Without question, the Bible teaches about the incarnation. But the incarnation is a different topic. But you supplied verses, which you claim support the idea of universal salvation. They don't.
Without the Incarnation there is no atonement. You are working from a mindset of ONLY looking at the purpose of the atonement, and not at the atonement itself. The Bible is quite clear that man through Christ's Incarnation saved the world from death. That was His primary work of atonement. Without overcoming death nothing else takes place.
I disagree with the notion that Paul is endorsing certain traditional beliefs. While some religious systems promote the ideas of Original Sin, as seen in Catholicism, or Federal Headship from the Reformed tradition, I believe that is not what Paul is conveying in this context. We do not inherit anything from Adam aside from our biological traits, and these traits do not dictate our choices.
Paul assigns blame and guilt to each individual based on their own choices, not Adam's. Adam was responsible for being the first man to bring sin into the world, but as Paul says, "death spread to all men, BECAUSE ALL SINNED, not because Adam sinned.
You correctly state that both Catholicism and the Reformed tradition got it wrong. However you fell into the same trap as Pelegius in his arguments with Augustine over what became known as Original Sin theory of the fall. Pelegius believed that man has nothing to do with Adam. He believed just like you stated, that each individual sinned on his own and the consequence was death. Pelegianism was condemned by the Church as well. in the 3rd Ecumenical Council.
Again scripture disagrees with you from Rom 5:13. Simply, there is no sin without the law but death reigned anyway. We sin because we have a fallen nature. God did not create us mortal. Why would He create something call it good, at the same time it would end by death. Death is not from God. Death is the power of Satan We all inherit that mortal (fallen) nature from Adam, as God told Adam in Gen 3:19.
On the contrary, our mortality is a result of our sin, not its cause. Sin leads to death.
Which if true, there should be a lot of perfect people that never sinned also since Adam. Adam had the capability to not sin. He was free to choose life or death. So, can you explain why there have not been any people who lived perfect lives? I Cor 15:56 disagrees with you.
It does not say that death is the sting of sin.
Look at it again. Paul has marked out a subset of all those who are "in Adam" which he calls "in Christ." Only those who are members of this subgroup will be granted eternal life.
Obviously you are not good with math. This is an equation. The same all in Adam are the very same as the all in Christ. Now we could say then that you actually do believe in Universalism and you did't know it. Here again you are confusing physical with spiritual. The phrase IN Christ dealing with our personal relationship with Christ is not what is being referrenced. It is all the dead that Paul refers to in the preceeding verses.
I agree. However, as Paul states in Romans 5, Adam was the prototype of human beings. We sin because that is who we are. We begin "in Adam" because left to our own efforts and thoughts, we will end up as he did.
See above. Where are the many perfect people who never sinned as it was possible for Adam. You are swimming around a lot of false teaching that have been condemned long ago. That may not be a concern of you, but it is for me.
I don't believe that people go to heaven or hell when they die. Paul says that the dead in Christ will rise from the grave.
What heaven or hell is at present no one knows. But our souls do return to God. Those souls will be reunited with our bodies at the resurrection. Paul says THE DEAD will be raised immortal and incorruptible in the last day. There is no distinction. I Cor 15:52-53
I didn't say that Christ's resurrection was fruitless. I argued that the doctrine of universal salvation renders Christ's resurrection moot.
That's because you don't understand yet what we are even speaking about. I'm not speaking about universal salvation. I'm speaking about universal salvation from death which would make personal salvation possible or if you want, universal salvation. But salvation from death requires that God has a place for people to go, either hell or heaven. Without overcoming death we are all still condemned to permanent death, forever, dust to dust both body and soul.
Paul's argument doesn't hinge on the idea that resurrection must be a universal human experience.
He is stating unequivocally that because Christ bore our human nature, His resurrection of that same human nature, also raises all human beings which happens at the general ressurrection which He makes a point of in I Cor 15:52-53.
Yes, Jesus Christ died for our sins, but as Paul argued in Romans 3, God displayed Jesus Christ on the cross publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. The atonement sacrifice was adequate for propitiation, but the propitiation is not effectuated until the final judgment when Christ advocates on our behalf. And Jesus doesn't advocate for everyone.
Not pertinent. You are still dwelling on the purpose or consequences of atonement, rather than the atonement itself.
Well, that is your problem right there. I never read the Early Church Fathers or take for granted the so-called Church councils. Even if I did, I would not accept what they say uncritically as true.
That is not a problem for me. I believe what the scriptures say about the work of the Holy Spirit as well. That what the Apostles wrote and taught has been guided and guarded by the Holy Spirit through His Church, the pillar of Truth. I Tim 3:15, and Jude 3.
Every man who tried to change that Gospel either was declared a heritic, or his new innovative idea was declared heresy. The Holy Spirit works through His Body. There has not been additions to revelation though there are many who think there has been.
However, that is one of the free choices man has.
What I said included the atonement of Christ. But Jesus never offers anything to anyone. Eternal life is the free gift of God to those who believe, and the number of people who believe and persevere is a limited number.
Okay, try reading Paul instead of so-called fathers and councils.
Take a look at Romans 5 and see if you find two distinct concepts: "the many" and "all men." Ask yourself what distinction Paul is making with those two categories. In my view, based on my study of the Bible, "the many" refers to God's people the Jews, and "all men" refers to the rest of humanity.
That distinction has never been made. First of all, regarding Christ and His atonement, there are no Jews, He made one man, Jew and Gentile Eph:2; 13-18.
Jesus' victory over death takes place in the future when he raises his followers from the dead.
He already defeated Satan with His resurrection. At the end He will raise everyone to stand in judgement.
