enforced. Everything therefore revolves around guilt and punishment. Jesus takes our punishment for us.
The problem with that view? In what human court would a judge allow me to accept the death penalty for someone else? While most courts wouldn’t care who pays a fine, no court will allow a substitute for jail time or execution. That would defeat the purpose of punishment.
A perhaps bigger problem with that view? The image of a courtroom comes primarily from Paul’s sermon illustrations of justification (“pardon”). (Never base all your theology on one sermon illustration!) From Jesus’ teachings we see a picture of God as “Abba” (“Daddy”), the loving father of the lost sons in Luke 15, as the one we pray to in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
Bell gravitates toward the loving parent image, while Chan relies heavily on the courtroom. These are two diverging perspectives. The courtroom image emphasizes law and punishment; the parent image emphasizes restoration and relationship.
My conclusion? No one theological system has all the answers. Theological systems are human attempts to understand what the scriptures describe as a “mystery.” “Mystery” doesn’t mean “hidden secrets waiting to be found,” but “this is beyond what you can fully understand.” God’s love and grace are truly beyond description.
If I have to choose between these two options, I’m going with the Prodigal God every time! If God is love (1 John 4:8), then God doesn’t remained detached and objective; God is personal and involved. Therefore, more is going on than Chan’s book allows for. Bell’s book doesn’t have all the answers, but at least he’s willing to ask the questions.
Next time: Balancing love and law, because I know someone will tell me I’m not taking sin seriously
I don’t get it. You blame Chan for “picking” as well as “polarizing” and then you “pick” yourself from the 2 options you see on the table. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
I have been embroiled in the debate, prior to the arguments of Bell or Chan, of whether or not to follow these men down the rabbit trail. I am not saying that the existence of Hell is somehow a “rabbit trail” itself – but the argument can be. It seems that you have come to the edge of the forest and chosen which trail seems better of the two. But what is missing in all of this is a simple question: what is the intended destination?
That is the key. Is Chan trying to snap people out of their view of God as a loving, paternal, personal Being? No. In fact, you yourself see that this is not his consistent argument. The key just might be that when we apply our view of what a “loving, paternal & personal” being is, does not end up being the God of Scripture when it comes to issues like Hell and judgement. The issue is that both are chasing the same loving Father and one has decided that Hell is inconsistent (Bell) with God’s Fatherhood, the other has concluded it is not (Chan).
The issue cannot be “which road” but “which end”. I believe it fair to say that both are confident that their view is stronger and more consistent with God’s character overall, but I also believe it fair to say that the divergence is not in God being relational, but in how they each interpret the Scriptures.
My biggest complaint about “Erasing Hell” is that Chan is capable of far more than he accomplished here. The book comes across as a presentation of God the institution, when I know from Chan’s other works that he doesn’t approach God that way.
But I think you have a valid point. I cannot allow this argument to limit my theological options. While I had been specifically asked at church to address this controversy, I need to keep reminding all involved that two books do not constitute the bulk of the discussion. I’m a Baptist for crying out loud; I’m not supposed to let others limit the debate for me.
I do not think that, on the basis of “Love Wins,” we can say that Bell has decided that “Hell is inconsistent with God’s Fatherhood.” Part of the problem is that, based on “Love Wins,” we can’t really say with certainty what Bell has decided. He never states a conclusion.
Bell raises questions that must be addressed, and I think that was his intent. However, the arguments that have risen (driven far too much by people who haven’t read the book) are actually hindering discussion of those questions.
I do think that both Bell and Chan would agree that the “end” is not heaven, but God’s very self. Our teaching and preaching, therefore, must be about more than escaping hell.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
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