HELL

• ThereisbeyondtheskyAheavenofjoyandlove;Andholychildren,whentheydie,Gotothatworldabove.• Thereisadreadfulhell,Andeverlastingpains:TheresinnersmustwithdevilsdwellIndarkness,fire,andchains.• CansuchawretchasIEscapethiscursedend?AndmayIhope,whene’erIdie,Ishalltoheavenascend?• ThenwillIreadandpray,WhileIhavelifeandbreath,LestIshouldbecutoffto–day,Andsentt’eternaldeath.

THEREISBEYONDTHESKYIsaacWatts(1715)

Questionsfordiscussion

1. WhataresomesecularviewsofHellthatyouhaveencountered?

2. WhydomanyChristians(andChurches)notliketalkingaboutHell?

DifferentSecularViewsonHell

Comical:Gotoheavenfortheclimate,gotohellforthecompany- MarkTwain

HellistheinverseofHeaven.It’sruledbyLucifer,theinverseof

God.

Onlyforthe“bad”people.

Philosophical:Luciferistobepraisedbecauseheisarejectionofimposedmoralityandadrivetoselfempowerment.“Hell”thereforeistherewardoffreedomfromconstraintsthattheselfempoweredgain.

“Satanhasbeenthebestfriend thechurchhaseverhad,ashehaskeptitinbusinessalltheseyears!”

Lucifer,wasthebeareroflight, thespiritoftheair,thepersonification ofenlightenment.

HellisaParty!Imaybegoingtohell,butatleastallmyfriendswillbethere

HighwaytoHell

Livingeasy,livingfreeSeasonticketonaone-wayrideAskingnothing, leavemebeTakingeverything inmystrideDon'tneedreason,don'tneedrhymeAin'tnothing IwouldratherdoGoingdown,partytimeMyfriendsaregonnabetheretoo

Nostopsigns, speedlimitNobody'sgonnaslowmedownLikeawheel,gonnaspinitNobody'sgonnamessmearoundHeySatan,paidmyduesPlayinginarockingbandHeymama,lookatmeI'monmywaytothepromised land,whoo!

TheologicalViewsonHell

Universalism

Onceagain,Godhasapurpose.Adesire.Agoal.AndGodneverstopspursuingit.JesustellsaseriesofparablesinLuke15aboutawomanwholosesacoin,ashepherdwholosesasheep,andafatherwholosesason.Thestoriesaren’tultimatelyaboutthingsandpeoplebeinglost;thestoriesareaboutthingsandpeoplebeingfound.TheGodthatJesusteachesusaboutdoesn’tgiveupuntileverythingthatwaslostisfound.ThisGodsimplydoesn’tgiveup.Ever.

RobBell

Annihilationism

Annihilationist’sunderstandtheterm"hell"torefertothe process ofdestruction,notapermanentlyexistingprocess.

ThereareseveraldifferentviewsofAnnhiliationism,butthemostprevalentareafterdeath:

1.OnewhohasnotacceptedChristsimplyceasestoexistafterdeath(noHell)

2.Conditionalism

Conditionalism

Usually(butnotalways)ConditionalismispairedwithAnnhiliationism.

Basically,thesoulisnotimmortal(ImmortalityisagiftfromGodaloneforthosewhobelieve)andHellisaplacewhereretributivejusticeismetedoutupontheunsaved.Whenoneisdonepayingone’sdebt,onediesasecondtimeandceasestobe.

Salvationtherefore,issolelyconditionalonone’srelationshipwithJesusChrist

ScripturesupportingAnnhiliationism/Conditionalism

Genesis3:19

Psalm37:20

Acts17:28

Luke12:46–48

Matthew10:28

Ecclesiastes9:5

EternalConsciousTorment

TheviewthatallofGod’screationsthathaveImagoDei areimmortal.Thisimmortallifethereforewillbespentinoneoftwoplaces:

1.WithGod.

2.WithoutGod.

ETChastwovaryingviewswithinitregardingthefateofthosewhorejectGod.

1. Hellislockedfromtheoutside.ThisisthepunitiveviewofHell;theideathatitisprimarilyaplaceofpunishmentfortheindividual’srejectionofgiftsandredemptionoftheTriuneGod.Therearetwoviewsonthisaswell:A) ThepersonrejectedGodofhisownfreewill,andthusGodisperfectlyjust

inconsigninghimtotheLakeofFire.Thepersondoesnotwishtobethereandpotentiallywouldrepentiftheyhadtheopportunity.

B) Godforeordainedbeforethebeginningoftheworld,whowastobesavedandwhowastobedamned,byhisownGoodMercyandduetohispositionasCreator.Noonecanchangetheireternalfate.

2.Hellislockedfromtheinside.Thisistheideathataperson’seternalplaceinHellisdeterminedbythemandnooneelse.Shouldtheytheoreticallydecidetorepent,forgivenessandaplaceatGod’ssidewouldbetheirs,buttheywon’t.

ScripturesupportingEternalConsciousTorment

John6:47

Matt18:8

Matthew25:46

Isaiah66:24

QuestionforDiscussion

1. WhichviewofHelldoyouascribeto?Why?

2. WhichviewofHellisthemostcompelling(regardlessofwhetheryoubelieveittobetrue)?Why?

IstheexistenceofHellLogicallyCompatiblewithaPerfectlyGoodGod?

1. Godisallpowerful2. Godisallgood3. Someoneallpowerfulwouldaccomplishwhateverhedesires4. Someoneallgoodwouldwisheviltobedestroyed.5. Therefore,Godwoulddestroyevilcompletelyfromtheworld.6. Asevilexists,God,ifheexists,eitherisnotallpowerfulorheisnot

allgood.

1. Godisallpowerful2. Godisallgood3. Someoneallpowerfulwouldaccomplishwhateverhedesires4. Someoneallgoodwouldnotwishanyonetosufferinsuchaplace

asHell.5. Therefore,Hell’sexistenceisincompatiblewithGodbeingbothall

goodandallpowerful.

Bothargumentsmaymakeanerrorinpremise3.

ManyChristianswouldarguethatGodcannotaccomplishalogicalcontradiction(makingarocksoheavyhecannotliftit,sinning,makingasquarecircle,etc).

Ifthisisthecase,thenit’spossiblethattocreatefreethinkingbeings(humans,angels)andyetnothavethepossibilitythatsomemayrejecthimisalogicalcontradictionoftheaforementionedkind.

ThisistheargumentthatmostChristianswouldstatetogetaroundtheGoodGod/EvilWorldproblem,anditworksjustaswellfortheGoodGodallowingHellproblem.

WhyisHellTheologicallynecessary?

1. IfoneacceptsHeavenandthat“goodpeople”gothere,whatdoyoudowiththosedefinitivelybad?(Stalin,Hitler,etc)

2. IfsomeonedefinitivelyrejectsGod(ChristopherHitchin,RichardDawkins,etc),wouldGodberespectingtheirfreewillchoicebydemandingtheyremaininrelationshipwithHim?

3. Godisinfinite,holyandjust.AnysinagainstHim,howeversmall,isinfiniteinscope.Wehaveincurredadebt,anditmustbepayed.ThatpaymentcomesfromeitherusortheredemptiveactionsofJesusChrist.Romans3:23,Matthew6:12

4. Followingthepreviouspoint,iftherewasnoHellandGodwouldforgivewillynilly,whydidJesusbotherincarnatinganddyingatall?

Questionfordiscussion

ShouldweasChristiansbediscussingHellwithnon-believers?Ifso,howshouldwebedoingthis?

Implications

1. Hellisreal.Regardlessofwhichtheologicalpositionyoutakeonit,Hellisrealanditisawfulbeyondcomprehension.

2. Wehaveamission,andbeinghonestaboutHellisapartofthatmission.

3. Ourmissionisurgent.“Somewanttolivewithinthesoundofchurchorchapelbell;Iwanttorunarescueshopwithinayardofhell.”CTStudd

4. WhetherpeopleaccepttheGospelisnotuptous,ourjobistobeobedient.