Back when I was growing up, hell was part of how we were supposed to begin an evangelistic conversation.
“If you died today, do you know whether or not you’d wake up in heaven or hell?” Some form of that question dominated the conversation. “You don’t want to go to hell, do you?” Not many people would answer yes to that question, so it sparks an honest discussion about how to avoid that reality.
While an important discussion, modern Christianity doesn’t talk about hell nearly as much as it did when I was younger. There are various reasons for this, yet Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone else in the New Testament.
Both Old and New Testament writers mentioned a great deal about some form of eternal punishment for sinners and those who rebelled against God. We should speak about it more than we do if Jesus did.
Over the centuries, more specific ideas about hell have come in and out of style, and there’s a rich history of theological discussion on the topic. Due to a number of influences, not least of which is the lack of discussion about it today, Christians can have some wrong ideas about hell.
Here are five things that Christians believe about hell that aren’t biblical.
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1. Hell Is Not a Real Place
Despite the Bible being clear, more Christians are uncomfortable with the concept of a place of eternal punishment and argue it doesn’t exist. Theologians also argue it’s more of a symbolic idea than an eternal reality, which is unbiblical.
The idea of an eternal punishment in the next age or the life to come is central to the whole canon. The Old Testament speaks of the coming Day of the Lord, a judgment from God of good for the righteous and punishment for the wicked. Daniel 12 is a clear example of this.
The New Testament offers more explicit teachings, and Jesus spoke about hell more than any other person in the Bible. Matthew 25:46 is a good example of a clear dichotomy between eternal life and eternal punishment, or hell.
The New Testament also vividly describes hell (Revelation 20:15, Mark 9:43). Jesus often mentioned the existence of hell in his parables (Luke 16:19-31).
Finally, if hell doesn’t exist, if there will be no eternal punishment in the next life, why would God send his Son to die and rise from the dead?
Hell is an eternal death, and Jesus clearly came to include us in the family of God, the righteous, and save us from the coming day of wrath.
Further, ideas such as sin leading to death and other clear theological ideas in the Bible have no meaning or importance, either.
Hell exists, and as such, it makes God’s radical rescue plan legitimate and loving.
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2. Hell Is a Physical, Geographic Location
Dealing with hell and heaven, our popular media has given us this orientation as if heaven is above the sky and hell is somehow below ground in pits or caves.
While there can be some language in the Bible to give some orientation of this, we should realize neither heaven nor hell is a part of this current realm but in a more spiritual reality. A few points support the idea hell isn’t a physical place on our current Earth.
Many passages in the Bible describe hell using symbolic and metaphorical language. For example, in the New Testament, Jesus often used parables and vivid imagery to convey spiritual truths.
The prevailing view among theologians is that hell is primarily a spiritual state of separation from God, rather than a physical place. It is seen as a consequence of sin and rebellion against God, resulting in the soul’s separation from the source of all goodness, love, and light.
The Bible doesn’t provide specific details about the location of hell. Instead, it focuses on the consequences of one’s actions and the need for repentance and reconciliation with God.
Regardless of one’s interpretation of hell’s physicality, there is widespread agreement that its duration is eternal, emphasized in various biblical passages.
This material world isn’t eternal. Things die and change and pass away. In order for the punishment to be eternal separation from an eternal God, hell is of another, more permanent realm.
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3. Satan Rules in Hell in Fire and Darkness
Again, viewing popular media and literature, a view of hell often has the devil on the throne, as if he rules in hell. Satan may have some authority over the demonic and rebellious spiritual beings, but when discussing hell, the Bible gives no indication anyone will be ruling in hell.
Biblically, hell is not a place where Satan holds dominion, but rather a place of punishment and separation from God for those who have rejected Him, not to serve as Satan’s throne.
Satan’s ultimate destiny is not to rule in hell but to face judgment and eternal punishment. In the Book of Revelation, it is prophesied that Satan will be cast into the “Lake of Fire” along with the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 20:10). This indicates that Satan will be tormented in hell, not ruling over it.
Finally, the Bible provides limited information about the specifics of hell, and it does not offer a detailed account of who or what rules there.
God is sovereign over all. Just as kings and leaders in this world will give their crowns to God and submit unto Him, and every knee will bow, and tongue confess, God is the only one that gets a throne. The devil will ultimately rule nothing, not even hell.
The belief that hell is literally a place of eternal fire and darkness is a common interpretation, but the Bible’s descriptions of hell are often metaphorical and symbolic rather than literal.
The Bible frequently employs vivid and symbolic language to convey profound spiritual truths. Hell is also referred to as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, outer darkness, and a Lake of Fire, all meant to emphasize the severity of the consequences of rejecting God, but they are not necessarily meant to be taken literally.
Jesus often used parables to teach spiritual truths, and His descriptions of hell should be understood in this context.
When Jesus spoke of hell, He employed imagery to convey the seriousness of rejecting God, but it does not necessarily mean that hell is a literal place of fire and darkness.
The concept of hell in the Bible is primarily a spiritual reality — a state of eternal separation from God due to unrepentant sin.
The spiritual realm of heaven and hell is more real than the one we live in now, made of a different material.
Just as Paul couldn’t adequately describe what he (or someone else) saw in a vision of the Third Heaven, the reality of hell might be fire and darkness, but these terms might only be radical concepts to help us understand the extreme eternal punishment our brains couldn’t now comprehend nor our language express. The reality of hell might be far worse.
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4. One Size Fits All
One common question for believers and nonbelievers alike regards different types of punishment for different sins. “What about Hitler?” they might ask. “Is he given the same hell in the afterlife as others?”
A common response from Christians is yes, all hellish torture is the same. This could be the case, yet the Bible doesn’t clearly express the same level of torment from others. There is some evidence to the contrary.
The Bible acknowledges individuals have varying levels of responsibility for their actions. In Luke 12:47-48, Jesus speaks of servants who will receive different levels of punishment based on their knowledge and actions, implying God’s judgment may take understanding and severity into account.
1 Corinthians 6:18 warns that sexual immorality is a sin against one’s own body, suggesting unique consequences associated with different sins.
In Revelation 20:12, it is stated that the dead will be judged according to their works. This suggests that God's judgment may involve a consideration of one's deeds and the extent of their sinful behavior.
In Matthew 23:14, Jesus warns the religious leaders of His time about receiving greater condemnation for their hypocrisy. This implies that some may face more severe judgment due to their deliberate and hypocritical actions.
It's important to note that the Bible primarily emphasizes the need for repentance, faith in Christ, and forgiveness as the means to escape the judgment of hell. No matter the degree, no one wants to experience hell.
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5. God Wants to Send People to Hell
One of the reasons people are uncomfortable with the idea of hell is that it seems to contradict the idea of a loving God. How could a loving God send people to hell?
The images of torture and even certain unfortunate teachings can seem as if God is a judgmental and cruel God who wants to send people to Hell.
But it’s not true.
We are each condemned for our rebellion and sin. We are each deserving of hell already. If God wanted people to go to hell, he would have done nothing. He definitely wouldn’t have sent his only Son, the one he loved, to give a way of escape from the coming judgment.
God loved the world so much that he sent the Son of his love so that those who believed wouldn’t experience eternal death but eternal life (John 3:16).
God’s love motivates him to seek, to give his Word, to bring the message of the gospel by his Spirit through his disciples on the earth, through what we call the Great Commission.
God wants no one to die but to repent and live (2 Peter 3:9, Ezekiel 18:32). Because of his love, he won’t force anyone to accept or follow him. Coercion, manipulation, and force aren’t love and aren’t of the Kingdom of God.
Therefore, he bridges the wide gap of sin and brokenness to call us into his love. He rescues us and makes us fellow rescuers with his power.
The Bible warns of hell because it is real. Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us with what we deserve. Through his grace and the death and resurrection of Christ, we not only have a way out of eternal punishment but the gift of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, beauty, and righteousness of the age to come.
For further reading:
5 Myths about Hell That Are Not Biblical
Was Hell Created Because Satan Fell?
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Originally published Wednesday, 20 September 2023.