Way Truth Life Apologetics

(original post 30 Aug 2019)

This is the first of a two-part series about the reality of hell. Part 2 of this will deal more with some of the objections surrounding hell; today I want to address some of the main concepts surrounding hell and its existence. Many skeptics and atheists have objections to God’s existence based primarily on the idea of a place of eternal punishment being part of the package. Suffice to say, many Christians in the modern era have also begun to question the reality of hell, choosing to view it as either an idea created by man / the church and/or a metaphor or analogy applied to those who deny God. So, what exactly do we know and understand about hell?

1. Hell’s existence is highlighted in both the OT and NT—Without naming it directly, God implied there would be separation between Satan and the coming Messiah in Gen 3:15). David wrote in Ps 9:17 about the fate of those who are wicked and turn from God. There are other mentions in the OT, but the majority of texts about hell are found in the NT. Jesus described the purpose of hell as being intended for the devil and his demons (Matt 25:41). What is fascinating to note is Jesus spoke of hell as being a real place.
2. Hell’s definition—”Hell is the final destiny of unbelievers and is variously described by the figures of a furnace of fire, eternal fire, eternal punishment (Mt 13:42, 50; 25:41, 46); outer darkness, the place of weeping and torment (8:12); eternal sin (Mk 3:29); the wrath of God (Rom 2:5); everlasting separation from the Lord, never to see the glory of his power (2 Thes 1:9); the bottomless pit (Rv 9:1, 11); continuous torment (14:10, 11); the lake of fire, the second death (21:8); a place for the devil and his demons (Mt 25:41). The foregoing designations clearly show that the state of those in hell is one of eternal duration.^[1]” Further, “a summary of all Scripture that speaks of hell indicates that there is the loss and absence of all good, and the misery and torment of an evil conscience. The most terrifying aspect is the complete and deserved separation from God and from all that is pure, holy, and beautiful. In addition there is the awareness of being under the wrath of God and of enduring the curse of a righteous sentence because of one’s sins that were consciously and voluntarily committed.^[2]”
3. Hell’s purpose—As mentioned above, the purpose of hell as stated by Jesus is for Satan and his followers who were cast out of heaven. Rather than destroying them utterly, God sent them away from His presence to a place where His wrath for their rebellion would mete out His justice. One point of confusion on this topic is the idea of torture versus torment. The Bible never uses the word torture to describe the state of those cast into hell. Torture is when someone inflicts pain and suffering on another and can be done so sadistically on the part of the torturer; the one being tortured has no control over what happens as it occurs outside his/her body. Torment, on the other hand, is self-inflicted, that is the one tormented is in anguish of his/her own making and suffers because of it. Torment is the word which applies to hell and its purpose.
4. Hell’s duration—Hell is described in Scripture as being eternal / everlasting (Dan 12:2 & Matt 25:46). In the Matthew passage, the same Greek word is used to describe the eternality of both Heaven and Hell; it makes no sense to believe Jesus used this word with different meanings and contexts. A couple things we need to understand are: a) God made us in His image and likeness (a characteristic no other creature possesses) hence we have a soul which is eternal and exists beyond our physical body when it wears out / dies and b) God is eternal, holy, righteous, moral, and just—though sin is committed by us in temporal existence, the rebellion is against an eternal Being and thus carries an eternal consequence. God’s intent is that none should perish (2 Pet 3:9); He loves us all (John 3:16) and wants to have a relationship with His creation (John 17:3).

Again, many object to Christianity based on the existence of hell. It seems to contradict the positive attributes ascribed to God for Him to allow such a place to exist and to send people there for eternity. The reality is that God doesn’t send people to hell, they send themselves there by rejecting Him and the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. CS Lewis put it this way, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.” People aren’t in hell because God rejected them, rather because they rejected God. God’s love for them is so strong that if people want nothing to do with Him and don’t want to be in His presence, He honors their choice because to do otherwise, would be forcing them to be in His presence which would be a form of hell to them (being forced to be around someone they want nothing to do with).

In a world created by a moral, just, and righteous God, who also allows people to exercise free will and make choices, hell is a logical outcome. When looking at eternal possibilities we will either end up in God’s presence OR separated from Him. Sin caused by Adam and Eve put that divide between mankind and God. Jesus provides the only bridge over that chasm to restore us with God (John 14:6). Every individual has a choice to make: whether we face God on our own terms OR plead forgiveness and realize who Jesus truly is (Lord and Savior), placing our trust in His redeeming work on the cross. Some approach this with a “fire insurance” mentality, seeking redemption and repenting in order to stay out of hell but ultimately it is the relationship with God which motivates us. This relationship can’t begin until Jesus is recognized for Who He is and what He has done for us all. That is the heart of the Gospel message.

~In Christ!

---

^[1] Powell, R. E. (1988). Hell. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 952). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

^[2] Powell, R. E. (1988). Hell. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 953). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.