Does GCI teach Universalism?

Universalism is the unbiblical belief that everyone will be saved, regardless of whether or not they have faith in Christ before they die. Universalists may differ on the exact timing and nature of events — whether everyone is saved immediately when Jesus returns, or after a long period of time people decide to leave hell, and enter heaven. Some will say that these people are saved regardless of whether they trust in Jesus, whereas others will say that everyone will eventually turn and convert, after death in the case of someone who died in unbelief.

Karl Barth, one of the scholars that GCI bases its theology on, was accused of teaching Universalism during his life, and he had to repeatedly deny that he taught it. Since GCI’s teaching is quite similar to Barth’s, many have also accused GCI of teaching Universalism.

GCI’s response

What does GCI say in response to these accusations?

Occasionally, people ask me if Grace Communion International teaches “Universalism.” Universalism is a belief that everyone will be saved, regardless of whether or not they are good or bad, have repented of their sins, or have accepted Jesus as their savior.

The answer is “no,” we do not teach that.
— Joseph Tkach, former GCI president¹

GCI does not identify with a universalist theology, and claims not to teach Universalism. This is technically true. GCI does not explicitly state that everyone will definitely be saved eventually.

If GCI clearly does not teach Universalism, yet some people confuse them for universalists; what is it that they teach and why do some people confuse it for Universalism?

GCI believes that people can be saved after death

Firstly, GCI quite clearly teaches that people can be saved after death. Instead of basing a person’s salvation off of their response to Jesus in this life, they leave it open for them to repent after they have died.

We believe that the resurrected Christ has conquered death, and therefore not even death can prevent him from leading people to trust him for salvation. We don’t know the hows or whens, but we can trust him. Therefore we can believe that one way or another, he urges every person who ever lived, or who ever will live, to trust in him for salvation. That might be before they die, at the point of death, or even after they die. At the last judgment, if some people turn to Christ in faith when they at last learn what he has done for them, then he will not turn them away.
— Joseph Tkach, former GCI president²

GCI believes that it is unlikely for anyone to reject God and go to hell

This is a clear departure from the normal Christian view that people must believe and repent before death to be saved. This however isn’t the main reason that some people think that GCI teach Universalism. They not only teach that people can be saved after death, but also that is it extremely unlikely for anyone to go to hell.

In the following excerpt of a You’re Included video, GCI’s main theologian Gary Deddo explains how they cannot fathom anyone ever going to hell.

Sometimes I end up saying, if this is who God is, then there is no reason that anyone, any longer has to go to hell. That doesn’t mean that somehow, some way, someone might… But you see, what ought to blow our minds is not that someone might, but that how could anybody resist the goodness and grace of God to that point? How could anybody do that? They might be able to do it. But given who God is, I don’t know how they could, or how they should.

[Later in the video]

Hell is where you have to eternally resist the love and grace of God. … It’s eternal because God never stops being who he is – loving, holy, reconciling, restoring in his own being. So those who, somehow, manage to do this for all eternity – to me that’s unimaginable, but they might be able to figure out how to do it.
— Gary Deddo, GCI theologian ³

These beliefs very quickly sound like Universalism. GCI is very clearly teaching that God shows saving love to every single human being, such that it is extremely unlikely for a person to not be saved. Hence, GCI’s former president Joseph Tkach calls himself a “hopeful universalist”⁴. While he does not explicitly teach Universalism, he hopes that it is true, and tries to instill this hope into others through his teaching.

Most Christian churches do not believe this

This is in contrast to almost every other Christian church, either today, or throughout the ages. Instead of hoping for everyone to be saved, and teaching that most people will likely be saved, most Christians clearly believe in and teach judgement.

For example, the Southern Baptists state (today) in their statement of beliefs:

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. …Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly…the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell. …The righteous… will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.
— Southern Baptist Statement of beliefs - The Last Days⁵

The reformers (~500 years ago) summarised their beliefs in a question / answer format, called a catechism:

Q. Are all people then saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam?

A. No.
Only those are saved who through true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits.
— Heidelberg Catechism - The Lord’s Day Q20 ⁶

Going even further back, we see the early church show a clear belief in hell and heaven being eternal final destinations.

… [Jesus] ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.
— Athanasian Creed - late 5th, or early 6th century ⁷

The reality of judgement, and the eternality of hell is also clearly taught in the Bible

The Lord Jesus [will be] revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
— 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 ESV

Dangers of Universalism

But, why does any of this matter? What’s wrong in hoping that all people will eventually be saved? After all, God desires this (1 Tim 2:4).

I want to make it clear that I and every other Christian who believes in the importance of God’s judgement wants to see people saved. But this is exactly why we need to reject Universalism, and anything that sounds like it. Let me explain.

Let’s assume for a moment that GCI’s belief is false, and that all these other churches are right. That is, a person must believe in Jesus before they die to be saved, and if not, they go to hell. With this in mind, let’s consider Bob and Bill:

Bob, is a Christian who hears, and then believes this teaching. He is sure that God’s love applies to everyone even after they die, and that they will all have the chance to turn back to God, if they want it. What is the result of this? Bob decides that it’s way too awkward to tell his friends and family about Jesus, so he never does so. Then when they die, they haven’t repented nor put faith and trust in Jesus, and so they go to hell.

Let’s think about Bill, who isn’t a Christian, and loves the rush of graffitiing, and stealing from stores. Bill watches his best friend die in a fight with the local gang, and ends up attending his funeral. The pastor preaches about hell, saying that now Bill’s friend is experiencing the love of God, and will most likely turn to him, and go to heaven. Bill now thinks to himself, and says “Wow, I was really worried about hell, I thought that maybe I should turn my life around and follow Jesus, but now I know it doesn’t matter, because I can alway repent later - after I die.” Filled with a new-found appreciation for God’s grace, Bill goes back to robbing the local Costco at gunpoint, and is shot by the police. He stands before God, and (if this belief is wrong, as most Chistians believe) is judged for his unbelief and lack of trust in Jesus, and goes to hell.

I very much, like you, want to see people saved. I want to see lives transformed by the news of Jesus - who heals, forgives sins, and accepts everyone who comes to him. Universalism however, prohibits this. It sends people to hell. It’s dangerous for the church. And hence, it is so very important that we as Christians stand up, and boldly declare God’s word - even the parts that are hard to hear - that people may hear, believe, turn to and follow the true Jesus.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.