THINGS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT HELL (Part 2)
In this session, we continue to look at some things you probably didn’t know about Hell … more specifically, to look at 12 things that I believe Hell is NOT. To be clear …
- these are NOT that a person needs to believe in order to be a Christian …
- they are NOT things that Grace Communion believes …
- These ARE things that I believe, personally, as part of my personal theology.
Two important points before we start …
- When I refer to HELL, in the context of this study, I’m referring to “a place of eternal, conscious torment.”
- Unless otherwise noted, I’ll be using the KJV … for two main reasons …
- First, the word “hell” appears in the KJV more times than in most modern versions of the Bible
- Second, the understandings that most people have of hell is based on passages in the KJV
- Many, if not most, Christians in Jamaica believe the KJV to the the most accurate of all the Bible versions
One other VERY important point … for me … with the exception of tonight’s study, I don’t plan to give my personal view (at least, I’m going to try not to) … so please don’t ask me what I believe. The reason for this is that I want us to try to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, individually and collectively.
That said, what are the 12 things that I believe Hell is NOT?
Hell is …
1. not easily understood … because it’s not easily explained… and that because the Bible does NOT say a whole lot about it … The result is a lot of different views, based on a lot of mistranslations, misrepresentations, editorial bias, etc.
2. not on (or in) Earth Hell is not mentioned in Genesis … where we read that God saw all that He’d created and it was very good … so I’m inclined to believe it wasn’t created by God If so, where? … If so, when? … Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25 … Genesis 1:31 — everything God made was very good
3. not what Christ saved us from … He saved from the wages of sin, which death, not hell
4. not eternal … cast into the lake of fire (Rev.20:14)
5. not the lake of fire (Rev20:14)
6. not scriptural, even though biblical … concept is not in the Torah … word not in the OT
7. not something Christ spoke about … because HELL is an English word and Christ didn’t speak English
8. not a Christian concept … though many Christians believe it is … really pagan … concept in Egyptian mythology and in Greek philosophy
From Study.com … “Hell has its origins in many pre-Christian beliefs. These include Greek mythology, whose Hades is divided in regions for the good, the neutral, and the bad: Elysium, Asphodel, and Tartarus respectively. The term Hell is derived from the Germanic realm of the afterlife, Hel. The goddess of that realm was also called Hel.”
From the conclusion to an article entitled How & When The Idea of Eternal Torment Invaded Church Doctrine, by the Brazen Church …
It shocks me to hear people argue that the doctrine of Hell has been the definitive belief of Christendom since the days of the New Testament. Such a claim demonstrates a fundamental ignorance of Church history and is a testament to how extensively St. Augustine’s doctrine influenced the orthodox church.
The idea of eternal torment comes primarily from Greek thought — a merging of mythology and the ramification of belief in an immortal soul.
For 5 centuries, Christian doctrine remained unaffected by Hell until St. Augustine forcibly inserted it into orthodoxy, using a combination of power and violence to ensure it’s survival. Since that time, we’ve seen the gradual evolution of Christian doctrine in and around this concept, until today, the average believer has no idea that the concept of eternal torment isn’t even Biblical.
This doctrine of Hell has been used for centuries to control the masses with fear. Today, it prevents the world, both Christian and non-Christian alike, from seeing a loving Father.
A Christianity with Hell is a Christianity that must inherently be full of fear, and yet 1 John 4:18 tells us:
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
A Christianity without Hell is a Christianity without fear, and that’s the Christianity I hope our series has freed you to enjoy… or at least freed you to consider.
9. not literal … metaphorical …
- a place of fire (Matt.5:2) …
- a place of darkness (Matt.8:12) …
10. not populated by living people …
- We’ve seen already that sheol and hades originally meant abode of the dead
- Revelation 20:13 KJV … dead bodies
11. not in existence now …
CLARIFICATION: When I speak of HELL not being in existence now … I’m speaking of HELL as a place of conscious torment, with emphasis on the word conscious.
A. The Bible speaks of the dead as being unconscious. Note the following …
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- Psalm 146:3-4 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
- Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
- Matthew 9:18-19 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
- Matthew 9:23-25 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24 he said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
- John 11:1-7,8-14 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judæa again.-
- John 11:9-14 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. 11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
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- If anything, the Bible presents death as a type of sleep (an unconscious state).
B. The Bible says nothing to suggest that Hell is in existence now
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- Nothing about where it is …
- nothing about when it was created
12. not Godly (not of God; not pro-God) …
doctrine of HELL = a doctrine of demons …
The concept of HELL (as ECT) puts God in a bad light … What kind of God would create a Hell? …
- John 14:6 … Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
- Acts 4:12 … Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
- John 6:65 … And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
- John 6:44 … No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
- Isaiah 46:10 … declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
FEATURED VIDEO (Introduction to our next session)
In our next session, we plan to look at the video … and analyze Doug’s arguments. It should be interesting. Here’s hoping you’ll be able to join us.