Hell

There has been a lot of debates and conversations, including popular books, on the topic of hell. The thing is, like most all controversial topics in the church, these are not new but have been going on for hundreds of years. What I am going to do today is just lay out for you the five different views of hell, traditionally, in a way that spurs on your thoughts and allows you to begin making your own decisions about what the Bible and the Church teaches as the orthodox teachings about hell. This study is adapted from a handout by Mark E. Moore, professor of New Testament and Hermeneutics at Ozark Christian College.

The five views are as follows:

1. literal
2. metaphorical
3. annihilation
4. purgatory
5. universalism

We will look at the definition, the reasons to believe each view and the difficulties of each view. 

Literal view

Definition: Hell is a literal place of torment described in terms of flames, sulfur, worms, darkness and gnashing of teeth. All those who do not accept Christ as Lord will be consigned to this place for all eternity. 

Since at the end, all will be raised with new bodies (Acts 24.15) even the wicked will be given new bodies which are able to feel the agony of burning but will not actually be burned up. This view sees hell as a punishment, not something that purifies the sinner, like purgatory and universalism. 

Reasons to believe this view:

• Most natural reading of all the passages on hell (Isa 66.24; Matt 25.41, 46; Mark 9.48; 2 Thess. 1.8-9; Heb 6.2; Jude 7; Rev. 14.11; 20.10).
• Heaven and hell are both described with same words: everlasting, eternal, forever, unquenchable. So if heaven lasts forever, shouldn't hell?
• Most dominant and accepted view throughout the history of the church
• It has generally been the liberal branches of theology who has denied the literal view of hell
• If Death and Hades are destroyed in the lake of fire (Rev. 20.10), then there will be no more dying. Thus, those in hell are there for eternity

Difficulties with this view

• Eternal suffering seems quite sever for sins done during a measurable lifetime which is but a fraction of eternity
• the term 'forever' is not always equivalent to eternity
• Knowing your loved ones were suffering intolerably in hell would diminish the joy of heaven

The Second view is the metaphorical view

Definition: The Biblical descriptions of hell are figures of speech and not intended to be taken literally. They are warnings to the wicked of the sever judgment and punishment. 

This is not to soften the blow of hell, but to understand the nature of Biblical literature and the use of metaphors to describe realities that are beyond our comprehension. 

Reasons to believe this position:

• The Bible, like any other piece of literature, often uses figures of speech, like hyperboles,  to describe future events. Since they are outside our range of experience, things like the afterlife are tended to be described with metaphor (streets of gold, gates of pearls, walls laden with precious stones). 
• Most people don't take worms literally (Isa 51.8; Mk. 9.48) and it may be reasonable to not take fire literally as well. 
• Fire is a commonly used figure for: Passion (Rev 1.14); Judgment (1 Cor. 3.15); Sexual Desire (1 Cor. 7.9); untamed words (James 3.5-6); and strife (Lk. 12.49). 
• Both Jews and Greeks of Jesus' day used similar images to describe their understanding of hell.
• Taking these pictures literally tends to create some contradicting pictures: Hell is darkness yet is filled with fire which causes light? 

Difficulties with this position:

• It may rely too heavily on the other literature during the same period as the Bible. They tend to say, "See other people were saying these things, so that is what Jesus and Paul meant."
• We should not just say things are metaphorical if the view is unpopular or unpleasant

The third view is that of annihilationism. 

Definition: After appropriate punishment in a literal hell, for deeds done in the body, God extinguishes the soul of that person, thus they cease to exist. 

This does not mean that there is no life after death, even for the wicked. It also does not exclude eternal punishment for Satan, the Beast and the False Prophet (Rev. 20.10).

Reasons to believe this position:

• God alone is immortal (1 Tim. 6.15-16) and no one can exist without being connected to God (1 Cor. 15.50-54). With this in mind, this means that God must abide both in heaven and hell for all eternity, sustaining the souls that are being tortured for eternity. 
• The Bible teaches that sinners will be destroyed (Ps. 37.2, 9-10, 20, 38; Mal 4.1-2; Matt 3.10-12; 10.28; Gal 6.8; 1 Cor. 3.17; Rom 1.32; Phil 1.28; 3.19; 2 Pt. 2.1, 3, 6; 3.6-7; 3.7), using such words as death (Ez. 1.20; Rom 6.23; Rev 20.14); "Destruction" (Ps. 92.7; Mt. 7.13; Phil 3.19; 2 Thess 1.9; Heb 10.39) and "Perish". 
• Even the texts that seem to be most clearly teaching eternal nature of hell may be viewed as hyperboles, metaphors. (Rev. 14.11; Mk. 9.48; Mt. 25.46)
• It frees God from being a vindictive monster who creatively but sadistically tortures the damned
• it is a good defense against those who try to make God to be a bloodthirsty monster. 

Difficulties with position

• It must explain away the many statements about hell that seem to say it is eternal
• The dominant view during Jesus' day was that there was eternal suffering after death. 
• what about those that died a long time ago, to they all have to suffer more until the lake of fire just because they were born earlier?

The Fourth view is purgatory. 

Definition: Purgatory is a place 'between' heaven and hell in which an individual is purified through suffering if they are not yet good enough to enter into God's presence. Once their sins are adequately "purged" they can leave purgatory and enter God's presence. This places exists only until the final judgment of God. 

This view is unique to Roman Catholicism and first came about in the middle of the 12th century because of a doubt in salvation. People began to think that the gospel was just too easy, and they began to doubt whether or not they were saved. Purgatory consoled them by saying that if you aren't good enough, or maybe you thought you were saved and you aren't, there is a place in between that will purge you of the rest of your sins and then you will be able to get in. 

Reasons to believe this position

• "Purgatorial" ideas are found in other religions, like the reincarnation of the Hindus. 
• It is supported by a strong Catholic tradition, by the third or fourth century after Jesus died, there is evidence that the Lord's Supper was practiced on behalf of the dead. It was a common belief that you could pray, and even give things to the church on behalf of relatives in purgatory that would shorten their time spent there. 
• It might make sense that in between death and eternal dwelling with God, there would need to be some kind of purification or transformation that occurs to make us fit to dwell in God's presence. 
• It is claimed by Catholics that no clear scripture contradicts the idea of purgatory (check out Heb. 9.27-28; Rom 8.1, 24. 

Difficulties with this position:

• This position is based on tradition of the Catholic church in addition to Scripture, although in the Apocrypha, (2 Maccabees 12.41-46) which is part of the addition that the Catholic include in their Bibles, there seems to be reference to it. 
• the theology of purgatory is a late development in Christianity with more of a connection to the church's position than to Scripture. 
• The idea of purgatory seems to lower Jesus' death on the cross, saying that it didn't completely take away the sins of mankind, they still need to be purged some more
• This view has changed tremendously throughout church history. 

The last view of hell is that of universalism. 

Definition: The wicked will be purified through the flames of hell. the more you have sinned the longer you will stay in hell, but eventually everyone will be saved. 

Reasons to believe this position

• it was advocated quite early by Origen, one of the church fathers
• It highlights God's desire for all to be ultimately saved, and that he will at the end redeem all creation back to him. 
• it promotes the kind of love found in Jn. 3.16; 1 Tim. 2.4; and 2 Peter 3.9

Difficulties with this position

• it has no Scriptural support (except maybe Col. 1.20)
• It does not adequately deal with the freewill of men and fallen angels rejecting God and his gift of eternal life. 

So there you have it, the five main views of hell. I purposely am not telling you which one I believe is right and which ones I think are dangerous, it is up to you to investigate and ask your ministers questions about these issues. Please, please seek wisdom, do not just come to a conclusion yourself.

What I can tell you is this, Jesus has given us a great gift, salvation from our sins. Let us not miss out on it and encounter his judgment, for whatever that judgment is, we don't want it.