I recently read Rob Bell's book Love Wins; what a fantastic read! I highly recommend it to anyone willing to ask themselves hard questions about what they believe hell is and who they think God is. I've also recently watched a discussion with Francis Chan on youtube.com entitled "Erasing Hell" which is basically a direct response to Rob Bell's book. Both pastor's do a great job coming from a place of love and peace, never asserting that the others belief is foolish or unfounded but rather, just wrong. Francis
even mentions in the recording that he called Rob Bell after he had
read the book to discuss it, I wish very much I could have been there
for that!
It is worth noting that Rob Bell is nonspecific in his responses to direct questions such as "Do you believe in an eternal hell?" (as would seem to be his current preferred methodology) and expresses statements like "I simply believe that allowing the possibility of God's grace to surprise us yet again." I think this statement is a bit dishonest as the entirety of his book points specifically, I think, to the fact that he believes an eternal hell is not only not possible, but not biblical. Though I don't agree with Rob Bell's assertion that an eternal hell is improbable, I do very much appreciate the book and his willingness to ask questions with courage and zeal.
It is worth noting that Rob Bell is nonspecific in his responses to direct questions such as "Do you believe in an eternal hell?" (as would seem to be his current preferred methodology) and expresses statements like "I simply believe that allowing the possibility of God's grace to surprise us yet again." I think this statement is a bit dishonest as the entirety of his book points specifically, I think, to the fact that he believes an eternal hell is not only not possible, but not biblical. Though I don't agree with Rob Bell's assertion that an eternal hell is improbable, I do very much appreciate the book and his willingness to ask questions with courage and zeal.
Though I'm no scholar I always try to read the Bible thinking "What does this plainly say to me?". I did some research today in an attempt to figure out what I believe. Here is my study in finding out what hell is and what the Bible has to say about it.
In response to Bell's questioning the possibility that perhaps our view of God's grace may surprise us:
In response to Bell's questioning the possibility that perhaps our view of God's grace may surprise us:
What is hell?
Hell is punishment for those who do not
know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus.
It is a state of everlasting destruction and being shut out from the
presence of the Lord and the glory of his might.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-10
8 He
will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
his might 10 on
the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among
all those who have believed.
Who goes to hell?
People who do not believe in God and do not
obey the gospel of Jesus will go to hell.
Men who defile the flesh, reject authority, revile angelic majesties (things
they do not understand); who are unreasoning like animals will be
destroyed. People who are grumblers,
always finding fault, people who follow after their own lusts, speak
arrogantly, and those who flatter for the sake of gaining advantage.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-10
8 He
will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus.
Jude 5-6
5 ...after
saving a people out of the land of Egypt,[God] subsequently destroyed those who
did not believe. 6 And angels who did
not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in
eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day…
Jude 8-10
8 Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the
flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and
argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing
judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand;
and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these
things they are destroyed.
Jude 16
16 These
are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of
gaining an advantage.
Is hell forever?
There are men who die a second time for
whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. Men who suffer eternal destruction, away from
the presence of the Lord.
Jude 12-13
12 These
are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you
without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by
winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame
like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved
forever.
2 Thessalonians 8-9
8 …those
who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 These will pay the penalty of eternal
destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power
No comments:
Post a Comment