More about Hell Week 2

Introduction

Over the last week weeks we have been talking about the only two realities a person has at the end of theirs day in this life.

And just as we have talked about many different thoughts or points of heaven, please know there are many thoughts about hell.

Many do not want to accept the idea of eternal punishment for sin, and many have refuted it. For example, the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell in 1967 wrote this phrase.. “There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell.” . The idea of eternal punishment for sin, he further notes, is “a doctrine that put cruelty in the world and gave the world generations of cruel torture.”

How terrible to think someone would write something so sad, so condemning of Jesus all because they are condemned about sin, about lostness and so their condition in front of a holy God.

How terrible to think someone would write something so sad, so condemning of Jesus all because they are condemned about sin, about lostness and so their condition in front of a holy God.

“There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell.” . The idea of eternal punishment for sin, he further notes, is “a doctrine that put cruelty in the world and gave the world generations of cruel torture.”

Religious philosopher John Hick, who refers to hell as a “grim fantasy” that is not only “morally revolting” but also “a serious perversion of the Christian Gospel.” Worse yet was theologian Clark Pinnock who, despite having regarded himself as an evangelical, dismissed hell with a rhetorical question: “How can one imagine for a moment that the God who gave His Son to die for sinners because of His great love for them would install a torture chamber somewhere in the new creation in order to subject those who reject Him to everlasting pain?”

But he is not the only one by any means… Let me share a couple more with you...

His views are at least more consistent than religious philosopher John Hick, who refers to hell as a “grim fantasy” that is not only “morally revolting” but also “a serious perversion of the Christian Gospel.” Worse yet was theologian Clark Pinnock who, despite having regarded himself as an evangelical, dismissed hell with a rhetorical question: “How can one imagine for a moment that the God who gave His Son to die for sinners because of His great love for them would install a torture chamber somewhere in the new creation in order to subject those who reject Him to everlasting pain?”

Religious philosopher John Hick, who refers to hell as a “grim fantasy” that is not only “morally revolting” but also “a serious perversion of the Christian Gospel.”

Worse yet was theologian Clark Pinnock who, despite having regarded himself as an evangelical, dismissed hell with a rhetorical question:

“How can one imagine for a moment that the God who gave His Son to die for sinners because of His great love for them would install a torture chamber somewhere in the new creation in order to subject those who reject Him to everlasting pain?”

*******

Now you might ask why I have shared these three views or people with you today? Well to remind you there is a lost world out there hates the things of God, who unfortunately have been led astray by false teachers,

So what can we believe about hell, we can believe hell because of what Jesus has taught us about hell....

Matthew 25:41–46 ESV

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Now we know that this is part of the extended passage of Jesus teaching about the sheep and the goats, about heaven and hell.

And here in this passage Jesus teaches us four truths about hell that should cause us to grieve over the prospect of anyone experiencing its horrors.

He teaches us four truths about hell that should cause us to grieve over the prospect of anyone experiencing its horrors.

1. Hell is a state of separation from God.

On the day of judgment, Jesus will say to all unbelievers, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire” (v. 41). This is the same sort of language that Jesus uses elsewhere to describe the final judgment of unbelievers in Matthew chapter 7, verse 23

Matthew 7:23 ESV

23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Can you imagine, you are separated from God, and from all that you know as good and wonderful .... it is difficult to think of that concept.

You know why? even the lost enjoy some of God’s blessing in this life… We breathe His air, we see the good things around us, the changing of the seasons, the warm of the sun. We see his wonderful creation....

In a sense the general revelation of God.... and perhaps a wonderful thing is if they know of His special revelation, the word of God .

So they enjoy his goodness, but in hell, these blessings will be nonexistent.

There they will remember God’s goodness, and They might be reminded of the pleasures of what could have been.... Just as the rich man called out to Abraham looking for help and Abraham reminded him of what he had in life… without a doubt was the joy of knowing right from wrong.

I think God will not be existent in Hell, his presence removed since he says depart me form I never knew you....

Others hold fast to the idea that since God is omnipresent, His presence is there

says

Psalm 139:7–8 ESV

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

Ps 1

Some say to be separated from the Lord and cast into hell does not mean that a person will finally be free of God.

To be separated from the Lord and cast into hell does not mean that a person will finally be free of God. That person will remain eternally accountable to Him. He will remain Lord over the person’s existence. But in hell, a person will be forever separated from God in His kindness, mercy, grace, and goodness. He will be consigned to deal with Him in His holy wrath.

They will without a doubt be fully accountable to God, God will remain apart from them and they will be separated form his kindness, mercy, grace, and goodness.

And then there is this thought......

2. Hell is a state of association.

Jesus says that the eternal fire of hell was “prepared for the devil and his angels” ().

Matthew 25:41 ESV

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

One person said People were made for God. Hell was made for the Devil.

Yet what about the lost?

The Lost refers to people who die in their sin, without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, will spend eternity in hell with the one who is entirely opposite from God, the devil.

People were made for God. Hell was made for the Devil. Yet people who die in their sin, without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, will spend eternity in hell with the one being who is most unlike God. It is a tragic irony that many who do not believe in the Devil in this life will wind up spending eternity being tormented with him in hell.

It is a tragic irony that many who do not believe in the Devil in this life will wind up spending eternity being tormented with him in hell.

And then there is a third thought

3. Hell is a state of punishment.

Jesus describes in terms we can understand.. look again at verses 41 and 46

Matthew 25:41 ESV

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 25:46 ESV

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew

So God says it is a place of fire and a place of punishment. Hell is a place of retribution, a place were justice from past sin is served out… but there is no parole.

There is a old thought in justice, “...it is the punishment must fit the crime...”

The misery and torment of hell point to the wickedness and seriousness of sin. Those who protest the biblical doctrine of hell as being excessive betray their inadequate comprehension of the sinfulness of sin.

The misery and torment of hell point to the wickedness and seriousness of sin. Those who protest the biblical doctrine of hell as being excessive betray their inadequate comprehension of the sinfulness of sin. For sinners to be consigned to anything less than the horrors of eternal punishment would be a miscarriage of justice.

For sinners to be consigned to anything less than the horrors of hell, anything less than eternal punishment would be a miscarriage of justice. The punishment must fit the crime.

and then there is a fourth point....

4. Hell is an everlasting state.

4. Hell is an everlasting state.

Some try to lessen the effect of hell, some say hell is not for eternity, it is just for a short while.

But that is different from the Bible....

Jesus said in verse 46

Matthew 25:46 ESV

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

He is very clear those who are in hell, are eternally in hell, in heaven, eternally in heaven.

So let me ask you a question.....

Why does God punish sin? Does he have the right to hold us accountable for sin?

Yes....

First all sin is a crime against Him. He is a sovereign God who is holy, kind and good. Now one thought I have not considered that I came about in this study is ..... “ In addition to that, those condemned to hell will go on sinning for eternity. There is no repentance in hell. So the punishment will continue as long as the sinning does.

In addition to that, those condemned to hell will go on sinning for eternity. There is no repentance in hell. So the punishment will continue as long as the sinning does.

I am not sure what I think about this.... what do you think

Without a doubt, those in hell, deserve hell..

Believing the truth about hell also motivates us to persuade people to be reconciled to God.

Those of us who have trusted Christ as our Savior have been rescued by the grace of God.

How can we say we love our neighbor if we do not share with them the greatest message of all, Jesus loved them and died for them.

How can we love people and refuse to speak plainly to them about the realities of eternal damnation and God’s gracious provision of salvation?

How can we love people and refuse to speak plainly to them about the realities of eternal damnation and God’s gracious provision of salvation?

by Kevin DeYoung

I hope I don’t ruin one of your favorite verses. Ok, I kind of hope I do, but only so it can be one of your favorite verses in a better way. In , Jesus takes his disciples to the district of Caesarea Philippi and asks them the question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They stumble around a bit , giving the latest updates from the crowd. Then Cephas pipes up: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus commends His outspoken disciple: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (v. 18). Since the Reformation, there has been a lot of discussion about “this rock” and what it means for the authority of the pope (not much, it turns out). There has been little controversy, however, about the phrase “the gates of hell.”

I’ve heard several sermons on “the gates of hell” and have seen the phrase referenced in Christian books countless times. The second half of has to be one of the top ten favorite Bible promises. I can hear the voices right now: “Think about the picture here. Jesus says the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. Now tell me, how do gates prevail? When have you ever seen gates on the march? They don’t attack. They fortify. They are there to hold their ground. That’s all. Hell is not on the offensive, brothers and sisters. The church is on the offensive. The church is marching into all the hells in this world, ready to reclaim every square inch for Christ. And when we storm the gates of hell, Christ promises that we cannot fail. We will prevail. It’s time to put the Devil on the run. It’s time to save souls and destroy strongholds. It’s time to reclaim this world for Christ. Listen up church: The gates of hell shall not prevail against us.”

Or something like that.

Of course, who can fault the zeal to save souls, make a difference in the world, or fight the good fight? The only problem is that the whole thing is built on faulty exegesis. One of the cardinal rules of biblical interpretation is to let the Bible interpret the Bible. So when we come to a phrase like “the gates of hell,” we need to stop ourselves from imagining what we think this means and do the hard work of finding out what it actually does mean.

The phrase pulai hadou (gates of hell) is a Jewish expression meaning “realm of the dead.” The same two words appear in the Septuagint version of : “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness [ puloroi de hadou]?” They appear again in : “I said in the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol [pulais hadou] for the rest of my years.” In both passages, pulai hadou is a euphemism for death. Notice the parallelism in both passages. The first half of each verse clarifies that the second half of the verse is not about hell but about death. The gates of hell represent the passageway from this life to the grave.

Consequently, Jesus’ promise to Peter is not about storming Satan’s lair and conquering demonic powers. In fact, the repeated injunction in is “to stand.” Christ defeated the Devil (). Our responsibility is simply to hold fast and resist. Carman’s fantastic music videos aside, we are not demonslayers. The promise in is not about venturing out on some Dungeons and Dragons spiritual crusade but about Christ’s guarantee that the church will not be vanquished by death.

If you think about it, this makes much more sense of the imagery. Defensive gates can be used in an offensive way because Jesus is simply talking about death. Death stalks each one of us, but those who confess Jesus as the Christ know that death is not the end. We have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (). Jesus isn’t asking us to conquer anything, except perhaps our fear of the grave.

So preach and believe in with all your might. But don’t misunderstand the promise. Jesus assures us of something better than world transformat ion. He promises eternal life. Truly, with intense opposition and persecution, the early church was under at tack from the gates of hell. But just as Jesus conquered the grave, so the gates of hell — death itself — will not prevail against those who belong to Christ. As Jesus Himself put it, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live ().

The Biblical Evidence for Hell

by Christopher Morgan

Would a loving Jesus really teach about hell? Yes, and so does every New Testament author. Let’s consider what they teach.

Hell in Matthew

In the Sermon on the Mount, often known for its emphasis on love and the kingdom, Jesus teaches the reality and nature of hell (5:20–30; 7:13–27). In , Jesus contrasts hell with the kingdom of heaven and warns that hell is a real danger to unrepentant sinners. The fire of hell, the justice of hell, and the extreme suffering in hell are particularly stressed. The unrepentant are warned to use extreme measures to avoid being cast into it by God.

As Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount, He contrasts the kingdom of heaven with the horrors of hell (7:13– 27). Jesus cautions that hell is a place of destruction, depicted as the end of a broad road. Hell awaits everyone who does not enter the kingdom of heaven— even those who profess to know Christ but continue in sin. Jesus is Judge and King who personally excludes the wicked from His presence and the kingdom of heaven (“Depart from me,” 7:23). Indeed, those who fail to follow Jesus are like a house built on the sand that ultimately comes crashing down.

Matthew also recounts Jesus’ surprising warning that Jews devoid of faith are in danger of hell, which is portrayed as outside, darkness, and a place of intense suffering (8:10–12). Jesus addresses hell when He commissions His disciples not to fear humans but God alone, “who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (10:28). In Jesus’ parables of the weeds (13:36–43) and the net (vv. 47–50), hell is seen as exclusion/ separation from the kingdom of God, described in terms of fire and is a place of suffering. Jesus later describes hell as a place of “eternal fire” (18:8) and even warns the scribes and Pharisees of hell, characterizing it as inescapable for the unrepentant (23:33).

In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus speaks of future punishment in the parables of the slaves (24:45–51), bridesmaids (25:1– 13), talents (25:14–30), and the section on the sheep and goats (25:31–46). Several truths about hell emerge. Hell is punishment for disobedience to the master. Hell is graphically expressed as a location where people are cut into pieces and placed with the hypocrites (24:51) and as a place of suffering (24:51; 25:30). Jesus also likens hell to being outside, or a place of exclusion/separation (25:10–12, 30), as the outer darkness (v. 30), as personal banishment from His presence and the kingdom (“Depart from me,” v. 41), and as just condemnation/punishment (vv. 41, 46). Hell is then described as eternal. It is a place of “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (v. 41) and of “eternal punishment” (v. 46).

Hell in Mark

is similar to and records Jesus’ teaching that hell is a punishment for sin that is worse than death and earthly suffering. Hell is exclusion from the kingdom of God, a result of God’s active judgment on sin, and a place of eternal suffering.

Hell in Luke

In , Jesus speaks of hell as punishment for the unrepentant, and those in hell are portrayed as perishing. In , Jesus calls for generosity to the poor by proclaiming that justice will prevail through the coming judgment on the wicked oppressors. The punishment is marked by suffering, torment, fire, agony, exclusion from heaven, and finality.

Hell in Paul

It would take too much space to survey all that Paul writes, so we will highlight Romans and 2 Thessalonians.

In his letter to the Roman church, Paul stresses that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin, under God’s wrath, and under God’s judgment. Only those who have faith in Christ will escape. In this context, Paul relates important truths about hell.

First, future punishment is connected to God’s wrath. The wicked are presently under His wrath (1:18–32), are objects of wrath (9:22), continually store up wrath for the day of wrath (2:5–8; 3:5), and can be saved from wrath only by faith in Christ (5:9–21).

Second, future punishment is God’s judgment. The wicked are deservedly condemned under the judgment of God, which is impartial, true, righteous, and certain (2:1–12; 3:7–8). This condemnation is the result of sin and is just punishment for sin (6:23).

Third, future punishment will consist of trouble and distress. This suffering shows no favoritism between Jews and Gentiles (2:8–11).

Fourth, future punishment consists of “death” and “destruction.” Sinners deserve death (1:32), the wages of sin is death (6:16–23), as sinners we bear fruit for death (7:5), those who live according to the flesh should expect death (8:13), and sinners are vessels of wrath “prepared for destruction” (9:22). Fifth, both sin and future punishment are separation from Christ (“accursed and cut off from Christ”; see 9:3).

As he encourages believers suffering persecution in 2 Thessalonians, Paul stresses that God’s justice will prevail (1:5–10). In just a few verses, Paul emphasizes several important truths about hell: hell is the result of God’s retributive justice on sinners; hell is punishment for those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel; hell is eternal destruction; and hell is exclusion from Jesus’ presence and majesty.

Hell in Hebrews

Two passages in Hebrews speak clearly about future judgment. refers to the future punishment of the wicked as “eternal judgment” (6:2), which is an “elementary doctrine” of the faith. depicts this judgment as fearful and dreadful and as a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. It also teaches that hell comes from God as punishment, judgment, and retribution.

Hell in James

The letter of James depicts future punishment primarily in terms of destruction, death, justice, and suffering. In particular, the oppressors wither away and are destroyed (1:11); sin produces death as its offspring (1:15; see 5:20); and God is the Lawgiver and Judge, able to save and destroy (4:12). James teaches that oppressors of God’s people deserve to be punished severely. This just suffering is certain and severe, graphically portrayed as miseries, flesh being consumed by fire, and the day of slaughter.

Hell in Peter and Jude

Peter’s second letter is filled with references to hell, and Jude closely parallels . Peter and Jude both depict hell as destruction (, , ; , , ), as condemnation hanging over the wicked (; ), and as a gloomy dungeon where rebellious angels are held for judgment (; is similar). Peter illustrates future punishment with the account of Sodom and Gomorrah burning to ashes () and warns that God holds the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment while continuing their punishment (2:9). Peter also writes that hell is a place of retribution (v. 13) and blackest darkness (v. 17; ). Jude adds that hell is a punishment of eternal fire (, , ).

Hell in Revelation

Revelation teaches that hell is a place where God’s fury and wrath are felt at full force (14:10). Hell is a place of intense suffering, filled with “fire and sulfur” (14:10; see the lake of fire in 20:10, 14–15; 21:8), a place where “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (14:11). The suffering is continual: “They have no rest, day or night” (14:11), and “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (20:10).

In , the Apostle John emphasizes that hell is just punishment for the wicked. God casts the devil, the Beast, and the False Prophet into hell. They do not rule or have any power in hell but are “thrown” there (20:10). Hell will also contain everyone whose name is not found in the book of life (v. 15). Such will be separated from God in hell (21:6–8) and banished from heaven (22:15).

Three Pictures of Hell

Clearly, the future punishment of the wicked is a significant theme in Scripture. Jesus teaches it, and so does every New Testament author. While this brief survey has demonstrated an array of truths about hell, three key depictions of hell recur in the New Testament:

1. Punishment. The chief picture of hell is a place of punishment for sin. The punishment is deserved, consists of suffering, and is eternal.

2. Destruction. This destruction is likened to death, second death, loss, and ruin (see Robert Peterson’s article in this issue of Tabletalk for more on this).

3. Banishment. Whereas punishment stresses the active side of hell, banishment shows the horror of hell by highlighting what unbelievers miss—the very reason for their existence, namely, to glorify and love God.

Hell—this is what we deserve. This is how sinful we are. This is what Christ endured for our sakes. And this should spur us to share the gospel.