Preached · March 14, 2021
Some Assumptions - There is some sort of afterlife. - That the Bible gives us access to some knowledge about our fate that we otherwise wouldn't have.
There is not one single "correct" perspective on the afterlife. ### Jewish Thought - Earliest: "Gathered with his fathers." - First Temple Israelite Religion: Sheol/the Pit/the Grave. Psalm 6:5, "In death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who can give you praise." - A place for all, both the righteous and unrighteous dead. (See [[Ecclesiastes]] and Job) - Unconscious. No hope of return. - Language of Annihilation. Utter destruction. Obadiah 16 uses the language, "It will be as if they never had been." - Destruction of the Temple, Exile, and Diaspora. Exiled Jews began to encounter belief systems that had far more complicated afterlife beliefs. This began to influence Judaism as well. - The Age to Come. This-worldly. Think Isaiah. - Resurrection. Daniel 12:2-3 - Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. - By the time of Jesus, most Jews believed in resurrection. In the mean time, there was a place of comfort reward for the righteous. And a place of (temporary) punishment for the unrighteous. Rabbinical Judaism would later hell that no one would suffer in the afterlife for more than 12 months.
Christian Thought - If you attempt to survey modern writers on what the early church believed, you will find two camps. - Camp One (let's call them Infernalists) will quote lots of early church writers' views on hell. They'll generally admit that the language of flame and heat are metaphorical; but still, the early church seemed to believe in some form of hell or place of discipline for the wicked or unbelieving. - Camp Two (let's call them Universalists) will quote the same early church writers, but this time insisting that many, if not most, of them believed that all would eventually be part of paradise, the new heavens and the new earth. - How can both camps quote the same writers, but to different views? - The general assumption by early church writers for the first 4 centuries was that 1) Yes, there was hell. But 2) It was not eternal; it was temporary. It was not punishment for punishment's sake. It was purgative. It purged the soul of anything that was unworthy of heaven. And once that part was purged, then the soul could feel at home and at rest in the unmitigated glory of God. This of course is where we get the word Purgatory. - If you know church history, you might think that this view was only associated with theologian Origen, who's views were eventually labeled Heresy. However, Origen was not the only one with these views. Many other respected early church theologians either held to or held out as a possibility the view of Apokatastasis, a Greek word that means "the redemption of all things." Which, by the way, comes from Acts 3:21. "Jesus must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets." - Gregory of Nyssa, known as "the Father of the Church Fathers," "the Flower of Orthodoxy," and the Great Defender of the Nicene Creed. He writes of those who had evil mixed in with their nature will have it separated from them like a surgeon removes illness. Because of this a "harmony of thanksgiving will arise from all creation." - St. Macrina the Younger, the older sister and teacher of Gregory, also wrote, "God's end is one, and one only, it is this: when the complete whole of our race shall have been perfected from the first person to the last—some having at once in this life been cleased from evil, others having afterwards in the necessary periods been healed by the Fire...to offer to every one of us participation in the blessings which are in Him." - The prevailing opinion began to change with [[Augustine]]. This, of course, coincides with Christianity becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire and its war machine. Correlation/causation? - Augustine had a pastoral concern. Are we training people to presume upon God's grace? If there is no fear of condemnation, then will people be sufficiently warned away from evil acts? - To be clear, the early proponents of Apokatastatis still saw the purifying fire of God's glory in our future. Some may experience it more painfully than others. But it was never intended to be eternal, everlasting, torture, or punishment. It was purifying, cleansing, healing. - Augustine and later generations of Christians saw this differently. Un-repented sin against an infinite God deserved infinite punishment. Yes, there was such a thing as Purgative Fire, before being allowed into heaven, but that was only for Christians. The everlasting, punishing fire was for everyone else.
The Harrowing of Hell - Creeds: Jesus descended to hell/the dead. What did He do there? Between cross and resurrection? - 1 Peter 4:6, "For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does." - Ephesians 4. “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. - Jesus descended to hell, proclaimed the Gospel, took people out of hell, and *left the doors unlocked. - [[Revelation 1]]:17-18, Jesus says, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." - Hell is not the place where Satan/demons rule. Jesus is in charge.
What Does the Bible Say? - Again, there is not only one perspective within the pages of Scripture. - Translation Issues: - Aionion. Does it mean "eternal, everlasting." Or does it mean "Of the age"? - Fire. Is a destroying fire? Or a purifying fire? - Destruction. Is something annihilated once it is destroyed? Or can something subjectively experience destruction...for an endless duration? - Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, Tarturus. A mix of Hebrew, Jewish, and Greek concepts. Bible translations vary greatly on how to translate. Some just throw them all into a blender and out comes the word hell. Others leave the term as is—but what does it mean?! - Cultural Issues: - Is Gehenna a reference to the valley outside of Jerusalem? Or a later rabbinical idea of the place of punishment/purgation of souls in the afterlife? - Is the Sea of Fire/Burning Sulfur a literal lake of flames? Or is it referring to a common nickname for the Dead of Sea, which ancient references refer to a lake of sulfur, which would occasionally catch fire; and a place where you would drop off useless items? - Interpretation/Hermeneutical Issues: - Which verses take priority over other verses? - Do we put priority on [[Colossians 1]] that says all creation will be reconciled to God? Or Hebrews 10 that says there is a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume God's adversaries? - Do we listen to 2 Corinthians 5 that tells us that God's love compels us to view everyone as already reconciled to God (and therefore, that's how God sees everyone as well)? Or Revelation 20 that says anyone who's names where not written in the book of life was thrown into a lake of fire? - Do we fear God and the possibility of hell? Or do we listen to 1 John 4, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."
The Current Horseshoe Of Possibilities - Infernalism (Eternal Conscious Torment) - Eternal Conscious Torment (by Predestination) - Eternal Conscious Torment (by Freewill) - Conditionalism or Annihilationism - Human beings are conditionally immortal. - Universalism - Post-mortem Opportunity ("Hopeful [[Blog/2024 Blog/Drafts/Larger Writing Ideas/Universalism/Universalism|Universalism]]") (Hell as purgative) - Inevitable Universalism (Hell as purgative) - All Roads Lead to God (Predestined Universalism) (no hell)
So Where Does That Leave Us? Two quotes that I've been sitting with:
"I am more hopeful of Jesus than I am sure of hell." [[Bradley Jersak]], Hopeful Universalist
"If you bring divine actions down to a human scale, would they be considered monstrous?” David Bentley Hart (Inevitable universalist)
Infernalists argue that sinning against an infinite God means infinite punishment. But this doesn't compute. If my child sins against me, does that mean
1 Corinthians 15 (no reference to hell)
Revelation 20-22 (Gates are never shut; reference to the "impure" being allowed in if they wash their robes; leaves for the healing of the nations).
What I Believe I believe that the soul endures after death.
I believe that every human has already been justified and saved by God in the person of Jesus.[^ [[Romans 5]]:15-19, "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.]
I believe that there is nothing and no one that can separate us from the love of God.[^ Romans:35-39]. God's character remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.[^ Hebrews 13:8. James 1:17] God is love.[^ 1 John 4:16] There will never be day when the God of love as described as in [[1 Corinthians 13]] and Galatians 5 (the Fruit of the Spirit) will cease to be accurate. When Jesus asks his followers to love their enemies so that they may be like their Father in heaven, that this means that God to loves His enemies.[^ [[Matthew 5]]:43-48]. God's character does not change upon our death.
I believe that all creation will be reconciled to God.[^ [[Colossians 1]]:20, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."][^ 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.] I believe that God will be "all in all".[^ 1 Corinthians 15:28 and Ephesians 1:23], that he will gather all things up in him,[^ Ephesians 1:10].
I believe that death and corruption are enemies of God and will be destroyed.[^ 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, "Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."] I believe that death and Hades will be destroyed [^ Revelation 20:14].
Everyone is morally responsible to respond to the revelation of God as best as they can, given their circumstances. [^ [[Romans 5]]:13, "To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law."] [^ Romans 2:14-15, "When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them."]
I believe that God's kindness—not his punishment—is what leads us to repentance.[^ Romans 2:4]
I believe that upon death, everyone will enter into God's presence. Each person will be offered the healing transformation of their soul. This healing transformation is both restorative and just, offering healing for the evils done on earth. For those who enter into this transformation willingly, they will experience it as paradise, even if there is a cleansing or purgative element.[^ 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, "12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14 If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire."] For those who resist, they will experience this as hell and judgment [^ Hebrew 12:29]
I believe that for those who resist, they may resist as long as they desire; and may stop resisting whenever they want. Their resistance may at first be experienced as "freedom from God." But ultimately, this resistance will ultimately be exhausted against the unrelenting love of God. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.[^ [[Philippians 2]]:11].
I believe that the gates of the New Jerusalem will never be shut. [^Revelation 21:25]. I believe that all who have willingly excluded themselves and then change their minds and wish to enter need only ask. [^ Revelation 22:14].
I believe that every person will experience bodily resurrection [^ 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."] and there will be a renewed and restored creation. [^ Revelation 21:1]
