The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

IV. Anglican Commission-“Eternal Life” Only for “Believers in Christ”

As has already been noted, doubtless more Anglican leaders, from William Tyndale onward, have championed aspects of Conditionalism, particularly repudiation of the eternal-torment-of-the-wicked dogma, than those of any other major religious group. These include at least four archbishops and numerous bishops, archdeacons, canons, deans, rectors, and educators. These have been noted in their chronological sequence. One of the most conspicuous was, of course, the late Dr. William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, and already presented, who was an out-and-out Conditionalist. ⁴⁶ With this as a background let us note the following. CFF2 815.1

1. FORMAL REPORT OF COMMISSION OF FIFTY

A highly significant report was published in Britain, in 1945, bearing on our quest. In 1943 the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, pursuant to an authorizing resolution passed by the Church Assembly, appointed a representative Commission on Evangelism. It comprised fifty prominent theologians and churchmen of the Church of England. Their report was titled Towards the Conversion of England. (Is has since had at least nine reprints.) The caliber of the Commission may be seen by the fact that it embraced five bishops, a provost, eight canons, and two prebendaries, along with other prominent clergymen and laymen-with the bishop of Rochester, Christopher Chavasse, as chairman. CFF2 815.2

The 172-page report, noted on the cover as “a plan dedicated to the memory of Archbishop William Temple,” comprises six chapters. In connection with each chapter heading is a direct quotation from Dr. Temple-himself a Conditionalist. As to the format, the Foreword says:
“The captions from his [Archbishop Temple’s] writings which introduce the chapters of the Report, indicate what we discovered, namely, that on every aspect of evangelism he [Dr. Temple] had already said better what we wished to say.” ⁴⁷ CFF2 815.3

In his opening address to the Commission, Archbishop Temple-in the year before his death-had said:
“The message of the Church is the Eternal Gospel. This remains fundamentally the same, from first to last. The Gospel could not alter, although the setting in which it was given, and the method of its presentation, could and did.” ⁴⁸ CFF2 816.1

Now let us get the setting. CFF2 816.2

2. CONTENT AND SCOPE OF THE “ETERNAL GOSPEL.”

The Temple excerpt at the beginning of chapter two (on “The Gospel”) reads, “The Gospel is true always and everywhere, or it is not a Gospel at all, or true at all.” After dealing with the content and presentation of the gospel, the report places stress, in the section “The Eternal Gospel,” on “The Nature of God,” His “redemptive action in human history,” “Sin,” “The work of Christ,” “The Kingdom of God,” “Man’s Response, Faith, and Repentance,” and “God’s acceptance of man’s faith and repentance”—then on “The fellowship of the Church,” “The fellowship of the Holy Ghost,” “The Church the Body of Christ,” “Personal Power through the Holy Spirit,” “Eternal Life,” “The Risen Life,” and “The Future Life,” “Judgment,” “The End of All Things.” ⁴⁹ That is the outline. CFF2 817.1

Our “Eternal Life,” the report states, is a new kind of life, a “quality of life,” that “cannot be destroyed by death,” with our resurrection “pledged” by the “resurrection of our Risen Lord.” CFF2 817.2

3. FUTURE LIFE IS OF THE “WHOLE MAN.”

As to the “risen life,” the Commission report says of the “future life,” that it is— CFF2 817.3

“a life in which, though changed, we remain ourselves, recognisable as such by those whom we have known and loved upon earth; a life with greater powers and opportunities of service than any we have possessed here; a life freed from the limitations which restrict and hamper us while yet in this mortal frame.” CFF2 817.4

“It is this truth which is enunciated, and preserved, in the Christian doctrine of the Resurrect:on of the body”—“the risen life of the whole man.” ⁵⁰ CFF2 817.5

4. JUDGMENT INVOLVES SEPARATION AND DESTRUCTION OF EVIL

Then, following the subheading “The gospel is the good news of redemption to Eternal Life,” the report makes this important statement: CFF2 817.6

“Involved in this truth and essential to it, is the fact of judgment to come. Judgment is the ultimate separation of the evil from the good, with the consequent destruction of all that opposes itself to God’s will. Such must be the precursor and condition of unfettered life with God. The truth is enshrined in the Christian doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ in judgment. Judgment is committed to Him because He is the Truth, the norm by which all judgment must be made. Of this He speaks in terms which are symbolical (as all terms must be which deal with ultimate truth) but of tremendous gravity: a gravity which runs through all the pages of Holy Scripture and, indeed, through all Christian thought. Judgment is no superstition or fiction. It is a tremendous and solemn truth. Ultimately all that is found valueless in God’s sight must and will be abolished, that that which He can use may be set free, and ‘God may be all in all.’” ⁵¹ CFF2 817.7

5. UNIVERSAL INNATE IMMORTALITY A “GREEK” CONCEPT

And now follows, in section 53, this tremendously significant paragraph contrasting the Biblical truth as opposed to the Greek contention of “inherent indestructibility.” And this, be it remembered, is the large Commission’s report, not the viewpoint of an individual: CFF2 818.1

“Revelation and reason alike point to this inevitable consummation. The idea of the inherent indestructibility of the human soul (or consciousness) owes its origin to Greek, not to Bible, sources. The central theme of the New Testament is eternal life, not for anybody and everybody, but for believers in Christ as risen from the dead. The choice is set before man here and now. Though the announcement of impending judgment may not at first sight appear to be ‘good news,’ yet it is integral to the Gospel. It is the assertion of the final triumph of good and of the abolition of evil. Further, the Gospel is the good news that no man need fall under judgment, if he will accept the redemption freely offered to him in Jesus Christ: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.’” ⁵² CFF2 818.2

6. THE GOSPEL ESCAPE FROM EVERLASTING DEATH

Then follows the summarizing conclusion of the section, appearing in bold type for emphasis:
“The Gospel is the good news of the final triumph of the good, and that Jesus Christ has opened the way of escape from the power of sin, from the fear of judgment and from everlasting death.” ⁵³ CFF2 818.3

Such is the declaration of the Anglican Commission’s report of 1945. ⁵⁴ CFF2 819.1