Do you believe in the doctrine of Hell?
Please produce your evidence. From the scriptures explain what you believe Hell to be ~ the word itself can't be found in scripture & the words translated as *hell* have pretty literal meanings. In this instance the KJV has done us no favours!
Muchos Gratias, peoples.
11 comments:
Yup. Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
MamaO: Thank you sooo much for responding to this one! I know it's a bit of a *hot potato* but when I googled I kept getting all this stuff about why hell doesn't exist. Hmm. Not sure you can use your last one which is a parable, not literal [& in the original hebrew does not mean what it says in English *sigh*. It all gets so complicated] but the first 2 are really helpful. Thank you! ☺
I am on the fly with neither bible or concordence, but all those references to weeping and whaling and nashing of teeth. Where their worm dieth not etc paint sheol as a very bleak place. Devils with pitchforks maybe not, but eternal punishment where one cannot so much as get a drink of water. Ouch...no wonder they write so much to try to deny it. I firmly believe there is a literal place of punishment in the next life.
Ruby: Thank you. There are not as many references as you might think; I've been chasing them & of those there are several so far that are referencing judgement on Israel. *wails* I am not a theologian! Why do people ask me these things?.
LOL! It didn't look right but my brain is fuzzy at times.
Ganeida, though the references are few I think the over aching belief in the place we call hell is there. In the Psalms for example, "He took me from a fearful pit .....etc" Also, I guess the opposite of Paradise where God is with his angels and the place prepared for the devil and his. What is the alternative? Nothingness?
Um it's pretty late at night and about to head to bed but I was reading just yest in revelation about Death and hades being thrown into the lake of fire (including the people in it) scary but true! I'll try to come back with more in the next couple of days as I have a busy and full weekend ahead.
My understanding of the doctrine of hell comes mostly from this theologian's book, Things we Firmly Believe... Ch 9 and 10.
It is a concise pdf download, well worth a read:
http://www.newcreation.org.au/books/pdf/139_ThingsWeBelieve.pdf
Rosemary: What I have found is the prophetic is all muddled up so what is for the angels, what is for individuals & what is for antions is all of a muddle ~that plus good old English using just one word when scripture uses at least 3 to denote 3 different things. Arrgh!
Susan: Thank you. I will have a look in a day or two when I get time. I have 5 days straight on the mainland so I'm going to be too exhausted to think this stuff through till the mainland is done.
I have heard it preached that the story of Lazarus and the rich man was NOT a parable, but I can't remember any of the preacher's convincing arguments. So that's no help. :-)
My Grandpa once made a count of all the times the Bible says "Weeping and gnashing of teeth" - well before electronic concordances made it easy!
I agree with Ruby that the idea of Hell was firmly imprinted in the minds of the Hebrew writers. Yes, GeHinnon is an earthly, physical place, but there was obviously something meant beyond that valley.
Have you tried searching some of the old creeds or confessions or catechisms? That might be useful.
MamaO: I've heard it preached both ways. It makes more sense to me as a parable & I think the case for parable is stronger than for it being literal.
The problem is not whether or not there is a hell but what is meant by the term & to whom it is referring. *sigh*
Hmm. You know I crave simplicity because I find everything complicated and complex so....
Simply, hell is where God is not, where there is complete separation from God.
More complex, hell is where every evil in every man's heart is not held in check by God's goodness and grace.
Complicated, is there any place that God is not? How was it created if not by God? So I am not so sure it is a place (I am not even sure if heaven is a place) but most definitely it is a state of being, perhaps it is the essence of sin and rejection of God.
I feel that most scriptures about hell are symbolic, but I also know of people who truly believe that hell is the underworld, literally underground in the hot core of the earth.
Regardless of what hell actually is, I believe is it real and it is a damned state of existence that should scare itself right out of you.
I would prefer to try to conceptualize heaven, which to me is just as unimaginably mystifying but far more pleasant.
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