Does our loving God send people to hell?

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Not at all. God planned to ordain some to wrath to the praise of his justice (Proverbs 16:4).

Have you actually stopped to THINK about what you just posted????

God made the wicked??? That is, He made them to be wicked??? He could have just as easily made all men to be good, right?

Of course, being a Calvinist, you believe that all men are "totally depraved" from the beginning anyway, doncha? Which is strange, seeing that the words "totally depraved" are nowhere found in Scripture and you are a sola scripturist.
 
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God gives people what they really want. Some will, ultimately, not want to exist in a universe in which He is sovereign.

As the last part of Romans 1 indicates, men will know better and will still reject God. And as the passage iterates several times, God will give them what they want.

THAT is really the $64,000 question, isn't it? Do all men reject God, or are they rejecting something of which they know nothing about. The darkness of our lives means that we do not really know God. We don't see Him as He is, in our darkness, we guess about what He is, and even when we hear the Gospel, there are many things that work against our coming to Him.

So the real question is this....when a soul sees God in all His love for them and glorious Being, will they still reject Him? We simply do not know, do we? If here on earth, men reject God, they are perhaps rejecting not God, but a caricature of who and what He is. But in the next life, seeing Him fully, will we be capable of repentance and change?

That is the question.
 
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There is no acceptable theory within Christendom which denies an eternal hell.

Acceptable to who exactly? To you? You really haven't even thought this through, have you?

It is God's will that all be saved. This is Scripture. (1Tim. 2: 4). This creates a problem for the Calvinist, who says that it is not God's will that all be saved, but that He, in fact, created some for the express purpose of being damned.

So if it is God's express will to save all, can any man thwart that will? If God's express will can be overcome by a mere man, then what assurance do we have of any of God's plan and will to come to eternally pass.
 
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Der Alte

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"Hell" wasn't even a word in Jesus' day (nor for quite some time later).
Irrelevant objection! Of course none of the English words in our Bibles existed in Jesus' day. But the concept of "hell" did exist in Jesus' day.
According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Judaica and the Talmud, among the Jews in Israel before and during the time of Jesus was a belief in a place of everlasting torment of the wicked and they called it both sheol and gehinnom.
Clarification: There were different groups within Judaism; Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes etc. and there were different beliefs about resurrection, hell etc. I am addressing only the belief stated above, Any other beliefs are not relevant to this response.
Jewish Encyclopedia, Gehenna
The place where children were sacrificed to the god Moloch … in the "valley of the son of Hinnom," to the south of Jerusalem (Josh. xv. 8, passim; II Kings xxiii. 10; Jer. ii. 23; vii. 31-32; xix. 6, 13-14). … the valley was deemed to be accursed, and "Gehenna" therefore soon became a figurative equivalent for "hell." Hell, like paradise, was created by God (Sotah 22a);
Note, this is according to the ancient Jews, long before the Christian era, NOT any supposed bias of Christian translators.
(I)n general …sinners go to hell immediately after their death. The famous teacher Johanan b. Zakkai wept before his death because he did not know whether he would go to paradise or to hell (Ber. 28b). The pious go to paradise, and sinners to hell (B.M. 83b).
But as regards the heretics, etc., and Jeroboam, Nebat's son, hell shall pass away, but they shall not pass away" (R. H. 17a; comp. Shab. 33b). All that descend into Gehenna shall come up again, with the exception of three classes of men: those who have committed adultery, or shamed their neighbors, or vilified them (B. M. 58b).[/i]
… heretics and the Roman oppressors go to Gehenna, and the same fate awaits the Persians, the oppressors of the Babylonian Jews (Ber. 8b). When Nebuchadnezzar descended into hell, [ שׁאול /Sheol]] all its inhabitants were afraid that he was coming to rule over them (Shab. 149a; comp. Isa. xiv. 9-10). The Book of Enoch also says that it is chiefly the heathen who are to be cast into the fiery pool on the Day of Judgment (x. 6, xci. 9, et al). "The Lord, the Almighty, will punish them on the Day of Judgment by putting fire and worms into their flesh, so that they cry out with pain unto all eternity" (Judith xvi. 17). The sinners in Gehenna will be filled with pain when God puts back the souls into the dead bodies on the Day of Judgment, according to Isa. xxxiii. 11 (Sanh. 108b).
Link:Jewish Encyclopedia Online
Encyclopedia Judaica:
Gehinnom (Heb. גֵּי בֶן־הִנֹּם, גֵּי בְנֵי הִנֹּם, גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם, גֵּיא הִנֹּם; Gr. Γέεννα; "Valley of Ben-Hinnom, Valley of [the Son (s) of] Hinnom," Gehenna), a valley south of Jerusalem on one of the borders between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, between the Valley of *Rephaim and *En-Rogel (Josh. 15:8; 18:16). It is identified with Wadi er-Rababi.
During the time of the Monarchy, Gehinnom, at a place called Topheth, was the site of a cult which involved the burning of children (II Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31; 32:35 et al.; see *Moloch). Jeremiah repeatedly condemned this cult and predicted that on its account Topheth and the Valley of the Son of Hinnom would be called the Valley of the "Slaughter" (Jer. 19:5–6).
In Judaism the name Gehinnom is generally used as an appellation of the place of torment reserved for the wicked after death. The New Testament used the Greek form Gehenna in the same sense.
Gehinnom
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Talmud -Tractate Rosh Hashanah Chapter 1.
The school of Hillel says: . . . but as for Minim, [follower of Jesus] informers and disbelievers, who deny the Torah, or Resurrection, or separate themselves from the congregation, or who inspire their fellowmen with dread of them, or who sin and cause others to sin, as did Jeroboam the son of Nebat and his followers, they all descend to Gehenna, and are judged there from generation to generation, as it is said [Isa. lxvi. 24]: "And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men who have transgressed against Me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." Even when Gehenna will be destroyed, they will not be consumed, as it is written [Psalms, xlix. 15]: "And their forms wasteth away in the nether world," which the sages comment upon to mean that their forms shall endure even when the grave is no more. Concerning them Hannah says [I Sam. ii. 10]: "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces."
Link:Tract Rosh Hashana: Chapter I.
When Jesus taught about,
• “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matthew 25:41
• "these shall go away into eternal punishment, Matthew 25:46"
• "the fire of hell where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die, Mark 9:43-48"
• "cast into a fiery furnace where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth,” Matthew 13:42, Matthew 13:50
• “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6
• “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:23
• “woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. ” Matthew 26:24
These teachings tacitly reaffirmed and sanctioned the existing Jewish view of eternal hell, outlined above. In Matt. 18:6, 26:24, see above, Jesus teaches that there is a fate worse than death or nonexistence. A fate worse than death is also mentioned in Hebrews 10:28-31.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
How will the living God take vengeance and recompense the unrighteous. Will the Living God reward them with eternal life, not matter what.
.....Jesus is quoted as using the word death 17 times in the gospels, if He wanted to say eternal death in Matt 25:46, that is what He would have said but He didn’t, He said “eternal punishment......The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, they also knew that everybody died; rich, poor, young, old, good, bad, men, women, children, infants and knew that it had nothing to do with punishment and was permanent. When Jesus taught “eternal punishment” they would not have understood it as death, it would have meant something worse to them.
…..Jesus corrected and criticized the false beliefs and practices of Jews on several occasions. Jesus knew what the Jews, believed about hell. If the Jews were wrong, when Jesus taught about man’s eternal fate, such as eternal punishment, He would have corrected/criticized them. But He did not. Did Jesus knowingly permit the Jews to continue to teach a false doctrine of hell if it was in fact false?


.
 
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Light of the East

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QUOTE="Tree of Life The Westminster Confession of Faith (the confession of our church) implicitly declared it to be a heresy in 1646. But doctrines which deny eternal hell were long condemned before this.

The Westminster Confession is the opinion of men and nothing more. Since it goes against the teaching of the Apostles, I reject it as heretical. I will believe what the Apostles taught before I believe that which men created some 1500 years later.

Hell is a Biblical theology. Jesus talked about hell quite a bit.

No, he didn't. I will give you $1,000 if you can find the word "hell" even once in the original Greek. Any translation which uses the word "hell" in the Bible is dishonest and completely without merit. The word that is most often translated is "sheol" and if you are an honest Calvinist, you will agree that this is speaking of the grave.

The Bible certainly is about God's love for us and about present hope. But a great deal of the Bible is about our future hope, about the return of Christ, about final judgment and final salvation. A great deal of the biblical message is about our hope for Jesus' return and his judgment poured out on his enemies.

And when was that judgment poured out on His enemies?

AD 70. Destruction of Jerusalem? It was the final end of the Old Covenant, the return of Christ as spoken of in Matthew 23-24, and the establishing of the New Covenant kingdom. And there is no mention of what happened to the Jews who were His enemies after they died. None. It was the judgment upon Jerusalem and that is all we know.
 
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He also spoke of hell. Matthew 10:28 - And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.


Young's Literal Translation: 'And be not afraid of those killing the body, and are not able to kill the soul, but fear rather Him who is able both soul and body to destroy in gehenna.

Actually, this would seem more to point to annihilationism than eternal fire or to apocatastasis.
 
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Der Alte

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I see not fault in you believing that God can fail.....or your notion that "God doesn't fail" is an unsupported opinion. I hope you dont mind me continuing to believe that God Will, will be done without question and that He cant fail.
I said nothing about what I believe, I simply quoted scripture which you have ignored and keep posting your same argument. Endless repetition does not make a false premise correct.
 
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[QUOTE="Der Alter, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:Matthew 25:41

The word "everlasting" is speaking of the fire as an adjective. That is, the nature of the fire is that it never goes out. What this does not speak of is the duration of time the soul will be in that fire. Remember that there are a number of places where God speaks of His fire as being refining.

• "these shall go away into eternal punishment, Matthew 25:46"

Nope. The word here that is translated "eternal" is the Greek word "aionios," which means "age-long" or "age-during." Apparently this punishment lasts for an age, not for eternity. Which age that is we do not know, but we know that the Bible speaks of the "ages of ages," so apparently there are numerous ages yet to come in human existence.

• "
the fire of hell where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die, Mark 9:43-48"

Same thing. The Greek word is "sheol," which has to do with the grave, not hell.

• "cast into a fiery furnace where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth,Matthew 13:42, Matthew 13:50


Agreed. We should all fear that fiery furnace. No one should deny that it exists. But to what purpose? To torment souls forever like the myths of the revengeful pagan deities? Is that really our Father, who is described as love in the Scriptures? Or is there a higher and more noble purpose to the fire, a fire that refines the soul by burning away all that is not like Christ so that this soul can enter into the joy of union with God?

• “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.Matthew 18:6

Says absolutely NOTHING about an eternal hell. This was, in fact, a warning of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, when those who had offended the disciples of the Lord (the little ones to whom He was referring) experienced one of the most severe destructions ever to come upon men. Women eating their own children. Over one million Jewish people slaughtered and the rest taken into captivity.



• “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.Matthew 7:23

Depart to where and for what purpose? You assume it is eternal hell.
 
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From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1861 - Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back.

To deny hell would be to deny this teaching of the church. That would amount to heresy.


That is, of course, assuming that the ROMAN Catholic Church is THE Church and that therefore what is taught in Her catechesis is truth, all truth, and nothing but the truth. Currently I am having massive problems with this idea.

And, of course, you as a Calvinist think they are heretics anyway, right?
 
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Because i'm his Child now and because he love me so much he will protect me forever from them , also since i'm born again and i will live forever now they are guilty forever for doing bad things against me so they will pay forever burning in hell .


What does your relationship with Christ have to do with how He treats others. That is what you have posted here. Because you will live forever you simply assume that hell is forever? Hubris!
 
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No. He does everything in His power to enable every one of His believed children to come home to Him and spend eternity in perfect happiness with Him. But if some of those children absolutely refuse His offer, is that His fault?


No, it is not His fault at all....but it does lead to the question....once a soul sees God as He really is, will that soul still continue in rebellion? In this life we are so blind and so stupid. Is that really a fair chance to repent, given those conditions and the corruption of sin that is within?

And the second question then becomes this: does God really will that all be redeemed and restored? If so, then will His love ever quit and will He ever stop offering Himself to the soul that is in the next life? The answer has to be no....for even as long as it takes.
 
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One of the main reasons people believe in Universalism is because they exalt the goodness of man. In their hearts they don't believe man deserves to go to hell. Well, the bible says man does deserve to go to hell. All men are evil from their youth and slaves to their own vile passions, doing the will of the devil with gladness. It is mans natural instinct to reject God and His Son Jesus Christ. Without God the work of every man is corrupt and worthless and it leads other men into hellfire. This is the sad state of the natural condition of man and Gods justice against this wickedness is right. God is holy and He will eternally punish every sin not covered by the blood of Christ.

This is what scripture teaches, and this is why Jesus had to come, because man is utterly unable to save himself. It is only because God loves mankind that this is even possible. Jesus is the only way to be forgiven; that is Gods design because He isn't forgiving any sin outside of the atonement He has provided. This is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

So what you are saying is that an omniscient God, knowing full well that man would fall into sin and by doing so, would damn millions (billions perhaps) to an eternity of conscious suffering, decided to go ahead and create mankind anyway???

How does that comport with a God of love? Before you jump to your keyboard to answer, stop and really think about what I just asked. The God you are describing is more of a cosmic sadist than a benevolent Father. How am I to love such a God, knowing perhaps that He created my family to be tortured forever in an inalterable state? How am I to come to love Him with an open heart, expecting His blessing, when really I'm not sure that at any second He might change His mind and turn on me, simply for the mere pleasure of (as the Calvinists say) getting more glory by my suffering?
 
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Der Alte

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No, he didn't. I will give you $1,000 if you can find the word "hell" even once in the original Greek. Any translation which uses the word "hell" in the Bible is dishonest and completely without merit. The word that is most often translated is "sheol" and if you are an honest Calvinist, you will agree that this is speaking of the grave. ..

Irrelevant argument. Of course none of the English words in our Bible including Hell occur in the Hebrew OT or the Greek NT but the concept of hell certainly does.
Does the Hebrew word "sheol" only refer to the grave?

Proverbs 23:13-14
(13) Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
(14) Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.[שְׁאוֹל/sheol]
Please explain to me how punishing a wayward child will save him from the grave?
 
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Irrelevant argument. Of course none of the English words in our Bible including Hell occur in the Hebrew OT or the Greek NT but the concept of hell certainly does.
Does the Hebrew word "sheol" only refer to the grave?

Proverbs 23:13-14
(13) Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
(14) Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.[שְׁאוֹל/sheol]
Please explain to me how punishing a wayward child will save him from the grave?


My first thought, and I would have to do some further study, is that what is being spoken of here is delivering the child from the curse of an early death (the grave). But lacking supportive evidence, for now, that is only a thought.

The fact is that you cannot pick and choose one verse to support your position. The context of the rest of the Bible has to come in play, and in the rest of the Bible, there are numerous verses which speak about the will of God to save ALL MANKIND and restore ALL OF CREATION. Therefore, we have to examine this verse in light of the rest of the Bible to come up with a proper conclusion.

A good question, though!
 
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Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:Matthew 25:41
The word "everlasting" is speaking of the fire as an adjective. That is, the nature of the fire is that it never goes out. What this does not speak of is the duration of time the soul will be in that fire. Remember that there are a number of places where God speaks of His fire as being refining.
I appreciate all these unsupported opinions. How many semesters of Greek did you say you had? Of course one might make this argument if he ignores everything else that Jesus said. And one might make false arguments about fire e.g. by taking other verses about fire ignoring their contexts. Every reference to fire in the Bible is not referring to the same thing
• "these shall go away into eternal punishment, Matthew 25:46"
Nope. The word here that is translated "eternal" is the Greek word "aionios," which means "age-long" or "age-during." Apparently this punishment lasts for an age, not for eternity. Which age that is we do not know, but we know that the Bible speaks of the "ages of ages," so apparently there are numerous ages yet to come in human existence.
Again how many semesters of Koine Greek do you have? This is an oft repeated false argument which I will address in a separate post.
• "the fire of hell where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die, Mark 9:43-48"
Same thing. The Greek word is "sheol," which has to do with the grave, not hell.
Wrong! "Sheol" is a Hebrew not Greek word. Perhaps you should get your facts straight before arguing your assumptions/presuppositions.The Jews before and during the time of jesus beleived in a place of eternal fiery torment for the unrighteous and they called it both Ge hinnom and sheol.

• "cast into a fiery furnace where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth,Matthew 13:42, Matthew 13:50
Agreed. We should all fear that fiery furnace. No one should deny that it exists. But to what purpose? To torment souls forever like the myths of the revengeful pagan deities? Is that really our Father, who is described as love in the Scriptures? Or is there a higher and more noble purpose to the fire, a fire that refines the soul by burning away all that is not like Christ so that this soul can enter into the joy of union with God?
If you are going to try to argue pagan Greek influence I suggest you have some credible, verifiable, historical evidence. I have already shown, in this thread, from such evidence that the Jews before and during the time of Jesus had a belief in hell and Jesus did not correct or criticize the Jews but taught essentially the same thing.

When did Jesus say the wailing and gnashing of teeth will end? It has been 2000 years and the scriptures still say nothing about it ending.

• “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.Matthew 18:6
Says absolutely NOTHING about an eternal hell. This was, in fact, a warning of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, when those who had offended the disciples of the Lord (the little ones to whom He was referring) experienced one of the most severe destructions ever to come upon men. Women eating their own children. Over one million Jewish people slaughtered and the rest taken into captivity.
Just repeating your assumptions/presuppositions without reading or addressing what I said. Purely wild speculation that this has any reference to the destruction of the Temple 40 years later. It is referring to a punishment worse than death. Just saying "I'm right and you're wrong! Am too! Nuh huh!" Does not prove me wrong and you right. Show me some evidence not unsupported speculation!

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" Matt 7:23”
Depart to where and for what purpose? You assume it is eternal hell
.
More speculation. When did Jesus say He would know those who he rejected? How long is "never" for Jesus who is eternal?
 
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Nope. The word here that is translated "eternal" is the Greek word "aionios," which means "age-long" or "age-during." Apparently this punishment lasts for an age, not for eternity. Which age that is we do not know, but we know that the Bible speaks of the "ages of ages," so apparently there are numerous ages yet to come in human existence....
In the following twenty two verses αἰών and αἰώνιος are defined/described by other words and phrases as eternal, everlasting etc.: 1 Timothy 1:17, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1, Hebrews 7:24, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 Timothy 6:16, Galatians 6:8, John 6:58, John 10:20, 1 John 2:17, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 2:7, Luke 1:33, Revelation 14:11, John 10:28, John 3:15, John 3:16, John 5:24, Ephesians 3:21, Romans 20:1, Romans 26:10.
In the NT “aion/aionios” are used to refer to things which are not eternal but are never defined/described as meaning a period of time less than eternal as in the following verses.

[1]1 Timothy 1:17.
(17) Now unto the King eternal, [αἰών/aion] immortal, [ ̓́αφθαρτος/aphthartos] invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever [αἰών/aion] and ever [αἰώνιος/aionios]. Amen.
In this verse “aion” is paired with “immortal.” “Aion” cannot mean “age(s),” a finite period and be immortal at the same time. Thus “aion” by definition here means “eternal.”
[2]2 Corinthians 4:17-18
(17) For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal [αἰώνιος/aionios] weight of glory;
(18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal;[πρόσκαιρος/proskairos] but the things which are not seen are eternal [αἰώνιος/aionios]
In this passage “aionios” is contrasted with “for a moment,” vs. 4, and “temporal,” vs. 5. “Age(s)” a finite period, it is not the opposite of “for a moment”/”temporal/temporary.” “Eternal” is.
[3]2 Corinthians 5:1
(1)For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal [αἰώνιος/aionios] in the heavens.
In this verse “aionios house” is contrasted with “earthly house which is destroyed.” If an “aionios” house is at some time destroyed then it is no different than the earthly house. The aionios house is not destroyed, the opposite of “is destroyed.” Thus “aionios” by definition here means “eternal.” If the tabernacle in heaven is destroyed, it is no different than the earthly tabernacle.
[4]Hebrews 7:24 but because Jesus lives forever [αἰών/aion] he has a permanent [ἀπαράβατος/aparabatos] priesthood.
In this verse “aion” is paired with “unchangeable.” If “aion” means “age(s),” Jesus cannot continue “for a finite period” and be “unchangeable” at the same time. Thus “aion” by definition here means “eternal.”
[5]1 Peter 1:23
(23) For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, [ ̓́αφθαρτος/aphthartos] through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:25
(25) but the word of the Lord endures forever.[αἰών/aion] " And this is the word that was preached to you.
In verse 23 “word of God” is paired with “incorruptible.” In verse 25 the word of God “endures εις τον αιωνα unto eternity. ” Thus by definition “aion” here means “eternity.”
[6]1 Timothy 6:16
(16) Who only hath immortality, [ ̓́αφθαρτος/aphthartos] dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting[αἰώνιος/aionios]
In this verse “aionios” is paired with “immortality.” If “aionios” is only a finite period, God cannot be “immortal” and only exist for a finite period at the same time. Thus “aionios” by definition means “eternal.”
[7]Galatians 6:8
(8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;[φθορά/fthora] but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. [αἰώνιος/aionios]
In this verse “aionios” is contrasted with “corruption.” “Fleshly” people reap “corruption” but spiritual people reap “life aionios,” i.e. not “corruption.” “Age(s) is not opposite of “corruption.” Thus “aionios” by definition here means “eternal/everlasting.”
[8]John 6:58
(58) This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.[αἰώνιος/aionios]
In this verse “aionios life” is contrasted with “death.” If “aionios” is only a finite period, a finite period is not opposite “death.” Thus “aionios” by definition here means “eternal.”
[9]John 10:28
(28) I give them eternal [αἰώνιος/aionios] life, and they shall never [αἰών/aion] perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Here “aionios” and “aion” are paired with “[not] snatch them out of my hand.” If “aion/aionios” means “age(s)” that is not the opposite of “[not] snatch them out of my hand’” “Aionios” by definition here means “eternal.”
[10]1 John 2:17
(17) The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. [αἰών/aion]
In this verse “aionios” is contrasted with “pass away” “aionios” cannot mean a finite period, A “finite period” is not opposite of “pass away.” Thus “aionios” by definition here means “eternal.”
[11]1 Peter 5:10
(10) And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal [αιωνιον/aionion] glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, [ολιγον/oligon] will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
In this verse “aionios” is contrasted with “little while” “aionios” cannot mean a finite period, A “finite period” is not opposite of “little while.” Thus by definition “aionios” here means “eternal.”
[12]Romans 2:7
(7) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, [ἀφθαρσία/apftharsia] he will give eternal [αἰώνιος/aionios] life.
In this verse “aion” is paired with “immortality.” If “aion” is only a finite period, believers cannot seek for “a finite period,” and “immortality” at the same time. But they can seek for “eternal life” and “immortality” at the same time. Thus by definition “aion” here means “eternal.”
[13]Luke 1:33
(33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; [αιωνας/aionas] and of his kingdom there shall be no end.[τελος/τελος]
In this verse “aionios” is paired with “without end.” “aionios” cannot be paired with “without end” if it means only “ages” a finite period. “Aionios” by definition here means eternal.
[14]Revelation 14:11
(11) And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:[εις αιωνας αιωνων/eis aionas aionas] and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
In this verse “aionas aionon torment” is paired with “no rest day or night.” If “aionas, aionon” means “a finite period” at some time they would rest, “Aionas, aionon” by definition here means “forever and forever.”
[15]John 10:28
(28) And I give unto them eternal [αιωνιον] life; and they shall never [εις τον αιωνα] perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
In this verse “aionion” is paired with “[no man can] “pluck them out of my hand.” If “aionion” is only a finite period then at some time they could be plucked out. “Aionion” by definition here means eternal.
[16]John 3:15
(15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal [αιωνιον] life.
In this verse “aionion” is paired with “shall not perish.” They could perish in a finite period, “aionion” by definition here means eternal.
[17]John 3:16
(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting [αιωνιον] life.
In this verse “aionion” is paired with “shall not perish.” They could perish in a finite period, “aionion” by definition here means eternal.
[18]John 5:24
(24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting [αἰώνιος] life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
In this verse “aionios” is paired with “shall not come into condemnation” and “passed from life unto death.” “Aionios” does not mean “a finite period,” by definition here it means “eternal.”
[19]Romans 5:21
(21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal [αἰώνιος] life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
In this verse “aionios” is contrasted with death. “A finite period” is not opposite death, “eternal life” is. “Aionios” by definition here means ‘eternal.”
[20]Ephesians 3:21
(21) to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever [του αιωνος/tou aionios] and ever! [των αιωνων/ton aionion] Amen.
In this verse “tou aionios ton aionion” is paired with “throughout all generations.” "Age(s)" a finite period cannot refer to "all generations."
[21]Romans 1:20
(20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal [ἀΐ́διος/aidios] power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

[22]Romans 16:26
(26) But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting [αἰώνιος/aionios] God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
In Romans 1:20 Paul refers to God’s power and Godhead as “aidios.” Scholars agree “aidios” unquestionably means eternal, everlasting, unending etc. In Rom 16:26 Paul refers to God as “aionios,” therefore Paul considers “aidios” and “aionios” to be synonymous.
 
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Der Alte

This is me about 1 yr. old.
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My first thought, and I would have to do some further study, is that what is being spoken of here is delivering the child from the curse of an early death (the grave). But lacking supportive evidence, for now, that is only a thought.
The fact is that you cannot pick and choose one verse to support your position. The context of the rest of the Bible has to come in play, and in the rest of the Bible, there are numerous verses which speak about the will of God to save ALL MANKIND and restore ALL OF CREATION. Therefore, we have to examine this verse in light of the rest of the Bible to come up with a proper conclusion.
A good question, though!
Please see my [post #84][link] this thread where I show from the Jewish Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Judaica and the Talmud that the Jews before and during the time of Jesus believed in a place of eternal fiery torment for the unrighteous and they called it both Ge-hinnom/Gehenna and sheol, supporting scripture in the post. It will be extremely difficult to show that the Jews did not correctly translate the Hebrew scriptures.
 
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Der Alte

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how people ignore the Gospels is amazing
If some of the posts are erroneous it would be most helpful if you addressed some of the errors instead of just making a broad brush objection.
 
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