Terrestrial Redemption Universalism: The Necessity of Embodied Salvation in Union with Christ

 

by Rev. William M. Brennan, Th.D.

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I. Thesis

All salvation occurs within the terrestrial, embodied realm, because redemption is effected through union with the incarnate Christ, whose blood and flesh alone mediate atonement. Post-mortem punishment may exist as a retributive consequence of sin, but not as a redemptive process. Ultimate universal restoration occurs as God sovereignly re-embodies every soul in due time to receive grace through faith, thereby harmonizing divine justice and divine mercy.

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II. Core Propositions

1. Christocentric Ontology of Redemption
   Salvation is ontologically tied to Christ’s assumed humanity. He redeems as man, and therefore only those sharing His nature can partake of His saving work (Heb 2:14–17).

2. Embodied Faith as the Instrument of Grace
   Faith arises in embodied persons through the operation of the Holy Spirit in history (Eph 2:8–9; Phil 1:29).
   🡒 Thus, embodied existence is the appointed locus of grace and regeneration.

3. Rejection of Post-Mortem Redemption
   After death, the soul is disembodied and therefore outside the sphere of Christ’s incarnational mediation. Any post-mortem suffering is penal, not pedagogical—it satisfies justice but does not confer grace (Heb 9:27; Luke 16:26).

4. Sovereign Universalism (Supralapsarian)
   God’s eternal decree includes the redemption of all. The Spirit applies Christ’s atonement at appointed times to each soul, some in this age, others after ages of punitive discipline.
   🡒 Election governs order and timing; universalism governs outcome.

5. Covenantal Mediation
   No one is saved apart from covenantal union with Christ through faith. Yet, all will eventually be brought into that covenant in the appointed epoch (John 6:37; Rom 11:32).

6. Justice and Mercy Harmonized
   The wicked suffer proportionate retribution until divine justice is fully satisfied; only then are they restored, demonstrating that mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13) without negating justice.

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III. Scriptural Foundations

Doctrine	Key Passages	Explanation
Incarnational Necessity	Heb 2:14–17; 1 Tim 2:5; Rom 5:18–19	Christ redeems as man; salvation is tied to shared humanity
Embodied Arena of Grace	1 Cor 15:22–49; Phil 2:12–13; Heb 12:10–11	Growth, discipline, and regeneration occur in bodily life
No Post-Mortem Redemption	Heb 9:27; Luke 16:26; John 9:4	Death ends the opportunity for salvific repentance
Retributive Punishment	Rom 2:5–8; Matt 25:46	Judgment is real and proportionate; punishment serves justice
Ultimate Restoration	1 Cor 15:22–28; Col 1:20; Rom 11:32	God’s plan culminates in the reconciliation of all
Sovereign Grace	John 6:37, 44; Phil 1:29	The Spirit effectually calls each in due order

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IV. Comparative Table: Origen vs. Brennan

Aspect	Origen	Brennan
Philosophical Basis	Platonic-Arminian	Reformed-Supralapsarian
View of Free Will	Libertarian freedom central; souls fall and return by choice	Compatibilist: God’s decree governs all choices; Spirit effectually redeems
Locus of Redemption	Terrestrial + post-mortem pedagogical ages	Terrestrial only; post-mortem punishment is non-redemptive
Role of Fire	Purifying and corrective, restoring souls	Punitive, satisfying justice; no salvific effect
Covenantal Entry	Through moral progress and enlightenment	By sovereign grace through faith in Christ alone
Universality	All eventually restored through aeonic correction	All eventually redeemed through re-embodiment and covenantal faith
Divine Justice	Medicinal; aims at healing	Judicial; satisfied prior to mercy’s application
Ultimate Goal	Apokatastasis (restoration through free return)	Universal salvation by divine decree, harmonizing justice and mercy

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V. Theological Implications

1. Christological Coherence
   Ties salvation strictly to the Incarnation and the covenant of grace, preserving the mediatorial role of the man Christ Jesus.

2. Soteriological Integrity
   Avoids the dual economy of grace (earthly vs. purgatorial), maintaining one unified order of redemption.

3. Eschatological Hope
   Upholds universal restoration while preserving the seriousness of judgment and the necessity of faith.

4. Doctrinal Harmony
   Balances divine attributes: sovereignty, justice, mercy, and wisdom.

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VI. Objections & Responses

Objection	Response
What about purgatorial texts  (e.g., 1 Cor 3:15)?	The fire tests works, not souls. The person is saved in this life;  the fire is temporal refinement, not post-mortem purgation.
Does this deny hope for those who die unsaved?	No. In God’s decree, they will be re-embodied in a future epoch to receive grace, after just punishment.
Isn’t this unfair to the righteous?	No, each receives according to grace and justice; differing paths reflect divine wisdom (Rom 11:33).
Does this undermine  urgency?	No. Now is the day of salvation; delay brings suffering, not gain.

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VII. Summary

Salvation is the work of God alone, accomplished through the incarnate Christ, applied by the Holy Spirit, and received in embodied faith within the terrestrial realm. After death, souls may endure punitive justice, but redemption itself is always tied to the incarnational order. In the end, every soul will be re-embodied, justified, and reconciled, that God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:28).