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Archive for the ‘Hell’ Category

Alright, Let’s Hash Out This Concept Of Hell… Is It Literal, Figurative, Eternal Or Temporary?

In Bible, Eschatology, Hell on September 18, 2009 at 7:43 pm

by Elizabeth K

People all over the world most likely have heard about and possess some degree of fear concerning hell.  This concept is a common reason for some to become atheist or “unchristian”.  Still, human conscience seems to convict us of the law of cause and effect, that there are consequences for wrongs, and that justice must be served in some way.

Misconceptions of hell (and the devil) abound.  So what does the Bible say?  I have been revisiting this topic and wondering about different beliefs concerning it.

Following are Scriptures (in the ASV) which are translated using the term hell by most major Bible translations using the Hebrew word Gehenna used in both the Old and the New Testament, or the Greek term Tartarus which is used one time and concerns the casting of angels into hell. Also listed are a few other Scriptures that may or may not pertain to hell, and a couple of verses which use the Greek term Hades as indicated.

Wikipedia says Gehenna is “used in the New Testament as a metaphor for the final place of punishment for the wicked after the resurrection. Hell is taught as the final destiny of those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior after they have passed through the great white throne of judgment, where they will be punished for sin  and permanently separated from God after the general resurrection and last judgment.”  This seems to be the traditional Christian understanding of hell.

I did not include Old Testament Scriptures that contain the words Sheol which are clearly not eternal and because Bible translations translate this term differently.  The King James version translates it as hell sometimes and other times it is translated as grave in places where hell does not make sense, such as where the patriarch Jacob believed he would go, a place “in peace”, where righteous Job wanted to be hidden, where animals (sheep) go after death, etc.  Sheol is also translated as pit. Read the rest of this entry »

Can we Preach the Gospel without Hell?

In Bible, Church, God, Gospel, Hell, Jesus on September 4, 2009 at 6:14 am

By Marc

Most Gospel presentations today will begin with, or at least include, the idea of Hell whether explicitly or implicitly. The strategy of good “old-fashioned” Gospel preaching requires that the preacher first convict the audience of Sin and then offer Jesus as the solution. The conviction is accomplished by highlighting the fact that all humans do sin and attempting to show that a perfect God must punish these offenses (perhaps infinitely). John Piper (The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World) says:

Because God is holy, we are sinful, justice is beautiful, and God will not be mocked, we must contend for the conscious, eternal torments of hell and invite everyone to avoid its clutches by turning from sin to Jesus, who speaks of hell more than anyone in Scripture. (p 139)
…
If you strip that [hell] away from Jesus, he’s a local guy. He’s just no big deal. (p161)

Even preaching which focuses on God and His Holiness, will eventually come around to Man’s sinful state and will often fail simply because the Conviction was not convincing – the challenge to produce a problem (guilt) and a need (forgiveness) which post-modern people do not, of themselves see is often too great for our preachers. Certainly any mention of Hell is bound to have a critical audience thinking: “What kind of God sends folk to hell for not believing?”. Read the rest of this entry »