When Christians disagree about doctrine, it is very easy to begin with the passages that seem to support our own position.

That is understandable. We all do it. We notice a verse, a phrase, an image, or a promise, and we begin to ask whether it proves the point we already find compelling.

But that is not the safest way to listen to the Bible.

The better question is not first, “Can I find passages that support my view?” The better question is, “Where does Scripture most clearly and directly teach on this subject?”

That is the old Lutheran concern behind the phrase sedes doctrinae: the “seat” of a doctrine. A sedes doctrinae is not merely a passage that mentions a topic. It is a passage where that topic is actually being taught clearly, directly, and in context.

This matters especially when Christians discuss final salvation, judgment, resurrection, heaven, hell, and the final state of all people. These are not minor questions. They are not questions we should answer by collecting impressive-sounding verses and forcing them into a system. We need to begin where Scripture itself is plainly addressing the issue.

The following began as part of a friendly theological dialogue. My dialogue partner has kindly given me permission to turn it into a public post. I have kept the basic substance, because I think the central question is important for all of us:

When we speak about the final salvation of all people, which passages of Scripture should we treat as the clearest and most direct teaching texts?

Here is the substance of what I wrote, lightly adapted for public reading:

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I think several of the passages you’ve chosen are important passages, but I don’t think most of them function as sedes doctrinae for the final salvific state of all people.

Some of the passages in the list surprised me, because they seem to be doing something different in their immediate context. The idea of sedes doctrinae is to listen to passages whose topic is most clearly and unmistakably the doctrine we are learning. That is why I do not think most of these passages should be treated as the main teaching texts for this particular doctrine.

A sedes doctrinae is not even a passage that mentions a certain doctrine. For example, 1 Corinthians 15:29 talks about baptism. Yet it is not a sedes doctrinae for baptism. In fact, almost never do we even talk about it when discussing or teaching baptism. In contrast, Titus 3:4-8 is clearly about baptism, even though it uses the word λουτρον rather than βαπτιζω for washing. Titus 3 is clearly a sedes doctrinae about baptism, because what Paul is describing is clearly baptism. And it makes sense for Paul to talk about baptism there within his argument in Titus.

Of the passages suggested, I think the closest to a sedes doctrinae is 1 Corinthians 15:22-28. Because Paul is explicitly addressing the issue of the final resurrection. This makes sense in context, because some people in Corinth have claimed there is no resurrection (v. 12). Paul began the chapter with Christ’s resurrection as proclamation (vv. 1-11), to the resurrection of Christians and the proclamation and faith of Christians (vv. 12-19), to the subjection of all things (vv. 20-28), to implications for how we treat our bodies now (vv. 29-34), to the nature of the heavenly body (vv. 35-49), to the defeat of death (vv. 50-58).

So, this passage is the closest on your list to a sedes doctrinae for final salvation—but even then it is not a sedes for the doctrine, because it’s not about final salvation: it’s about resurrection. And it’s not just vv. 22-28 that are about resurrection. The whole chapter is about resurrection. Paul is making a sustained argument about resurrection.

Similarly, the other passages you mention are primarily passages about other topics, and they mention final salvation within that primary separate discussion:

Ephesians 1:1-14 is about blessing God because he has blessed us in Christ, followed by a list of ways he’s blessed us in Christ. The rest of the book will unpack and explain many of these blessings, which is why Paul lists them here.

Colossians 1:15-20 is about the supremacy of Christ, because the Colossians were tempted to think they needed something more than what they had.

Revelation 5 is about how the Word of the one sitting on the throne (Revelation 4) can be heard. That Word is the scroll. It can only be revealed by the slain Lamb. That’s the explicit theme of the chapter. It is about how there is no saving proclamation from God outside of Christ, it’s not explicitly about final judgment and the final state.

Psalm 22 is about the sufferings of God’s anointed King. In history first about David’s sufferings, but truly about the sufferings of Christ.

The doctrine of the sedes doctrinae is not “Which passages of scripture support the position I’m taking on this doctrine?” It is instead “Which passages of scripture speak most clearly and explicitly on the doctrine I want to learn about?”

Here would be three passages that are clearly sedes doctrinae for the issue of final salvation:

Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21. In all three synoptic Gospels, the Olivet Discourse is introduced by the disciples asking Jesus the question “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” Jesus tells them about the destruction of the temple, the end times, and the final judgment to which it points. The end part of the Olivet Discourse is explicitly about the final judgment and the eternal result this means for people. In the context of all the Gospels, it makes sense for Jesus to talk about this topic with them before the events of the Passion begin that lead to his death.

Revelation 20-22. The book of Revelation is a proclamation of the end times culminating in the final judgment and future eternal state. Most of chapters 6-19 are about the end times (which started in the first century). Most of chapters 20-22 are about the final judgment and future eternal state.

There’s some other passages that could be added to this. That is the first question to settle—which passages are the sedes doctrinae for the final state of all people?

I’m suggesting these are part of that list of key passages, because:

• they explicitly say they are talking about the end times, final judgment and the final state of all things;
• and that theme makes sense in the context of the books they’re written in that this is what they’re talking about.

This is the same reason why we build our doctrine of the Lord’s Supper primarily on Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; and 1 Corinthians 11.

The doctrine of sedes doctrinae is not “Where can I find passages that clearly support my position? Now, how can I use my reason to show that every other passage in scripture says the same thing?”

The doctrine of sedes doctrinae begins by listening to what Scripture says about this key question: “What is it talking about here?”

I’m inviting you to talk about that first—about which passages are the sedes doctrinae for the final state of all people.

So the question becomes: should Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21, and Revelation 20-22 be treated as sedes doctrinae for the final state of all people? If not, why not? And what passages should be added to the list?

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That is where the conversation really needs to begin.

Not with the passages that seem most useful for proving our conclusion. Not with the texts that contain words or phrases we can fit into a broader theological argument. But with the passages where Scripture is most clearly speaking about the final judgment and the final state of all people.

Only then are we in a position to ask the next questions faithfully: What does Jesus actually say there? What does Revelation actually teach there? What is promised? What is warned? What is temporary? What is eternal?

That is also the deeper issue beneath this whole discussion. The question is not merely whether one side or another can assemble a plausible biblical case. The question is whether we are willing to let Scripture set the agenda, define the doctrine, and correct our instincts.

These questions are not merely academic. They matter because Christ has spoken clearly, and he speaks not to satisfy our curiosity, but to call sinners to repentance, faith, comfort, and hope.

If you are wrestling with questions about judgment, salvation, hell, universalism, or how to read difficult passages of the Bible, I would be glad to help you think them through carefully and pastorally.

If you live near Greater Manchester, come and receive God’s means of grace at Manchester Lutheran Church every Sunday. Join us at 10:45am for coffee and 11:00am for the service: https://mcrlt.ch/sundays/

If you live outside Greater Manchester, you can receive God’s means of grace online with the Confessional Lutheran Church every Wednesday at 6:00pm: https://lutheran.ch/online-service/