Stephen Jones — Soteriology
b2 — The Restoration of All Things
Restorationism vs. Universalism
In chapter 2 Jones draws a sharp distinction between two positions:
“There are those who teach that all judgment is wrong, making no distinction between discernment and condemnation. Likewise, they make no distinction between issuing imperfect judgment from the mind of man and perfect judgment which comes from God.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.2
Jones states that classic Universalism denies divine judgment, while Restorationism teaches that divine judgments are corrective and restorative:
“This booklet shows the difference between Universalism, which denies all divine judgment, and Restorationism, which teaches that the judgments of the law are corrective and restorative.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Book summary (cover)
Interpretation: Jones explicitly positions his teaching not as naïve universalism (God does not punish) but as Restorationism: God does punish, but His punishments serve restoration, not eternal destruction. This distinction is theologically crucial to his soteriology.
Aionian / Time-Bounded Punishment
In chapter 3 Jones demonstrates that translating αἰώνιος (aionian) as “eternal” is historically incorrect:
“The Greek noun aion means ‘an eon,’ or ‘an age.’ Its adjective form is aionios, which means ‘age-abiding,’ or ‘pertaining to an age.‘” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.3
On Augustine’s influence on Latin translation:
“Thus, when reading the New Testament in Latin, Augustine took the word aeternus to mean unending time, rather than an indefinite period of time. His influence essentially established this definition as the standard meaning of aeternus—and as the centuries passed, this meaning came to be seen as the equivalent of the Greek word aionian.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.3
Jones cites Dr. F.W. Farrar:
“Since aion meant ‘age,’ aionios means, properly, ‘belonging to an age,’ or ‘age-long,’ and anyone who asserts that it must mean ‘endless’ defends a position which even Augustine practically abandoned twelve centuries ago.” — Dr. F.W. Farrar, Mercy and Judgment, p.178, cited in Jones, Ch.3
On Matthew 25:46:
“46. eternal punishment, i.e., punishment characteristic of the Age to come, not meaning that it lasts for ever. ‘eternal life,’ i.e., the life that belongs to the Age to come, the full abundant life which is fellowship with God.” — Cambridge Bible Commentary, A.W. Argyle, cited in Jones, Ch.3
Interpretation: Jones grounds his rejection of eternal punishment not on sentiment but on philological re-analysis of aionian. The “aionian punishment” of Matt.25:46 is not endless but “age-abiding” — belonging to a specific period of God’s restoration plan.
[TENSION with traditional soteriology: Reformed and Roman Catholic traditions read aionian/eternal as ontologically endless]
“Every Knee Will Bow” — Universal Salvation via the White Throne
Chapter 4 addresses Philippians 2:10-11 and its basis in Isaiah 45:23-25:
“23 I have sworn by Myself [God’s vow], the Word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. 24 They will say of Me, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame. 25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be justified, and will glory.” — Isa.45:23-25, cited in Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.4
Jones notes that Paul in 1 Cor.12:3 states that no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit:
“In 1 Cor. 12:3 Paul says, ‘no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.’ So let no one say that their confession was apart from the moving of the Holy Spirit.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.4
On the “second opportunity” via the law of Moses:
“10 If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to the Lord. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, they shall observe it.” — Num.9:10-11, cited in Jones, Ch.4
Jones concludes: “This does not mean that He forces anyone to be justified; rather, He will make everyone willing and desirous of being justified. Some will be justified in their life time; most will be justified at the Great White Throne. Those who accepted Him earlier will be rewarded accordingly. Those who only accept Him later will be ‘saved yet so as by fire’ (1 Cor. 3:15).”
— Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.4
Interpretation: Jones reads the White Throne not as a judgment of condemnation but as a second Passover for those who missed the first — a legal precedent from Numbers.
Adam vs. Christ — Parallelism in the Scope of Salvation
Chapter 5 develops the Adam-Christ parallel of 1 Cor.15:22:
“22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order [tagma, ‘squadron’].” — 1 Cor.15:22-23, cited in Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.5
His core argument:
“The only factor that makes them alike is the ‘ALL’ affected by these two men. Even as Adam’s sin brought death to ALL men and subjected the entire creation to vanity (Rom. 8:20), so also Christ’s righteousness brought life to ALL men and set the entire creation free.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.5
On sin-guilt through imputation:
“Adam’s sin was imputed to all of us. This means that we were all held accountable for Adam’s sin, as if we had done it. We were legally guilty, and so all men received the penalty for Adam’s sin. That penalty was death, or mortality.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.5
Interpretation: Jones reads “all” in both clauses of 1 Cor.15:22 as identical in scope. If Adam’s sin affected all people, Christ’s righteousness must affect all people — otherwise Christ is weaker than Adam.
[NOTE: Confirmed with b1 (Creation’s Jubilee) which presents the same argument via Rom.5:18; the Restoration version adds the tagma/squadron structure as a sequencing argument]
Atonement as Full Restoration — The Temporality of Sin
Chapter 6 articulates Jones’s view of atonement as the return of all things:
“In my view, sin is temporary. Because it had a beginning, it also will have an end. The whole idea of ‘restoration’ implies that history is the process by which God is showing us the results of sin before finally restoring all things under His feet as it was at the beginning.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.6
On dualism as theological error:
“By the fifth century A.D. the Church had drunk deeply from this non-biblical theology and had begun to adopt it officially in its own teaching and persecute those who denied it. This was one of the greatest tragedies of all time in the history of Christian thought.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.6
Interpretation: Jones reads dualism (eternal heaven vs. eternal hell) as a Platonic contamination of the early Church. Biblical soteriology — sin that began, sin that ends — provides a teleological alternative.
Kinsman Redeemer (Go’el) — Right of Redemption Based on Ownership
Chapter 7 explains the legal basis of redemption through the Old Testament go’el institution:
“You can purchase anything, but you can redeem only that which you once owned.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.7
On the Go’el principle of Leviticus 25:
“48 then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him.” — Lev.25:48, cited in Jones, Ch.7
Jones argues that Christ as Kinsman Redeemer has the legal RIGHT to redeem all creation:
“And I was just one part of that which He owned at the beginning. […] Yes, He really is my Redeemer, because I was a part of creation, which He owned by right of creation.” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.7
Interpretation: Jones grounds universal redemption in property law, not merely love: Christ could redeem creation because He owned it as Creator and held the go’el redemption right as kinsman.
Covenant with All Flesh — Noah as Foundation of Universal Reconciliation
Chapter 8 positions the Noahic covenant as the foundation of God’s universal plan:
“9 Now behold, I Myself do establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.” — Gen.9:9-10, cited in Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.8
Jones connects this with the four living creatures in Revelation 5:13:
“13 And every thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ 14 And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.‘” — Rev.5:13-14, cited in Jones, Ch.8
Jones cites commentator William Milligan:
“What a sublime conception have we here before us! The whole universe, from its remotest star to the things around us, and beneath our feet, is one—one in feeling, in emotion, in expression; one in heart and voice. Nothing is said of evil. Nor is it thought of.” — Rev. William Milligan, The Expositor’s Bible, Vol.6, p.854, cited in Jones, Ch.8
On the five covenants:
“There is no glory in forcing everyone to confess the truth. The glory is in the fact that all of creation will come into AGREEMENT with a resounding ‘AMEN!‘” — Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.8
And regarding Colossians 1:20:
“16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions—all things have been created by Him and for Him… . 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” — Col.1:16,20, cited in Jones, Ch.8
Interpretation: Jones builds a covenant-theological sequence: Noah (universe) → Abraham (people) → Moses (standard) → David (throne) → New Covenant (blood of Christ). Each covenant presupposes and completes the previous; the Noahic covenant guarantees that no creature falls outside God’s plan.
All Nations — David’s Prophecies
Chapter 9 shows Jones’s exegetical use of Psalms as evidence for universal salvation:
“4 All the earth will worship Thee, and will sing praises to Thee; They will sing praises to Thy name.” — Ps.66:4, cited in Jones, The Restoration of All Things, Ch.9
“4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for Thou wilt judge the peoples with uprightness, and guide the nations on the earth.” — Ps.67:4, cited in Jones, Ch.9
On the Song of Moses (Revelation 15:3-4):
“4 Who will NOT fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; for all the nations will come and worship before Thee, for Thy righteous acts have been revealed.” — Rev.15:4, cited in Jones, Ch.9
Jones connects this with Acts 3:25-26 (promise to Abraham that all families shall be blessed):
“25 It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.‘” — Acts 3:25, cited in Jones, Ch.9
Interpretation: Jones reads the Davidic Psalms as New Covenant prophecy. David’s “New Covenant perspective” — Jones’s own words — guarantees that Israel’s mission is not exclusive but a channel for universal blessing.