I typically do not write about hell, its a topic I have avoided, I’ve always had a very traditional view on it. Its real, its hot, no one wants to go there. But I will take a blank slate approach to Hell by looking at what Jesus said about the topic.
Jesus And Hell
Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that every who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good for nothing,’ shall be guilty before the Supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Strongs G1067 Geenna, of Hebrew origin H1516 valley of Hinnom, a valley in Jerusalem used figuratively for the place of everlasting punishment.
Matthew 5:29 and 23:15 and Mark 9:43-47 if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it our and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
Strongs G1067 Geenna
Matthew 10:28 and Luke 12:5 do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; buy rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Strongs G1067 Geenna
Matthew 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Strongs G1067 Geenna
Matthew 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
G1067 Geenna
In every case above Jesus used the word Geenna which was a figurative word for the place of everlasting punishment. I am not going to propose that hell is not a real place I simply have not studied it enough to change my belief about it.
But what I find most fascinating in these verse above is the time when Jesus aggressively addressed the Pharisees. As these devoutly religious men, came out to see him, as far as Jesus was concerned they were already under the sentence of hell. It’s as if they were coming near to their escape of this sentence as they approached Jesus Christ. Jesus’ sharp rebuke was merciful, he was trying wake them up so to speak.
Could it be that humanity, dead in our sin without Jesus Christ is already sentenced to eternal punishment (hell). Eternal because we are eternal beings and punishment by virtue of the distance of God. Perhaps hell is not a future event because Jesus already passed sentence and we are carrying out our sentence now.
Could it be that life without Jesus Christ is itself “hell”. And that the brief glimpses of goodness and joy and peace we encounter in our earthly life are really glimpses of Jesus Christ? Like the Pharisees we (humanity without Christ) periodically comes close to escape.
And for some of us, those of us whom the father can reveal his son to, are able to escape the sentence of hell and join in the new humanity? The new Adam Jesus Christ being formed and on display in the earth?
Think about it. The terms Jesus and hell may be synonymous to ‘life and death’ or ‘born again and dead in sins.’
May Syncroblog
This post is part of the May Synchroblog, in which numerous bloggers around the world write about the same topic on the same day. Links to the other contributors are below. If you enjoyed my article, you will also enjoy reading what they have to say about the topic of hell.
- An Investigation into the Biblical Concept of Hell – Justin Steckbauer
- To Hell and Back – Soulcare Ministries
- The HELL You Say! – Nathan Jennings
- Forbidden Fruit = Hell’s Flames – Michael Wilson
- How long does hell last? – K.W. Leslie
- The problem of those unable to Love, or the question of hell as a reality – Bram Cools
- Hell No! – Mike Edwards
- Five Misconceptions about Annihilationism – Wesley Rostoll
- Knowing Who You Trust – Tim Nichols
- Heretic (Belated) Fridays – Bradley Jersak – Her Gates Will Never Be Shut – Scott Sloan
- Hell – A Place of Passionate Desire – Alan Stevens
- Christians Should Go to Hell – Jeremy Myers
- Oh, Hell, NO! – Liz Dyer
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