MWR : Doctrine of hell

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March 2, 2009 issue

Doctrine of hell

By Michael Hardin Lancaster, Pa.

Loyal A. Funk (Viewpoint, Feb. 23) expresses dismay when “human rationalization” takes the place of clear doctrine, in this case the doctrine of hell. The fact is that the so-called doctrine of hell is one of the most confused and confusing topics in the Bible: The Bible talks about Sheol (the abode of both the righteous and unrighteous dead in the Old Testament), Gehenna (the waste dump outside the Temple complex also known as the Valley of Hinnom where in ancient times child sacrifice to Molech took place) and Hades (the Greek designation for the place of the dead). Hell is a medieval catch-all term (from the German) to encompass all of these places.

It is disingenuous to say that a decline in the doctrine of hell also indicates a weak view of heaven. I suspect that here Funk is more influenced by Plato than by Jesus or the New Testament. For Jesus, Gehenna is a metonym for the consequences of spiraling violence, and it is used primarily in the context of those who would use violence; it is not a place “bad people” go to after they die. Jesus does not use “hell” as a reason for sinners to believe, rather he uses it with opponents who would consign others there.

The Greek counterpart Hades is, from the perspective of the New Testament, a place that has been conquered (Matt. 16:18, Col. 2:13-14, 1 Peter 3:19-20, Rev. 20:14). This “harrowing of hell” is reflected in a sixth-century addition to the creed — “he descended into Hades” — which reflects the early Christian notion of the Christus Victor motif of the atonement, where Jesus’ death conquers the devil and hell. One key Anabaptist of the 16th century, Pilgram Marpeck, frequently referred to this aspect of the creed.

Comments

Michael Hardin wrote: For Jesus, Gehenna is a metonym for the consequences of spiraling violence, and it is used primarily in the context of those who would use violence; it is not a place “bad people” go to after they die. Jesus does not use “hell” as a reason for sinners to believe, rather he uses it with opponents who would consign others there." In Mark 9:42-50 about the seriousness of sinning against a believer. The terms "hand", "foot", and "eye" may be used by metonymy for what a person does, where he goes, and what he aspires to, but in each case the action refers to a sin that someone commits against a believer (or an action that causes a believer to sin). The consequence of doing such an action is to be cast into gehenna. Gehenna is described as a place where a person's worm does not die, and where the fire is never put out. To claim that gehenna is metonymy requires something in the context to support the claim, and it seems that it is much clearer to take "gehenna" as a literal place where a person continues to exist, and as a place of fire. People hearing Jesus would have associated 'gehenna' with the ravine in the Hinnom Valley where fires burnt to consume dead bodies, including those of criminals (See Friberg and Friberg's Greek Lexicon). The picture that would come to mind is fire burning the person who has violated another person who is a believer in Jesus Christ.

- Daniel Hoopert (feb 28 at 4:06 p.m.)

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