Rob Bell on MSNBC

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March 16, 2011, 1:16 pm » Sean McDowell

This is a must-see video for those following the discussion surounding the new book "Love Wins Out" by Rob Bell. The interviewer does a phenomenal job of holding Bell's feet to the fire and clarifying exactly what theological and personal assumptions drive his writings. I don't think Bell saw this coming.

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Thu, 03/17/2011 - 03:00 — C. Ehrlich

Typical as it is, I still find it remarkable when evangelicals criticize people like Rob Bell. Here he seems to be bending over backwards to maintain and defend evangelicalism in the face of some seriously embarrassing theological issues. I'd have thought it would be a refreshing contrast to all those who simply plug their ears and shut down their minds while asserting the same paradoxical dogma that only leaves honest people baffled and repulsed by the so-called love of God.

Thu, 03/17/2011 - 04:56 — SeanMcDowell

Thanks for the comment. It's hard for me to believe, however, that Bell is bending over backwards to defend evangelicalism when he denies biblical concepts such as hell (and others). Jesus taught about hell more than anyone else in the Bible. Jesus certainly didn't find these ideas embarrassing, so I'm not sure why Christians today should either. Just because someone believes traditional theological views does not mean they plug their ears and shut down their minds. You are right, some people may find these ideas repulsive, but that's nothing new. People were repulsed by the message of Jesus when he walked on earth. So, why should it be any different today?

Thu, 03/17/2011 - 11:05 — Dan M.

I agree Sean. Also, Bell never clarified the question of why it makes a difference to accept Jesus in this life. I believe this shows that people like the concept of Love Only because it excuses them for the consequences of their choices. You cannot divorce Love from Justice.

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Thu, 03/17/2011 - 15:58 — C. Ehrlich

How exactly is he denying "biblical concepts such as hell (and others)"?

It's one thing for people to be repulsed by "the message of Jesus" out of the love of sin and a refusal to "come to the light" (Jn. 3); it's quite another thing for people to be repulsed because the message is itself morally abhorrent.

Fri, 03/18/2011 - 20:51 — Zach Nagatani

"11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15.

Who is being cast into the lake of fire? PEOPLE who have not been found written in the Book of Life. This ends any argument about everyone going to Heaven right there.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to Father except through Me." John 14:6.

"9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10:9.

You have to come in by Jesus Christ. Saying He is not the only way is defame God's character and to belittle our Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice.

"27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." Hebrews 9:27-28.

Men die once, and then they are judged. Also, Jesus Christ is appearing a second time for those who are waiting for Him, to bring salvation.

What is He saving us from? Eternal damnation... the author is not talking about ourselves, or anything on earth, but eternity separated from God in Hell. Yes, we ARE to fear God!

"29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." Matthew 5:29-30.

That one speaks for itself. People are going to hell! Gehenna, used figuratively as a name for eternal punishment.

"21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" Matthew 7:21-23.

Jesus says it EXTREMELY clearly right there. Not everyone will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I think these Scriptures thoroughly show what is taught in Scripture in regards to whether all men will enter into Heaven.

By teaching that all men will get into the Kingdom of Heaven, we are actually sending more men to hell.

Thu, 03/17/2011 - 03:07 — Guest

Great Job Rob! I think you handled that very well. I sure do see christ in you. Getting people to think about eternity rather than just here and now. God is obviously using your book. Can't wait to read it.

Thu, 03/17/2011 - 11:58 — Michael Gantt

Sean, I agree with you that Bell was unprepared for the interview. While I applaud Bell's generous orthodoxy, I can see why his flirting with universalism is discomfiting for evangelicals.

I think the issue of heaven forces choices upon evangelicals. It certainly did on me. To be specific, if I believed the Bible was the word of God I had to cling to it when it took me into what other evangelicals considered unorthodox territory.

Thus when I write the biblical case for everyone going to heaven (http://wp.me/PNthc-i6) I must be prepared to be labeled unorthodox. But to whom is our fidelity required: Jesus or the church? I suppose you might say that those two never diverge, but history would say otherwise. Thus I had to choose Jesus. But it was the central tenet of evangelicalism that led me to do so.

Thu, 03/17/2011 - 21:25 — RobertWorsham

Rob Bell speaks very vaguely in this interview, so I still don't know if he believes that those who deny Christ go to hell or not. I guess I will find out in his book. But I do know that if he does believe that, he is going against the Gospel of Christ and should not affiliate himself with it. By the way Sean, you came and spoke at my school with SLU and I really enjoyed hearing what you had to say.

Sat, 03/19/2011 - 06:16 — Eddie Eddings

Very enlightening. It seems the only one NOT enlightened was Rob Bell himself.

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 15:32 — Guest

Thanks for the post Sean. It is so refreshing to see an interviewer who doesn't allow sloppy and shallow answers to slide. And it's clear that Bell is not prepared for this and is slightly uncomfortable. Bell is probably too comfortable the normal American interviewers who are so theologically ignorant that any answer will be given a pass regardless of how poorly thought out it is.

Mon, 03/28/2011 - 22:00 — Maria

I heard about this interview, but this is the first time I saw it for myself. Rob Bell totally blew the first and best question, which makes everything else pointless. "Does God care, but isn't strong enough to do anything?" OR "God is strong enough, but doesn't care?" What a great question! Rob said it best it's a contradiction.

I'll state what I believe, contradictions don't exist. God can't do everything/anything. (He can't sin.) He can only operate in response to justice, because anything else could be unjust or wrong. I can consider that I'm wrong. If there is a better way to undo the contradiction, please let me know.

Thu, 04/14/2011 - 00:20 — Guest

How many commenting on this video has even read Rob's book yet?

Wed, 09/07/2011 - 19:58 — Guest

How many people who have read Rob Bell's book would hear criticism about it and not hold him on a pedestal... and instead... read the bible, knowing who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is? Without whining about it.

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