Christian Universalism—the belief in ultimate reconciliation of all souls with God—is often considered "lost in translation" through the interpretation of Greek terms like aionios (age-lasting) and kolasin (correction) as "eternal" and "punishment". Critics argue this shifted the focus from restorative, age-abiding refining processes to perpetual, post-mortem torment. Early church patriarchs (fathers) like Origen believed in apokatastasis, or the final restoration of all things, viewing salvation as a universal goal.
Reliance on Latin (Vulgate) and subsequent English translations over the original Greek and Hebrew texts has, according to proponents, obscured a more hopeful, restoration-focused message of the early church. Those of us who are Christian Universalists argue that translating the text as "endless torment" distorts the character of God from a loving, restorative Father to a tyrannical ruler. Proponents of this view often recommend using more direct, literal translations, such as David Bentley Hart’s Second Edition New Testament Translation, Young’s Literal Translation or the Concordant Literal New Testament, to understand the nuance of the original language.
The vast majority of Christians worldwide during current times believe in a later, Romanized version of the Gospel which the ancient and original early Church never believed in or taught. The barbaric doctrines of annihilationism and eternal torment did not exist in the original assembly of Christianity because they were not taught by Yeshua haMashiach (Iesous Christos / Jesus the Anointed One), and are not written anywhere within the Hebrew and Greek Old Testament (including the Masoretic Text and Septuagint) or Greek New Testament Scriptures. Evidence suggests the Catechetical School of Alexandria (Didascalium) did not teach annihilationism—the belief that the wicked are totally destroyed—in the early centuries, but rather taught the biblical doctrine of Christological universal restoration.
Alexandria was the religious and philosophical epicenter of the known world at the time, even rivaling Rome itself. The great Library of Alexandria, built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (one of the four sons of Alexander the Great who ruled after his death) was thought to have housed up to 400,000 scrolls. Among these was the original Septuagint, the first translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, commissioned by the emperor for this library.
The very first premier educational center of the sacred teachings of Yeshua haMashiach (Iesous Christos / Jesus the Anointed One) was the Catechetical School of Alexandria (Didascalium) in Egypt in the 1st century, which was established by the apostle Mark (around 43-49 AD), according to Jerome. It was the original center of scientific and Christian theology, biblical exegesis, and the synthesis of Greek philosophy with Christian faith, shaping early Church doctrine, becoming highly influential under later leaders including Athenagoras (c. 176), Pantaenus (c. 181), Clement of Alexandria (c. 190), and Origen (c. 215).
The Didascalium was a pioneering institution that defended Christianity using Greek intellectual methods. It is credited with developing early biblical allegorical interpretation and comparative studies. This special facility was initially designed to catechize (teach) Jewish and Gentile converts, and solidify the Christian faith, provide advanced theological training, and defend Christianity against Gnosticism and pagan philosophy. The school was famous for using the allegorical method for interpreting the Bible. It played a key role in the development of Christian theology, producing influential theologians like Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria. Beyond theology, the institution taught science, mathematics, and humanities.
The apostle Mark is considered the first Bishop of Alexandria, and he appointed successors to manage the growing community and school. Although founded by Mark, prominent later masters included Pantaenus, Clement of Alexandria, and the prolific scholar Origen, who served as its dean. The school significantly shaped Christian theology and, according to tradition, its first appointed leader was Justus, who later became the sixth bishop of Alexandria. The facility operated for centuries, serving as a center of learning that drew students from across the ancient world. The Coptic Theological Seminary in Cairo claims to continue the tradition of this ancient Christian institution.
The School of Alexandria (Didascalium) was a prominent center of early Christian thought known for advocating universalism, the belief that all souls will eventually be saved and reconciled to God. Led by figures like Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and his pupil Origen Adamantius, it emphasized God's remedial, rather than purely retributive, punishment, using allegorical interpretation to promote a hopeful, ultimate restoration of all creation.
Clement of Alexandria and his pupil Origen Adamantius were the primary theologians who promoted the idea of universal salvation. Clement viewed the underworld of Hades as a temporary place for remedial correction, and hell as a "wise fire" that purifies the soul, rather than a place of never-ending eternal torment.
Origen taught a theology of hope, that through the continuous exercise of free will, all beings—including humans, angels, and demons—would eventually be reconciled with God, a concept known as apokatastasis. This influential perspective was prevalent in the Alexandrian church from the time of the apostles until the end of the fourth century. Although influential in the early church, Origen’s teachings on universalism were later anathematized at the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553 AD.
Historically, the School of Alexandria, alongside Caesarea and Antioch, is associated with the doctrine of universal salvation (apokatastasis), rather than the total annihilation of the soul. While Alexandria and other schools focused on universal restoration, only the School of Ephesus (specifically associated with the philosopher Heraclitus, flourishing during the late 6th to early 5th century BCE, roughly 535–475 BCE), was noted for teaching annihilationism during the later, formative centuries of the Church. The view of eternal, conscious torment was primarily championed by the school in Rome/Carthage.
Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD) and Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) were pivotal in establishing the doctrine of eternal conscious torment (ECT) in Western Christianity. Tertullian introduced the concept that souls are inherently immortal and subject to eternal punishment, while Augustine systematized this, arguing that hell is a literal, everlasting fiery torment for the unbaptized and non-Christians. As a Neo-Platonist, Tertullian believed the soul was naturally immortal and that punishment must therefore be endless. He often depicted the suffering of the damned, focusing on the torment of pagans and philosophers, sometimes with harsh imagery.
Augustine was a highly educated, Roman-trained rhetorician whose classical training in Latin literature and philosophy deeply influenced his theology. Educated in Thagaste, Madaurus, and Carthage, he mastered rhetoric and taught in Carthage, Rome, and Milan as a pagan before converting to Christianity. He was trained in the art of persuasion and public speaking, which he later utilized in his theological debates and sermons. His philosophical framework was heavily influenced by Neo-Platonism. He was one of the first and the most prominent church “fathers” to advocate for hell as eternal torment, but was a dismal failure in his studies of the complex Greek language.
Despite his proficiency in Latin, he never mastered Greek, a limitation he often regretted. Due to his weakness in reading the ancient biblical language, he built his theology upon the extremely flawed and inaccurate Latin “Bible” instead. When he read verses such as Matthew 25:46, instead of the Greek word aiōnios (age), he read the Latin aeternus (eternal). So he erroneously interpreted this punishment for the wicked would be “infinite ; timeless ; everlasting ; eternal”. The Hebrew words, “yom” and “olam”, and also the Greek equivalent words “aion” and “aionios” mean “age” and refer to a finite “aeon, epoch or season of time”.
For example, the apostle Paul wrote, “do not be conformed to this age [aiōnios]…” (Romans 12:2). If the word “aiōnios” was translated as “eternity” in this passage, then it would not make any contextual sense at all. Some English translations also wrongly use the word, “world” in this verse of Scripture which has absolutely nothing at all to do with a limited period of time. In his Word Studies in the New Testament, Marvin Vincent explained: “Aion, transliterated aeon, is a period of longer or shorter duration, having a beginning and an end, and complete in itself” (italics added).
Campbell Morgan, a highly respected expositor of Scripture, said: “Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the word ‘eternity.’ We have fallen into great error in our constant use of that word. There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with our ‘eternal,’ which, as commonly used among us, means absolutely without end.” (Campbell Morgan, God‘s Methods with Man).
“… not only in this age [aión] but also in the one which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21).
Those who are unrepentant sinners will be chastened in temporary and corrective hellfire for only an age (prior to eventual purification, transformation and restoration), while the righteous will be rewarded with blessings in the millennial age to come.
“And these will go to the chastening of that Age, but the just to the life of that Age.” (Matthew 25:46) [The New Testament David Bentley Hart Second Edition Translation]
The second important biblical word to note is punishment. In Greek this word is kolasis, which according to the original early church, was corrective punishment, instead of retributive. If the author wanted to portray retributive punishment, he would have used the word timoria. Kolasis in ancient Greek specifically referred to pruning or correction for a person's improvement, akin to gardening, rather than vindictive retribution.
Clement of Alexandria says it like this: God does not punish [timoria] — because punishment is a retribution of evil for evil — but chastises [kolasis] to help those who are chastised — Clement (Stromateis 7:16:102:1–3)
It makes absolutely zero sense to say “eternal corrective punishment”! In order for punishment to be corrective, it must have an end point at which you have learned the moral lesson from the severe punishment. It would be unjust to give a prisoner a life sentence where they will never see the outside of a prison, and also claim it’s corrective or restorative. It’s retributive by definition if they are never restored to society. This same fact applies in Hades (Hell).
The original Greek word for “torment” in Revelation 14:10 is “basanizo” which has a primary meaning of testing with a touchstone. The lake of fire is not for endless torment or total destruction, but rather, for “testing”. The language used here creates an analogy to the testing metal with a touchstone in order to make sure it is pure, as confirmed by 1 Corinthians 3:13–15, which says, “…each person’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each person’s work. If any person’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any person’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire”.
According to Dr. Peter Bluer, the word for “destruction” — ολεθρος or olethros is most accurately translated as the state of being lost.
“These will pay the penalty in the age of loss from the face of the Lord and the glory of His strength.” Or alternatively, “These will suffer the age of loss from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His strength.” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
The Greek word, “apollumi“ is repeatedly mistranslated in many Bible versions. It does not contextually mean “perish ; destroy”, but rather, “lost”. Yeshua came to save all who are lost. The biblical references to destruction (like Matthew 10:28) refer to annihilation (total non-being) or the destruction of the old self, not “eternal conscious torment”.
“So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” (Matthew 18:14)
“For God so loved the cosmos, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not be lost [apollumi], but have the life of the Age. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the cosmos, but in order that the cosmos might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
Our Savior will not leave even one of us to be lost, but will deliver us all. The parabolic symbolism of the 100 sheep is a reference to all of humanity, or rather, all of His creation who will be saved.
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost [apollumi], until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4)
“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.” (John 3:35)
“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day.” (John 6:39)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost [apollumi].” (Luke 19:10)
Critics argue that Augustine’s interpretation was based on Latin translations of scripture, misunderstanding the original Greek and Hebrew terms like Sheol and Gehenna, which they claim were largely metaphorical. His views have been described as a "turning point" that shifted the focus of divine judgment toward eternal condemnation. These doctrines heavily influenced Roman Catholic dogma and, subsequently, Protestant understandings of heaven and hell.
Augustine and Tertullian, while foundational to Western theology, held views often criticized as deviations from mainstream or early church orthodoxy. Augustine is faulted for promoting doctrines like infant damnation/baptism, baptismal regeneration, and extreme predestination. He argued that unbaptized infants, while facing a lighter punishment, were destined for hell. He developed the concept of “purgatory”, often seen as a modification to handle earlier, more universalist views. It is twisted-faced hypocrisy with a double standard to falsely claim that universalism is heresy with the penalty of “anathema (damnation)”, while stealing the idea and applying it exclusively to Roman Catholic converts.
Augustine’s heavy emphasis on total depravity and absolute predestination is viewed by some as an overcorrection that altered the understanding of free will. He also contributed to the development of praying to the dead and the belief in the sinless life of Mary. It isn’t a mere coincidence that the apostle In his first epistle, Peter referred to Rome as “Babylon”. (1 Peter 5:13) Augustine supported using civil authority to punish those who deviated from Church doctrine (against the Donatists, etc.). This belief was the root of the ungodly and bloody crusades which needlessly murdered many people (including Indians) in the name of military conquest, and brought shame to the name of Jesus.
Multiple inquisitions of the Middle Ages were horrifically conducted against hundreds of millions of innocent Protestant Christians, Jews, and others who refused conversion to the corrupt Roman Papacy and were unjustly arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to extreme, sadistic and immoral methods of torture and martyrdom. Many Roman laws were written against the biblical commandments of holy sabbath and festival observances, kosher dieting, etc., which led to many Torah-observant believers being stigmatized, persecuted and systematically murdered. It isn’t a mere coincidence that this time period was called the “Dark Ages”.
Later in life, Tertullian joined the Montanist sect, which emphasized new prophecies and extreme asceticism, leading to his exclusion from sainthood. He is noted for also falling into rigid perfectionism, and introducing the false doctrine of "traducianism" (that the soul and sin are transmitted through generation from parent to child, a form of original sin theory). He ignorantly believed that baptism washed away past sins, but subsequent sins required a rigid, public penance, offering no second chances for certain offenses. While he coined the term "Trinity," his unbiblical view held that the Son was a "derivation and portion" of the Father's substance, not fully equal in authority.
Augustine and earlier Latin “father” Tertullian championed eternal, conscious, and physical torture, largely influenced by Greek philosophical thought (Platonism) and opposing the belief in annihilation or eventual universal salvation. The idea of eternal torment is largely rooted in pagan Greek philosophy, specifically the belief in an inherently immortal soul, which was integrated into Christian theology. Both figures are heavily credited with shaping the doctrine of eternal conscious torment in Western Christianity.
They transitioned global church views from early universalist interpretations toward a literal, and inescapable eternal punishment for the unsaved. What happened during this time was the satanic expansion and proliferation of pagan myths about the afterlife, which were then repackaged as eternal, fiery torment in the Western (Catholic) Church, primarily by Latin theologians and Church leaders from Vatican Rome, which is called “Mystery Babylon” in Revelation 17-18, and will be destroyed by fire during the tribulation.
Alexandria was a hotbed of philosophical and religious pursuits, including Gnosticism. The theological school was at the center of the church’s defense against heresy, and the apostle Mark, Pantaenus, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen were at the forefront of that defense. Their instruction and writings, and particularly Origen’s Systematic Theology, were instrumental in the defense of Christianity from without and the defeat of heresies from within the church.
This defense against heresy came from a school that taught the doctrine of the apocatastasis, Universalism. Would the church have put heretics in charge of a school tasked with defending itself against…heresy? (This is more evidence to suggest that Universalism was the prevailing doctrine of the early church for the first 500 years.) Some historians argue that, of the six major theological schools of the first 600 years of Christianity, four were universalist, one taught annihilationism, and only one believed in eternal torment.
When the disciples of Yeshua (Jesus) saw that a village of Samaritans rejected Him because He was heading towards Jerusalem, they asked Him if they could call down divine heavenly fire like Elijah the prophet did against his enemies. The Lord rebuked and corrected them because they were tempted by the evil spirit of vengeance, and lacked understanding of the holy mercy of Yahweh who is not willing that anyone should be destroyed, but that all may be saved.
“And they did not receive Him, because His face was turned toward Jerusalem. And the disciples James and John, seeing this, said, “Lord, do You will that we should command fire to descend from heaven and destroy them [just as Elijah did]?” But turning He rebuked them [and said, “You do not know what spirit you are.] [For the Son of Man came not to destroy, but rather, to save, the souls of human beings.” (Luke 9:53-56) [The New Testament David Bentley Hart Second Edition Translation]
The apostle Paul (who had a near-death out-of-body experience in the Third Heaven) was a Christian universalist who wrote by the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that Yahweh the Most High God will eventually bring all things into subjection to Christ (1 Cor. 15:20-28) and reconcile all things in Christ (Col. 1:20) and bring justification and life to all persons through Christ (Rom. 5:12-21).
One of the most powerful and revelatory verses of Scripture about universal salvation is this one which says,
“To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:5)
“For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.” (Romans 11:32)
“Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” [Romans 5:18]
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)
All of creation is in Christ and will be saved by Him. All of the many families in the multiple heavenly realms and on Earth are unified as one.
“And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:26)
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” [Joel 2:28]
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)
“They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”” (Yirmiyahu / Jeremiah 31:34)
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named,“ (Ephesians 3:14-15)
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before You.” (Tehillim / Psalms 22:27)
“And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14)
There will come a time when everyone in the multiple heavenly realms, on Earth, and inside of the Earth will bow their knees, and confess that Yeshua (Jesus) is Lord. This will not be a mandatory enforcement but a voluntary submission in humility. Our Creator gave everyone free will, and the right to choose between good and evil. On this special day, everyone including Satan and his fallen angels will willingly confess Him as Lord and receive His universal salvation and restoration.
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.” (Romans 14:11)
“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in the heavens and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“ (Philippians 2:9-11)
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him will not be put to shame."…For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:9-11, 13)
This message of Christological universal purification, salvation, transformation, and restoration truly is the Gospel (Good News). Our Heavenly Father Yahweh is not willing that any should be lost but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) The Greek word, “Kosmos” is unfortunately mistranslated as “world” within the majority of English translations. The Great Commission is not merely to the people of this earthly world, but rather, to every creature in the entire cosmos. No one is beyond the reach of our Creator’s right arm to save. Nobody is exempt from His infinite mercy which endures forever. HalleluYah!!!
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” (John 12:32)
“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole cosmos.” (1 John 2:2)
“For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the cosmos!” (John 1:29)
“And He said to them, “Go into all the cosmos and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.“ (Ephesians 3:10-11)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.“ (Colossians 1:15-17)
“… Christ is all and is in all.” (Colossians 3:11)
“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
“But Jesus must stay in heaven until God makes all things new, just as his holy prophets promised long ago.” (Acts 3:21) [Contemporary English Version]
“Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Luke 3:5-6)
“And when all things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:28)
“In Him we live, and move, and have our being,…for we are His offspring.” [Acts 17:28]
“And I heard every creature in the heavens and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”” (Revelation 5:13)
