Tag Archives: gehenna

Surprised by Hell: Plato and the New Testament

Fudge points out that the question of immortality was a favorite of Greek philosophers. The seminal work on the subject was Plato’s Phaedo, a dialogue on the question that was well-known among First Century Hellenistic people. The debate Plato writes … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: Substitionary Atonement

[I’m filling in some gaps in my own research by reading through Fudge’s The Fire that Consumes. I’m posting multiple posts today, as I want to get finished and move to the next topic.] One of the fundamental doctrines of … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: Eternal Punishment

The favorite proof text of the everlasting-torment position is Matt 25:46 — (Mat 25:46) “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” As I’ve previously noted, “eternal” translates aionios, the adjective form of aion, … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: The Consuming Fire

Up to this point, I remain astonished at how consistent the scriptures are on the fate of the saved and lost. But there is an inconsistency. Revelation describes those outside of Jesus as dying in the Lake of Fire, this … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: Who Will Be Resurrected?

In Surprised by Hope, N. T. Wright argues extensively that “resurrection” refers exclusively to a bodily resurrection. First Century Greeks, for example, believed in the immortality of the soul (our disembodied selves) but had no concept of a resurrection. I’ve … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: Gehenna

In the New Testament, every reference to “hell” in the English is a reference either to Hades, Tartarus, or Gehenna. Gehenna is used 12 times. It’s well known that Gehenna was the dump outside Jerusalem where trash was burned. And … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hope: Hell, Part 1

Wright notes that the idea of a new heaven and new earth argues against the traditional understanding of hell. After all, no longer do we imagine going to heaven when we die. Rather, heaven comes down to earth and we … Continue reading

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