Book Review: Love Wins by Rob Bell

This book contains some truths, and a lot of falsehoods. I sincerely hope some of the readers get saved through it. I believe the Holy Spirit can work despite false teaching. There are elements here—unconditional love, grace, mercy, the cross, the resurrection, etc.—but I’m not going to recommend this book to any of my unsaved or immature Christian friends or family. I do recommend that a serious student of God’s Word read it. If you are very familiar with doctrine and have at least read through most of the Bible, go ahead and read this for yourself. Otherwise, don’t waste your time, you will just end up confused. I really like what Mark Driscoll says on this topic, “get very familiar with your Bible before you read books about the Bible.”

Now, if you would like to see a breakdown of the things I agreed with and the things I didn’t, read on. If not, don't bother, it is long.  I took notes as I read, and I will list them in the order that I wrote them. I say that not all of these quotes are word for word, I paraphrased some, but I tried to put quotation marks to differentiate between what was in the book and what are my thought.

I will say that I was very, very skeptical upon opening this book. After the second chapter, I was pleasantly surprised that Bell was not as far out there as I imagined. But then after the third chapter, it goes downhill. By chapter six, he lays it all out, and what I had heard was true. And I was very disappointed that Bell did not include footnotes or endnotes, and all of his scripture references are just book and chapter, no specific verse listed; so it's hard to quickly look up the references he includes to see if he's right or wrong.

I am going to read Hell, Rob Bell, and What Happens When People Die by Bobby Conway next and I will post a review. Then I would like to read The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis, since Bell mentioned it.

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Preface – Pg. viii – what part of the gospel is causing people’s stomachs to churn? Who is teaching that only a select few will go to heaven? This sounds blown out of proportion to me. I agree we should be free to question, but that does not mean our opinions are the answers. The answers will only be found in God's Word. Pg. x – he’s not the first to bring these ideas up, he says—so?—that doesn’t make them right ideas.

Chapter 1, pg. 5 – the tone seems mocking.
Pg.6 – the emphasis seems to be on works.
Pg. 7 – that is the problem—most look at salvation as a ticket to heaven and aren’t living for Christ. Just because they are wrong, doesn’t mean the gospel is wrong.
Pg. 9 – I agree, many representations of Christ are false, and should be rejected.
Pg. 10 – "no where in the Bible is the phrase 'personal relationship' with Jesus found." It doesn’t have to be, because it’s the topic of all the epistles! And what about John 15—if you ABIDE in Me, and I in you… And who the heck is this “woman” who wrote the letter to the Hebrews? Hadn’t heard that one before.
Pg. 11 – Bell is taking issue with the fact that accepting, confessing, and believing are all actions. He states we aren’t saved by works (that’s true), so therefore if you tell someone they have to accept Jesus, confess their sins, believe on Jesus, etc., it isn’t grace, or a gift, or good news. Now hold one just a minute. If I go out and buy a really nice item and wrap it up and take it down to the maximum security prison to give to one of the worst prisoners--the least deserving person I can think of, that prisoner has the choice to accept that gift, or reject it, and has to open it in order to use it. How is it any less gracious, or any less of a gift, if he has to take it and open it? See Eph. 2:8—salvation is BY grace, THROUGH faith—it is your faith in the free gift that opens it up for you.
Pg. 13 – Bell is blowing apart the theory that you must recite a specific “sinner’s prayer.” I agree, there isn’t a specific prayer anywhere in the Bible.

Chapter 2, Pg. 30 – Jesus doesn’t refer to heaven, but eternal life, says Bell. (I think this was the rich young ruler passage.) Is Bell trying to break down the image of “heaven” as a far away place? (Yes, he was.) John 17:3 says eternal life is knowing God and that starts here, but I do believe heaven is a real place.
Pg. 33 – Lots of references to the millennium to counter the idea that heaven is a far off place.
Pg. 37 – mention of the “day of the Lord”, so he’s not denying a judgment. This will be the end of injustice, oppression etc. “God declares a ban on weapons.” What? Is he throwing in his political stance here? How about the verses that say Jesus will rule with a rod of iron? That’s a weapon.
Pg. 39 – mention of sins. This surprised me. Do pure universalists (what you call those that believe everyone goes to heaven) believe there are sins?
Pg. 42 – "In ancient times the word heaven was substituted for God because people didn’t like to use the name of God for fear of disrespect" Not sure of the truth in this. "So when you see heaven in the text, it could really mean God." I can’t counter this, but it sounds out there to me. Bell defines heaven as the place where God’s will and only God’s will is done. He says that Jewish tradition was that someday earth and heaven would be one. That may be true, there are many Old Testament passages about the time of the millennial rule and the descriptions are of heaven on earth, but I don't know for sure.
Pg. 43 – I agree that many of our perceptions and traditions of heaven are wrong, and that a lot of people focus on the material possessions of heaven; but the word, “mansions” is in fact in the Bible (John 14:2).
Pg. 45 – bringing in the social causes. I’ve never heard Bell speak, or read any of his other books, but this makes me think he probably preaches a social gospel—feed the poor, don’t trash the earth, make sure those in other countries have fresh clean water etc.—and these are all good things, but the gospel should be our first and foremost priority. Basically, there is an end--that this world will be restored and there will be an end to injustice and misery, and there will be peace and love all around. But there are two approaches to this end. One paradigm says that we Christians must work, work, work, to bring this kingdom into realization. The other paradigm says that Christ will bring His kingdom into being, in His timing, and in His power, regardless of how much we have prepared it for Him. One approach puts us at the center, the other Christ at the center. I prefer to stick with the one with Christ at the center. Does that mean I don't believe in helping the poor? Certainly not! But my focus is not to make this world a better place, but rather to show God's love, to bring that person into a knowledge of the Savior.
Pg. 46 – I agree that we should not just be looking for evacuation from this world. And that's what many look at salvation for--an escape from this life.
Pg. 47 – I don’t like the phrase, “heaven to be about partnering with God to make a new and better world." Bell indicates we start now--this leans too far to social gospel for me. See above on my position, on pg. 45.
Pg. 50 - I don't agree that it is all of your bad qualities that get burned up in I Cor. 3, but rather works of the flesh. You can have a bad character quality, but choose to walk after the Spirit, rather than your flesh, and store up gold, silver, and precious stones, rather than wood, hay, and stubble. I agree that Jesus is interested in heart transformation.
Pg. 51 - Bell says that this idea that in the blink of an eye we will automatically become totally different people who "know" everything brings confusion. No, it's scriptural and you must understand spirit, soul, and body in order to get it. I can think of II Cor. 5:17, Phil. 1:6, I Thess. 5:23, I Cor. 13:12, I John 3:2 on that topic. Bell says that our heart, character, desires, etc. take time to change. I agree and will cite Phil. 1:6, but the moment Jesus comes back we will be fully changed. Bell says the idea is to start the transformation now, I agree with that point, that's sanctification, but you can't start to be sanctified until you are first justified.
Pg. 52 - cites the surprise of the sheep in Matt. 25 (sheep and goats) on being "let in." I have a feeling this is going to come into play later (and it did). Bell hammers away that the sinners were treated with compassion while the religious were rebuked, while Jesus walked this earth. Yes, very true, but don't think that means you don't actually have to get saved.
Pg. 53 - Bell paints a picture of a single mom in dire circumstances, coming out of an abusive situation, and speculates that she will be in heaven, because she is doing the best she can with what she has--she takes good care of her children, works long hours to provide for them, etc. God doesn't save on pity. This points to salvation by works. She may very well be in heaven, but it won't have anything to do with how hard she worked or how well she took care of her children, but on whether or not she accepted God's gift of grace.
Pg. 57 - heaven is more real than what we experience now--I agree.
Pg. 58 - it transcends time--I agree.
Pg. 59 - mentions 11 dimensions--very interesting!
Pg. 62 - I pretty much agree with Bell's summary and I agree that we will be surprised by who we see in heaven. I think we should step outside of our little parameters for who we think "gets in."
In summary, chapter 2 says heaven could refer to God, the millennium, and the abundant life here and now. I agree that if we are to live the abundant life we need to be totally focused on the things of the Spirit. (Rom. 8:6).

Chapter 3, pg. 64 - "sin, refuse to repent, it's over." This is what Bell says most churches are teaching. This is wrong teaching and if it's what you're hearing, please find a new church, or at least get some quality teaching online. The fact is, our sin is not what sends us to hell and that myth needs busting. You will go to hell by your conscious decision to reject the provision God has made for your sin. No one will be in hell by surprise. "God is loving and kind and full of grace and mercy--unless there isn't confession and repentance, right?" If you don't repent, it does not change the fact that God is loving and gracious. The real question is, "have you accepted His love and grace or rejected it?"
Pg. 69 - "For many in the modern world, the idea of hell is a holdover from primitive, mythic religion that uses fear to control people."
Pg. 71-72 - stories of various people in really bad circumstance to illustrate that we can have hell on earth. Bell says, "I tell these stories because it is absolutely vital to acknowledge that love, grace, and humanity can be rejected." I agree. We are free to choose. Bell says, "When people say they don't believe in hell or sin, I ask, 'Have you sat and talked with a parent of a molested child?'" I would like to ask Bell if he believes that that child molester will be in heaven, just not "enjoying" it.
Pg. 73 - "There are very real consequences of rejecting our God-given goodness and humanity." I don't agree with that wording--it implies we are all good at heart, but Rom. 3:23 says we have all sinned and fall short of God's glory.
Pg. 75 - "Jesus brings a social revolution"--partially true--it won't be fully realized until He sits on His earthly throne. See notes on pg. 45 for exposition.
Pg. 78 - "Often the people most concerned about others going to hell when they die seem less concerned with the hells on earth right now, while the people most concerned with the hells on earth right now seem the least concerned about hell after death." I agree. I don't believe in a social gospel, but preaching the gospel so that people can be free here and now. Again, see my full position on my note for pg. 45.
Pg. 80 - "Jesus taught that God's love doesn't wield a sword." What about Rev. 19:15, when Jesus returns with a sword coming out of His mouth, to fight His enemies? Or do you just take that allegorically?
Pg. 81 - Bell is explaining that the passages about wrath in the Bible were fulfilled at the fall of Jerusalem. Wrong.
Pg. 84 - Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed, but Bell cites Ez. 16 that says they will be restored. His point is that all the bad, all wrath, all judgment is to reconcile and restore you and if you choose to live in hell you will eventually come around to see that God is the way. Huh? So then, hell is temporary?
Pg. 85 - more examples of wrath as correction, cites Jer. 32 & 5.
Pg. 86 - Bell says God's rejection isn't forever--cites Lam. 3, Hos. 14, Zeph. 3. The only problem with using these passages is that they all specifically refer to Israel's restoration, that is yet future.
Pg. 87 - more on that--Is. 57, Hos. 6, Joel 3, Amos 9, Nahum 2, Zeph. 2, 3, 9, 10, & Micah 7. Again, ALL those are referring to Israel.
Pg. 91 - the goats get sent (Matt. 25) to an aion of kolazo. Bell says aion is an age and kolazo is a term of horticulture--pruning, trimming, so plants can flourish. I'm having a hard time swallowing this one, since the passage says that they are sent to the same place that was prepared for the devil and his angels. Are the devil and his angels being judged and pruned and trimmed, in order to flourish and be reconciled and restored? Well, I looked it up on Blueletterbible.org. Verse 46 of Matthew 25 uses the phrase, "everlasting punishment." The Greek words translated everlasting and punishment are aionios and kolasis, respectively. Aionios means without beginning or end, or never to cease. It is used 42 times as eternal and 25 times as everlasting. It does come from the root aion, which can mean eternity, the worlds, or period of time, an age. Kolasis means correction, punishment, or penalty. It is only used twice, here in Matthew, and in the familiar verse I John 4:18, translated torment. It does come from the root kolazo, which can mean to lop or prune, as in trees or wings; to curb, check, or restrain; to chastise, correct, punishment; and to cause to be punished. It is only used twice and both times is translated as punish. I'm not too sure this word kolazo is meant to prune in a positive sense. Sometimes you have to cut off a branch that has disease and such. This would not be the same kind of pruning that is done so that a tree can bear more fruit. Now I'm not a Greek scholar, but this word prune made me think of John 15:2. It is the word purge in the KJV, but prune in the NKJV. I found it interesting that it is the Greek word kathairo, and it means to cleanse, as in to prune a plant from useless shoots, or a person from guilt. Based on all of my findings, I do not see support for Bell's position on Matt. 25:46, that is is a temporary place of correction.
Pg. 93 - summary of chapter 3--Bell says, "hell is a good word for all the junk that goes on in this life." Hmmm. So he isn't going to answer the question of whether there is a literal hell that some will go to.

Chapter 4, Pg. 99 - Uh, oh! Here comes the "brotherhood of man/fatherhood of God" philosphy. [Adolf Harnack is credited for spreading this idea at the end of the19th century.] Bell says, "all people will come to God." He cites Ps. 65 and Phil. 2, "every knee will bow and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord." Yes, but if you notice, those that are bowing are in three separate locations--some on the earth, some above the earth, and some UNDER the earth.
Pg. 100 - making the case for God's sovereignty, that He is ultimately in control and will get His way, and His way is that all come to the knowledge of Him. That takes away free will.
Pg. 107 - opening up the idea that people get a chance to turn to God after death. Cites Matt. 19, Acts 3, Col. 1 regarding restoring, renewing, reconciling all things. Brings up early church fathers Clement, Origen, Gregory of Hyssa, and Eusebius as holding this view--that doesn't make the view correct. Origen is one that began allegorizing the text and said that God was done with Israel. Augustine followed this line of thinking, as well.
Pg. 108 - "God's love will eventually melt even the hardest of hearts." That is true that some of even the hardest hearts will turn. But I do not agree that this chance is open for all of eternity. God wants to see who will choose Him while there are still other choices (i.e. here on earth). If the choice was extended to those in hell, there is no doubt that everyone would choose God, but that's their only choice at that point. Remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. The rich man did not have the choice extended to him in hell, and then all of a sudden, he was concerned about his brothers. If there was a choice for him, even in hell, then he shouldn't be concerned about his brothers.
Pg. 110 - "This is a wide stream we're swimming in." Again, I say, majority opinion doesn't equal truth.
Pg. 112 - Bell keeps calling the Apostle John a pastor and he says he's writing his congregation by writing the book of Revelation. But John was on Patmos for about 10 years and was very old, and in the beginning of Revelation, we see that Jesus appeared to him and told him to write to seven specific churches. So Revelation is really Jesus writing to those seven churches.
Pg. 115 - the gates of the New Jerusalem are never closed, so Bell speculates that this indicates that those in hell can come back anytime they want. In his defense, Bell says that we can't answer that question. He says that we need to be careful not to treat something in the Bible so literally that it becomes less true. This is a red flag to me--does Bell take the Word of God seriously and literally? Or does Bell look at the Bible more allegorically? Like Origen? This is a very dangerous position.
Pg. 117 - Bell reiterates that if you really, really want isolation and despair, God in His love, lets you have it. I agree.

Chapter 5 - lots of mention of the cross, blood, sacrifice, etc. I was surprised by this.
Pg. 126 - terms like reconciled, justified (from Rom. 3), and victory--he says these terms are from relationships, the courtroom, and battle. I think that someone could actually get saved reading this book.
Pg. 129 - Bell purports that these metaphors were to help the 1st century Christians understand the cross, but those things don't really ring for us today. Huh? We still have relationships, still have courtrooms, and still have battles and wars. He says for us today, we just need to know that Jesus is where life is--I can agree with that.
Pg. 132 - "the writers of the Bible were extremely clever, employing incredibly complex patterns with numbers." Again, what? When you get into the study of all the patterns and numbers and heptadic structure (sevens) of the Bible, you will see how it is humanely impossible to devise and really points to the true authorship of the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 6, Pg. 147 - so far he has mentioned the cross, the resurrection and Jesus as divine--this is good.
Pg. 152 - Bell mentions a girl so anesthetized to Jesus from saturation of Christian culture that she doesn't even know Him--she goes to Christian school, goes to youth group, has always belonged to the church--yes, I can see that, but that doesn't mean that all people in that situation don't know Him. You can be saturated and be on fire. Bell says that conversely you can go visit a group of pagans in the far reaches of the world and when they hear they gospel they respond and say, "That's His name? We've been talking about Him for years..." I have a harder time swallowing this one. Yes, I believe God can reach the pagans in the far reaches of the world, whether anyone ever visited them and preached the gospel message to them. But if they are still practicing their paganism, they have not met the real God. The real God sets them free from ritual and religion.
Pg. 154 - Bell says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but he also says that He doesn't tell us how, or when, or in what manner people get to God through Him. Huh? "He [Jesus] doesn't even state that those coming to the Father through Him will even know that they are coming exclusively through Him." This is out there on a limb. Aren't there plenty of verses that mention faith in Jesus? [I just looked on Biblegateway.com and found 4 verses with the exact phrase, "faith in Jesus" in the epistles--two in Romans, two in Galatians. There are 6 verses with the exact phrase, "faith in Christ" in the epistles, from Galatians, Philipians, and Colossians.] "Inclusivity--the kind that is open to all religions, the kind that trusts that good people will get in [there's works again], that there is only one mountain, but it has many paths." Here we go, he's laid it all out on the table now.
Pg. 155 - "The door is opened to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Baptists..." Yes! But they must reject their false system of religion and recognize that Christ is THE only way! I do not believe that you can hold to Islam, Buddha, or Hinduism and be a Christian at the same time. What about having "no other gods before Me (the God of Israel)"?
Pg. 158 - Bell almost sounds like he is making Jesus out to be the divine spark of the New Age religion--that He is in everthing and everyone already, and we Christians just happen to call it, "Jesus." Using verses like Col. 1:17. Very thin ice, this.
Pg. 159 - Bell says that people have experiences [I see a lot of focus on the emotional in this book, rather than solid truth], but they may not call it Jesus, because they have a negative association with that name. On the flip side, I know a lot of New Agers have experiences with "Jesus" that are not really Jesus. They encounter a "spirit-guide" that calls himself Jesus. Jesus told us that many would come in His name and not to be deceived (Matt. 24:5). I'm sorry (no, I'm not), but if you come to know the real Jesus you will love to say His name and identify Him for others, in His Word, and you will love to read His Word to learn more and more about Him.
Pg. 160 - "It is our responsibility to be extremely careful about making judgments about people's eternal destinies." I agree, we can never see a person't heart, only God can. Uh, oh! Bell is now using a couple of parables in the wrong way. I will explain after the quote. "This new reality is like yeast (from Matt. 13), it spreads through the dough." The problem is, is that parable is talking about sin being like yeast, and sin will spread like yeast through the church, specifically the sin of legalism, the leaven of the Pharisees. Yeast is always sin in scripture, you can't take this parable any differently. And again Bell cites the parable of the mustard seed that grows into the big tree that is so big all the birds make their nests in the branches. Again, uh, oh, for Bell. He has used another parable wrongly. Using expositional constancy (as before with the yeast), the birds in the beginning of this passage were ministers of Satan--eating the seed, stealing the Word, so they are here, too. A mustard plant, no matter what variety, does not grow as big as a tree. I have planted mustard in my backyard. It grows about 3 or 4 feet tall, but that is all. Jesus is saying that the church will grow bigger than it should and ministers of Satan will nest in it. We see that today, there are false teachers all throughout the church. Paul even said to the Ephesian elders, as he was leaving (in Acts 20) to beware of wolves in the flock. I find it ironic that Bell chose these two parable to illustrate his point, when in actuality they are referring to sin and false teaching. Hmmm.

Chapter 7, Pg. 165 - Bell is now using the story of the Prodigal Son. He shows that there was reconciliation, return, and redemption, with the younger son. Bell said he is now a son again. But again, this brings up the view of the brotherhood of man/fatherhood of God belief that all mankind are God's children. Not so. We are born into God's family by the New Birth (John 3). The story of the Prodigal Son is not one of a sinner getting saved, but rather a Christian that has been living in the flesh, living for themselves, not for God, squandering their inheritance by works of the flesh, and repents. They realize it would be better to be a servant of the Father, than the life they are living, and so come home. But the Father welcomes this fleshly Christian with open arms, showing that they never lost their salvation, they never lost their sonship, and the Father still loves them, despite how they had been living. Now that doesn't mean that it's okay to live that way, remember the son lost all his inheritance.
Pg. 169 - still on the Prodigal Son story--Bell says the older brother chooses hell, which is just his attitude, his lack of peace and joy about the party and the younger brother's return. Bell points out that both sons are still with the father. He is equating the feast with heaven and so says that both brothers are in heaven together, but one enjoys it and one doesn't--it's their choosing. Again, you have to use the story properly--they are both sons, so are both Christians--one chose to live as a carnal Christian, and the other was legalistic and counted himself worthy based on how he lived, but both are saved and so are both going to heaven. This does not mean that everyone will be in heaven.
Pg. 170 - "Hell is our refusal to trust God's re-telling of our story." But this leaves no room for our free will and choice. If God has predetermined that everyone will live in heaven with Him, then what choice do we have? Bell says the choice is whether we enjoy it or not. Well, since we will not have to deal with the devil, our flesh, or the world's pressures and temptations in heaven, I don't see how we could possibly have a bad attitude.
Pg. 174 - Bell says we've been sold a gospel that says God is loving one moment, vicious the next. But God is not the one doing the torment the way Bell paints it out to be. If you choose to go to hell, you certainly may and God, in His love, will not stop you.
Pg. 175 - Bell says the church can't keep spreading this image of a God that will punish people for all eternity, for their sins. He calls it an unacceptable, awful reality that the church is purporting.
Pg. 178 - We cannot reduce the good news to a ticket to heaven. I agree. But to say that God's invitation is a call to enjoy what He has already predetermined that you will have is a rejection of the basic doctrinal truth that at the moment of salvation you become a new creature (II Cor. 5:17), and you are now "in Christ" and He in "in you." See Eph. 1:1 and Eph. 3:17.
Pg. 180 - "People have picked up the toxic notion that God is a slave driver." Yes, they have, but this, "everyone gets into heaven, but not everyone will enjoy it," message is not the answer. That is a false teaching trying to address another false teaching. Legalism is wrong, God is not a slave driver, Jesus said so 2,000 years ago. What we really need is a revival in the church of people reading the Bible for themselves, getting a revelation of who God really is--loving, gracious, merciful, compassionate, etc., FOR themselves (rather than relying on regurgitated food from their pastor, for all their substinence), and we would really start impacting our world! The problem with the whole book is he's attacking a lie with a lie, rather than correcting a falsehood with a truth.
Pg. 182 - "We shape our God and then our God shapes us." What?!? I agree that a distored understanding of who God is will bring fear, worry, depression, lack of peace, bitterness, etc., but the answer is to find out what the Word says about who God is.
Pg. 187 - "it's not our goodness, that separates us from God, it's our thinking that our works are eaning us things from God." Still talking about the Prodigal Son story, specifically the older brother. "Your deepest, darkest sins and your shameful secrets are simply irrelevant when it comes to the counterintuitive, ecstatic announcement of the gospel." Yes, your sins shouldn't keep you from God, He's already paid the price. "So are your goodness, your rightness, your church attendance, and all of the wise, moral, mature decisions you have made and actions you have taken." Again, yes, your works don't get you anything from God. But these two statements apply to people that will accept God's gift of salvation, they don't mean that everyone is automatically saved.
Pg. 188 - "Our trusting, our change of heart, our believing...doesn't make it happen [God grace and love and forgiveness]." True, but you don't experience it unless you receive and open the gift. Again, I refer you to Eph. 2:8--we are saved BY grace, THROUGH faith.

Chapter 8 - In conclusion, love wins, and Bell invites you to experience that love. I agree, love wins. It is God's love that will allow you to go to hell (yes, a literal place of torment), if that is your deepest heart's desire. No one will go to hell for their sin.