What is the purpose behind an eternal hell?

[Hieronymus]

It's a shame that you speak the truth about hell but had to include that "lazy" insult along with it...that kinda ruins some of the truthful quality of the rest of the post. You should have offered the person sites where these studies and are then you would know if the person was lazy or not.

You're right...
But i had mentioned it before to him.

Here are some studies then:

 

[throughfiierytrial]

No one is calling God a liar, if they don't believe this God exists.

Kinda hard to claim someone is lying, if you don't believe they are real to begin with.

But you must have some concept of God and Who He is and that the Bible is His Holy Word and that He/God does not lie all according to Christianity. So, to answer your question, it depends on what your purpose is on this site and how knowledgeable you are or want to become about Christianity...one would hope you'd wish to understand that which you wish to deny or refute.

 

[bhsmte]

But you must have some concept of God and Who He is and that the Bible is His Holy Word and that He/God does not lie all according to Christianity. So, to answer your question, it depends on what your purpose is on this site and how knowledgeable you are or want to become about Christianity...one would hope you'd wish to understand that which you wish to deny or refute.

Not hard to figure out the concept behind the Christian God. Then, examine reality and determine whether you feel this God exists or not.

I was a Christian for 40 years, so i understand the theology quite well, I just got to the point, where I couldn't reconcile it with reality any longer.

My purpose on this site, is to have intellectual discussion and I also find some of the posters on this site, quite entertaining.

 

[throughfiierytrial]

That's the fire not the person. The sentence is death not life.

Heb_12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

G2654
?ata?a??´s??
katanalisko¯
kat-an-al-is'-ko
From G2596 and G355; to consume utterly: - consume.

compare that to this:

That's the fire not the person. The sentence is death not life.

Heb_12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

G2654
?ata?a??´s??
katanalisko¯
kat-an-al-is'-ko
From G2596 and G355; to consume utterly: - consume.

compare that to this:

I am sorry to have to respectfully disagree. I am a little too slow to address all your points here, but I have another take on them. For instance, Edom, the country, is not still burning, but will...Edom, in my view is representative of the unsaved. It was real and symbolic as is Israel of the O.T.

 

[Hieronymus]

If there was an eternal torment facility where unbelievers and they who do not love God will end up being in pain and agony for ever and ever, i would probably end up there s well...
I can not love a God that will torture most people i have known in my life, and who i have loved as fellow human beings.
Only stoic macho calvinists could, proud of themselves to be able to not care about most people's fate, and love this merciless God of theirs...

And all because of the mixing up of terms, caused by ambiguous translation...

God always annihilates that which is wicked.
Things in the fire burn up, like you would burn the chaff after the harvest.

Can a man sin enough in his years to justify him having to be tortured for ever without mercy?

 

[Hieronymus]

Iḿ sorry, it's an emotionally charged subject to me, with which i have struggled intensely for too long a time...

 

[throughfiierytrial]

Not hard to figure out the concept behind the Christian God. Then, examine reality and determine whether you feel this God exists or not.

I was a Christian for 40 years, so i understand the theology quite well, I just got to the point, where I couldn't reconcile it with reality any longer.

My purpose on this site, is to have intellectual discussion and I also find some of the posters on this site, quite entertaining.

There are many Christians living on milk...no spiritual encounter, no insights into the Word yet...and this can go on for a very long time for some. Hebrews urges Christians to grow up and to take solid foods and learn the teachings of righteousness.

 

[throughfiierytrial]

That's the fire not the person. The sentence is death not life.

Heb_12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

G2654
?ata?a??´s??
katanalisko¯
kat-an-al-is'-ko
From G2596 and G355; to consume utterly: - consume.

compare that to this:


I am sorry to have to respectfully disagree. I am a little too slow to address all your points here, but I have another take on them. For instance, Edom, the country, is not still burning, but will...Edom, in my view is representative of the unsaved. It was real and symbolic as is Israel of the O.T.

Sorry, I messed up this quote I see. All the words belonged to esq1938

 

[throughfiierytrial]

Iḿ sorry, it's an emotionally charged subject to me, with which i have struggled intensely for too long a time...

It is good, in my view, to struggle with the concept of hell, however, I seriously disagree with you over what you seem to have reconciled yourself with on what are the realities of hell.

 

[Hieronymus]

It is good, in my view, to struggle with the concept of hell, however, I seriously disagree with you over what you seem to have reconciled yourself with on what are the realities of hell.

I hope you're willing to check out and consider the case for annihilation over eternal life in torment without Christ.
John 3:16

 

[Hieronymus]

There are many Christians living on milk...no spiritual encounter, no insights into the Word yet...and this can go on for a very long time for some.

These are other Christians then you, of course....
This is exactly the attitude i referred to...
"Hey, look at me, i can eat solid food!"
"I can accept my unbelieving mother ending up being eternally tortured without mercy!"

Hebrews urges Christians to grow up and to take solid foods and learn the teachings of righteousness.

Yeah, Agape in hell...
Do you think God will save some demons to do the torturing?

What is someone's worm anyway?

 

[ScottA]

I believe we are talking about a hell which means a burning in perpetuity. All the passages pertaining to the nature of hell cite fire, an eternal fire." Where the worm never dies if one wants words other than eternity to understand the length of the punishment of hell...and where the flame never goes out. Shall we also cast doubt on the biblical meaning of the word "never" as well?

Forever is indeed forever.

 

[throughfiierytrial]

I hope you're willing to check out and consider the case for annihilation over eternal life in torment without Christ.
John 3:16

The believer's/saved life is eternal as is the unbeliever's/unsaved life eternal. Our souls are eternal. The saved live in heaven forever, the unsaved suffer hell forever.

 

[Hieronymus]

Forever is indeed forever.

Yes, the Fire is for ever, the eternal Fire is (probably) God Himself.
But it's a devouring fire (for what is unholy), things burn up in it.
That's why Gehenna is used analogously, people incinerated their waste there and the fire was always burning.

 

[Hieronymus]

The believer's/saved life is eternal as is the unbeliever's/unsaved life eternal.

John 3:16

Our souls are eternal.

We are a physical vessel with the breath of life, this makes us a living soul.
The body turns to dust, the pneuma goes back to God.

The saved live in heaven forever, the unsaved suffer hell forever.

They shall perish forever or live for ever.
The 2nd death is terminal and eternal.

 

[Hieronymus]

This only takes a few minutes:

For who might be interested...

 

[Hieronymus]

...but back to the question asked by TS:
What would be the purpose of an eternal torture facility for the unbelievers?

 

[throughfiierytrial]

Yes, the Fire is for ever, the eternal Fire is (probably) God Himself.
But it's a devouring fire (for what is unholy), things burn up in it.
That's why Gehenna is used analogously, people incinerated their waste there and the fire was always burning.

It is not a given that our new bodies...bodies given after the resurrection...nor for that matter our souls themselves can even be burned up...all things are possible with God however.
Scripture says where the worm never dies and the flame never goes out...that tells us death does not come...one suffers eternally as Scripture states.
I know this may sound simple-minded, but I admit to being quite simple at times.
Great minds have often been quoted as saying (and I paraphrase) that which gives the appearance of being simplistic is most times not only the solution, but proves to be very profound indeed.
I feel many get themselves bogged down in extra-biblical teachings to figure out the teaching of hell as spelled out for us in Scripture...though I realize most mainstream churches would agree with them...sadly, I have to part company on this point though I do consider myself mainstream in all other respects.
Latching onto the idea that hell is not eternal suffering to the unsaved makes me wonder...is this a gathering around of teachers to teach one whatever one's itching ears want to hear?? (as Scripture warns) Sometimes, perhaps. Also there is this intrigue presented by extra-biblical sources.

 

[throughfiierytrial]

...but back to the question asked by TS:
What would be the purpose of an eternal torture facility for the unbelievers?

We have at least this answer provided for us in Scripture (Thessalonians): they perish because they fail to love the Truth and so be saved.

 

[Hieronymus]

We have at least this answer provided for us in Scripture (Thessalonians): they perish because they fail to love the Truth and so be saved.

That says perish, not remain.
Also there's still no purpose for the eternal torture mentioned