1. The Pharisees – The Legalists
• The Pharisees were the strict religious elite.
2. The Sadducees – The Religious Politicians
• They controlled the Temple, the priesthood, and a lot of the political power.

"There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture, and especially of Jesus' own words, and it has always been held by Christendom, and it has the support of reason."
C.S. Lewis

Mercy only makes sense when you understand the reality of wrath.

Eternal Conscious Punishment
The belief that hell is a place where those who reject Jesus will suffer forever.
- Eternal Fire - Matthew 25:41
- Satan’s Eternal Torment - Revelation 20:10
- Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth - Matthew 13:42, Luke 13:28
- Eternal Life vs. Eternal Punishment - Matthew 25:46

Annihilationism
Hell is real, hell is punishment, but hell is not eternal torment.
- The "Second Death" - Revelation 20:14
- Fire & Decay - Mark 9 & Isaiah 66
- Destroyed Soul - Matthew 10:28
- Eternal Life vs. Eternal Destruction - John 3:16

Hell isn’t just fire or torment or destruction—it’s total separation from the presence of God.

Jesus went to the cross because hell is real, and God is Love.

- Jesus is the way to salvation. - John 14:6
- God is just and will not condemn anyone unfairly. - Deuteronomy 32:4
- Everyone has some revelation of God through creation and conscience. - Romans 1:20
- If someone seeks God, He will make a way for them to know Him. - Acts 17:26-27
- We must urgently share the Gospel. - Romans 10:14

What will you do with Jesus?

The idea that we could love a soul more than Jesus is the height of pride.