Category Archives: Heaven

Now, many a theologian has argued that hell is separation from God, and I think that’s part of the punishment. Maybe all. Speaking of the damned, Paul writes, (2Th 1:9-10 ESV)  9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, … Continue reading →

Jesus and James refer to the fate of the damned as gehenna, usually translated “hell.” The word is entirely absent from Paul and the other NT writers, who prefer to speak in terms of the damned being destroyed. There is no … Continue reading →

Monty asked about the meaning of “everlasting fire” in the comments. My answer was pretty long and I thought worth posting as a post — because it’s a good question that deserves a thorough answer. Monty, Unquenchable fire “Everlasting fire” … Continue reading →

The Revelation speaks of the damned suffering a “second death.” (Rev 2:11 ESV) 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second … Continue reading →

Edward 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. Plato presents a … Continue reading →

Just came across this very thorough study of the writings of the Early Church Fathers relating to Conditionalism and Perpetual Conscious Torment: The Doctrine of Immortality in the Early Church, by Dr. John H. Roller (free download). Roller goes through … Continue reading →

“Eternal” means not so much “forever” as “in the next age.” The Greek is aionios, from aion, meaning age. Now, one characteristic of the next age is that it will last forever, and so being eternal can sometimes be a … Continue reading →

From So what are we saved from? Destruction So what happens to those who don’t receive immortality/eternal life? Do they live forever, in perpetual, conscious torment? Or is there a second possibility? From the preceding readings, we would expect the damned … Continue reading →

Now, if all this is true, then the church’s foremost task is to be the Kingdom. That’s not quite how Hauerwas likes to say it. He says the church’s task is to be the church — which says the same … Continue reading →