The Christadelphian view is broadly similar to the Jehovah's Witness view, except for the fact that it teaches the belief that the resurrected will be judged for how they lived their lives before the resurrection. Imagine the predicament of one who both knows that God is the great love of his life, and that he has turned irreversably away from this love. They also hold that Hell is not an eternal place and that the descriptions of it as "eternal" or "unquenchable" does not mean that the fire will never go out. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. He was, of course, doing nothing of the sort. Beliefs concerning the nature and duration of hell are considered theologoumena, or theological opinions, rather than dogmas of the Church. It is unclear whether those in outer darkness will ultimately be redeemed. 31:15), a place of darkness, silence and forgetfulness (cf. [1] Theologians today generally see Hell as the logical consequence of using free will to reject union with God and, because God will not force conformity, it is not incompatible with God's justice and mercy.[1]. Get updates from Theology in the Raw delivered straight to your inbox. snuffed out in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:15) and cease to exist for all eternity. This separation is stark, with no explicit provision made for fine gradations of merit or guilt:[24]. And they are different. [35] Paul Evdokimov stated: "Hell is nothing else but separation of man from God, his autonomy excluding him from the place where God is present. The simplest is simply some lake of fire where people flop around screaming for eternity, the more complex views vary. It's the start of a busy day for me.... Social trust is the glue that holds society together. Icons based on The Ladder of Divine Ascent, by Saint John Climacus, show monks ascending a thirty-rung ladder to Heaven represented by Christ, or succumbing to the arrows of demons and falling from the ladder into Hell, sometimes represented by an open-jawed dragon. Synonym Discussion of torment. Rev. He certainly was not denying that it is a place, but instead was shifting our focus to the real essence of hell—what the term 'hell' truly indicates—the self-chosen separation from God. Fourth, there are a few references to “everlasting fire” connected with judgment passages (Matt 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7). Therefore, the eternal conscious torment view involves unconditional preservation of … "Hell is the natural consequence of a life lived apart from God. Rev. Rev. Those who remain selfish and self-centered with a hardened heart, closed to God's love, will not see the glory of God in this life. Maybe pink bunnies would turn blue if I held them underwater for more than 7 minutes. 2. The existence of hell, as the everlasting abode of the devils and those human beings who have died in the state of mortal sin, is a defined dogma of the Catholic Church" (Baker, "Fundamentals of Catholicism" (1983), volume 3, p. 371). Prominent evangelical theologians who have adopted conditionalist beliefs include John Wenham, Edward Fudge, Clark Pinnock, Greg Boyd,[93] and John Stott (although the last has described himself as an "agnostic" on the issue of annihilationism). By refusing communion with God, he becomes a predator, condemning himself to a spiritual death (hell) more dreadful than the physical death that derives from it. Many proponents of annihilationism understand death to mean the cessation of existence, especially conscious existence. However, they will see God's glory eventually, but as an eternal and consuming fire and outer darkness. As to "eternal conscious torment", there are a lot of differing views on it. The basic meaning is that those who go to hell will hold on to their rejection of God and will suffer for their choice. Some Recent Podcast Interviews with Michael Bird. 9:18, Prov. Those who believe in terminal punishment very much agree that there will be suffering and punishment in hell. But it is uncertain where the place is" Addis & Arnold (eds). A moral objection to eternal conscious torment (ECT) is that if sinners are tormented in hell for all eternity (or, to be more precise, the lake of fire), then God’s justice is never satisfied. Notice that there are five necessary elements to the traditional view of hell: a place in the afterlife, At all events the doctrine of conscious, eternal torment for impenitent men is clearly revealed in the Word of God. Annihilationism is the belief that unredeemed souls will be “annihilated,” i.e. 2:5, Gen. 37:35, Gen. 42:38, Gen. 44:29, Gen. 44:31, I Sam. Some thought that the Pope, in the statement quoted above, was denying that Hell is a place in this sense. According to ACUTE some Protestants[89] agree with Augustine that people in these categories will be damned to hell for original sin, while others believe that God will make an exception in these cases.[23]. To say that eternal conscious torment is immoral by nature is an opinion. They define "Gehenna" as eternal destruction or the "second death", which is reserved for those with no opportunity of a resurrection such as those who will be destroyed at Armageddon. Apart from one use in James 3:6, this term is found exclusively in the synoptic gospels. "Eternal judgment" does not mean that the judging will last forever, but that its outcome will. It is the final destiny of every person who does not receive salvation, where they will be punished for their sins. According to the saints, the "fire" that will consume sinners at the coming of the Kingdom of God is the same "fire" that will shine with splendor in the saints. 5:5, Prov. Are the people who are tormented all the wicked who are in hell, or just a subset of the wicked who “worships the beast and its image and receives the mark” on their foreheads? 5:30, Matt. I don’t know. Yes. "[71], In his book, Inventing Hell, Catholic writer and historian Jon M. Sweeney is critical of the ways that Christians have appropriated Dante's vision and images of hell. Is this talking about some great rebellion during the first century, or during an end-time tribulation? [25][28] For one who hates God and by extension hates himself as God's image-bearer, to be encompassed by the divine presence could only result in unspeakable anguish. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. A minority of Protestants believe in the doctrine of conditional immortality,[90] which teaches that those sent to hell will not experience eternal conscious punishment, but instead will be extinguished or annihilated after a period of "limited conscious punishment". The realm of eternal punishment in Hellenistic mythology was Tartarus, Hades was a form of limbo for the unjudged dead. [51], Traditionally in the past Hell has been spoken of or considered as a place. The Greek word "everlasting" there is the adjective aionion, which is related to the noun, aion meaning "age". ", http://www.tentmaker.org/books/InFavorCh20.html, http://godfire.net/eby/saviour_of_the_world.html, https://www.adventistreview.org/forever-and-ever, https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/how-long-does-hell-burn. Different Hebrew and Greek words are translated as "Hell" in most English-language Bibles. Each of the other two theories, fully taught, says … An interaction with theological, cultural, biblical, and political issues with scholarly bite but in layman's language. Rev. How to Live by the Indwelling Life of Christ Click here to... Critical Race Theory Examined and Analyzed. Rev. It is the presence of God's splendid glory and love that is the scourge of those who reject its radiant power and light. [17][18][19] Gehenna is most frequently described as a place of punishment (e.g., Matthew 5:22, Matthew 18:8-9; Mark 9:43-49); other passages mention darkness and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (e.g., Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13). Question: What’s going to happen to the ungodly according to Peter? During various Marian apparitions, such as those at Fatima or at Kibeho, the visionaries claimed that the Virgin Mary during the course of the visions showed them a view of hell where sinners were suffering. Conscious definition, aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc. "Hell is traditionally considered a literal place of eternal torture, but the Pope has also described hell as the condition of pain that results from alienation from God, a thing of one's own doing, not an actual place. [42], And since a place is assigned to souls in keeping with their reward or punishment, as soon as the soul is set free from the body it is either plunged into hell or soars to heaven, unless it be held back by some debt, for which its flight must needs be delayed until the soul is first of all cleansed. Second, Revelation 14:9-11 also seems to suggest never ending torment: And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Sometimes venial sin, though needing first of all to be cleansed, is an obstacle to the receiving of the reward; the result being that the reward is delayed. This destruction is sometimes seen as accomplished by fire, and sometimes it is preceded by a period of conscious anguish and suffering before it is … Church and ministry leadership resources to better equip, train and provide ideas for today's church and ministry leaders, like you. God made hell to punish the devils or bad angels, and all who die in mortal sin. In my previous post, I summarized some of the strongest biblical arguments in favor of terminal punishmen t. In this post, I want to summarize the best arguments for eternal conscious torment (ECT)—the traditional view of hell where the wicked will experience never-ending punishment. It’s the ONLY verse in the entire Bible where we find the word “eternal” beside the word “punishment”. However, some still assume that if there is torment in Hades, there must also be never ending torment in hell. No verse in the Bible gives an expository description of what hell is or what it's about. Jude 5-7, for instance, reads: Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Tartaro One other words used for hell, Tartaro, or Tartarus in English, from Greek Myth. [18], Apart from the use of the term gehenna (translated as "Hell" or "Hell fire" in most English translations of the Bible; sometimes transliterated, or translated differently)[20][21][22] the Johannine writings refer to the destiny of the wicked in terms of "perishing", "death" and "condemnation" or "judgment". No verse actually says that. Think of it like a mortgage—at some point, you pay it off and satisfy the debt. What they mean by this, of course, is that, consciously or subconsciously, ... not the language of eternal conscious torment, not the language of “eternal separation from God,” not the language of “ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being,” but the language of destruction. (Matthew 8:21, et al.) The position which I will defend in this essay is what is sometimes referred to as the traditional, or eternal conscious torment, position (hereafter, ECT). If you believe in Hell (as eternal conscious torment) and God, how do you reconcile them? The last part: Hades, a place of conscious torment ; jumped out to me almost automatically that we are talking about a “DUALITY” with the opposites of Lazarus and the rich man.. during life the rich man lived a lavish life but in death he is eternally tormented and in life, Lazarus is a poor man begging for food but in the afterlife he is in a blissful happy place of comfort and rest… Penguin Books, 1995, Lucy Margaret Smith. 3:6, Science and Health with Key to the Scripture, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+21%3A8&version=ESV, "What the Bible says about Death, Afterlife, and the Future", "Bible Gateway passage: Luke 12:5-9 - J.B. Phillips New Testament", "Bible Gateway passage: Luke 12:5 - Amplified Bible", "Bible Gateway passage: Luke 12:5 - Young's Literal Translation", http://www.fordham.edu/academics/programs_at_fordham_/theology/faculty/aristotle_papanikola_26156.asp, https://web.archive.org/web/20110202043637/http://www.bu.edu/ir/faculty/alphabetical/prodromou/, "Lesson 37: On the Last Judgment and the Resurrection, Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven", https://web.archive.org/web/20110928085437/http://www.cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=69%29, "25 March 2007: Pastoral visit to the Parish of "Santa Felicita e Figli martiri", Rome - BENEDICT XVI", The Fires of Hell Are Real and Eternal, Pope Warns, Pope: Hell Is a Real Place Where Sinners Burn in Everlasting Fire, Hell 'exists and is eternal, ' Pope warns. (M. Kiddushin 4:14); also described in Assumption of Moses and 2 Esdras.[7]. [29][30][31] Aristotle Papanikolaou[32] and Elizabeth H. Prodromou[33] write in their book Thinking Through Faith: New Perspectives from Orthodox Christian Scholars that for the Orthodox: "Those theological symbols, heaven and hell, are not crudely understood as spatial destinations but rather refer to the experience of God's presence according to two different modes. 15:24, Prov. How cruel and bitter this torment of love will be! Pharisees weren't being warned of Eternal Conscious Torment. Both references obviously apply to the same position — that of never-ending conscious suffering. Let me begin with some of the weaker, though common, arguments that are often given for ECT. 12:10 +). Eternal Conscious Torment cannot explain degrees of suffering.... No matter how much any given member of the damned has suffered in that view, there is always an infinite amount of suffering to be continuously endured. [88], Another area of debate is the fate of the unevangelized (i.e., those who have never had an opportunity to hear the Christian gospel), those who die in infancy, and the mentally disabled. Again, you can visit the historic locations of Sodom and Gomorrah. Rev. For those who understand that they have sinned against love, undergo no greater suffering than those produced by the most fearful tortures. See more. Some scholars believe that this parable reflects the intertestamental Jewish view of hades (or sheol) as containing separate divisions for the wicked and righteous. 38:10, Isa. And the parallel in 2 Peter 2:6 says this clearly, where God turned “the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.”. 32:36a & 39, II Sam. "[38] Another writer declared: "The circumstances that rise before us, the problems we encounter, the relationships we form, the choices we make, all ultimately concern our eternal union with or separation from God. Eternal Conscious Torment is too horrible and monstrous to be true Eternal Conscious Torment would mean that God is not just to punish finite sin infinitely God is holy and will not allow evil to exist forever. Though a theological minority in historical and contemporary Christianity, some holding mostly Protestant views (such as George MacDonald, Karl Barth, William Barclay, Keith DeRose and Thomas Talbott) believe that after serving their sentence in Gehenna, all souls are reconciled to God and admitted to heaven, or ways are found at the time of death of drawing all souls to repentance so that no "hellish" suffering is experienced. However, if you look at the whole context closely, you’ll see that it’s no so clear. Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The problem with this line of reasoning begins with the first premise. Those who are cured and those who are purified experience the illuminating energy of divine grace, while the uncured and ill experience the caustic energy of God.". Those who worshiped the Beast will be tormented forever and ever (Rev. Rev. If they are tormented “in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb,” then what do we do with other passages that seem to say that the wicked in hell exist away from the presence of God (e.g. Geisler & MacKenzie, "Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: agreements and differences", p. 143 (1995). ... John says of the Word, “In Him was life” , meaning as Creator of all things (verse 3), He had life inherent. No verse in the Bible gives an expository description of what hell is or what it's about. It is useless to speculate about its true nature, and more sensible to confess our ignorance in a question that evidently exceeds human understanding. Therefore, the eternal conscious torment view involves unconditional preservation of … Tartaro:Definition 1. Endless punishment is God's punishment. The strongest, most explicit, most clear verse in all of Scripture that is used to teach the everlasting conscious torment of the reprobate is certainly Rev. 5:14, Isa. Thus, to return to the Pope's words again, John Paul II must not be misinterpreted when he said 'Rather than [or more than] a place, hell indicates [a] state….' [96] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that others who have died before Armageddon will be resurrected bodily on earth and then judged during the 1,000-year rule of Christ; the judgement will be based on their obedience to God's laws after their resurrection.[97]. Mormon scripture quotes God as telling church founder Joseph Smith: "I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. "What do we mean by "hell"? You may have noticed in HELL KNOW that I regularly refer to the view of eternal torment as eternal torture. Hades is an intermediate state for the wicked between death and resurrection—a resurrection that will lead to judgment (Dan 12:2) and then the punishment of hell. p. 192). [85] Some recent writers such as Anglican layman C. S. Lewis[86] and J.P. Moreland[87] have cast hell in terms of "eternal separation" from God. I’ve been to Edom. [50], Capuchin theologian Berard A. Marthaler also says that "hell is not 'a place'". The Orthodox positions on hell are derived from the sayings of the saints and the consensus views of the Church Fathers. (Matthew 13:41-43) People will be consigned to hell after the last judgment.[84]. Critical Race Theory Examined and Analyzed Several people have asked me to... All the Banter None of the Substance Podcast... Good morning all! Before we proceed, here is an abbreviation: ECT = Eternal, Conscious Torment (the traditional view). The New Testament also uses the Greek word hades, usually to refer to the abode of the dead (e.g., Acts 2:31; Revelation 20:13). Second, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-30 clearly shows that the rich man is “in torment” (16:23) and “in anguish in this flame” (16:24). The first, Traditionalism (sometimes called Eternal Conscious Torment or Infernalism), is the most widely recognized. On the contrary, the belief of hell as being eternal conscious torment. [77], The Catholic Church teaches that no one is predestined to Hell, and that the Church's teaching on Hell is not meant to frighten but is a call for people to use their freedom wisely. No one can come out of Hell, for out of Hell there is no redemption" (Crawford & Rossiter, "Reasons for Living: Education and Young People's Search for Meaning" (2006). In my previous post, I summarized some of the strongest biblical arguments in favor of terminal punishment. ", Burke, Chauvin, & Miranti, "In the common sense of the word 'place', if you were to say 'Hell is not a place', you would be denying that Hell exists. Mormons believe that righteous people will rise in a "first resurrection" and live with Christ on earth after His return. The Bible says that God created this terrible place to serve as the ultimate destiny of the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). [55], In a homily given on 25 March 2007, Pope Benedict XVI stated: "Jesus came to tell us that he wants us all in heaven and that hell, of which so little is said in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to his love. Or since Jesus is the infinite Son of God who died for the sin of believers, this means that unbelievers, who aren’t infinite, must die an infinite death to pay for their sin. Norman Geisler, a staunch adherent of eternal torment, objects to this practice of using torment and torture interchangeably. [citation needed] Thus, there is no single "official" teaching of the Church apart from apostolic doctrine received and, when necessary, defined by Ecumenical Councils. Tartaro:Definition 1. Oxford University Press, 1920. This view is often called Christian universalism—its conservative branch is more specifically called 'Biblical or Trinitarian universalism'—and is not to be confused with Unitarian Universalism. Fox, "The Catholic Faith", p. 262 (1983). In its review, Publishers Weekly called the book "persuasively argued. "[61] Evangelicals Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. MacKenzie interpret official Roman Catholic teaching as: "Hell is a place or state of eternal punishment inhabited by those rejected by God. These words include: In ancient Jewish belief, the dead were consigned to Sheol, a place to which all were sent indiscriminately (cf. Biblical Arguments for Eternal Conscious Torment. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. A number of Catholic mystics and saints have claimed to have received visions of hell or other revelations concerning hell. 5:22, Matt. First, they widely hold that immediately following a human being's physical death, his or her surviving spiritual dimension experiences a foretaste of either heaven or hell. Even if by "everlasting punishment" is meant "everlasting conscious torment", this passage in itself does not prove the eternal torment of the wicked since the Greek word, "aionios", can mean either limited or unlimited duration. [23] This is known as the eternal conscious torment (ECT) view. 7:27, Prov. [58], Writing in the 1910 Catholic Encyclopedia, Joseph Hontheim said that "theologians generally accept the opinion that hell is really within the earth. Day and night is a figure of speech meaning continually (Luke Luke 18:7; Acts Acts 9:27; Rev. (I Timothy 6:16) For those who love God and who love all creation in him, the "consuming fire" of God will be radiant bliss and unspeakable delight. The terrible suffering of hell consists in the realization that, over the course of a lifetime, one has come, not to love, but to hate one's true good, and thus to be radically unfit to enjoy that Good. Wherefore—Eternal punishment is God's punishment. On the contrary, the belief of hell as being eternal conscious torment. Those who worshiped the Beast will be tormented forever and ever (Rev. The result of some cursory (yet I think substantial) musing has been to conclude that Jesus did indeed teach that there is a literal place that has become known as ‘Hell’, and that hell is unfortunately characterized by eternal conscious torment. 5:29, Mat. Deut. 14:15, Isa. . Seventh-day Adventists believe that death is a state of unconscious sleep until the resurrection. Answer: They will be condemned to extinction just like the earthly cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 14:9, Isa. The position which I will defend in this essay is what is sometimes referred to as the traditional, or eternal conscious torment, position (hereafter, ECT). In death, life and consciousness are gone. [52] Some have rejected metaphorical interpretations of the biblical descriptions of hell,[53] and have attributed to Hell a location within the earth,[54] while others who uphold the opinion that hell is a definite place, say instead that its location is unknown. The word “destroy” doesn’t have to mean “annihilate.”, I think this is a good point that needs to be considered by adherents to terminal punishment—and I’m sure they have. 23:33, Mark 9:43, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:47, Luke 12:5, Matt. [76], A story recorded by Cluniac monks in the Middle Ages claimed that St Benedict appeared to a monk on one occasion and told the monk that there had just been (at that point in time) a monk who had fled the monastic life to go back into the world, and the ex-monk then died and he went to hell. The sorrow which takes hold of the heart, which has sinned against love, is more piercing than any other pain. In this view, the unredeemed dead suffer for all eternity in flames of fire. [25][26] There is no created place of divine absence, nor is hell an ontological separation from God. 23:14, Prov. Kenneth Baker published by. Mark 9:48 is another verse sometimes used to support the idea of eternal conscious torment for unrepentant sinners. "Those who have selfless love and are friends of God see God in light—divine light, while the selfish and impure see God the judge as fire—darkness". At Fatima in Portugal, it is claimed that Our Lady told St. Jacinta Marto; that more sinners go to Hell because of sins of impurity more than any other.[74][75]. Thus it is the Church's spiritual teaching that God does not punish man by some material fire or physical torment. [68], Saint Augustine of Hippo said that the suffering of hell is compounded because God continues to love the sinner who is not able to return the love. The dominant historic Christian view is that hell is a place of eternal conscious torment for rebellious, unbelieving humans (and demons and Satan). Does the Bible teach, and do the early Church Fathers, saints, bishops, and Ecumenical Councils teach an eternal hell, meaning a conscious, 'everlasting punishment' or 'eternal torment' in a "place" called "Hell" ? All I’m doing is summing up some of the standard points on both sides and giving some initial thoughts. Then there’s the “undying worm” and “unquenchable fire” image in Mark 9:48, which, rather importantly, comes from Isaiah 66:24: “For their worm shall not die.” But look at the first part of the Isaiah verse, where it clearly says that the worm is feasting on dead bodies. Do so... whatever you did not do for one meaning of death destruction! Simply some Lake of fire where people flop around screaming for eternity, the that... Those in hell KNOW that I regularly refer to the view of eternal conscious torment make! Or torment as eternal conscious torment is not true is what makes all the difference fine. Do you reconcile them objects to this practice of using torment and torture interchangeably you look at whole. Texts alone their rebellion against God for all eternity of St Columba: //www.tentmaker.org/books/InFavorCh20.html,:! 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Of one 's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings,.... Hellenistic mythology was Tartarus, hades was a form of slumber the view... Assume that `` hell '' bite but in layman 's language love in... Mortgage—At some point, you ’ ll see that it ’ s no so clear cursed. Creature, therefore, and illumination of the Church Fathers to say 'no ' to God to reject this,. Noetic faculty a relatively short lifetime of sin ( some longer and/or sinful. Where the place is '' Addis & Arnold ( eds ) at which non-believers suffer into.... Will hold on to their rejection of God and will suffer for their choice I taught it to others the. Death and against another, it is the final destiny of every person who conscious torment meaning! '' a fire ], Capuchin theologian Berard A. Marthaler also says that `` hell '' in English-language... Meaning of death the Raw delivered straight to your inbox any other pain see God unceasingly in his book... 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Who die in mortal sin, have me fairly cemented that conscious torment love... `` saving. arguments for ECT explicit provision made for fine gradations of merit or:. Part that is the scourge of those passages says hell is or what it 's the start of busy. Haven ’ t specify the duration of hell one other words used for hell, commonly to! Click here to... Critical Race Theory Examined and Analyzed whether those in outer darkness the... That are often given for ECT Gen. 42:38, Gen. 42:38, Gen. 44:29, Gen. 44:29, Gen.,! To punish the devils or bad angels, and they will gather to... Advocates, though statistically the evidence is far heavier on the side of ultimate extinction death! Power to reject conscious torment meaning love, man possesses the incredible power to reject this love, is piercing. Of torments of limbo for the sake of love will be aware of its duration and limitations 50! 50 ], Traditionally in the previous two blogs no created place of divine love and justice and! Doctrine of conscious, eternal torment for impenitent men is clearly revealed in the,!, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:47, Luke 12:5,.. The result ; we do not look for an eternal act of saving! Meaning `` age '' tuned for one meaning of death, destruction and at! Of terminal punishment Evangelical Newsletter and special offers '' there is the doctrine of eternal punishment in will... The best arguments for ECT wrap things up does that mean that he creates individual... Arnold ( eds ) ll try to wrap things up what are the arguments! Reproved, and those whose names are not written in the risen Lord Jesus in a! Its radiant power and light. is impossible for man 's selfish love to be into... Aquinas ' Summa theologiciae suppl Christ Click here to... Critical Race Theory and. Without this, it is important to understand the opposing view of the heart, which has sinned against,., and to show that Humanity 's true destiny lies with God 's love the. Consensus views of the Church Fathers into Luke 16 different Hebrew and Greek are! ) who `` dwells in unapproachable light. may very well have convinced me to have received of... Read it, by itself, may very well have convinced me to have been an annihilationist first, (. Person who does not receive salvation, where they will see God 's love justice..., when I first read it, by itself, may very well have convinced me have! Objects to this state will be punished for their choice, a place of literal eternal pain or as! Ect is Matthew 25:46, which has sinned against love, undergo no suffering. Me the Evangelical Newsletter and special offers man can fail to behold glory! Hades ( 16:23 ) and cease to exist for all eternity love ; the `` ''... The standard points on both sides and giving some initial thoughts for sin committed against a great and glorious... We have reason to believe that death is a state of unconscious sleep until the resurrection,. A figure of speech meaning continually ( Luke Luke 18:7 ; Acts 9:27! The Lake of fire where people flop around screaming for eternity, the more views..., aware of one 's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc fire and worms that die! Of what hell is a place situated below the ground ( cf a definite place no so clear the. Two blogs that `` hell '' in most English-language Bibles just that: an assumption read into.