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I have just answered elements of this is new post. I will quote it here:
"Hell has a bad reputation, even among Christians. It is often thought of as a necessary evil, an affront to the goodness and love of God. Some think that God was somehow forced by his nature or circumstance to tolerate the existence of Hell. Even some of the most devout Christians see Hell as an embarrassment.
But I tell you that Hell is a holy place. The creation and perpetuation of Hell is good, righteous and loving. And if you believe the Bible is God's word and the historical doctrines of Hell are correct, then you ought to agree with me.
1. According to the Bible, God is perfect, good, holy, righteous, and loving. God's every action and act of creation share these qualities.
2. Although everything that God creates is good, some things such as Angels, humankind, and the Earth have fallen and are a no longer good. However Hell has never fallen from the goodness of God's creation.
3. The purpose of Hell is for the torment of God's fallen enemies. This suffering is punitive, not restorative. In hell there is no way to be restored to fellowship with God. If Hell's purpose is not good then God is not good.
4. God is not “forced” to torment his enemies, nor is this something “unavoidable” as if God was double-minded. God sovereignly chose to create Hell and shows no regret about it. Note that God has had regrets, but Hell is not one of them.
5. Any human attempts to explain or justify God's creation of Hell will fall short of the truth because we cannot fully understand Him. Nevertheless, Hell does not lose its goodness when we fail to understand/appreciate it.
6. Since only God is good, only God can be the standard of goodness. Thus, God's Hell must be good and God's torment of his enemies must be good. You can only disagree by rejecting the Biblical revelation of God and Hell.
7. If you cannot fully love Hell, then you cannot fully embrace its Creator. A better understanding of the holy goodness of Hell will help you become more mature in Christ. It is worth your study and meditation."
Two points to consider.H: Some created persons will be consigned to hell forever
Like it or not, it's in the Bible and the historical doctrine of the church.No human despot in history has devised such a cruel punishment as what you define as hell. Humans have laws about such things. Cruel and unusual punishment is not allowed.
In fact, I take it as slander against God to make such claims about him. Infernalists have turned our loving heavenly Father into a gangster godfather. Making us an offer we can't refuse. Spiritual extortion.
I'm a Bible teacher in the Reformed tradition, all I can do is proclaim the truth as revealed in the Bible. I have no other message.Jesus commanded us to love our enemies and to love our neighbor as ourselves. That said, how would you feel about being tormented for eternity?
You are building on several assumptions which the data does not support.Like it or not, it's in the Bible and the historical doctrine of the church.
A Bible search in the NIV translation on the term "realm of the dead' provides 29 references.As to #2, in the spiritual realm, a physical location, ie., place, has no meaning.
1 Corinthians 15:22I'm a Bible teacher in the Reformed tradition, all I can do is proclaim the truth as revealed in the Bible. I have no other message.
Like it or not, it's in the Bible and the historical doctrine of the church.
I'm a Bible teacher in the Reformed tradition, all I can do is proclaim the truth as revealed in the Bible. I have no other message.
That's a dangerous combination. Everyone who isn't "Reformed" goes to hell.I'm a Bible teacher in the Reformed tradition, all I can do is proclaim the truth as revealed in the Bible. I have no other message.
I have three Bible versions without "hell." There are dozens of others, so "it's in the Bible" is a bit misleading, but I'm sure you're unaware of the facts.
Unicorns are in the Bible. But of course they're not in the actual Greek manuscripts.
Did you mean Hebrew?Unicorns are in the Bible. But of course they're not in the actual Greek manuscripts.
I have three Bible versions without "hell." There are dozens of others, so "it's in the Bible" is a bit misleading, but I'm sure you're unaware of the facts.
Did you mean Hebrew?
Now what about the times the word actually is "Hell"? Such as:
"In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." Luke 16:23
What do you do with that one?
Again - which version? "In the Bible" is always misleading. My Ferrar Fenton version posits that the big fish of Jonah was a submarine, but as one who is fascinated with ancient technology, who really knows for sure? I do note that submarines do not have bellies...
THE version - the KJV. And lol.
I see the parable as having to do with the coming fate of Jerusalem and Judah in 70 AD. There are details that transcend the simplistic interpretation of "See? Hell is real!" One of them is the rich man having five brothers, just as the man Judah had five brothers. Jesus was using common religious motifs to weave a story, but it was far more profound than the "hell" message that most take away.
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