Written on 6 May 2025.

Mike Adams, Universalism, and the NIV: A Theological Analysis

Mike Adams, also known as the Health Ranger, presented a striking theological stance in the May 6, 2025 episode of his Brighteon Broadcast News. In this broadcast, Adams reaffirms his growing embrace of a belief system best described as a form of universalism with purgatorial elements—a view that departs significantly from both traditional Protestant doctrine and the KJV-based Free Grace understanding of salvation.

Salvation Before Christ?

At the heart of Adams' argument is the question: How were people saved before Christ? In addressing this, Adams rejects the historic Christian claim that salvation, even before the incarnation of Jesus Christ, was by faith alone—faith in God's revealed promises and ultimately in the coming Messiah.

Instead, Adams asserts:

"You're already going to heaven. It's already done."

He interprets passages like 1 Timothy 4:10 as teaching that salvation has already been granted to all humanity: "God, the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe" (as quoted from the NIV). This line of thinking leads Adams to conclude that those who lived before Christ—or who never heard of Him—are nonetheless saved.

Faith in Christ Not Required?

Adams insists that faith in Christ is not a prerequisite for salvation. Christ, in his view, acts as a redeemer of sin and a teacher of divine light, but is not the exclusive gate through which all must enter. This stands in direct contradiction to clear biblical statements like:

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36, KJV)

This position reveals Adams’ divergence from both Catholicism and evangelical Christianity. While Catholics believe in purgatory and some may speculate about the fate of the unevangelized, they still affirm that many are eternally lost. Adams, however, rejects hell as eternal punishment, portraying it instead as a temporary purifying state—akin to a universal purgatory.

The Role of the NIV Translation

One notable factor in Adams’ theology is his reliance on the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. The NIV’s dynamic equivalence approach has been widely criticized by defenders of the KJV for watering down core doctrines and removing or footnoting entire verses. This makes it appealing to those with liberal or mystical theological leanings who seek to soften teachings on judgment, hell, or exclusivity of salvation through Christ.

Adams uses the phrase "the Savior of all people" from 1 Timothy 4:10 to promote his universalist theology, overlooking the verse's full context which emphasizes that salvation is applied especially to those who believe.

Universalism with Purgatory

In Adams’ framework, salvation is assumed. What varies is the level of reward or consequence one experiences after death. He suggests that those who do evil undergo a kind of spiritual rehabilitation process before ultimately being reconciled to God. While Free Grace theology also teaches rewards for believers, Adams extends this concept into a purgatorial process that applies universally—making his view more aligned with universalism with purgatory than with Free Grace doctrine.

Conclusion: A Mystical Universalism

Mike Adams may not label himself a universalist, but his teachings align closely with that system. By affirming:

That all are saved,
That Christ is not the exclusive way,
That hell is temporary or metaphorical,
That good deeds determine rewards, not salvation,

he has embraced a theological structure more akin to liberal mysticism or New Age inclusivism than biblical Christianity.

For those grounded in the KJV and Free Grace theology, Adams’ teaching is a grave deviation from the truth. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8, KJV)

Adams’ universalism is not just a different interpretation—it is another gospel.