*DISCLAIMER: HSM staff does not necessarily agree, support or condone everything written on links to other websites.
For a written sermon from Dusty on hell, click HERE; to listen, click HERE
Below are some of the most common questions & objections about the doctrine of hell. Below are also some questions asked by our high school students during our worship service on Saturday/Sunday, May 10-11, 2008.
1.How could a God of love make or even tolerate a place like Hell?
Hell is the opposite of the love of God…that’s what hell is, an existence without the presence of God.Even people, who hate God, disbelieve in God still have God’s goodness and presence all around them in this realm (life, breath, love, friendship, etc.).Because of God’s love for us, He gave us freedom to choose.It is this freedom that chooses hell.God is love and love is truthful.
2.Couldn’t God force everyone to go to heaven?
This would be immoral.If God were to force people to do something against their free choice, He would be dehumanizing them, disrespecting their freedom.Also, why do we think people who’ve rejected Christ would want to be in heaven?If heaven is the enjoyment of God and Christ for eternity, why would those who’ve rejected them here even want to be in heaven…that might be even more torturous!
3.Shouldn’t the punishment of hell fit the crime (sin)?
When you look at the doctrine of hell in scripture closely, it is NOT punishment or torture in the since of someone doing the torturing.God doesn’t torture those in hell…God is completely absent, which is what hell is.Remember, hell wasn’t created for people, but for Satan and other fallen angels…but it’ll be the only other realm in all existence at the end of time where eternal beings can dwell.The “punishment” or suffering comes from being sentenced away from God’s presence.
And the idea that it isn’t fair that we suffer for eternity when our crimes (sins) were done in this short life doesn’t see life as it is.We don’t have two lives – one here as humans and one as spirit beings in heaven or hell.We are eternal beings – now, in flesh and blood; then without.
4.Why doesn’t God give people a second chance?
This question assumes that God did not do everything possible before the person died.God is fair.He doesn’t try and make it difficult for people.If all a person needed was a little bit more time to come to Christ, then God would extend their time I suppose.God is both all-powerful and knowing OR not.If He is, then He is also completely good.If so, then no one will go to hell who could have gone to heaven if only…
5.What about people who’ve never heard of Jesus…will they go to hell?
Again, we have to start with what we know.The bible is clear that only by trusting in the person of Christ – His death on the cross for our sins, His resurrection from the dead – Jesus is the only way to be saved.Jesus said that in John 14:6.His first followers said in Acts 4:12, NCVJesus is the only One who can save people. No one else in the world is able to save us.People who’ve never heard about God’s only salvation through Jesus Christ?The bible isn’t 100% clear (I think intentionally).It’s possible that God will judge them based on his knowledge of what they would have done had they had a chance to hear about Christ.Hebrews 11:6, NIV says that God “rewards those who earnestly seek him.”The question should be instead, “What about the people who have heard about Christ?”
6.Hell seems to violate freedom since no one would freely choose hell over heave if given a free choice.
All of us have done this daily with sin.When we sin, we choose to sin instead of not sinning.It may be pleasurable for a time…but all sin ultimately leads to destruction of something in our lives.Only Christ can salvage our sin problem.If Jesus is who He said He was, to reject Him would be the ultimate sin and would in turn be choosing hell after death.
7.How could people in heaven be totally happy knowing that other they know are in hell forever?
This one is hard to understand…harder to try and explain.Ultimately, in heaven, people will have complete perspective of truth.We’ll understand that in some way, hell is a way of honoring people as free beings originally created in God’s image.And if hell were to keep people in heave from enjoying heaven, hell would be more powerful and it is not.I think souls in heaven will be perfect enough to handle complete joy, love, happiness while at the same time having a sense of sadness.Revelation 21:4, NIV He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
8.Why does everyone suffer the same hell?
Jesus actually implies in Matthew 11:20-24 that there are different degrees of suffering in hell. "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you" (vv. 21-22, see 23-24 also).
It seems that Jesus is implying that people will suffer in accordance with their life actions. Degrees (or effects) of separation, isolation, and emptiness. J.P. Moreland said: "If God really does let people shape their own character by the thousands of choices they make, he is also going to allow them to suffer the natural consequences of the character that they've chosen to have. And those who are in worse shape personally will experience a greater degree of isolation and emptiness."
From the perspective of those in hell, their reality is all there is - without light, hope and all that comes from God. As C.S. Lewis put it, hell is "nothing but yourself for all eternity." Friendship and fellowship is from God. Hell is the absence of God. If the essence of the Kingdom of God is relationship (to God and others), then hell is the absolute absence of it.
9.Do children go to hell?
First, everything we know from the bible, our personalities reflect an adult situation in the afterlife…so, for sure we can say that there will be no children in hell.And children, in the bible (especially the teachings of Jesus) are always used as examples of salvation.Also, Dr. J.P. Morland says it like this, “And certainly there will be no one in hell who, if they had a chance to grow up to be adults, would have chosen to go to heaven.No one will go to hell simply because all they needed was a little more time and they died prematurely.”
10.Why is hell necessary, especially if God doesn’t like it?
Hell existed, originally, for Satan and demons (Matthew 25:41) and in the end will serve as the "waste-land" for all those who reject Christ. As eternal beings (humans & angels), we must exist somewhere always...because we are always beings - eternal, everlasting. We were created in God's image and therefore bare the marking of an immortal soul.
The option here is for God to cause everyone in hell to cease to exist ("annihilation"). The question then becomes, "would God be morally justified in doing this?" The only way that annihilation is a good thing is the end result of keeping people from experiencing forever-separation from God. If God does this, he treats humans as a means to an end. Hell recognizes that people have "intrinsic" value (value in itself...simply by being). God, evidently, refuses to cause beings created in His image to cease to exist. It's a part of His created order.
Annihilationists quote passages like Psalm 37, 145:20, Isaiah 1:20 and others that speak of the destruction and "end" of the wicked. While annihilationism is tempting and I would question the heart of any Christian who wouldn't wish annihilation could be true, I just don't see these passages claiming that in the end of time, those who don't know the Lord will cease to exist. Ceasing to exist and being destroyed are not the same.
11.What happens to a pregnant woman’s child during the rapture?
To start, I need to point out that there is NOT just one view of the rapture or the second coming of Christ for that matter and there's just no way to jump into all of that here. But regardless of the details of Jesus' return (best descriptions are: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 20), if a woman is pregnant when Jesus returns - if she is knows Christ, she will be "caught up" with Christ (1 Thess 4:17) and the baby would be too...actually, the baby would be "caught up" with Christ even if the mother was not a believer. How? I don't know. But God does.
12.What about Limbo and Purgatory?
Purgatory is an idea created by the Catholic tradition as a place between heaven and hell where a person is purified through suffering if they aren't good enough to go to heaven. Mark E. Moore writes: Once their sins are adequately "expiated" they can leave purgatory and enter God's presence. This place is extant only until the final judgment of God. (1) When a people die, their fate is sealed. They will either go to heaven or hell. But those not "bad enough" for hell and yet not "good enough" for heaven must be purged of their sin. (2) This "expiation" is accomplished by their own suffering and can be "augmented" by the living who pray for them and perform meritorious acts of benevolence on their behalf. This is based on the belief that Christians are all part of one body and this solidarity transcends death. (3) This position is unique to the Roman Catholic faith. (4) The first clear reference to purgatory was late in the 12th century (Jacque Le Goff, The Birth of Purgatory, trans. A. Goldhammer. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1984). Click HERE to read Moore's full article.
Limbo is also doctrine created by the Catholic church to answer what happens to babies who died before being baptized (of course, the baptism of infants is found no where in scripture - this too is a Catholic tradition). Limbo then, would be a place where these unbaptized babies could be "cleansed" of their original sin and held there until the return of Christ, whereby they'd then go to heaven. Interestingly, the Catholic church as shed it's long held belief in this man-made tradition. Click HEREto read more about this.
13.What if the fact of hell does scare me and make me angry?
Then you are human, in touch & honest with your emotions and normal. Hell is scary only at the prospect of going there ... which implies belief that it is real. If a person truly believes that hell is real, then I'm assuming they believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, in which case they would want to know Him personally, which IS salvation and the end of hell-fear for that person.
Angry about the fact of hell? I can relate some. I'm frustrated by it, especially counting all the things about hell (and the afterlife) that I just don't understand; and the things in scripture that are so vague. However, my being confused and frustrated does not mean that God is unjustified. When approaching scripture, we must start with what we know and work backwards. I am convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who became a human, died for my sins and literrally resurrected from the dead. I also believe that the bible is God's word to us, credible and tested after thousands of years. Because of that, I believe what Jesus says and consequently, Jesus spoke/warned about hell more than anyone else in scripture.
14.Is the fire literal?
The most common picture we hear about when talking about hell is “Burning in fire.”But here is the truth…hell isn’t going to be fire.It’s figurative.In Jesus’ teaching alone he speaks of hell as a fiery furnace in one instance and darkness in another.It can’t be both…fire brings light.In Jude 7 he calls hell eternal fire and 6 verses later in verse 13 he calls it blackest darkness.It can’t literally be both and that’s the point.
But the symbols point to truths.In 2 Thessalonians 1:7, when telling of Jesus’ return it says that Jesus will come in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God.Hebrews 12:29 calls God a consuming fire.Fire symbolizes God’s judgment, which is part of the second coming of Christ.
Fire and darkness aren’t meant to tell us what hell will look like – anymore than streets of gold is trying to tell us what heaven will look like.Streets of gold is a way of trying to describe something so beautiful and amazing, you can’t find human words.Fire represents God’s final judgment.Darkness represents utter loneliness. The point is that "hell is bad!"
15.If Satan and his demons are being tormented, who will torment humans?
The problem here is the assumption behind the wording. Being tormented does not always imply that someone else is doing/causing the torment. Hell is isolation and separation from God, who is the source of joy, light, friendship, love, etc. The isolation and separation is what the person in hell has chosen ... love for themselves vs. love for the things of God. So, demons and humans will not be tormented by anyone other than the consequences of a lifetime of decisions rejecting Christ. See above #8.
:: COMING SOON ::
16.Do people who commit suicide go to hell automatically?
:: CONCLUSION ::
In the end, heaven & hell aren't the issue. We were not created to NOT go to hell; nor were we created to go to heaven. The bible says that we (humans) were created to know Jesus Christ (see Colossians 1:16 and John 17:3). You can know God today through Jesus Christ and you can live in peace, with hope for eternity. Click HERE to read more about knowing God through Christ.
:: RESOURCES USED AND FURTHER READING ::
Click HERE for an article on "5 Views of Hell" by Mark E. Moore.
ClickHEREfor an article on a description of hell by Mark E. Moore.
Click HERE for an article from scholar J.P. Moreland, Ph.D (some great questions answered here).
Click HERE to read from Peter Kreeft, Ph.D on hell (Philosophy professor at Boston College)
