|
Take a moment or two to really think about hell. As you see those pictures of hell in your mind, consider these questions. Where did those images come from? Were they formed and shaped simply by the Scripture in it's original languages? Or is it possible that those images were greatly influenced by pagan belief and ideas which infiltrated the church about five hundred years after the time of Christ? Is it even remotely possible that the popular orthodox view of hell has been formed primarily by Dante's Inferno rather than the Scriptures? In your mind, what is the true purpose of hell? Do you see it simply as some sort of chamber of torture where those who have not heard and responded to the "good news" will be mercilessly forced to endure ultimate agony and pain forever and ever with no hope of mercy as an expression of the perfect justice of God? If so, how is it possible that never ending torment would be a fitting punishment for temporal sins? How could eternal torture for a person whose sin was simply being born on the wrong side of the planet and never hearing the "good news" be considered justice? God repeatedly commands humanity to love one another, including our enemies. Not only are people commanded to love our enemies, but we are also told to forgive and keep on forgiving over and over. Along with that we are told to be merciful toward those who have hurt us. Think about that. If the traditional view of hell is correct, does that mean that God holds humanity to a much higher standard than He holds Himself to? How could that be possible? Doesn't it seem that since God is love, His mercy, grace, and compassion should be much greater than that of any human being. The penalty the sin of Adam was death. How did death turn into the idea of eternally living in torturous agony in hell? If eternal conscious torment is the penalty for sin, why didn't God say so at the beginning in the book of Genesis? Why would Paul teach that "the wages of sin is death" rather than living forever and ever in a torture chamber? Why is it that in some places in the Old Testament the word frequently translated as hell in the King James Version is also simply translated as grave? Did you know that in the New Testament when we find the word hell in red letters, the word Christ used (Gehenna) was actually the name of a physical, geographic location just outside the city of Jerusalem? Did you know that if you take a trip to the "holy land" you can visit that location today? When asked to describe hell, many will say that it is eternal separation from God. If that is the case, how could the Psalmist say: "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there." How can one be in the presence of God and separated from God simultaneously? Is it possible that rather than hell, this word should have been translated as "grave" as it was in many other passages in the Old Testament? If that is the case, what about all the other references to hell in the King James Bible? Is it possible that the problem is the Scriptures in the original writings? I don't believe so. I believe the Scriptures were divinely inspired in the original languages. So,is it possible that the problem is actually the King James and other English translations? If hell is something without end, how is it that King David was able to say, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell" (Acts chapter 2 verse 27). Many teach that the wages of sin is without doubt to be sentenced to eternally being alive in a literal fiery torture chamber forever and ever without end. If that is the case, how could Jesus have paid for the sin of the world with only three days in hell (some teach that Jesus atoned for sin in hell rather than on the cross)? If that is the case, and the penalty for sin is eternal torture, wouldn't Christ have to still be paying for sin in hell? Think about it. As you take time to prayerfully and thoughtfully consider these questions, you may very well find yourself in the position of having to re-think some of your beliefs. If fact, if you take the approach of the Bereans and you begin to search for the answers yourself in the Bible, you might find that the redeeming work of Christ is far greater than you ever thought possible and that the ultimate plans of our heavenly Father are far more beautiful than orthodox teaching and creeds have ever given Him credit for. In future articles we will look at the various words that have been translated as hell in our English translations. James Flanders is a blogger (not a pastor) and guitarist with a passion for the great Gospel of grace given to the Apostle Paul by Christ for the nations. You can find hundreds of his audios on hell and other important topics on his website and Youtube.
Related Articles -
james flanders, hell, doctrine of hell, false teachings about hell, hell test, Dante's Inferno, orthodox view of hell, wages of sin, eternal conscious tormen,
| 
