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The following is a work in progress.

Before looking at what the New Testament teaches about suffering in hell I think it is important to mention an important point.

Many people get confused about the nature of Hell because they read verses which tell them that the fire is eternal and then combine those verses with those which talk about suffering. But how many verses actually say the suffering is eternal? Once they stop combining those verses which tell us about the fire and those verses which talk about suffering the case for eternal suffering suddenly becomes very shaky.



What does the Bible really teach about eternal punishment?

Beginning with the book of Matthew, we will look at what the New Testament teaches about punishment and hell. The punishment is severe, but only one of the verses in Matthew mention eternal punishment and that is a mistranslation. (If you are in doubt, read each verse in it's context.)

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt 3:10).

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (Matt 5:30)

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matt 6:14-15).

Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matt 7:23)

And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come (Matt 12:31-32).

They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 13:42).

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell (Matt 18:8-9).

"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matt 22:13)

But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 24:48-51).



Keep in mind that if God thinks something is very important, and He wants us to understand it, He repeats the lesson over and over again. Isn't it odd that He does not do this regarding "eternal punishment" considering it is such a weighty issue?  (This is even more interesting when you look at how many verses in the New Testament talk about "all" being saved. Keith DeRose, a professor of philosophy at Harvard, argues the case well. ) Below is a verse which seems to support eternal punishment. But consider this verse in light of the meaning of the word eternal.

 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matt 25:46)

If God thinks an issue is of great importance, one which He wants us to clearly understand, then He repeats it often to make sure we get the message. The fact that endless punishment "may be" implied only once in the Greek Gospel of Matthew has a practical and spiritual consequence. Consider many of the early Christians who were blessed to get their hands on any one of the Gospels. Do you think it was of importance that they correctly understood the nature of the punishment that awaited those who did not turn and follow Christ in this life?


A Digression

Putting aside the Biblical meaning of eternal for a moment; I want to consider the nature of a place that is eternal in the way we commonly use the word.

If a building is eternal, does it follow that you cannot enter the building? No. Does it follow that after you have entered the building you cannot leave it? No. Why? Because we are talking about the building not about you. The fire is eternal (Rev 20:14). That fire will even swallow death and Hades. The Bible paints a description of a waste land outside the New Jerusalem. A place of torment. Now it is possible that the smoke from that place will rise forever. But that does not undermine what I believe is the Biblical position. If the smoke rises forever it would be a powerful reminder of God's grace which is shown to all people. This picture fits beautifully with what I know of the God who loves everyone and everything. His love is without conditions. Now compare that explanation with what I think is a better one. Keith DeRose claims that "for ever and ever" is not a good translation of Rev 20:10. A more literal translation is "for the eons of the eons". In other words for a very long time. Unfortunately, the second death will occur in the lake of fire for a lot of people (Rev 20:15), but it does not follow that their suffering will last "forever and ever". (See Universalism and the Bible: The Really Good News.)

This view actually makes a lot more sense of the world. I used to wonder why the early Church prayed for the dead. It only makes sense if they believed that there is some hope for the dead. Another issue worth considering is the kindness the early Christians showed unbelievers who lost loved ones. Christians took part in the burial of many non-believers and because of the kindness they showed, many pagans came to Christ. I don't think the Christians were telling the unbelievers that their loved ones were in hell. If the issue of where their loved one was came up I think they would have said something like, "they are in God's hands and God loves them. If they are suffering it is for their good." You might ask, "Why then is the cross offensive?" It is because no one wants to be told that they are sinners, nor do they want to be told that they must change the way they live their lives.
 
In a little while I will return to the New Testament and we will slowly walk through it.

Brad











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