forgiveness has meaning

Let's build on a right notion of forgiveness and not on the popular confusing way. First, read and re-read Chris Brauns' Unpacking Forgiveness. Then note that Rob Bell gets this, like many things, wrong. The only out I see is that Bell has is that he has redefined the terms such that we cannot know what he is really saying ... or should I say asking?

"Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for." (Bell, Velvet Elvis, page 146).

I agree with Brauns in that this is a very problematic statement. "The idea that someone can be forgiven by God, yet still go to hell, eviscerates forgiveness of any biblical meaning."

Further quoting Brauns referring to Bell;

In Love Wins (188-189), Bell has taken the next step when he argues that on the Cross, Jesus granted unconditional forgiveness apart from repentance or faith on the part of those who crucified Him. "Jesus forgives them all, without their asking for it. Done. Taken care of. Before we could be good enough or right enough, before we could even believe the right things. Forgiveness is unilateral. God isn’t waiting for us to get it together, to clean up, shape up, get up – - God has already done it."

Don't believe it. This is incorrect (Jn 3.36). Bottom line, whatever it is Bell is thinking, saying, suggesting, or asking, it isn't consistent with simple Scripture.