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Marilyn McCord Adams and the Problem of Hell

Lazarus Short

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I view it the same way. However at the same time, Jesus did basically say the man was being tormented in hell, in flames no less. Of course I've heard various interpretations of what that torment was. I remember Arnold Murray saying it was shame. He (the Pharisee) was burning with shame.

The conversation between Abraham and the rich man simply contradicts what Solomon had to say about the dead, and that is in the Bible just as much as the parable we have been discussing. Jesus was surely aware of that, so He must have had bigger fish to fry.
 
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ozso

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Tell me why I should have any special regard for a 400 year old Anglican Bible version. I am reading a recent version out of South Africa titled simply "The Scriptures." It's as if a layer of scrim has been removed from between me and the text. Be aware that I was once a KJV proponent and I understand that it is one of pillars of English literature. However, on careful study, it came up short.

When I hear someone say "it's in the Bible", I figure they mean the KJV.
 
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Peter J Barban

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That's a dangerous combination. Everyone who isn't "Reformed" goes to hell.
You must suffer from poor reading comprehension to respond so inaccurately. That is not what I wrote or what I think.
 
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ozso

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The conversation between Abraham and the rich man simply contradicts what Solomon had to say about the dead, and that is in the Bible just as much as the parable we have been discussing. Jesus was surely aware of that, so He must have had bigger fish to fry.

Interesting thing with that is Lazarus is the Greek version of Eleazar. And Eliezer of Damascus (possibly a Gentile) was set to inherit everything Abraham owned when he was childless before Issac was born.
 
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Peter J Barban

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That's sounds like a pretty convenient way to avoid answering questions. Personally I never cared for the constraints involved in marrying myself to a particular tradition. But I'm glad you've made it clear that what you're posting is according to tradition. It seems to me some folks equate tradition to God ie going against said tradition is the same as going against God. Of course a problem with that is, I'm sure there's traditions you don't agree with, that make the same claim.
I am not constrained by tradition. I studied the Bible for myself, then I taught it in many different churches, eventually, I realized that the Reformed Position agreed with me on over 99% of the issues.

I followed the ideal of every independent thinker and wound up in mainstream historical Christianity. It sure feels good to know that I'm not a heretic or an unbeliever. I stand in fellowship with the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before.
 
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ozso

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I am not constrained by tradition. I studied the Bible for myself, then I taught it in many different churches, eventually, I realized that the Reformed Position agreed with me on over 99% of the issues.

That's very similar to what a Seventh Day Adventist told me recently.

I followed the ideal of every independent thinker and wound up in mainstream historical Christianity. It sure feels good to know that I'm not a heretic or an unbeliever. I stand in fellowship with the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before.

Well whether you're a heretic or not might depend on who's evaluating you outside of mainstream Protestant Evangelicalism.
 
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Der Alte

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Well, I gave you about a hundred ECF quotes supporting Christian Universalism yesterday and you dismissed them all so I don't think I can be bothered tbh. If you're a scholar I'm sure you're aware of some anyway, otherwise just Google "aionios limited duration" and you'll get a plethora of results.
No! "You" did NOT give me any ECF quotes. You copy pasted a list from a "Hell no-is us*com website which are unverifiable therefore worthless because they they did not identify the specific writings the "quotes" were taken from.
I don't have to google anything I posted several correctly cited quotes of ECF which identified hell as a place of eternal, everlasting, unending punishment just like Jesus said in Matthew 25:46.
And I posted ten verses where Jesus defined "aionios" as eternal, everlasting, unending etc. Perhaps you could google and give us some quotes from your favorite UR-ite websites which prove me wrong.
 
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Hmm

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No! "You" did NOT give me any ECF quotes. You copy pasted a list from a "Hell no-is us*com website which are unverifiable therefore worthless because they they did not identify the specific writings the "quotes" were taken from.
I don't have to google anything I posted several correctly cited quotes of ECF which identified hell as a place of eternal, everlasting, unending punishment just like Jesus said in Matthew 25:46.
And I posted ten verses where Jesus defined "aionios" as eternal, everlasting, unending etc. Perhaps you could google and give us some quotes from your favorite UR-ite websites which prove me wrong.

Relax comrade. As I said in my last post to you I can't be bothered to give you any further quotes because you simply dismiss them for being in an incorrect font or not indented respectfully enough or any other reason you can think of.
 
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ozso

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Relax comrade. As I said in my last post to you I can't be bothered to give you any further quotes because you simply dismiss them for being in an incorrect font or not indented respectfully enough or any other reason you can think of

I remember when I submitted DA's ECF quotes to Brad Jersak PhD who's an expert in Patristic Literature, he wasn't impressed. DA complained that I was appealing to authority or whatever and so on. That's when I stopped going in circles with him. Or close to it. I also got tired of the churlishness.
 
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Der Alte

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I remember when I submitted DA's ECF quotes to Brad Jersak PhD who's an expert in Patristic Literature, he wasn't impressed. DA complained that I was appealing to authority or whatever and so on. That's when I stopped going in circles with him. Or close to it. I also got tired of the churlishness.
I don't recall using the term "appeal to authority? but has he written a peer reviewed theological, linguistic book on the topic? Just having a PhD does not automatically make one an authority on this particular topic.
Churlish? Please show me where anything I posted is "rude in a mean-spirited and surly way." I state what I believe and I quote scholastically recognized sources to support those beliefs.
 
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Saint Steven

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Er uh well I was probably thinking of the Septuagint when I wrote that :sorry: But yes. Then again come to think of it, was the KJV OT taken from the Hebrew or the Septuagint?
Not sure on that point.
I always look up the Hebrew on OT passages I want to research.
 
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Saint Steven

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The conversation between Abraham and the rich man simply contradicts what Solomon had to say about the dead, and that is in the Bible just as much as the parable we have been discussing. Jesus was surely aware of that, so He must have had bigger fish to fry.
Interestingly, the term "realm of the dead" occurs in the chapter that I think you are referencing from Solomon.
 
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Hmm

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Churlish? Please show me where anything I posted is "rude in a mean-spirited and surly way." I state what I believe and I quote scholastically recognized sources to support those beliefs.

How about this:

Versus bleeding heart arguments e.g. "God is a loving God and He would not send anyone to Hell." etc.

It's pretty rude and churlish don't you think to call other people's contributions "bleeding heart arguments". Also, you failed to back that statement up with credible sources.
 
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Saint Steven

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... It sure feels good to know that I'm not a heretic or an unbeliever. ...
Can you quote verse eleven, teacher?

Luke 18:10 KJV
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
 
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Der Alte

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How about this:
It's pretty rude and churlish don't you think to call other people's contributions "bleeding heart arguments". Also, you failed to back that statement up with credible sources.
It is a "bleeding heart argument" which is NOT supported by scripture. Where does any scripture specifically say words to the effect, "Jesus said forgive your enemies so God/Jesus must forgive all their enemies." etc.
Jesus taught about gehenna, hades e.g.,

• “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 [Γέεννα/gehenna] where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die, 3 times 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
• “But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.” Luke 10:12
…..These teachings tacitly reaffirmed and sanctioned a then existing significant Jewish view of eternal hell, outlined above.
In Matt. 18:6, 26:24 and Luk 10:12, see above, Jesus teaches that there is a punishment worse than death or nonexistence.
…..A punishment worse than death without mercy 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 much sorer punishment,””Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord,””It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” certainly does not sound like everyone will be saved, no matter what.
…..Jesus is quoted as using the word death 17 times in the gospels, if He intended 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 knew that everybody died; rich, poor, young, old, good, bad, men, women, children, infants and knew that it was permanent and often it did not involve punishment.
When Jesus taught “eternal punishment” the Sadducees would not have understood it as simply death, it would have meant something worse to them.
…..Concerning “punishment” one early church father wrote,

“Then these reap no advantage from their punishment, as it seems: moreover, I would say that they are not punished unless they are conscious of the punishment.” Justin Martyr [A.D. 110-165.] Dialogue with Trypho Chapter 4
…..Jesus undoubtedly knew what the Jews, believed about hell. If that Jewish teaching was wrong, why didn’t Jesus tell them there was no hell, no eternal punishment etc? Why would Jesus teach “eternal punishment,” etc. to Jews who believed, "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," which would only encourage and reinforce their beliefs in “hell”?
Talmud -Tractate Rosh Hashanah Chapter 1.
The school of Hillel says: . . . but as for Minim, [i.e. followers 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.


 
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Hmm

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It is a "bleeding heart argument" which is NOT supported by scripture.

But where are the sources that you demand other people provide that support this personal view?

Furthermore, I feel very sorry for someone who thinks anyone who is concerned about their loved ones going to an eternal hell is a "bleeding heart". I'm so glad I don't think like you.
 
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Der Alte

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...Furthermore, I feel very sorry for someone who thinks anyone who is concerned about their loved ones going to an eternal hell is a "bleeding heart". I'm so glad I don't think like you.
Deliberate misrepresentation of of anything I posted. I said nothing about people being "concerned about their loved ones going to an eternal hell!"
 
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Der Alte

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But where are the sources that you demand other people provide that support this personal view?....
Here is a link to one thread that is full of posts against hell based on personal opinion not clear scripture. There are many more I just did a search on "hell" See search feature just above "New Threads" top right of the "Unorthodox Christian Forum" main page.
Questions About Hell


 
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