Philippians and Colossians will be the next focus, where the word "all" is used quite a lot. Let's see what it means.

Philippians 2:10-12. Every knee will bow to King Jesus. Every tongue will confess He is Lord. That's a brand of Universalism that I can see well. Before we allow ourselves to be swept into the modern heresy, though, let's take a look at the passage Paul was quoting in Isaiah (45:20-25). This would be a good study in the Deity of Christ, by the way, since Isaiah's Lord demands the same thing as Paul's Jesus regarding knees and tongues.

But what we glean from the prophet is that he is speaking in judgmental terms. He gives a stern statement to the nations, then an almost threatening invitation, "Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth!" The following statement about every knee bowing is a warning as much as a promise. The idea is that it would be better for you to come voluntarily to the Lord, but if you don't, know that you will bow before Him one way or another.

Paul carries over some of that same feeling. God has exalted Jesus. You will confess Who He is one day. That's why we approach our salvation, says Paul, with fear and trembling. The tone is entirely different here from the simple invitations to come to Jesus found in other portions of Scripture.

In the sense of public admission of Who Jesus is, every man, woman and child is involved. God will be glorified.

Philippians 3:18-19. Paul here describes a group of people who are enemies of Christ, and whose end will therefore be destruction. No future salvation is suggested.

Colossians 1:16,23 (and Romans 16:26). I saved the Romans passage until now because it is so similar to the ones in Colossians. Both statements are pretty startling. Paul claims that the preaching of the mystery of Jesus Christ has been made known to all the nations, that it is in all the world.

I believe Paul is saying that the Message of God is no longer limited to the Jews. This is not a local story. It's being released now to all of humanity. He was not, obviously, telling us that every person in the world of his day had heard this story. He was even then in the process of getting the Word out.

I bring this in because once more we need to understand the scope of that little word "all." It's not what you think, and that will help in the next passage.

Colossians 1:19-23. Universalist territory here. Verse 20 in particular. It says there that because of what Jesus did on the cross, all things are now reconciled to God.

The fact is that there is much of the world that is not reconciled to God and never shall be. Talk to your neighbors. It's clear. But once more Paul is using "all" to speak of potential, not actual.

The peace has been proclaimed. The war is over. The world is invited to Jesus. Just come and be saved. That's the effect of Calvary. Universal salvation proclaimed.

But look again at this passage. You Colossians have been reconciled, and will be presented holy to God one day. If. If. Definitely not Calvin speaking here. If. If you continue in the faith and are not moved away...

And then there is the unspoken "if", the one that applies to all who have not yet said yes to Jesus. This salvation all applies to them too, but only if they will repent and bow their knee to Him.

Stories are told through the generations of soldiers who kept fighting because they did not know the war was over. And of others who decided they could not participate in the truce, and kept fighting for the cause they loved.

Whether man keeps fighting God or not, the peace has been made. This is the day to accept it. Today is the day of salvation.

Colossians 3:4, 6. The contrast has often been made, but let me bring it out once more. When Christ appears, we (believers) will appear with Him in glory. But the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

Colossians 3:10-11. Christ is in all. That's the Universalist short version of this passage. The full story is that there is a new man that believers "put on." That new man, Christ in us, is made in the very image of God. And that new man is not a Jew or a Gentile, not a slave or a free man. That man is Christ. All of that man is filled with that Christ. Christ is all and in all.