Theological Term of the Week

hell
The place of eternal punishment for the wicked.

• From scripture:
  

  I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:11-12 ESV) 

  Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:42-48 ESV)

• From A Baptist Catechism (Spurgeon’s Catechism):

  38. What shall be done to the wicked at their death?
  
  The souls of the wicked shall at their death be cast into the torments of hell (Lu 16:22-24), and their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day (Ps 49:14).

  39. What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?
  
  At the day of judgment the bodies of the wicked being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels for ever (Da 12:2 Joh 5:28,29 2Th 1:9 Mt 25:41).

• From Concise Theology by J. I. Packer:

  The sentimental secularism of modern Western culture, with its exalted optimism about human nature, its shrunken idea of God, and its skepticism as to whether personal morality really matters — in other words, its decay of conscience — makes it hard for Christians to take the reality of hell seriously. The revelation of hell in Scripture assumes a depth of insight into divine holiness and human and demonic sinfulness that most of us do not have. However, the doctrine of hell appears in the New Testament as a Christian essential, and we are called to try to understand it as Jesus and his apostles did. …
  

  The purpose of Bible teaching about hell is to make us appreciate, thankfully embrace, and rationally prefer the grace of Christ that saves us from it (Matt. 5:29-30; 13:4850). It is really a mercy to mankind that God in Scripture is so explicit about hell. We cannot now say that we have not been warned.

• From The Eternity of Hell Torments by Jonathan Edwards:

  …[Y]ou may effectually escape these dreadful and awful torments. Be entreated to flee and embrace him who came into the world for the very end of saving sinners from these torments, who has paid the whole debt due to the divine law, and exhausted eternal in temporal sufferings. What great encouragement is it to those of you who are sensible that you are exposed to eternal punishment, that there is a Savior provided, who is able and who freely offers to save you from that punishment, and that in a way which is perfectly consistent with the glory of God: yea, which is more to the glory of God than it would be if you should suffer the eternal punishment of hell. For if you should suffer that punishment you would never pay the whole of the debt. Those who are sent to hell never will have paid the whole of the debt which they owe to God, nor indeed a part which bears any proportion to the whole. They never will have paid a part which bears so great a proportion to the whole, as one mite to ten thousand talents. Justice therefore never can be actually satisfied in your damnation. But it is actually satisfied in Christ. Therefore he is accepted of the Father, and therefore all who believe are accepted and justified in him. Therefore believe in him, come to him, commit your souls to him to be saved by him. In him you shall be safe from the eternal torments of hell. Nor is that all: but through him you shall inherit inconceivable blessedness and glory, which will be of equal duration with the torments of hell. For, as at the last day the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment, so shall the righteous, or those who trust in Christ, go into life eternal. 

Learn more:

1. GotQuestions.org: Is Hell Real? Is Hell Eternal?
2. Challies.com: The Essential: Hell
3. Blue Letter Bible: Hell
4. basictheology.com: Hell
5. R. C. Sproul: Hell
6. Todd Pruitt: A list of resources on hell
7. Matt Perman: A Biblical Understanding of Hell
8. Jonathan Edwards: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (mp3) (text)
9. D. A. Carson: How Can God Be Loving and Yet Send People to Hell? (video)

Related terms:

• annihilationism
• universalism
• wrath

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

Comments

[Janna]

Thanks for defining the wallpaper a bit more.

[rebecca]

Ha!

[Victor]

Rebecca, Growing UP as an Altar boy serving high mass and yes even after having stolen a few dollars from that church I've heard those words below a number of time and although I can't tell you what verse they come from, I can tell you that my mind has asked God to explain them to me cause I've always believed that there was more truth in these words that the human brain cells could hope to understand. I've heard so many priest say for whatever reason that Jesus didn't really mean exactly what He said but between you, me and any one else who care to listen, I now believe that He meant every words and He was being kind but the good news is I also believe that He was talking mainly to lost souls and spirits and we are basically is little ones. Having said that, "IT" doesn't mean that we are free as far as I'm concern and I could go on and on talking about live cells and dead cells but by the time I finish, there's no doubt that many of your readers might probably be thinking that I'm in need of help so before "IT" gets that far, I'll simply say, let's just keep praying that God and His Angels explains "IT" to each and everyone of His Little ONES in His OWN WAY.
Amen!

>>Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:42-48 ESV)<<

God Bless Peace