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Christianity Today, February, 2007 |

GOOD QUESTION

Three Models of Hell

"Is hell nothing more than eternal torture of the unsaved? Why would God engage in punishment that seems so cruel?" -- Tony De Luca, New York, New York

R. Todd Mangum | posted 2/12/2007 09:00AM

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The prophets warn that God executes his wrath without pity (Jer. 13:14; Ezek. 5:11-13; 7:4-9; 8:18). Jesus and the New Testament writers confirm that God's future outpouring of wrath will be horrific (Matt. 13:40-42, 48-50; 2 Thess. 1:5-9). If such biblical descriptions of God's character strike us as harsh, perhaps we need to consider whether our thinking has been compromised by the sentimentalist humanism of our culture.

Studying the views of theologians throughout history can give us insight into how God's loving reconciliation may be consummated along with his righteous judgment. But in the end, we are simply called to trust—to put our faith in the goodness of God, knowing that he will do what is right and that he will not acquit the unrepentant guilty.

Todd Mangum is associate professor of theology at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania.

Related Elsewhere:

Other Good Questions about hell include:

Good Question: Hell's Final Enigma | Won't heaven's joy be spoiled by our awareness of unsaved loved ones in hell? (J. I. Packer, April 22, 2002)

Good Question: Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell? | In the Apostles' Creed, there is a statement about Jesus descending into hell. Did he literally go there? (February 7, 2000)

Directions: Can the Dead Be Converted? | A "choice" for Jesus is not like choosing a meal from a menu.(J. I. Packer, January 11, 1999)

Directions: Is Hell Forever? | Annihilationists anticipate one ultimate destiny for the wicked, an undifferentiated nonexistence.( October 5, 1998)

'Highlights: Brimstone for the Broadminded' discusses hell in the world of a loving God.

The October 2000 cover story, Undying Worm, Unquenchable Fire and sidebars Coming to Terms (Five key phrases in the hell debate) and Rightly Dividing the Hell Debate (Key advocates and writings) discussed views on the nature of hell.

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February 2007, Vol. 51, No. 2

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Gary	Posted: February 23, 2007 7:04 PM

The idea of an immortal soul comes from Greek philosophy not from Scritpure. In Gen. God breathes into Adam the breath of life and he became a "living soul (being)." The NT declares that 8 souls were saved in the ark. These were Noah and his family - living, breathing human beings, not bodiless souls. Also, God has promised to put an end to sin, to its very existence. If unsaved people were to be consigned to the flames of hell for eternity, then sin would also exist throughout eternity in them and would always be a blight on His otherwise perfect universe. Finally, at the final judgment the unrighteous are resurrected to receive their sentence which means that they are in bodily form. The human body burns. Fire burns fuel. If the flames of hell are hot enough to melt the elements, surely they would consume mere human flesh. For this not to be the case, God would have to use Divine creative power to continually re-create human bodies for eternity to keep the flames alive. God forbid!

William Stuart

Posted: February 22, 2007 5:46 PM

Since universalism, annihilationism, and purgatory do not appear tenable in light of the biblical text (to me at least), the article implicilty argues for the eternal torment viewpoint. Being absent from the benevolent presence of God would surely involve such torment, and that seems consistent with the parables told by Jesus himself, and with the Book of Revelation's description of the second death.

Beth Muir

Posted: February 22, 2007 2:13 PM


Isn't the idea of simply being separated from God for all eternity enough of the definition of hell for any of us? We are ever searching for this ultimate connection with Him and to have that possibility taken away forever, to me would be hell. There is nothing worse.

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