Erasing Hell by Francis ChanSample

“What Jesus Says About Hell”

For this lesson, let’s put the focus on what Jesus Himself actually said about hell. What we’re going to see is that His views stand in line with the dominant first-century Jewish view of hell.

Hell is a place of punishment after judgment:

The phrase “sentenced to hell” (Matthew 23:33) is once again reminiscent of something you would hear in a courtroom. Hell, as we have seen, is assigned to the wicked (in this case, the scribes and Pharisees) as a place of punishment. Jesus is not using the word “hell” to describe “the very real experiences and consequences of rejecting our God-given goodness and humanity” as some would claim. Yes, a life of sin will certainly lead to some terrible life-experiences—lust destroys relationships, anger leads to violence, and covetousness leads to divorce. No doubt. But that’s not what Jesus is talking about here. When Jesus uses stock phrases like “gehenna of fire” in legal contexts like this one, He means a literal place of punishment after judgment. He means hell.

Hell is described in imagery of fire and darkness, where people lament:

Jesus chose strong and terrifying language when He spoke of hell. I believe He chose to speak this way because He loves us and wanted to warn us. So let’s not miss the point: He spoke of hell as a horrifying place, characterized by suffering, fire, darkness, and lamentation. I believe His intention was to stir a fear in us that would cause us to take hell seriously and avoid it at all costs.

Hell is a place of annihilation or never-ending punishment.

At times, Jesus seems to imply that hell won’t last very long. “Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell,” Jesus says (Matt 10:28). Destroy, not burn forever. This language of destruction is common not only in Jesus’ words but also throughout Paul’s letters. However, Matthew 25 is a significant passage in which Jesus seems to speak of hell as a place of never-ending punishment, where unbelievers will suffer horrific, agonizing pain.

The debate about hell’s duration is much more complex than I first assumed. While I lean heavily on the side that says it is everlasting, I am not ready to claim that with complete certainty.

* Do you live like you believe that this is true?