Subject: belief in hell? |
Bible Note: Maus, I personally debated for sometime on whether the ideas concerning hell in scripture were metaphorical or literal. I do not think we are being disrespectful to scripture by asking how to rightly understand what it is asserting. However, we must remember the goal is not to consider what we think about hell, but specifically is scripture "intending" these things to be metaphorical or literal. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that scripture intends it to be literal. All this is to say I am not offended with the question, that being said I have two statements with regards to your reasoning. 1. Tracing the origen of the word is not the samething as wrestling with what Christ and other New Testament writers say about the subject. We must consider what it is they are saying about "hell" regardless what word they have chosen to label it. What do they say and how do they mean it to be understood? And because we affirm the inspiration of the new testament, it does not matter how they mature or develop the Old Testament doctrine, we believe them to have done so rightly. 2. Too often when somebody decides that Hell is a metaphor for some other penalty, they decide it is some other penalty far more bearable than the metaphor of eternal fire. What must be accepted, is that if the New Testament authors truely intended to describe eternal judgment by a eternal burning of which there will be no relief. Then whatever hell is in reality, it must be something horrible beyond our comprehension. Because the inspired writers chose the most terrible metaphor they could possibly conceived of, it must mean hell is worse than we can conceive of. So I always tell people, if you wish to sincerely wrestle with this question, by no means use it to lighten the concept of hell. The question is valid, but to then assume hell is less terrible is intellectually flawed, and is only motivated by our desire to ignore this terrible reality. As stated, I believe hell is literal, but these are some guidelines if we want to restle with the question. In Christ, Beja |