There are commendable things about the message of The Shack. In some areas, the author offers hope and compassion that is biblical.
Unfortunately, the book presents the heresy of Universal Salvation along with other false teachings about the nature and character of God.
Fictional representations of God can never perfectly represent God, but the representations of Father, Son and Spirit in The Shack are riddled with serious biblical error.
Please don't dismiss these errors in
The Shack by saying the book is fictional. Author Paul Young has written a Bible study to accompany the book, and he has written a theology book explaining his beliefs represented in
The Shack. (Read more about Young's beliefs
here.)
The list below is not all-inclusive, but I’ve listed five characteristics of The Shack’s god that warrant our attention. Scroll down to read about each point with full Scripture references and helpful resources to study these subjects further.
1. The Shack’s god doesn’t punish people.
2. The Shack’s god says punishment is never about destruction.
3. The Shack’s god says he has no expectations for anyone.
4. The Shack’s god is never disappointed in anyone.
5. The Shack’s jesus denies his life is meant to be an example for others.
1. The Shack defines God as a god who doesn’t need to punish people.
Page 120: The Shack’s version of God the Father says, “I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It’s not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it.”
Our God's love is pure, fair, and perfect, but the God of the Bible, the true God, punishes:
Hebrews 12:6: "For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child."
Revelation 3:19: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent."
Matthew 25:46: "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Romans 1:18: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,"
John 3:36: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them."
2 Peter 2:9: "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment."
2. The Shack’s version of the Holy Spirit says, “Judgment is not about destruction but about setting things right.” (page 169)
This is another attempt to redefine God's character and remove His holy and righteous anger.
God’s Word says there is a final destruction for those who reject Christ:
2 Thessalonians 1:9: "They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might"
Jude 1:7: "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."
Matthew 10:28: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can
destroy both soul and body in hell."
Matthew 7:13: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it."
3. The Shack’s god says he has no expectations for anyone.
On page 206: “I’ve never placed an expectation on you or anyone else. The idea behind expectations requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control behavior to get the desired result.”
The Bible is filled with God's expectations - things that will help our well-being, our faith, and our relationship with Him and others:
Matthew 10:37-38: "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
Matthew 22:37-38: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."
Philippians 2:12-13: "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
There are hundreds more Scriptures explaining God’s expectations of believers. I will include one more that shows both general and specific expectations of the Lord:
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
4. The Shack’s god is never disappointed in anyone.
Page 206: Mack asks “Papa” (representing God the Father) if he’s ever been disappointed in him:
“Never!” Papa stated emphatically. “What I have is constant and living expectancy in our relationship, and I give you an ability to respond to any situation and circumstance in which you find yourself. To the degree that you resort to expectations and responsibilities, to that degree you neither know me nor trust me.”
Again, this is a
misunderstanding of unconditional love. Any loving father is disappointed when his child makes harmful choices. Surely we don't think our loving Heavenly Father is unaffected by our harmful choices.
The Bible says God can be grieved and troubled by our behavior. We are exhorted to find out what pleases God, which means we can displease Him:
Genesis 6:6: "The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled."
Ephesians 4:30: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
Isaiah 63:10: "Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them."
Matthew 10:37-38: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
If God were never disappointed in us – always pleased with us – Scripture would never tell us to find out what pleases the Lord. See Ephesians 5:10 above and the verses below:
Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Colossians 1:9-10: "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,"
5. The Shack’s jesus denies his life is meant to be an example for others.
Page 149: In a discussion with Mack, The Shack’s jesus says, “Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to ‘be like Jesus,’ it means for your independence to be killed.”
To be honest, this idea seems absurd to me. I’m not sure it really needs the scriptural proof I give below since the whole Bible is about becoming more like our Lord. We’re His “followers” – that means we follow His ways, follow where He leads. We follow His example and obey His commands.
1 Corinthians 11:1: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." [the Apostle Paul]
1 Thessalonians 1:6: "You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
John 13:15: "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."
Ephesians 5:1-2: "Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
1 Peter 2:20-21: "But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."
Philippians 2:5: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus"
Dear Christians, we should love our Lord's true and wonderful character enough to be offended when He is misrepresented. May we love God's Word more than man's words. May we find our hope and joy in His true Words, not the errors of men.
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