THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PAPER II: THE HELL DEBATE
Much like the debates over the topics of the Charismatic Gifts, Baptism, Christology, Providence, and the Destiny of the Unevangelized, that pertaining to the topic of Hell is equally diverse and complex. With each debate issue comes differing views, and with the issue of Hell one can find a
few as well. But what is it about this topic that causes so much fuss? Are people just uncomfortable
with the possibility of a reality of Hell? Is it a fear of potentially ending up there? Or is it confusion
regarding what Hell really is? Most people have a concept of Hell, but the question is how Biblically
accurate is it.
In this paper we will seek to understand more fully what a correct concept of Hell looks like. Within the contents of this paper we will take time to explore the words used to express Hell and their meanings, the history behind the concept of Hell, the two main views that dominate Protestant Evangelicalism, and finally conclude with my personal conclusion regarding Hell based on the research uncovered. As with the other major debates, history has much to say regarding the debate of Hell and we would be unwise to neglect this information in our study.
When we examine the words used in Scripture for Hell, we find only three in the New Testament. The first and most frequently used, is geenna, a Greek noun that is transliterated as “Gehenna, hell, ‘Valley of Hinnam’”. While this word is used a total of twelve times, the second word is used ten. 1 This second word is the Greek hades (noun), which is transliterated as “hades, the grave, the place of the dead, ‘the underworld’”. Additionally, it is used as Hades five times, depths two times, grave two times, and hell once. The third word used in the New Testament is 2 the Greek tartaroo (verb), used once and transliterated as “to send to hell, hold captive in Tartarus”. It is “a derivative of the Greek ‘Tartarus,’ a place of torture and torment lower than Hades in Greek and Jewish apocalyptic literature, not found in the NT”. 3 It is interesting to note the difference between the different words
from a cultural perspective, as geenna (the eternal abode of the wicked) was similar to tartaroo in that they were both used to signify a place lower than Hades. Specifically Gehenna (geenna) is eternal hell, and the place of eternal damnation. 4
But the words for Hell are not only contained within the New Testament. The concept of this place can be found throughout the Old Testament as well in the Hebrew word seol (transliterated sheol), translated often as “the grave, hell, the pit”.5 In Job 17:13; Psalm 16:10; and Isaiah 38:10 the word is referencing the grave, where as in other passages (Genesis 37:35; Numbers 16:33; Job 14:13; Psalm 55:15; Proverbs 9:18) it refers to the abode of both the dead, both good and bad. 6 It is the place that all of the dead would immediately go upon death; it was more often spoken of in reference to
Additionally, many other words are used throughout Scripture in reference to and to describe Hell in both the New and Old Testament. Jesus Himself spoke about the reality of Hell the most, and was very pointed when He did so. One of the better known and explicitly clear teachings about thereality of and nature of Hell is Jesus’ story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. In this passage 8 Jesus tells the story of the rich man who had everything he wanted, and outside his gate sat Lazarus; poor, sick and wishing for the crumbs off the rich man’s table, which he fed to his dogs. Eventually they both die, and we discover that Lazarus is carried to Abraham’s side by the angels while the rich man found himself in Hades.
But Jesus goes further to describe what Hades was like for this rich man, who once had everything he wanted and now was eternally separated from the Lord. Jesus used words like torment, anguish, and flame to describe the experience of Hell. Further, Jesus says that there is a chasm separating Heaven and Hell that is uncross-able and eternal. Additionally, the expressions “unquenchable fire”, “furnace of fire”, “outer darkness”, “eternal fire”, “lake of fire”, and “the lake that burns with fire and brimstone” are used in Matthew, Mark, and Revelation to describe the environment of Hell. 9 Another strong passage that demands an understanding of the eternality of Hell and one’s presence there once sent is Jesus’ words when he says “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”. 10 Now that we have an understanding of the terms used, their meanings and that within the Old Testament, we have set the stage for diving into the history and two main views of the concept of Hell.
Over the centuries, differing views have come to the forefront of Christian thought while others
faded. Additionally, there have been views that though not as prominent as others, have been
recognized and found to have support as well. This paper however is more concerned with the two
main views concerning the nature of Hell within the Protestant Evangelical Christian faith. The main
question that is sought to be answered, as alluded to previously, is whether the punishment of Hell is
eternal in duration or in consequence. We approach the debate in this case with 11 the understanding
that Hell itself is a reality, that it is a real place for a real purpose and real people.
Before diving into the two main views within the Christian faith, perhaps it would do us well to
understand that there are three additional views regarding Hell that fall outside the realm of Christianity,
and are thus unbiblical regardless of the “support” they may claim in Scripture. The first is Universalism, which holds that eventually everyone will come to be saved either in this life or the next. 12 This view was largely developed and taught by Origin in the early Church, and has been supported by more recent individuals such as Karl Barth, C.H. Dodd, and John A.T. Robinson. 13 A second unbiblical view is Reincarnation, which believes that an individual is “reborn” on earth and that they then pay for past sins through situations encountered in their new life. This view rejects the belief in a final judgment. The third is called Naturalistic, and believes that there is no standard 14 by which one should be judged. This in turn rejects the need for Hell or Salvation, excusing any responsibility for our actions, and placing it in stark contrast to the Bible. 15 Regarding these three views, they are unbiblical as they minimize or altogether reject the need for Christ’s work upon the cross and the responsibility of the individual for their actions and choices in this life.
With a basic understanding of these three unbiblical views, we can now begin to explain the first
main view. While this understanding of Hell continues to grow and is held by many believers, I would
propose that it too is unbiblical like the others mentioned previously. This view is known well as
Annihilation, or The Wicked Shall Be No More. This view simply says that the punishment of the
wicked is everlasting in consequence, not duration. 16
Traditionally this view has not been held by Evangelicals, but rather such groups as Seventh Day
Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. 17 But as mentioned, today it has become a more popular view
among Evangelical Christians. They state first that the main issue with the traditional view (of which wewill discuss next) is that it is rooted in a “Hellenistic philosophy” which generally viewed the human soul
as immortal. 18 With that, they report that the early church fathers read into the Scripture a belief that
the wicked suffer unending torment, leading to their conclusion (and in turn became the Traditional
View) that humans were eternal in spirit thus suffering eternal duration of punishment.
The support of this view is mainly a refutation of the Traditional View, leaning more towards a
“than by exegetical considerations”. With regards to Scripture, they claim such as 19 passages referring
to an “unquenchable fire” and “undying worm” teach that the wicked will inevitably be eternally destroyed after they suffer justly for their sins; however, their suffering will only be for a time and not eternal. 20 While this view uses several Scriptures to support their view, as Pinnock stated himself, the conclusions of these passages are reflections of poor exegesis. For example, one verse this view uses is Matthew 10:28 which reads,
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The Annihilationist View claims that this passage teaches the God will do to the souls of the wicked,
what humans do to the body when they kill it. In other words, the souls of the wicked will not go on
existing in a conscious state just as the body will cease to exist. 21 As mentioned, this view is incorrect
and displays poor exegesis. First, the word “destroy” used here is the Greek assir, which is
transliterated “captive, prisoner”. 22 Secondly, Jesus used the Greek word geenna in this passage for
“hell”, and we know from earlier this is transliterated as “Gehenna”. We know that this place, also
called the “Valley of Hinnom” was a real place, associated with wickedness and filth in ancient Israel.23
What Jesus was communicating in this passage, as opposed to the Annihilationist View claims, is that there is a real place in which the wicked will be kept “captive” eternally, not destroyed as a surface study of the text might lead one to believe. This same method is neglected with other passages as well used to defend their position. When one takes the time to examine the Scripture properly, with correct exegesis, a clear understanding comes forth that contradicts the teaching of the Annihilationist View. The correct view is our next focus.
After reviewing the first view, it is now time we turn our focus to a more Biblical and traditional
understanding of Hell. This view is recognized within Evangelical Christianity as The Classical View,
also known as The Unending Torment of the Wicked. This has been the traditional view of the Church
regarding Hell, and simply holds that “the wicked will be cast into hell, where they will experience unending suffering”. In regard to the terms used previously, this view argues that 24 the punishment of Hell is eternal in duration, not just simply consequence. Many supports are given to this view, both logically and Scripturally. With regard to Scripture, this view strives to exegete the Scripture properly, not allowing emotion to guide the interpretation. In defense of their view and refutation of the Annihilationists the Classical View raises several pointed questions that challenge the logic behind the opposing argument. One is the question of how the wicked could experience shame and contempt eternally as described in many of the passages noted
earlier, if they are not eternally conscious. Often, when the torment of the wicked is 25 expressed it is in
contrast to the eternal joy of the righteous. This view argues that this logically concludes that the wicked are consciously and eternally tormented in duration. To sum this up, it has been stated that “If the state of eternal life is an eternal state of consciousness, the state of punishment must also be one of eternal consciousness. ...hell cannot simply be eternal in consequence, as annihilationists teach.” 26
This view also adds to its defense Romans 2:89, concluding that for the anguish and torment described here to be experienced one must be conscious, in turn implying that Hell itself is a conscious state. Additionally, other teachings from Jesus in the Scripture clearly indicate that Hell is an eternally conscious state both in nature and duration, not just simply consequence. 27
Perhaps the biggest issue with the opposing view is the idea that we as humans have the correct standard of fairness and we then judge God based on this standard, concluding arrogantly that God would not be so cruel as to subject people to eternal torment in duration. But we must step back, as the Classical View does, and recognize that our minds and understanding is finite and incapable of fully fathoming and understanding the purposes or reasons of God. Regardless of this though, one can find the logic in the truth presented in the Classical View if they only look. We understand logically that a criminal should pay for their crime, and if they cease to consciously exist their crimes cannot be atoned for and in conclusion justice is not served. This same logic applies to Hell. Sin against God is infinite, because God is infinite; that is deserving of an infinite punishment. 28
One final note regarding this view before moving on; it proclaims that the images of Hell
described in Scripture should not be taken literally, as they tend to contradict themselves (e.g. being a
place of “outer darkness” while simultaneously being filled with eternal fire). Rather, the purpose of the description is to “convey the truth that to fall under the judgment of God and to miss out on the joy of heaven are the worst things imaginable.” 29
regarding the doctrine of Hell in light of Scripture, proper exegesis and logic. I conclude with a view very much in line with that of the Classical View, as I firmly believe that logically and Scripturally Hell is an eternal conscious state both in nature and duration. To conclude that Hell is only eternal in
consequence and not duration seems to contradict a proper exegesis of Scripture dealing with this issue.
I also believe that this is an important issue for the Church to address truthfully, as Jesus gave much
attention to it Himself. What we have today however, are churches who are more concerned withnumbers and popularity, and in turn “sugarcoat” or altogether ignore the truth of Hell and calling sinners to conviction for their sin. They would rather give them earthly comfort by telling them that either they will all end up in heaven, or that those who will not will only suffer a short time if at all. These however are nothing but lies from Satan, and fly in the face of our Holy and Just God who requires atonement for sin whether that be through His Son Jesus Christ or our own willful torment for eternity in Hell.
I believe that while the images expressed in Scripture may not be literal, they still give us a
gripping mental and emotional image of the agony and torment those who reside in Hell will suffer. As Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church has said in regard to teaching on Hell, “My job is to tell the truth, your job is to make a choice. Not making a choice is making a choice.” 30 My job as a believer in Jesus Christ is to tell the truth, and this includes the truth of Hell. If you do not believe that Jesus took your place upon the cross in death, taking on your sin to satisfy a Holy and Just God, you will reside in Hell. There is only One way and One God. Jesus Christ was not just a “good teacher”, He was the Creator and Savior of His creation. And we will be held accountable before God for the choice we make regarding Him. What is yours?
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1 Edward W. Goodrick and John R. Kohlenberger III, The Strongest Niv Exhaustive Concordance
(strongest Strong's), Supersaver ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2004), 1537.
(strongest Strong's), Supersaver ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2004), 1537.
2 Ibid., 1524.
3 Ibid., 1596.
4 Elwell, Walter A., ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker
Academic, 2001), 547548.
5 Ibid., 547.
6 Ibid., 548.
7 Elwell, Walter A., ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker
Academic, 2001), 931932.
8 Luke 16:1931
9 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Rev. and expanded. ed. (Chicago: Moody
Publishers, 2008), 394.
10 Matthew 25:46
11 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical
Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 281.
12 Ibid.
13 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Rev. and expanded. ed. (Chicago: Moody
Publishers, 2008), 395.
14 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical
Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 281.
15 Ibid.
16 Ibid., 282.
17 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Rev. and expanded. ed. (Chicago: Moody
18 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical
Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 286.
19 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Rev. and expanded. ed. (Chicago: Moody
Publishers, 2008), 395.20 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical
Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 287.
21 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical
Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 289.
22 Edward W. Goodrick and John R. Kohlenberger III, The Strongest Niv Exhaustive Concordance
(strongest Strong's), Supersaver ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2004), 706.
23 J.D. Douglas et al., The New International Dictionary of the Bible, Pictorial ed. (Grand Rapids,
MI, U.S.A.: Zondervan, 1999), 377378.
24 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical
Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 281.
25 Ibid., 282.
26 Ibid., 283.
27 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical
Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 283.
28 Ibid., 284285.
29 Ibid, 285.
30 Mark Driscoll, “Luke's Gospel: Investigating the Man Who Is God, Heaven and Hell,” Mars Hill
Church, http://marshill.com/media/luke/heavenandhell(accessed May 10, 2013).
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