Why not instead of sending sinners to hell, God simply destroy their souls and existance after jugdament?
Discussion
54 comments
-
I think our spirit, I say this because soul is different from the spirit, is the eternal part of us from God when God breathed into Adam and he became alive. It cannot be destroyed any more than God being destroyed. Hell is just a place where the goodness of God is cut off because God is the source of all goodness, and God will not tolerate the presence of sin.
-
Because that is not what the Bible says
-
That would be unjust
-
That is a theological position. It’s called annihilationism.
-
Doesn’t the Bible say “Do not fear man who can only destroy the body, but great God who will destroy both body and soul in hell”?
-
Some people believe that is what happens depending how they interpret certain Hebrew words. I believe in eternal punishment myself, although consider the other viewpoint a possibility. Regardless, the wicked who are dead in their sins are punished as the Everlasting Judge sees fit. He creates and judges righteously as He sees fit. We are not God.
-
That can’t be done- when God breathed His spirit into man, it means that a part of Him is in each one of us, and God cannot destroy any part of Himself- our soul is eternal, either in Heaven or Hell ❤️✝️??
-
To say Hell is unjust or unethical assumes you know the extant of the evil done. That you know the depths of sin when rebelling against God. It is likely our sin warped minds cannot conceive of the depths of sin. So then who would have the gaul to tell God what the punishment for crimes should be.
One must also disagree with justice in all its forms. We must also know that when God overcomes all sin that the depth of his mercy, love and justice will be made clear. Even the sinner will know they deserve the punishment. -
That would be too easy! Live however you’d like and then simply disappear when you die? Sign me up for that existence lol
-
He’s God. He does what He wants to do. Sovereignty for being our creator.
-
Check out this page bud.
http://rethinkinghell.com/explore/ -
“..but fear him who can destroy both body and soul…”
If you’re not immortal, you’re not tortured for eternity. To be kept alive in the second death is to have eternal life. Consider why the lake of fire is eternal in the first place, it was created for the Devil and his angels (whom are immortal).
Why were we seperated from the tree of life after the fall? I would suggest that we were seperated to avoid being sinners who become immortal.
Food for thought, why is there no redemption for the heavenly hosts. ??
-
That’s not justice
-
Read 2 Thess 1:5-11
“Eternal destruction” is not equated with hell.
Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
Study of the modern day “hell” leads back to the Catholic Church and Dantes Inferno fable. To the Jews/Hebrews, Gehenna and Sheol are “hell” which are nothing remotely close to the Greek and Catholic description of hell. Study them.
-
Why do people want to skip the commandment of God?? Just bcos they want to remain sinners. I don’t care wether there’s hell or no. I don’t follow Christ for fear of hell I just love Jesus irregadless of the consequences.
It seems many r Christians for fear of hell -
I find it interesting in some of these responses that their is a tone of agenda taken on the part of the OP. The OP is asking a question and NOWHERE is a tone or agenda asserted. Can we really read a tone of voice in black and white?? This is part of the problem with some people on social media. The insertion of “tone” and assumption when we may not have ANY idea of the intent or character of the OP. I’ve been called racist before just because of a comment I made about the virus, yet I honorably served beside some of the most diversified background of fellow Marines. But, I’m a racist. Interesting.
-
To me the correct response to the question is: I don’t know, but I’ll ask him when I see him and let you know. Or, maybe. Ask him in a prayer, he might grant you some wisdom. GOD BLESS!!
-
Because we are eternally created and as eternal beings we live forever.
-
Because that would mean no justice.
Plus, I don’t think the soul is meant to be distroyed like that, God has made the person to live forever, eith in hell or in heaven.
-
Annihilation is not taught in Scripture.
We can ask many “whys” of God and not necessarily get the explanation we are looking for.
More importantly, we must carefully consider and embrace what God has told us in His Word.
-
Perhaps spirit cannot be destroyed
-
That wouldn’t be much of a punishment
-
Hell and death will be cast into the lake of fire according to revelations.
-
Because sin is punished not only for its nature but also for the nature of the one sinned against.
Sin is rebellion against the eternal sovereign who’s Law is also eternal never changing. Until the king dies or the law is changed sin will continue to be punished. Eternally.
-
That’s what I’ve been wondering actually? but disappearing is Easier and would mean no Justice at all. We will reap what we sow someday.
-
Perhaps hell is where the soul is destroyed, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:28 ESV -
Because the one who is sinned against is infinite In worth. Thus punishment would reflect the infiniteness
-
you think lightly of God’s holiness and justice
-
That’s exactly what the Bible teaches: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/rom.6.23.nkjv“You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this, ” Says the LORD of hosts.”
Malachi 4:3 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/mal.4.3.nkjv“as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Jude 1:7 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/jud.1.7.nkjv -
That’s easy! — Isaiah 55:8-9
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. -
This is a good question and one that requires careful thought. Not all Christians believe in eternal torment in hell fire for the wicked. Around the time of Constantine Greek philosophy infiltrated the church through the church fathers paying more attention to the popular teaching about immortal souls endemic in.philosoohy in the library of Alexandria. As a result of this, the simple bible teaching that life (eternal life) is a gift given to those who have faith in Christ was lost to the idea that we have inherent immortality i.e. we have an immortal soul. The original teaching in the new testament is that they preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead Acts 4:2 . As in Adam all die do in Christ shall all be made alive everyman in.his order Christ the firstfruit s afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Earliest christians held to the hope of resurrection to eternal life at the coming of Christ. So at the coming of Christ there would be a resurrection of both the just and unjust. Jesus will give eternal life to the good and to be bad to condemnation. Jesus says the rejected are cast into outer darkness . Paul says everlasting destrution. You will note none of these say hell fire for ever. As the earliest christians did not believe in life without a body (hence their hope being through resurrection) . Oblivion or destruction seems to be the destiny of the wicked. Outer darkness refers to the grave total darkness or separation from God. This simple teaching was obscured then rejected as Greek philosophy turned the gospel in to cure or pumishment of immortal souls.. in heaven hell or puragorary.
Read the Bible check it out a great deceit has layed hold on christianity. Do not be deceived. -
Man is mortal. This is clear bible teaching
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Psalms 146:3-4 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.Adam was told dust Thou art, not thou art an immortal soul and your body goes to dust.
It says God breathed into Adam the breath of life and.man became a living soul
It was not an everliving soul but a living soul. So when Adam died his body corrupted to dust, the breath of life or power which energised his body returned to God and the soul or the breathing frame lungs etc no longer manifested life and like wise returned to the dustWe read the soul that sinneth it shall die
-
Annilation is a false doctrine. Jesus Christ himself stated in Mark 9: 47, 48 ” 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, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” There are other scriptures referring to eternal damnation. Quite frankly annilation cheapens the sacrifice Christ made for believers. It is most definitely heresy.
-
This argument goes back to mid-second or third century AD. If annihilation was God’s plan, then where does God’s justice come into play? Cruel? Perhaps by our standards, yet, I would say that God’s wrath is sure.
Would it be consistent, (forget fair), for God to not judge idiots like Hitler or Stalin who were devout atheists and killed millions to simply be zapped out of existence?
-
That is exactly what happens in Hell…the unredeemed, those who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord for the mediation of sin will die the “second death” in Hell. This is done and necessary because God is not going to permit unrepentant sin to enter His Kingdom subsequent to the death of the body in Time (Rev. 21:27). You will deal with your sin now, in Time, through Jesus Christ or you’ll deal with your sin in Hell. The choice is yours.
-
I think God is taking notes on all of our posts. Keep them coming.
-
For those wanting to do a deep dive on this doctrine read, “The Fire that Consumes” by Fudge.
-
I have been given permission from a brother in Christ to post this to your question. I had the same question just recently, and I don’t think I could explain it any better than he did!
“We often hear about hell having fire and darkness and falling and various other horrors. And while all these are certainly descriptive of hell, they are not at the core of what makes hell so hellish. Hell is essentially being separated from God forever. And for humans who were specifically designed to draw their life from Him and enjoy His presence forever, being eternally separated from Him Who is the ultimate blessing would be the ultimate curse.
If God is light, then to be separated from Him is to endure eternal darkness.
If God is the water of life, then to be separated from Him is to thirst forever.
If God is the God of all comfort, then to be separated from Him is all torment.
If He is the universal foundation by which all things are upheld, then separation from Him would be to fall forever.
In short, all the descriptions we’ve ever heard of hell are the natural chaos one would expect in an existence without God.
So when Jesus went to the cross, He suffered the darkness, the thirst, the torment. But when He cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? he suffered the essence of hell itself. And the ground shook, rocks brake, graves opened, the veil was rent, and hardened soldiers trembled and said, Surely this was the Son of God!
Now, some people think that it is very petty of God to make hell so unnecessarily torturous just to really stick it to people who didn’t believe in Him. But I think that when you understand what hell really is – being eternally cut off from God – you will see that hell’s very nature just cannot be improved.
And I think the eternal duration of hell is what makes it the worst of all. But that really cannot be taken out of the equation.
In the past, the groups which have taught annihilationism have typically been cults or modernists. Lately, some evangelical thinkers have discovered ways to justify this view to their own satisfaction. And I understand their desire behind it. The eternal torment of hell is a repugnant doctrine, and lost people object to it as the work of a cruel God. So there is a desire to make God look less cruel to His critics.
But I think it is a slippery slope to allow the world’s biases to influence our views of what the Bible teaches. I think pandering to the reactions of the lost is counter-productive to the gospel cause. I think they would be better served if we showed them the issue from God’s point of view.
From His perspective, His holiness is infinite. To sin against His infinite holiness is an infinite crime demanding infinite justice. But we finite mortals could never pay an infinite penalty – so the infinite Son of God paid it for us. But if we reject His redemption, then we will spend forever never being able to pay it ourselves.
As far as the concept of the human soul ceasing to exist at some point, I think that’s untenable. The soul of man comes from the breath of God Himself, and it really cannot be destroyed. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has placed eternity into the hearts of men.
Revelation 14:11 says that the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night.
In Matthew 25:46, Jesus describes hell as a place of everlasting punishment.
I realize that Jehovah’s Witnesses and others try to reinterpret the phrase “everlasting punishment” and dismiss verses in Revelation as apocryphal, but I think they are playing with fire when they do that.
As a lost rebel nearly 50 years ago, the thing that frightened me most about hell was its eternal character. If some Mormon or modernist had told me back then that hell was just being annihilated, I would have been very relieved. I would have considered a life of sin very worth it if all that followed was nothingness. But that eternal threat haunted me, and I came to Christ trembling at the idea that modernists nowadays try to sooth away from the consciences of sinners.”
I hope this helps!
-
Well there are Christian circles and traditions that believes not of eternal soul.
-
First and foremost God does not send people to hell. That’s a choice they made themselves to go. God simply gives them want they want. Hell is less of a judicial punishment meted out by God and more of a natural consequence. The Scriptures teaches us that immortality is given to only believers, there is no mention of unbelievers receiving it.
-
God hates sin and evil. You are turning our God into a women who is soft and motherly. The Bible says he is a man of war.
-
You may notice hell but you are not the creator. You have no idea how evil . Evil can be
-
Stop this marshmallow Christianity it is rather sickening
-
Of the Babylonians it is written
Jeremiah 51:39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.Perpetual sleep or death was their fate.
The prospect of everlasting torture is horrific and a God that is just and true and wise and full of compassion would never allow such horrors . Besides which there is no real evidence in the scriptures to support such a doctrine.
-
Mods we have a spam bot
-
Isn’t the death and destruction of a person what hell is? I think so. So I believe in hell, I believe it is eternal, and I believe it consists of the utter death and destruction of the unsaved. They will miss out on eternal life and all the potential goods associated with that; and that is a terrible loss!
-
God’s holiness demands justice.
-
That is what the bible says he does – though ‘hell’ is better defined as Gehenna: https://youtu.be/Rfgr_IS522Q
-
God does not tell us a good many things. and man tends to think he knows things he does not and judges God and thinks he could have done it better.
Man from below cannot see what God does, so man cannot judge.
-
The teaching of Hell (Final judgement of the wicked) is very clear in the texts of scripture, and if we are to speak as Jesus did on the matter we would believe and teach that the wicked ARE in fact destroyed both body and soul in Hell.
-
God doesn’t condemn anyone, they condemn themselves.
…so lets live like hell and do what we want and not pay for it? Mock Christ’s sacrifice? Someone has to pay the price for all of your sin. -
The question I would raise in response to the original question is what would the punishment of sin be if there was no result of the judgement against it?
The Bible frames hell as the place of punishment for unrepentant sin. So if there is no hell, and people who don’t go to heaven just disappear when they die, which appears to be what you’re proposing here as an option, then where is the punishment of sins?
-
Every creature made in the image of God lives forever because the image of God is eternal.
The only choice is where: with God or separated from him.
-
[…] Why not instead of sending sinners to hell, God simply… […]
Comments