Dr. Will Ryan, Pastor Matt Mouzakis and Jana Diaz begin a series on Hell.
o Our view of hell must be rooted in our view of God’s character.
• Today we will give an overview of each view along with some common texts to show their merit.
• In the upcoming episodes we’ll try to unbiasedly cover each view with its Biblical strengths and weaknesses along with philosophical strengths and weaknesses.
• We’re going to have an interview with Chris Date from Rethinking Hell
• We’ll conclude the series with our thoughts and reflections
Traditionalism (Eternal Torment, Eternal Conscience Torment [ECT])
Primary text: • Matt 25:41-46: Sheep and Goats, eternal punishment vs eternal life
• Mark 9:43-48: Cut off your hand, pluck out your eye, eternal worms and fire not quenched
• 2 Thes 1:9: shut out from the presence, everlasting destruction
• Dan 12:2: everlasting contempt
• Rev 14:10-11: tormented, smoke will rise forever and ever
• Rev 19:20: Those who receive the mark of the beast thrown into the lake of fire
• Rev 20:10,15: Devil, Beast, False prophet tormented day and night forever, those not found in the book of life thrown into the lake of fire.
Notable advocates: Tertullian, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, and most of the western Christian tradition after the Reformation.
Conditional Immortality (Annihilation)
Primary texts: • John 3:16: “perish”
• Romans 6:23: Wages of sin is death
• 1 Thes 1:9: everlasting destruction (not destroying)
• 1 John 5:11-12: he who has the son has life, he who does not have the son does not have life
• 2 Peter 2:6-7: Sodom and Gomorrah’s extinction is equated to the lost. Ungodly are destroyed
• Matt 10:28: Don’t fear the one who can kill your body but fear the one who can destroy your body and soul in hell
• Psalms- Primary image of God’s enemies is death or destruction (end of life)
• Phil 3:18-19: Their end is destruction • Hebrews 10:39: destruction
Notable advocates: Irenaeus, Ignatius, Athanasius, Arnobius, (Epistle of) Barnabas, John Stott, Edward Fudge, FF Bruce, Ben Witherington, Greg Boyd, Chris Date
Universal Reconciliation (Christian Universalism, Patristic Universalism, Restorationism)
Primary Texts:
• Lam 3:31-32: God restores after he judges
• Rev 21:25- Her gates will never be shut (same nations who were the bad guys are healed and welcomed in)
• Rom 5:18: All die in Adam, all are made alive in Christ
• Rom 11:26: All Israel will be saved
• Rom 11:28: All shut up in disobedience, all given mercy
• Col 1:19-20: Through the cross all things are reconciled to God
Notable Advocates: Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, George MacDonald, William Barclay, Thomas Talbot, Rob Bell (possibly?)