The One Purpose of God

Rating:
Summary: best theology book ever
Review: Bonda does an incredible job re-discovering the true Biblical teaching on salvation and how the church has mis-interpreted it for centuries. A dense and fairly slow read, it is well worth the time!

Rating:
Summary: best theology book ever
Review: Bonda does an incredible job re-discovering the true Biblical teaching on salvation and how the church has mis-interpreted it for centuries. A dense and fairly slow read, it is well worth the time!

Rating:
Summary: Is God convinced?
Review: I'm sorry, but this book just doesn't cut it. It's barren of exegesis and full of emotionalism. Fact: the same word that describes the duration of the blessedness of the righteous is used to describe the duration of the torment of the damned. See Matthew 25:46.

Rating:
Summary: Is God convinced?
Review: I'm sorry, but this book just doesn't cut it. It's barren of exegesis and full of emotionalism. Fact: the same word that describes the duration of the blessedness of the righteous is used to describe the duration of the torment of the damned. See Matthew 25:46.

Rating:
Summary: Does God Want All People To Be Saved?
Review: In THE ONE PURPOSE OF GOD, Jan Bonda successfully argues that God has only one purpose and desire for mankind- their salvation. This point is presented with in-depth scriptural proofs. Bonda discusses relevant scriptures from throughout the Bible, yet the greater part of the book focuses on the Biblical book of Romans. Most of Romans is covered, and as is typical of this book, startling new interpretations are brought to light.

Bonda's book grew out of his personal struggle with the beliefs of his own Reformed Church tradition, which teaches that God predistines some people to be saved, and other people to be lost. This struggle led him to a deep study of the Bible and a subsequent new belief- hopeful universalism. As a "hopeful universalist" Bonda presents Biblical evidence for a sturdy hope that all people will some day be saved, though he does not believe there can be a 100% certainty of this. Bonda's universalism is strongly Biblically based and centered upon the work of Christ.

I appreciated both the depth and the accessibility of this work. It should be appreciated by theologian and layman alike.

On my initial reading of this book, I found it stimulating and at times shocking. At least one of the Bible passages he used I could have sworn was NOT in the Bible until I looked it up! Actually, the passage was there, and very clear in its meaning. Many of the other texts I was familiar with. Yet, upon reading Bonda's book, I found I had been skimming by these texts, never listening to what the words really said. Occasionally, I felt that Bonda's scriptural interpretations were forced- that there could be other ways of interpreting these texts. Nontheless he stimulated me to do my own Bible study of the texts he used. In the end, I have concluded he was right! But check it out for yourself- this is a stimulating subject, too often ignored or misunderstood- as well as an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Does God Want All People To Be Saved?
Review: In THE ONE PURPOSE OF GOD, Jan Bonda successfully argues that God has only one purpose and desire for mankind- their salvation. This point is presented with in-depth scriptural proofs. Bonda discusses relevant scriptures from throughout the Bible, yet the greater part of the book focuses on the Biblical book of Romans. Most of Romans is covered, and as is typical of this book, startling new interpretations are brought to light.

Bonda's book grew out of his personal struggle with the beliefs of his own Reformed Church tradition, which teaches that God predistines some people to be saved, and other people to be lost. This struggle led him to a deep study of the Bible and a subsequent new belief- hopeful universalism. As a "hopeful universalist" Bonda presents Biblical evidence for a sturdy hope that all people will some day be saved, though he does not believe there can be a 100% certainty of this. Bonda's universalism is strongly Biblically based and centered upon the work of Christ.

I appreciated both the depth and the accessibility of this work. It should be appreciated by theologian and layman alike.

On my initial reading of this book, I found it stimulating and at times shocking. At least one of the Bible passages he used I could have sworn was NOT in the Bible until I looked it up! Actually, the passage was there, and very clear in its meaning. Many of the other texts I was familiar with. Yet, upon reading Bonda's book, I found I had been skimming by these texts, never listening to what the words really said. Occasionally, I felt that Bonda's scriptural interpretations were forced- that there could be other ways of interpreting these texts. Nontheless he stimulated me to do my own Bible study of the texts he used. In the end, I have concluded he was right! But check it out for yourself- this is a stimulating subject, too often ignored or misunderstood- as well as an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Finite Punishment? A Desirable Thing...
Review: Jan Bonda struggled as a Christian for 50 years with the same thing I struggle with today - reconciling a belief in an infinitely loving and merciful God with One who will punish all non-Christians who ever lived (which would be the majority of world history's population) with eternal damnation.

This work is an introduction to Bonda's version of Universalism - the belief that, at the end of time, God will reconcile ALL people, living and dead, to Himself as Jesus Christ, and that no one (or almost no one) will suffer the eternal torment of Hell that Christianity often warns of to non-believers.

It's an appealing belief - and, to people like me, one which would describe the character of God in a way which I'd be more comfortable with. Bonda (and his translator) acknowledge that espousing such a belief would sound like nothing but a liberal "feel-good" kind of faith without Scriptural support, and there is plenty of that. Relying heavily on the writings of Paul, especially his letter to the Romans, Bonda compares the commonly-held Christian doctrine of eternal punishment to Scriptural references about the final judgement, and he comes to the conclusion that there is, indeed, hope for the many.

It is a hope that I myself wish and pray for. Bonda's work is both thoroughly researched and accessible to the lay reader, which can be hard to do. His references are meticulous (to the point that some footnotes read only in Latin). He has done his homework.

I can't say that I agree with everything Bonda wrote, but I'm extremely glad I read the book. It marked the beginning of a journey to find my own answers, one that will include careful reading of the Bible and books from others with views on both sides of this most important question: Would God will an eternal punishment for the majority of his own children?