Online Sermons
Words of Life - Hell
Series: Words of LifeWORDS OF LIFE
“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand….” / Jude 17
HELL
hel
1. The abode of the dead; the underworld where departed souls were believed to dwell, specifically in the Hebrew Scriptures.
2. The abode of condemned souls and devils; the place or state of torture and punishment for the wicked after death.
3. A place or state of great iniquity, misery, discord or destruction.
All of the above have a hand in helping to describe what the Biblical refers to as hell.
> Questions & Observations For Discussion ?
1. While the concept of hell is quite pronounced in the synoptic Gospels, it is also alluded to in the Old Testament.
Regarding “sheol” in the Old Testament, see for example: Num.16:33; Deut.32:22; Job 24:19 and Ps.9:17,
and select prophetic writings such as: Isa.14:9-11 & 33:14; Ezk.32:21ff; and Dan.12:2
In the New Testament epistles, see Js.3:6; 1Pet.3:19; 2Pet.2:4; Jude 13 and Rev.14:9-11 & 21:8
Paul writes at length about hell using the term wrath of God – e.g., Rom.1:18 & 5:9; Eph.5:6 and 1Thess.1:10 & 2:16
2. For our discussion in the lesson we will focus on the teachings of Jesus concerning hell.
“Almost all of the biblical teachings about hell comes from the mouth of Jesus. It is this doctrine, perhaps more than any, that strains even the Christian’s loyalty to the teaching of Christ. Modern Christians have pushed the limits of min-imizing hell in an effort to sidestep or soften Jesus’ own teaching.” - - R. C. Sproul / Essential Truths Of The Christian Faith
“The biblical teaching of hell cannot be denied without assuming either than Christ knew no better, or knew better but still taught it. If He knew no better, how then does He know enough for us to trust Him to save us? If He knew better
but still taught it, He used deception and was not holy enough to die for us.” - - R. Allan Killen / Wycliffe Bible Encylopedia
Samples of generic references to hell made by Jesus include the following:
Mt.3:12; 5:22, 29 & 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15 & 33; 22:13; 25:30; Mk.9:43, 45 & 47; Lk.12:5 & 16:23
3. Four words often translated with the word “hell” include: Sheol … Hades … Gehenna … and Tartarus.
4. WHAT METAPHORS DID JESUS USE TO TEACH ABOUT HELL?
~ It is a state of outer darkness – Mt.8:12a cf. Jude 13 / the blackness of darnkness
~ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth – Mt.8:12b cf. Lk.16:24 & 28 / agony& torment
~ It is a furnace of fire – Mt.13:42 & 50 (fiery hell – Mt.5:22 & 18:9)
~ A state where the worm never dies - Mk.9:48
~ It is an everlasting or eternal - Mt.25:41 &Mt.41 & 46
The above are not intended to be taken literally, they are metaphors or symbols, yet nonetheless real.
Literally, outer darkness cannot co-exist with eternal fire and neither can the worm survive the unquenchable fire.
Perhaps the worst description of hell is the realization that it is an eternal separation from the presence of God.
Mt.25:41 / depart from Me accused ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…
“The preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10)
