To Hell with Hell!? (Does Hell really exist in Christianity?) (gospels, faith)
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Interesting thoughts and descriptions given.
The Indian subcontinent (South Asia) , the cremation and burning of dead bodies is also standard practice.
This normally has to be done pronto too.
The notion of an eternal Hell obviously does not sit well with many Christians groups.
It’s always hard to justify an infinite punishment, for what are usually finite crimes.
Equal punishment for equal crime. Hell fire does Not fit that description.
Biblical hell ends up gone in that symbolic 'second death '- Revelation 20:13-14.
The Bible's hell is simply the temporary stone-cold grave for the sleeping dead until Resurrection Day. - John 6:40,44
This is why Jesus and the OT both teach 'sleep' in death - Psalm 115:17; Isaiah 38:18; Ecclesiastes 9:5; John 11:11-14
The oldest Christian manuscripts (epistles & gospels) do not contain any specific word that could be accurately translated into the European conception of 'Hell'. In the oldest manuscripts (written in Koine Greek) there are four words that often get translated into 'Hell' for European New Testament translations, and those words are:
-Sheol
-Gehenna
-Tartarus
-Hades
To the ancient Hebrews, Sheol was a resting place where everyone's soul was to go to after they died. Sometimes it is also translated as simply 'the grave'.
For the Hebrews, Gehenna was a place where the wicked go (after death) to be purified of their sins for a period of time (Some Jewish sources say for no longer than 12 months). Gehenna was also an actual place outside of Jerusalem were the dead were cremated and criminals were executed.
Tartarus comes from Greek mythology and refers to the deepest region of the underworld, where the Gods locked up their enemies, such as Titans, or locked up wicked people for punishment.
Hades is also derived from ancient Greek mythology and refers to the 'God of the Underworld'. Hades is also sometimes loosely used to described the entire underworld.
These are the four concepts that get combined and then translated into what modern Christians know of as "Hell". Keeping this in mind, does Hell really exist?
What the Bible teaches is nothing survives death. The famous, infamous, rich, poor, righteous and unrighteous all had the same end.
Resurrection, however, is the key.
There is a resurrection for some to heaven as immortal (Jesus was the "first fruit" of such a resurrection).
For others its a resurrection on earth. Paul wrote of a resurrection of not only the righteous but also the unrighteous and he wrote that it was his hope as well as the hope of his contemporaries. Hope in the Bible is a positive so the resurrection of the unrighteous will be a positive for them. An opportunity to gain everlasting life.
In Revelation we learn what Gehenna is. It is the second death. The lake of fire is symbolic as death is thrown into it. Death obviously is not a person so we should reason that the lake of fire is not a literal place but it represents something. It represents non existence. Death will eventually be no more, Satan will eventually be no more. Resurrection does not apply to those who experience the second death.
Hell as how many understand it (eternal torment) has little basis in the Bible. So much so that even conservative evangelicals are realizing what it means and what it doesnt mean.
"A lot of these images of hellfire and damnation are actually pagan images which the Middle Ages picks up again and kind of wallows in."-https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nt-wright-christian-heaven-is-wrong_n_1524117
What the Bible teaches is nothing survives death. The famous, infamous, rich, poor, righteous and unrighteous all had the same end.
Resurrection, however, is the key.
There is a resurrection for some to heaven as immortal (Jesus was the "first fruit" of such a resurrection).
For others its a resurrection on earth. Paul wrote of a resurrection of not only the righteous but also the unrighteous and he wrote that it was his hope as well as the hope of his contemporaries. Hope in the Bible is a positive so the resurrection of the unrighteous will be a positive for them. An opportunity to gain everlasting life.
In Revelation we learn what Gehenna is. It is the second death. The lake of fire is symbolic as death is thrown into it. Death obviously is not a person so we should reason that the lake of fire is not a literal place but it represents something. It represents non existence. Death will eventually be no more, Satan will eventually be no more. Resurrection does not apply to those who experience the second death.
Hell as how many understand it (eternal torment) has little basis in the Bible. So much so that even conservative evangelicals are realizing what it means and what it doesnt mean.
"A lot of these images of hellfire and damnation are actually pagan images which the Middle Ages picks up again and kind of wallows in."-https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nt-wright-christian-heaven-is-wrong_n_1524117
Well you are certainly correct on this one.
Nobody has survived death, no matter how rich or influential they are.
Unless they are divine, which none of us are, bar Christ Himself.
David Koresh said he was the 2nd Coming of Christ, but even he perished too.
The “second death” is the confusing concept to most people.
Dying once seems like enough. Twice is double the dose.
Jesus was Jewish and the Jewish belief is that hell is temporary and a correction of sins. The absolute maximum anyone can be in hell is a year. According to the belief.
You can't handle the toll roads of Secaucus, New Jersey for 12 little bitty months?
You'd be surprised. Try it! Don't say I didn't warn you.
I would. But I'm here in Nth QLD Australia and it's a long drive!
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To Hell with Hell!? (Does Hell really exist in Christianity?)
