Scott, thank you for your words and for quoting words of other theologians who have spoken and written on this very heady subject. Your article will help me articulate in a clearer and more concise way to unbelievers and believers who struggle with this topic.
I read this piece carefully. Spotted several jumps in logic and holes in the framing your argument.
I laud your effort tackling this thorny theological issue, as you similarly did in a previous piece, where you tried to make sense of following Christian assertion: God is love. God is sovereign. Evil exists.
There is a channel on YouTube, The Friendly Atheist, which has been running a video celebrating the death of John MacArthur. Watch that video. Read those comments. There you see what minds who reject Jesus Christ become. You see the hatred and contempt for God and for us which they have. If you doubt the justice of God in sending His enemies to Hell, you'll have a hard time in continuing in that doubt after you watch the video and read the comments.
Remember: Jesus Christ died for them as He did for us. They spit on Him and us and clearly would kill us if they could.
I agree when you said "Love without justice is sentimentality; justice without love is cruelty."
However, God sends nobody to an everlasting punishment in "hell" for that would be totally unjust and unloving.
Those who choose to live the way of sin die forever, they do not burn in an everlasting hell.
The wages of sin is death, it is not eternal life in hell.
Christ told us plainly that the soul is not eternal, that it can be DESTROYED in hell, it does not live forever:
And do not fear those (people) who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him (God) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt 10:28)
You can search the scriptures and you will never find the term "immortal soul", what we see is that the only one who is immortal is God:
For He in His own time will reveal who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, WHO ALONE HAS IMMORTALITY, dwelling in light which cannot be approached, whom no one of men have seen, nor can see; to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
(1Tim 6:15-16)
We humans are mortal, there is nothing immortal in us, including our soul, for we must put on immortality:
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and when this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the word that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory".
(1Co 15:53-54)
You can attempt to justify this doctrine of burning hell all you like with your philosophy, but you are justifying unbiblical teaching.
Read the scriptures and you will see that the doctrine of Hell is a doctrine of men, as is the doctrine of the immortality of the soul upon which it is based:
"This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
(Mat 15:8-9)
What really happens after death is not too complex, as scripture tells us plainly that we will all have the chance to choose to live eternally or to die eternally:
Would appreciate your thoughts about the millions - both past and present - who have no chance of hearing the gospel. Many in cultures with absolutely no possibility of learning of our God. Why would a loving God allow the creation of so many who will be lost with no hope of redemption? Is there another path to heaven besides faith in Jesus?
Because you are asking this question, you have heard the gospel. This means you do not personally know anybody with “no chance” to hear it - because you could and should declare it to all you know. And many are called to join the circles of unreached people - minimally through prayer but also through challenging and risky missions. So why would you choose to focus on the academic but unprovable supposed plan of God for others, when you know what His path is for you? As far as you and I are aware in Scripture, Jesus is absolutely the only path. (John 14:6). Join forces with the living God to spread His good news, and trust His plan and His will over your own understanding. (Prov. 3:5)
Do you think God cares less about them than you do? It seems to me that while a Christian doesn't need to be a Calvinist to be orthodox, it's impossible for one who acquires maturity in himself and awareness of what human beings are not to be at least Calvinistic. I'm seventy - three, and have yet to hear of the soul filled with anguish because he couldn't find God despite his desperate strivings. Humanity by nature does everything it can to avoid God. C.S. Lewis, no Calvinist, understood that "every conversion is a Blessed defeat."
Hell won't be filled with victims who stumbled their way there because they lacked spiritual potential the way I could never draw, and could do no more about it than any of us can do anything about an innate quality. The Prince of the Power of the Air loves to deceive, but Hell won't be filled with people who were deceived into it, either. They may have been deceived, but if so it wasn't without consent at some level of their souls.
The last thing I want is to be glib about this. Two human qualities which have no place in any consideration of the topic are suavity and nonchalance. I am extremely interested in arguments that Hell is extinction, that The Lake of Fire isn't symbolic but real, that the damned are catapulted into it and in their final moments must live with the awareness that they missed the purpose of their creation, and that it was their abhorrence of The One who made and died for them which got them there.
As awful as that is, the possibility that it could be true is less appalling than the the normal orthodox view. I just don't think sound Bible exegesis makes it plausible.
But again, do you think that God who loves them and in Jesus died for them cares less about them than you do? And do you yourself witness to people as you can?
Thank you for this, it was refreshing to read. This is such a hard doctrine, bringing so many emotions and so much baggage with it as well. Thank you for your faithful, Scriptural, gentle but clear writing on this.
Good Job Scott!
Scott, thank you for your words and for quoting words of other theologians who have spoken and written on this very heady subject. Your article will help me articulate in a clearer and more concise way to unbelievers and believers who struggle with this topic.
Scott,
I read this piece carefully. Spotted several jumps in logic and holes in the framing your argument.
I laud your effort tackling this thorny theological issue, as you similarly did in a previous piece, where you tried to make sense of following Christian assertion: God is love. God is sovereign. Evil exists.
There is a channel on YouTube, The Friendly Atheist, which has been running a video celebrating the death of John MacArthur. Watch that video. Read those comments. There you see what minds who reject Jesus Christ become. You see the hatred and contempt for God and for us which they have. If you doubt the justice of God in sending His enemies to Hell, you'll have a hard time in continuing in that doubt after you watch the video and read the comments.
Remember: Jesus Christ died for them as He did for us. They spit on Him and us and clearly would kill us if they could.
I agree when you said "Love without justice is sentimentality; justice without love is cruelty."
However, God sends nobody to an everlasting punishment in "hell" for that would be totally unjust and unloving.
Those who choose to live the way of sin die forever, they do not burn in an everlasting hell.
The wages of sin is death, it is not eternal life in hell.
Christ told us plainly that the soul is not eternal, that it can be DESTROYED in hell, it does not live forever:
And do not fear those (people) who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him (God) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt 10:28)
You can search the scriptures and you will never find the term "immortal soul", what we see is that the only one who is immortal is God:
For He in His own time will reveal who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, WHO ALONE HAS IMMORTALITY, dwelling in light which cannot be approached, whom no one of men have seen, nor can see; to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
(1Tim 6:15-16)
We humans are mortal, there is nothing immortal in us, including our soul, for we must put on immortality:
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and when this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the word that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory".
(1Co 15:53-54)
You can attempt to justify this doctrine of burning hell all you like with your philosophy, but you are justifying unbiblical teaching.
Read the scriptures and you will see that the doctrine of Hell is a doctrine of men, as is the doctrine of the immortality of the soul upon which it is based:
"This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
(Mat 15:8-9)
What really happens after death is not too complex, as scripture tells us plainly that we will all have the chance to choose to live eternally or to die eternally:
https://friendswithgod.substack.com/t/life-after-death
Thank you for putting this in terms that are easier to convey to others. I appreciate you.
thank you for this excellent perspective, at the end of the day - God gave us the ability to choose and he honours that -
Would appreciate your thoughts about the millions - both past and present - who have no chance of hearing the gospel. Many in cultures with absolutely no possibility of learning of our God. Why would a loving God allow the creation of so many who will be lost with no hope of redemption? Is there another path to heaven besides faith in Jesus?
Because you are asking this question, you have heard the gospel. This means you do not personally know anybody with “no chance” to hear it - because you could and should declare it to all you know. And many are called to join the circles of unreached people - minimally through prayer but also through challenging and risky missions. So why would you choose to focus on the academic but unprovable supposed plan of God for others, when you know what His path is for you? As far as you and I are aware in Scripture, Jesus is absolutely the only path. (John 14:6). Join forces with the living God to spread His good news, and trust His plan and His will over your own understanding. (Prov. 3:5)
Do you think God cares less about them than you do? It seems to me that while a Christian doesn't need to be a Calvinist to be orthodox, it's impossible for one who acquires maturity in himself and awareness of what human beings are not to be at least Calvinistic. I'm seventy - three, and have yet to hear of the soul filled with anguish because he couldn't find God despite his desperate strivings. Humanity by nature does everything it can to avoid God. C.S. Lewis, no Calvinist, understood that "every conversion is a Blessed defeat."
Hell won't be filled with victims who stumbled their way there because they lacked spiritual potential the way I could never draw, and could do no more about it than any of us can do anything about an innate quality. The Prince of the Power of the Air loves to deceive, but Hell won't be filled with people who were deceived into it, either. They may have been deceived, but if so it wasn't without consent at some level of their souls.
The last thing I want is to be glib about this. Two human qualities which have no place in any consideration of the topic are suavity and nonchalance. I am extremely interested in arguments that Hell is extinction, that The Lake of Fire isn't symbolic but real, that the damned are catapulted into it and in their final moments must live with the awareness that they missed the purpose of their creation, and that it was their abhorrence of The One who made and died for them which got them there.
As awful as that is, the possibility that it could be true is less appalling than the the normal orthodox view. I just don't think sound Bible exegesis makes it plausible.
But again, do you think that God who loves them and in Jesus died for them cares less about them than you do? And do you yourself witness to people as you can?
Thank you for this, it was refreshing to read. This is such a hard doctrine, bringing so many emotions and so much baggage with it as well. Thank you for your faithful, Scriptural, gentle but clear writing on this.
I echo the sentiments of Ben’s comments. Thanks Scott.