Jan. 26, 2009 issue
Doubts about hell
By Erwin Jost Corvallis, Ore.It was encouraging to come across an article in MWR that reported a growing skepticism, even in evangelical seminaries, about traditional concepts of hell (Horizon, Sept. 1). Hell is an issue that deserves a lot more attention than it receives from our religious mentors. What could be more injurious to our confidence in God than a dogma according to which he enjoins us to love and forgive our enemies while he consigns his to endless torment — not only his avowed antagonists, but anyone who for whatever reason or to whatever degree, knowingly or unknowingly, falls short of his requirements.
Besides this overriding dichotomy, numerous other discrepancies in traditional concepts of hell confront anyone who studies Scripture conscientiously. For example, Sheol, the term translated as hell in the Old Testament, consistently refers to a realm of all the dead rather than to a place exclusively prepared for the unending torment of the unredeemed. As for punishment, Sheol serves as such, but only in the sense that all death (or death itself) is the universal punishment for sin.
In the New Testament the word translated as hell is Gehenna, originally a reference to the valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where offal was thrown and fires kept burning to purify the air. The Apostle Paul never uses this term, or any other that names a place or refers to a condition of eternal torment. According to him, “The wages of sin is death,” and there is no evidence in his writings that he meant anything other than the spiritual demise and consequent separation from God that befalls the unredeemed.
The annihilation of the lost is certainly eternal punishment, but perhaps punishment with a measure of mercy. After all, what purpose could our God of love possibly have in preserving forever a vestige of sin in the cries of the damned?
Comments
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In the New Testament are 23 verses that refer to Hell, a place of torment. In addition, there are 35 verses that refer to Fire in the context of Hell and eternal punishment of the wicked. Included in the 35 are the following 2 verses: And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:15) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abdominable, and murders, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death. (Rev. 21:8)
It is very difficult to understand why there is a need to assign new meaning to the many scriptures that are plainly written and have been clearly understood for these many centuries. To me, this article shows evidence of teachings of the Emerging Church movement where sound doctrine is being replaced as needed to satisfy the itching ear. As unpleasant as the doctrine of Hell is to certain people, it simply cannot be denied and twisted out of existence. II Peter 3:16 gives very specific warnings about tampering with the scriptures. -
I'm not sure that it's so clear-cut. As the original writer points out, there translated English word "hell" hides differences in the original text. In the Gospels, the lens through which Anabaptists traditionally view all of scripture, my experience is that the "consequences of sin" sense of hell predominates over the "punishment/banishment" sense. It doesn't do the text, or the Spirit, any service to pretend things are simple when they're complicated, especially on a topic over which a lot of Christians stumble.
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Sorry, that signature link should be jby.
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