Tag Archives: The Fire that Consumes

Following Jesus, by N. T. Wright

I bought this one with my very own money – and it was money very well spent. Following Jesus was first published in 1994. It doesn’t offer hugely powerful new theology. Rather, it offers excellent, insightful introductions to several New … Continue reading

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Available Light: A solution

We are considering a post by Al Maxey and another post by Leroy Garrett arguing that, for those who’ve never heard the gospel, their salvation will be determined based on their response to what they know of God from other … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: Evangelism

I think the disproportionality of the traditional teaching of hell unconsciously hurts our evangelistic efforts. To teach Jesus, we feel the need to teach the need to be saved. From what? Well, from hell. But an everlasting hell of conscious … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: Thinking About Justice

The Mosaic idea of civil justice, that is, justice as administered by the government, was that the punishment should fit the crime — (Lev 24:19-21) If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 … Continue reading

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Surprised by Hell: Evaluating the Evidence (extended)

It helps, I think, to take a step back and try to absorb the evidence in the context of the scriptures and Christianity. We have two views: * The traditional view, at least as old as Tertullian (writing from 197 … Continue reading

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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: J. I. Packer Rebuts, Part 2

Annihilationists respond with special pleading. Sometimes they urge that such references to continued distress as have been quoted refer only to the temporary experience of the lost before they are extinguished, but this is to beg the question by speculative … 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: J. I. Packer Rebuts, Part 1

James I. Packer, a prominent evangelical scholar, challenges annihilationism on several grounds in his thoughtful article “Evangelical Annihilationism”. I insert relevant verses in full text here and there to make it easier for the reader to follow the discussion. He … Continue reading

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