...THE HELL DEBATE A Paper Presented to Professor Beauchamp of Liberty University Lynchburg, VA BIBL 350 By Gordon C. Wilson December 13, 2012 INTRODUCTION In this paper, I will give a brief overview of the nature of hell, the classical view and the annihilationist view. For the last decade, there has been a significant debate surrounding this very topic within evangelical circle. It is hard to understand how God can let his children be punished in hell, being he is an all-loving God and creator. However, John 3:36 makes it clear for all of us. (He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him)(Dake, Finis).” The Bible teaches that God loves you so much that the Creator of this universe (Jesus Christ) came to "taste death" for every man. Jesus wasn't just some baby for a manger scene. He is God come in the flesh to destroy the power of death and hell--He holds the keys, people! If you say yes to Jesus, hell won't be your final destination. If you say no to Jesus, the lake of fire will be your eternal home. There is no getting out and no comfort--it's everlasting. Regardless of whether you believe it or not, hell exists and the Bible says that it is never full. I've heard folks say that hell is not mentioned in the Bible or that hell is just the grave. Well, let's take a look at what the Authorized King James Bible says. Here are a few scriptures that deal with hell...
Words: 1997 - Pages: 8
...Heaven and Hell Popular, secular opinion seems to conclude either: 1) there is no after-life or 2) everyone and their pets go to heaven. There isn’t much talk about Hell, except to dismiss the possibility of anyone going there. But one historical figure spoke very forcefully about the reality of Hell and the very real possibility of human beings spending eternity there. That person is none other than Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity who became man. God did not dismiss Hell as either non-existent or not a threat. We should follow His example and learn what He taught. Who will go to Heaven? So after the Judgment, one will go to Heaven or Hell. Who goes to Heaven? How can I get there? The simple answer is that the souls of the just who are free of guilt and punishment will go to Heaven. But, we need to break that down a bit. First, let’s be clear on one point: no one can earn their way into Heaven by their good works… no one. Salvation is a free gift from God. In Catholic terminology, the person who enters Heaven is said to have died in a state of sanctifying grace. Protestants sometimes refer to this as the grace of justification. And they are correct. The souls of the just are those who have been justified by grace through faith. So the question is, who has been justified? This is where Catholic and non-Catholic teaching parts ways. We receive the grace of justification, that is, Sanctifying Grace, at our baptism when we are born anew from above Two...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Heaven or Hell is a short story based on a true historical event. The story highlights the inward, the invisible and the intangible power struggles of mankind. The stark descriptions of the reality and horror of war are frightening and shocking to the reader, aimed to affect emotionally and cause them to consider. The story is structured to make the reader visualize pain and death in war – Hell, when everything appears lost and hopeless, and Heaven - heroic and victorious, when the obstacles are overcome and the “Draconic Empire” defeated. The story has a formal register to deliver suspense and the factual horrors of war. This has been achieved in a number of different ways, firstly, the complex sentence, “Sergeant Hugh Mott and his colleagues frantically worked away in the belly of the bridge whilst troops continued to traverse the spine.” This creates formality through its sophisticated structure coupled with a serious and impersonal tone. Standard English also creates formality with the active verb phrase, “With a resounding thud his body hit the cliff”. There is no slang or dialect which helps to develop the formal and complex tone intended. The use of lexis, with the polysyllabic words, also creates a formal tone. The verbs, “surging”, “paralysing”, “illuminated”, and the pre-modifying adjective, “terrifying” are all a formal use of lexis. The story also avoids abbreviations such as the pronoun and verb, “He had”, instead of “He’d” which is more informal. Heaven or Hell is targeted...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...HELL ! what the Bible says about it… Dr. John R. Rice “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32) ©1997 by Trumpet Publications P. O. Box 1969, 0700 PIETERSBURG, South Africa. All rights reserved. Published with the permission of Sword of the Lord Publishers, Tennessee, USA. This version was edited by Prof. Johan Malan. This booklet may, however, be duplicated and distributed among interested persons without gain. Charges are only to cover the cost of duplication and distribution. No changes may be introduced to the text. For translation, or commercial publishing, please write to the above address. Scripture quotations are from the Authorised King James Version. The titles in this series on Internet are: Who is Jesus? From darkness to the light The judgement seat of Christ The Antichrist Israel The rapture Revival Hell - what the Bible says about it Spiritual warfare 2 1. How can we know about Hell? “There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus...
Words: 12257 - Pages: 50
...Liberty University Hell Debate: The Classical view and The Annihilationist view of Hell RLGN 335 B08 Professor: Wesley Handy By Tami L Moore October 16, 2015 Jesus, suggest that hell is “outer darkness “beyond heaven because heaven is light “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” He teaches that many will seek to enter heaven but be shut out (Luke 13:22-30), suggesting that there is no way to escape from hell once there. Throughout life, we have heard plenty of talk about Heaven and Hell. Heaven was for the people that believe in doing well unto God as Christian and lived their lives accordingly to God's Commandments. . And Hell was always known as the place where the devil reside and the place that sinners and evil people that resisted God and refuse to accept God into their hearts and lived in sin, and last judgement is served. Heaven and Hell was spoken of in church, but most Pastor spoke on hell lesser than they did heaven. Sinclair Ferguson expresses how the doctrine of hell should influence one’s preaching. “He says preachers should stress God’s righteousness, the sinfulness of sin, and God’s justice in condemning sin. He adds that expositors should affirm that hell is real, that hell is vividly described in the New Testament, and that hell, though prepared for the devil and his angels, is shared by human beings” (Morgan and Peterson). Many Pastors thought it was easier to reach the people if they talk more on Heaven and...
Words: 2153 - Pages: 9
...What is Hell? The finite will never be able to comprehend the infinite. Human thought cannot grasp the perfect nature of God because we are not perfect, and we are born into sin. We try to rationalize ideas that do not make sense in our minds, but really make perfect sense if we apply them to scripture. God allowing any human into heaven ultimately shows his love. Humanity on a day-to-day basis goes against what God commands, and what God expects from us. No one deserves to go to heaven. If we choose to live in sin all of our lives why would God allow us in heaven? People who love the Lord and say no to earthly temptations will experience riches in Heaven, and those who choose to live for pleasure now will feel the wrath of God in Hell. God is sovereign and people forget this, and we must not confuse love with justice. There are three popular views on what happens to the soul when you die. Eternal punishment is the opposite of eternal life. It’s that idea for that eternity one will suffer in the absence of Christ instead of living eternally in his presence. In this view sin will ultimately be punished for those who do not repent. Annihilationism claims that when a person dies they will pass, or ultimately perish out of existence. This theory can be broken down further classifying the soul as naturally mortal, God gives immortality, or all are immortal unless destroyed by God. The third view is universalism, which claims that atonement is not limited and extends to all. Universalists...
Words: 893 - Pages: 4
...After our visit to the back, we move over to the center of the body. Here I feel unbearably hot, as if I am on the surface of the sun. Leonardo explains, “The only way to get back to your world is to talk to Satan and ask for the way back, I have to wait out here, for no one in hell can ever see the devil, unless they want to suffer even more than they already are. I will leave you here, and I will wait until your return.” I slowly walk toward the door that behind holds unspeakable horror. I do not know what to expect what to see, but I know that I may be able to get help. So, I entered into the lair of Satan. The second I open the humongous door a wave of heat runs straight at me. I realize I am so hot, that my skin is boiling, yet I do not feel any pain from it. I continue on and I see a horrible looking creature. He welcomes me with a loud roar. I can’t see...
Words: 564 - Pages: 3
...UNIVERSITY THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE: FOUR VIEWS ON HELL A THEOLOGICAL CRITIQUE SUBMITTED TO DR. ROBERT WETMORE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE THEO 530 LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY BY PETER J. FILIPIAK SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................1 SUMMARY.............................................................................................................1 CRITICAL INTERACTION...................................................................................2 The Literal View...........................................................................................2 The Metaphorical View................................................................................4 The Purgatorial View....................................................................................5 The Conditional View..................................................................................6 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................7 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................9 Introduction Four Views on Hell is a book edited by William Crockett in which four contributing...
Words: 2461 - Pages: 10
...Belief in Heaven and Hell Christopher Shane Inlow CGD218: Visual Literacy in Business Professor Felicia Maxwell October 31, 2010 I. Introduction A. Thesis Statement II. Religion and History A. Definition Heaven and Hell B. Heaven and Hell in many religions. III. Heaven, Hell, and Culture Influence A. Cultures around the world B. C. IV. Conclusion Heaven and Hell, the belief in the existence of both realms has influenced human society throughout history and most likely before recorded history. “Many people follow a religion because it promises them happiness in life or in some kind of life after death, or they believe it will save them from eternal damnation. The prospect of an afterlife also offers hope to those who suffer in this life.” (World Book, 2010). After life is a thought process that helps eleminate the fear of nothingness that often accompanies the thought of death. This life is often seen as a precursor to eternity. Many view this life as a test. The score determines where the after life will be spent, Heaven or Hell. Religion and the concept of an afterlife has affected and been affected by both culture and history. The belief in Heaven and Hell has been held and is still held today by various cultures and religious sects. Therefore, the definition and name of the afterlife are influenced by the respective culture or religious affiliation it belongs too. The religious...
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
...Contrapasso is one of the rules in hell. The rule is that you must face the punishment of the sin that you created in life. The punishment must fit the crime; for example, you wouldn't get punished the same for murder and stealing. “The last Ninth Circle of Hell is divided into 4 Rounds according to the seriousness of the sin though all residents are frozen in an icy lake. Those who committed more severe sin are deeper within the ice. Each of the 4 Rounds is named after an individual who personifies the sin.” (dante's canto 9) In addition, the ninth circle holds the most severe sinners. In life karma will come back and give you your consequence; if you do good in life, God will reward you, and if you do no good in life you will join one of...
Words: 257 - Pages: 2
...Road to Hell An academic essay Today we bear the burden of older generations’ ecological mistakes. The industrialisation brought many machines and factories and since then, technology has progressed enormously both for the good – and bad. The spoiling of the nature does not stop there, however, because we continue in their footsteps, not caring whether or not our grandchildren will ever know a green forest or a sparkly river. “It is not my problem,” some people say, and maybe that is true. But that will change if we do not do something. Many organisations – like Green Peace – work towards living on a better planet and treating the world with care. One might walk outside today and think: ”This looks nice, I do not see a problem with nature as it is”, but that is only true to an extent. Many of the major changes, which happen in nature, are not visible in the western world. For instance, the polar ice caps are melting, which some day may cause the sea levels to rise and flood coastal cities. That is not something we can see when we look out the window, and that makes it hard to relate to. Many rainforests are cut down to grow fields, use the wood for paper and such and to build cities and factories (resulting in extinction of many animal and plant species) but it is not something we see with our own eyes, so it might as well not happen in the first place. Furthermore, flushing soap, chemicals, etc. down the drain, damages the ecosystem because clean water is spoiled –...
Words: 891 - Pages: 4
...C.S. Lewis paints a very distinct picture of both heaven and hell. He describes them both in such a way that makes the reader feel as if they are actually there. The Great Divorce is made up of a lot of metaphors that really make one think about how heaven and hell will be. While C.S. Lewis paints an interesting, thought-provoking image of heaven and hell, it is only an idea. We cannot know exactly what they will look like until we are there. The Great Divorce begins with the narrator standing at a bus stop. The bus stop is in the middle of a very bleak town. The town that he is in is hell. He says, "I had been wandering for hours in similar mean streets, always in the rain and always in evening twilight." He had wandered around for hours...
Words: 1262 - Pages: 6
...'A forgiving god would not send people to hell' Some people might say God is a forgiving God, but will judge you when you die and decide weather you go to heaven or hell, depending on what sins you have commited in your life. If you had asked for forgivness in your life after you had broken Gods law, God would have forgiven you and gave you a fresh start. And after that you should try not to commit a sin again. If you dont ask for forgivness, how can God be a forgiving God? God would'nt send you to hell unless you 'deserved' it. Some people might say God will always forgive no matter what you do or how many times you do it. aslong as you ask for forgivness, and promise not to break Gods law again. Some people would say a forgiving God cant judge someone who had murderd 5 people and someone who had stolen somthing small the same. Because that small sweet probaly didnt affect anyone, it might of affected the stock in the shop, but in all the affect of it would certaintly not be as bad as the murders. Each of the murders would affect so many people, not just the peoples family and friends but people who live where the murders would have taken place because they could live in fear, also murders affect so many people. Some people could say that God is a forgving God, and he forgives everyone and allows everyone to go to heaven. But gives people a choice. The choice of if they want to go to heaven and be with God or go to hell to follow the...
Words: 285 - Pages: 2
...An Explication of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell William Blake’s trouble with orthodoxy within religion was never more apparent than in his poem The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. It becomes clear that his problems with the Church run deeper than just their organization, but with their views on good and evil, and there is still debate today about what Blake’s true feelings were and how they were conveyed through the poem. This paper will simply explain the nature of the poem and the events that come together within it. The beginning of Marriage sets up an image of a man walking through a “perilous path” that is described as “The vale of death” (Blake 1.4-5). Rintrah, a personification of wrath, watches the man be swayed from his path by the “sneaking serpent,” which can easily be interpreted as the Devil (Blake 1.17). The man is driven into the wild to fend for himself, where he will struggle and be tempted by the good and evil sides of himself and of the world. The next plate that Blake writes is not in a poetic form, but instead calls forth a challenge to the Swedenborgian view of religion. He humorously writes that “it is now thirty-three years since its advent: the Eternal Hell revives. And lo! Swedenborg is the Angel sitting at the tomb: his writings are the linen clothes folded up” (Blake 3). Blake’s jokes about Swedenborg’s relationship to Jesus Christ and his changes to the Christian church lead into his next point, which is how contradictory he believes these...
Words: 2231 - Pages: 9
...rarely the sole focus of extended philosophical treatment, it's difficult to find an important commentator in the history of ethical theory that hasn't given them some at least some attention. From Plato to Kant, from Hume to Rawls, everyone has something to say about the nature of promissory obligation. The past quarter century or so has seen something of a vogue in work on promising. Since the early 1990s we have seen significant contributions by Joseph Raz, Judith Thomson, Margaret Gilbert, Tim Scanlon, Stephen Darwall and many others. This makes Promises and Agreements: Philosophical Essays quite timely. And despite the traditional attention and the current popularity, this is the only collection of original essays on the nature of promising in print today. As such, it will be the obvious choice for those looking for a roundup of contemporary work in the field, whether for pedagogical or research purposes. Luckily, the volume is up to the task of standard bearing, containing as it does an excellent sample of the best and most innovative contemporary authors, and contributing to many of the traditional and recent debates in the field, as well as breaking some new paths. The collection contains fifteen original pieces, along with a substantial introduction by the editor. Included are many of the more prominent voices in the field today: Darwall, David Owens, Gilbert, Julia Driver, Michael Smith, Alastair Norcross, Daniel Friedrich and Nicholas Southwood. There is a lack of...
Words: 288 - Pages: 2
