On Hell

    Hell is likely one of the most divisive topics in Christianity.  It also seems to be a topic today that meets with lots of controversy, especially because there are many who want to disprove or deny the concept or existence of an eternal conscious hell.

    I think the best approach here would be to take the words of the Bible, especially Jesus, at face value.  So here is what I have.  All quotations from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB).

    Note that I do not believe in a Dante-inspired concept of hell.

The Words Used for Hell

    There are several words used for hell.

    With this understanding, let us look at all the references to hell.  I like the HCSB for this topic because it transliterates sheol in the OT, directly states hades in the NT when used, and translates gehenna as "hell" in the NT, allowing us to see the various words used.

Times Jesus Spoke About Hell

    There are several collected statements Jesus gives about hell.  A quick Bible search on places like BibleGateway.com yields the following places Jesus spoke about hell: Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 11:23; 16:18; 18:9; 23:15; 23:33; 25:41 Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5, 16:19-31; 10:15.

    First, in terms of the word gehenna, Matthew 5 shows Jesus mentioning hell several times in the same sermon:

22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire.

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!

    Here, Jesus is using the word gehenna, and in verse 22, "gehennan tou pyros", i.e. the gehenna of fire.  "Of fire" is an interesting add-on.  It seems that this is more than just the Hinnom valley, but a reference to something with fire.  Again, in Jewish tradition of the time, this was a cursed place that was likened to hell, but Jesus adding this makes it more clear that this is a place of some sort of fire.  More to come on this.

    Then when Jesus discusses lust and adultery, He says it's better to lose an eye or hand than go to hell.  This is an interesting passage because I don't think Jesus is literally recommending people should chop off hands or gouge out eyes.  But He is saying that fleeing from adultery via lust is of vital importance.  It's worth doing anything, possibly even to the point of being willing to dismember one's self, to flee from that sin.

    Note though, "your whole body be thrown into hell" in verse 29: this valley of Hinnom / Gehenna reference isn't a place to go, but a place to be thrown into.  If this was merely about visiting a cursed valley, why "thrown into"?  This implies that this Gehenna Jesus is using is a place no one wants to go.  If you said I had to travel to the worst city on earth or lose an eye and a hand, I'd choose going to the worst city on earth.  There, I might be able to not lose my eye or hand.  So this is being contrasted in a way that this place, this Gehenna, is a place you don't want to go.

28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

    This from Matthew 10:28 is also interesting.  Note that the translators capitalized "Him" here.  The reference is to God.  Now note that it says "able to" destroy both soul and body in hell.  It does not say that these will be destroyed so much as He could.  The word for "destroy" here is apollumi (ἀπόλλυμι), "destroy, lose, perish."  It doesn't have to mean only destroy.  "Lose" could be applicable here, if hell is eternal.  More on that later.

9 And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire!

    Matthew 18:9 has Jesus repeating what He said earlier, but note "gehenna of fire" again.  This is also interesting because I wonder if this is a reference to the lake of fire, because of the "of fire" being added.  Again, more on this.

15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!

    Jesus is pronouncing the "woes" to the Pharisees, and makes this reference to gehenna, literally saying "twice the son of gehenna."

33 “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

    Jesus is again denouncing the Pharisees.  Note that He says literally in the Greek, "escape from the judgment of gehenna."  Again, if this is just the Valley of Hinnom, as some have suggested, why is someone being sent to judgment in a place that sounds like you'd want to escape, or is inescapable?

    For this next section in Mark 9, I want to quote the entire passage:

42 “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

43 And if your hand causes your downfall, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell—the unquenchable fire,

44 where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

45 And if your foot causes your downfall, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell— the unquenchable fire,

46 where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

47 And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

48 where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."

    The use of quotes is mine to clarify what's happening.  Jesus is citing Isaiah 66:24 as follows:

24 “As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

    This is an interesting reference.  It's like Jesus is tacking this reference on, a reference the crowds would likely recognize, as a way to amplify His reference to Gehenna.  It's not just a place, but a place where the fire doesn't go out and their worm doesn't die.  If you can imagine dead bodies being eaten by eternal worms, that's a vivid picture of torture and eternity all in one.

5 But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!

    This is a parallel reference to Jesus' statement in Matthew 10:28.

19 “There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. 20 But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was left at his gate. 21 He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. 24 ‘Father Abraham!’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!’

25 “‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’

27 “‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28 because I have five brothers—to warn them, so they won’t also come to this place of torment.’

29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

    Luke 16:19-31 is actually a rather terrifying story from Jesus.  First note that a parable need not be a mythical story that did not happen.  But I believe Jesus may have changed the names in this parable.  Regardless, it doesn't matter for the sake of this.  It would make no sense for Jesus to be making up a story with such vivid detail.

    Up until this point in my verse list, Jesus has been using the word gehenna.  Now I am listing places where Jesus used the word hades.  This would've been very easily understood in His time to be the realm of the dead.  But it's also a concise teaching on hell.  It is described as torment (v. 23, 25, 28), fire (v. 24), and inescapable (v.26).  And also, it sounds rather dramatic, as we have Abraham telling a Jew ("father Abraham") that if people aren't persuaded by "Moses and the prophets" then they won't be persuaded by anything else basically.  This is a reference to the Old Testament, "Moses" (the Pentateuch, first five books) and "the prophets" (could be all the major and minor prophets).

23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.

15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades!

    Here, in Matthew 11:23 and Luke 10:15, interestingly Jesus is condemning Capernaum for not believing in Him.  (Which makes sense since salvation requires us to believe in Jesus.)  But note that He says that Sodom, portrayed in scripture as perhaps the most vile city to ever exist, would have believed in Him.  Still, see the reference to hades.

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it.

    Another reference  in Matthew 16:18 to hades to establish Jesus' use of it as a reference to hell.  If the battle is to prevent people from going to hell, this makes total sense.

41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!

    Lastly, this is from Matthew 25:41, and is describing the end judgment where God separates the sheep from the goats.  Note that in Greek this is "into the fire eternal."  This is an interesting way to refer to it, rather than using gehenna or hades.

    Thus, from the various uses of hell and hades by Jesus, I see evidence that hell is real, eternal, torment, and fire.