Paul never mentioned hell, even once, why do people believe that he believed in it? (salvation, grace)

[LoveWisdom]

Can anyone tell me?

Surely he would have mentioned it at least once if he believed in it? I mean it's such a big deal and it's so important to prevent people from going into it, right?

He only mentioned that the "wrath of God is about to fall on people of the earth".

And this was referring to the wrath of God of the last days (the one described in Revelation). Paul said "it's about to fall" becasue he believed that he lived in the last days. And he even said something like there was no time to get married, as though he believed that he lived in the last days and Jesus was coming soon and there was no time to live a normal life. People needed to focus on preparing themselves and serving God.


John also believed that Jesus was coming soon. That's why he said: "See, I am coming soon" (as though Jesus said that). Christians see that the promise did not come true. So they have to find an explanation. So the explanation is this: "soon" in God's time could be thousands of years. Well, that's one explanation.
But another one is that John simply believed that Jesus was coming soon, for real. And he wrote what he believed. And Paul believed it also. And then Christians of every decade probably believed it also. Each time something major happens, they would have this feeling that maybe the end is near now.

And so when Paul said: in the last days people will be so and so, he was actually referring to his own last days. I did wonder about that before. I thought: why would Paul say that people like this are only in the last days? As far as I know, people were like that always. But it made sense from Paul's perspective to write that because he wasn't thinking about the entire human time period and comparing how people were. He just saw all this 'bad" stuff in his current day people and wrote that: look what this would came to (at the end of it).

[Horn of ‘83]

Paul's letters were to believers.

[Cephas40]

This sounds Preterist Universalist.

[LoveWisdom]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

Paul's letters were to believers.

He did warn believers of dangers of falling away. How come he never told them directly: if you fall away, you're going to hell, so be especially careful...

[LoveWisdom]

Originally Posted by Pastor Al

This sounds Preterist Universalist.

If preterist universalist is a person who reads the Bible, doesn't find the thing there that everyone is talking about and says: hey, where is that again? Then yes, I am.

[Cephas40]

Originally Posted by Pastor Al

This sounds Preterist Universalist.

Here are some things Paul dd say;
Romans 5:8,9 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be SAVED FROM WRATH through him."

Ephesians 2:3-6 says, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature THE CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

Ephesians 5:5,6 says, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh THE WRATH OF GOD upon the children of disobedience."

I Thessalonians 1:9,10 says, "For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from THE WRATH TO COME."

I Thessalonians 5:8,9 says, "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH, BUT TO OBTAIN SALVATION by our Lord Jesus Christ."

While Paul may not have said the word "hell" directly he certainly did infer it.

In regards to Jesus second coming Jesus own words in Matthew 24, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,f but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

It's not that the promise never came true, it's that it has not yet come true.

[Horn of ‘83]

Originally Posted by LoveWisdom

He did warn believers of dangers of falling away. How come he never told them directly: if you fall away, you're going to hell, so be especially careful...

Once saved, always saved.

[const_iterator]

The Bible has a strange phenomenon of authors being totally unfamiliar with concepts that are a cornerstone of the religion on which the Bible is based.

[Horn of ‘83]

Originally Posted by const_iterator

The Bible has a strange phenomenon of authors being totally unfamiliar with concepts that are a cornerstone of the religion on which the Bible is based.

Huh? Explain.

[LuminousTruth]

Originally Posted by jimmiej

Huh? Explain.

I think he means things such as the gospels not being familiar of the concept of salvation through faith alone (deathbed convesion or converted but still a sinner) but instead purports "what you do to the least of these." Or the OT writers saying wisdom is a venerable lady, but the NT saying that it's good that the religion can't be distinguished from irrational foolishness. Or Paul writting that the Spirit gives life but the Letter killeth and people still being Bible litteralists even with his Epistels (letters).

Probably things of that nature.