If this is liberation, please pass the chains

I was about to begin a discourse (How does everybody except me write such short and pithy little posts?) about distributive justice, but first an additional illustration of the retributive side of this complex notion. It's from the Christianity Today blog (http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2011/02/rob_bells_book.html). It has to do with Rob Bell's latest book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.

[Justin] Taylor, vice president of editorial at Crossway, has not seen Bell's book (though he read some chapters that were sent to him), but he expressed concern with a video. "[T]his video from Bell himself shows that he is moving farther and farther away from anything resembling biblical Christianity," Taylor wrote.

Taylor pointed to the publishers' description of the book, which does not come out until March 29 from HarperOne. "With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly optimistic—eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins," part of the description states.

Taylor updated his post, changing some wording and deleting a reference to Cor. 11:14-15: “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” Instead, Taylor ended the post with the following paragraph:

Let’s remember to pray. Rob Bell needs to know and teach the liberating gospel of grace—including that Christ absorbed the Father’s wrath on behalf of those who trust in him and repent of their sins. And there are tens of thousands of folks who look to Rob Bell as a biblical teacher and leader. May God give much mercy.

I am bringing this to your attention, oh faithful reader, for two reasons:

1. While Taylor thinks twice about calling Bell a servant of Satan, he does suggest that he is far removed from faithfulness to Christian teaching.

2. Secondly, Taylor considers Christian teaching to say that Christ absorbed God's wrath (the retributive side of justice) only for those who trust in him and repent of their sins. In other words, only those with certain knowledge, the ability to understand it, and the further inclination to take it seriously and act upon it. This leaves out, of course, the vast majority of the world's inhabitants, whom Taylor would admit are God's creatures to whom God would love to show mercy.

He calls this the liberating gospel of grace. No thanks.