Audio
Hell
Hell is the separation and alienation from God that incorrigible sinners have chosen. In the New Testament, hell is figuratively spoken of as a "lake of fire," "darkness," and of Gehenna (after the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, a burning place for filth). Hell is described as punishment, suffering, torment, eternal ruin, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Scheol and Hades, two terms from the original biblical languages often translated as "hell" and "grave", usually refer to the realm of the dead. The Bible teaches that unrepentant sinners will suffer the second death in the lake of fire, but it does not make it absolutely clear whether this means annihilation or conscious spiritual alienation from God. (2. Thessalonians 1,8-9; Matthew 10,28; 25,41.46; Revelation 20,14: 15-2; 1,8; Matthew 13,42; psalm 49,14-15)
Hell
“If your right hand causes you to fall away, cut it off and throw it from you. It is better for you that one of your members should perish, and that your whole body not go to hell" (Matthew 5,30). Hell is something very serious. We must take Jesus' warning seriously.
Our approach
Our creed describes Hell as "The separation and alienation from God that incorrigible sinners have chosen." We do not state whether this separation and alienation means eternal suffering or a total cessation of consciousness. Indeed, we say that the Bible does not make this absolutely clear.
When it comes to hell, we have to listen to Jesus, as with many other topics. If we take Jesus seriously, if he teaches about grace and mercy, we should also take him seriously when he talks about punishment. After all, mercy does not mean much, unless we are spared by something.
Warnings about fire
In a parable, Jesus warned that the wicked would be thrown into a fiery furnace3,50). In this parable he was not talking about cremation, but about "weeping and gnashing of teeth." In another parable, Jesus describes the punishment of a forgiven servant who did not forgive his fellow servant as "punishment" (Matthew 18,34). Another parable describes a wicked man being bound and thrown "out into the darkness" (Matthew 22,13). This darkness is described as a place of weeping and chattering teeth.
Jesus does not explain whether people in darkness are suffering from pain or grief, and he does not explain whether they grind their teeth out of regret or out of anger. That's not the purpose. In fact, he never describes the fate of evil in detail.
However, Jesus warns people in clear terms not to cling to anything that will result in them being thrown into eternal fire. “But if your hand or your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off and throw it from you,” Jesus warned. "It is better for you to enter life lame or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire" (Matthew 18,7-8th). It is better to deny yourself in this life than to be "cast into the fire of hell" (verse 9).
Does the punishment of the wicked last forever? The Bible can be interpreted in various ways on this point. Some verses suggest eternal punishment, while others suggest a limited duration. But either way, hell should be avoided in any case.
This reminds me of an InterVarsity Press book on the subject, Two Views of Hell. Edward Fudge argues for annihilation; Robert Peterson argues for eternal suffering. On the cover of this book are two men, both with their hands in front of them
the head in an expression of fear or horror. The graph is meant to express that,
Although there are two views about hell, it is horrible no matter how one sees hell. God is merciful, but the person who opposes God rejects his mercy and suffers.
The New Testament letters
Jesus used a variety of images to punish those who reject God's mercy: fire, darkness, anguish, and destruction.
The apostles also spoke of judgment and punishment, but they described it in different ways. Paul wrote: “But to those who are contentious and disobedient to the truth, disfavor and anger obey unrighteousness; Tribulation and distress upon all the souls of men who do evil, first upon the Jews and also upon the Greeks" (Romans 2,8-9).
Regarding those who persecuted the church in Thessalonica, Paul wrote: "They shall suffer punishment, eternal destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious power" (2. Thessalonians 1,9). Therefore, in our beliefs, we define hell as "separation and alienation from God."
The Old Testament penalty for rejecting the Mosaic Law was death, but anyone who consciously rejects Jesus deserves a greater penalty, says Hebrews 10,28-29: "It is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God" (v. 31). God is merciful beyond imagination, but when a man refuses his mercy, only judgment remains. God does not want anyone to suffer the horrors of hell - He wants all to come to repentance and salvation (2. Petrus 2,9). But those who refuse such wonderful grace will suffer. That is their choice, not God's. Hence our creed says that hell was "chosen by incorrigible sinners." This is an important part of the picture.
God's final victory is also an important part of the picture. Everything will be brought under the control of Christ for he has redeemed all creation (1. Corinthians 15,20-24; Colossians 1,20). Everything will be made right. Even death and the realm of the dead will be destroyed in the end (Revelation 20,14). The Bible doesn't tell us how Hell fits into this picture, nor do we claim to know. We just trust that God, who is full of righteousness and mercy, will bring it all to a successful conclusion in the best possible way.
The justice and the mercy of God
A God of love would not torment people for all eternity, some say. The Bible reveals a God who is compassionate. Rather, he would free people from their misery instead of letting them suffer forever. The traditional doctrine of eternally punitive hell, many believe, is misrepresented by God as a vindictive sadist who sets a horrible example. Moreover, it would not be right to eternally punish people for a life that lasted only a few years or decades.
But rebellion against God is infinitely horrible, say some theologians. We can not measure evil at the time it takes to commit it, they explain. A murder may only take a few minutes, but the consequences can extend to decades or centuries. Rebellion against God is the worst sin in the universe, they say, so it deserves the worst punishment.
The problem is that people do not understand justice or mercy well. People are not qualified to judge - but Jesus Christ is. He will judge the world with righteousness (Psalm 9,8; John 5,22; Romans 2,6-11). We can trust his judgment, knowing that he will be both righteous and merciful.
When the subject of hell is addressed, some parts of the Bible seem to emphasize pain and punishment and others use the images of destruction and end. Instead of trying to reconcile one description with the other, let's both talk. When it comes to hell, we have to trust God, not our imagination.
Of all that Jesus said about Hell, the most important thing is that Jesus is the solution to the problem. There is no condemnation in him (Romans 8,1). He is the way, the truth and eternal life.
by Joseph Tkach
