Hell revisited

[Cassia]

Hell revisited from the notes of LSM.org

2 Peter 2:1
But there arose also false prophets among the people, as also among you there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.​

In this Epistle, Peter used three different Greek words concerning the consequence of the apostasy under God's governmental judgment:

(1) Apollumi signifies to destroy utterly; in the middle voice, to perish, as in 3:6. The thought is not extinction but ruin, loss (not of being but of well-being). In Matt. 10:28; 22:7; Mark 12:9; Luke 17:27, 29; John 3:16; 10:28; 17:12; 1 Cor. 10:9-10; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thes. 2:10; and Jude 5, 11, this word unveils more concerning God's governmental judgment. In 3:9 it denotes the punishment of God's governmental discipline.

(2) Apoleia, akin to apollumi, indicates loss (of well-being, not of being), ruin, destruction, or (physical, spiritual, or eternal) perdition. It is rendered destructive and destruction in 2:1, and destruction in 2:3; 3:7, 16. The same word is used to denote the different results of God's varied judgments (see note 172 par. 2, in 1 Pet. 1). In cases such as those described in 2:1, 3; 3:7; John 17:12; Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; 2 Thes. 2:3; and Rev. 17:8, 11, it denotes eternal perdition. In cases such as those described in 3:16 (see note 4) and Heb. 10:39 (see note 2), it denotes the punishment of God's governmental discipline, not eternal perdition. In Matt. 7:13 and 1 Tim. 6:9 it denotes a principle used for any case.

(3) Phthora, denoting corruption unto destruction, the destruction that comes with corruption, a destroying by means of corrupting (in reference to morality, soul, and body). It is rendered corruption in 1:4 and 2:19, and destruction and corrupting in 2:12; its verb form is used in the future passive voice and is rendered will be destroyed in 2:12, and in the present passive voice, rendered are being corrupted, in Jude 10. Its significance can be further seen in Rom. 8:21; 1 Cor. 3:17 and notes 1 and 2; 15:33; 2 Cor. 7:2; 11:3; Gal. 6:8; Rev. 11:18; 19:2.

 

[JRT]

As human beings we are bounded in both time and place. That is to say, we are finite. On the other hand we think of God as completely unbounded. God exists outside of both time and space. God is present everywhere and at all times. That is to say, God is infinite. This is the orthodox theistic understanding of God. To compare the finite to the infinite is beyond our human comprehension. Even to compare a grain of sand to Mount Everest falls far, far, far short. All of this brings up a number of questions in my mind.

The first question being “How is it even possible for a finite creature to offend an infinite God?” Could a grain of sand offend Mount Everest?

The second question being “If it were possible for the finite to offend the infinite, would the infinite punishment of a finite creature be just?” I will attempt to craft an analogy. You are in a park enjoying a picnic lunch when you glance down and notice an ant crawling across your sandwich. You are offended. How do you react? You have a number of options. You could ignore the ant. You could brush the ant away. You could move to a different location. You could kill the ant. You could kill the entire ant colony. You could capture the ant and confine it and proceed to torture it for several weeks until it finally dies. That last option is quite inadequate as a comparison to hell because hell is infinite in duration whereas the ant can only be tortured for a finite length of time.

To me the concept of hell flies in the face of any concept of a just and compassionate God. Hell would seem to be an entirely human invention based on a vindictive concept of retributatory justice. Perhaps we have the wrong idea of hell. Perhaps we have the wrong idea of justice. Perhaps we have the wrong idea of God. I completely reject the concept of hell as it is traditionally understood in most Christian churches.

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

The first question being “How is it even possible for a finite creature to offend an infinite God?”

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins because of the evil they have done. They aroused my anger by burning incense to and worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew. Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’ But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today" (Jer. 44: 2-6).

He sounds a little offended...

 

[psalms 91]

God created us and ever since we have offended Him

 

[JRT]

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins because of the evil they have done. They aroused my anger by burning incense to and worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew. Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’ But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today" (Jer. 44: 2-6).

He sounds a little offended...

Jeremiah certainly seems offended.

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

Jeremiah certainly seems offended.

You deny that Jeremiah was speaking as a prophet?

 

[Alithis]

As human beings we are bounded in both time and place. That is to say, we are finite. On the other hand we think of God as completely unbounded. God exists outside of both time and space. God is present everywhere and at all times. That is to say, God is infinite. This is the orthodox theistic understanding of God. To compare the finite to the infinite is beyond our human comprehension. Even to compare a grain of sand to Mount Everest falls far, far, far short. All of this brings up a number of questions in my mind.

The first question being “How is it even possible for a finite creature to offend an infinite God?” Could a grain of sand offend Mount Everest?

The second question being “If it were possible for the finite to offend the infinite, would the infinite punishment of a finite creature be just?” I will attempt to craft an analogy. You are in a park enjoying a picnic lunch when you glance down and notice an ant crawling across your sandwich. You are offended. How do you react? You have a number of options. You could ignore the ant. You could brush the ant away. You could move to a different location. You could kill the ant. You could kill the entire ant colony. You could capture the ant and confine it and proceed to torture it for several weeks until it finally dies. That last option is quite inadequate as a comparison to hell because hell is infinite in duration whereas the ant can only be tortured for a finite length of time.

To me the concept of hell flies in the face of any concept of a just and compassionate God. Hell would seem to be an entirely human invention based on a vindictive concept of retaliatory justice. Perhaps we have the wrong idea of hell. Perhaps we have the wrong idea of justice. Perhaps we have the wrong idea of God. I completely reject the concept of hell as it is traditionally understood in most Christian churches.

compassionate and just
when i see the words" I completely reject the concept of hell " ,unbelief and rebellion is all that is left to see .

 

[psalms 91]

Also a God of judgement and justice so yes, I believe hell is real as real as heaven

 

[visionary]

compassionate and just
when i see the words" I completely reject the concept of hell " ,unbelief and rebellion is all that is left to see .

Rejecting a concept is not necessary in rebellion or unbelief, it could also be in truth and faith.