I am doing a message this weekend on Hell. the more I think about it the more disturbing it is -- everlasting torture? I am a Bible believing Christian. It just seems so harsh -- everlasting punishment for temporal crimes. What am I missing?
-
Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
-
CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
Hell
- Thread starter joshhuntnm
- Start date
- Status
- May 29, 2012
- 41,108
- 24,136
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
Upvote
0
- May 29, 2012
- 41,108
- 24,136
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
Maybe you need a topic you have worked on before. What age-level are you teaching here?
Upvote
0
- May 29, 2012
- 41,108
- 24,136
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
Good. I consider the separation from God the real "punishment". The "torture and fire and brimstone" are more dramatic, and can be debated as to whether they are theologically sound.
I used to teach Sunday School and someone raised the valid question about the "justice" of holding people that have little or no exposure to the Gospel to the same standard of the average evangelical. I had to bite my tongue top keep from saying, "Beats the (oops) outta me."
You might want to talk about tyhe origins of "Hell", Sheol, Gehenna in the OT.
I'm sure you will do a good job. Don't be burdened by a need to have all the answers. God Bless.
Upvote
0
You're starting to see that maybe the traditional view of Hell is incorrect. A thorough Bible study is required to convince yourself on which doctrine is correct- anything less and you'll be going on what people tell you to believe.
Upvote
0
Behe's Boy said:See Romans ch 1-3....
Where exactly? I've never seen where the supports "sin against an eternal God requires eternal punishment". Sounds good but not Biblical that I have found. I'm open to correction though
Upvote
0
AndOne
Deliver me oh Lord, from evil men
- Apr 20, 2002
- 7,477
- 462
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Calvinist
- Marital Status
- Married
Where exactly? I've never seen where the supports "sin against an eternal God requires eternal punishment". Sounds good but not Biblical that I have found. I'm open to correction though
I was talking about Who God is but you might want to take a look at Romans 2:6-11.
Upvote
0
Behe's Boy said:
Romans 2:7 - eternal life
Romans 2:8-9 - judgement
But is the judgement eternal torment? Thats not what I read...
Upvote
0
I would say that Hell is best described as eternal separation from God, which is punishment enough. The fire and brimstone just add for theatrics.
Upvote
0
AndOne
Deliver me oh Lord, from evil men
- Apr 20, 2002
- 7,477
- 462
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Calvinist
- Marital Status
- Married
I suppose it depends on how you view God and His righteousness. If either are limited then I guess judgement could be then. I do not see a God that is limited in anything anywhere in scripture. If the judgement of God is limited and not eternal then no need for the sacrifice of Jesus. Most of scripture becomes pointless if there is no need for a savior from eternal judgement. Think about it.
Upvote
0
I read a view today I had not heard before. the idea is that sinners are thrown into hell and punished for a while, but at some point they burn up. they don't suffer forever. just as you throw something in the fire, the fire keeps burning but what you throw in there is eventually destroyed. People would be punished in proportion to their sinfulness
What do you think?
What do you think?
Upvote
0
Matt. 25:41, 46
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
It's as much eternal punishment as it is eternal life. I don't understand or like it, but that's what it says.
Matt. 18: 34-35
"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
"So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."
Josh Hunt:
I don't think your struggle is with what the Scriptures say, but how to fathom it and then be able to present it to others.
If this is the case, rather than the theme being the doctrine of hell maybe the theme should be the principle of accepting the Word of God and what it says regardless of our own personal feelings and opinions; and then show this as an example. That will help them in many situations, not just regarding the issue of future retribution.
Upvote
0
OzSpen
Regular Member
- Oct 15, 2005
- 11,553
- 710
- Country
- Australia
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Baptist
- Marital Status
- Private
Josh,
This week I wrote a brief article, 'Hell in the Bible'. At the base of this article, I have links to 12 other articles I have written on hell, Sheol, Hades, Gehenna and the Valley of Hinnom.
I'm convinced from the biblical data that there are degrees of punishment in hell. See my article, 'Are there degrees of punishment in hell?'
I urge you to read the article, 'Is hell an infinite punishment?' As this article demonstrates, to say that hell is an infinite punishment is to commit a red herring logical fallacy.
Oz
Last edited:
Upvote
0
OzSpen
Regular Member
- Oct 15, 2005
- 11,553
- 710
- Country
- Australia
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Baptist
- Marital Status
- Private
That sounds like an understanding of purgatory.
Could it be too early for you to be preaching on hell as you don't seem to have reached an understanding of what the Scriptures teach? One of the main problems is that the KJV translates 3 Greek words with the one word, 'hell'.
Instead of preaching on hell, I urge you to expound the various Greek words that deal with life after death. This will need your coming to a biblical understanding of Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, Tartarus, the Valley of Hinnom, and Ouranos. The links to my articles should help you with this as I give an exegetical understanding of all of these words except Ouranos (heaven).
Oz
Upvote
0
Right, that's one of verses that definitely gives me pause and doesn't allow me to say for certain that annihilation is correct. However, there is enough in the Bible to indicate annihilation may be true that I personally cannot support the doctrine of eternal torment. For example, what is the 2nd death in Revelation?
Anyhow, I will post some links for people who would like to research this more but don't want to get into a debate because I don't see where a debate is a winning proposition for either side. That's what I encourage everyone to study it for themselves and draw their own conclusion.
Hell, Heaven, and the Resurrection of the Dead, 2008
Conditional Immortality - Truth According to Scripture
Upvote
0
- Status
Similar threads
