Is there really a hell, a place of anguish/punishment after death?
Heaven and hell are realities and part of the foundation of biblical faith. There are two overlapping concepts of hell in the New Testament. Hades is a translation of the Hebrew Sheol, which refers to “the shadowy realm of the underworld” where it was originally thought that all the dead went. (Psalm 89:48; Matthew 11:23) The second is Gehenna, where only the condemned go. Both John the Baptist and Jesus speak words of warning about hell or Gehenna, a place where an everlasting and unquenchable fire burns (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 13:42) and where there is darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13). Paul describes hell in terms of destruction, perishing, and loss of relationship with God (Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:10). Hell is like being put in prison, a punishment for the devil and his angels and for those who continue in neglecting to show love to the needy or who refuse to repent and accept God’s offer of new life (Matthew 5:29; Matthew 25:41). Some see these descriptors of hell as symbolic rather than literal; nevertheless, Jesus speaks of hell as a reality for those who choose darkness rather than light and who reject him rather than coming to him (John 3:18-21; Romans 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
In the outline of the faith in the Book of Common Prayer, hell is understood as eternal death in our rejection of God. Theologians have wrestled with the doctrine of hell from the earliest centuries and the debates continue today. But even in light of the debates we are warned and challenged by the words of scripture regarding hell. We understand that God has created us with free will, freedom to make choices. That freedom includes personal choices to eternally reject the love and grace of God. Rejecting God can result in everlasting separation from God. We are called to repent, to live trusting in Jesus as Savior and Lord, and to enjoy resurrection life with Christ and the communion of the saints in the kingdom of heaven.
Susan Freeman
East Parish Minister
Do Christians think that there will be Hindus, Buddhists, Shinto, etc. in heaven?
The short answer is no. But neither will there be Baptists, Catholics, or Anglicans in heaven. In heaven, there will only be people, who by the grace of God, enter into the presence of God trusting wholly in God's provision, most clearly expressed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In other words, salvation is not based on religious affiliation, but on God’s grace received by faith in Jesus Christ.
While it would be comforting to think that all roads lead to heaven, the Bible gives us no hope of any way apart from Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Peter, speaking of Jesus, says: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
This isn’t to say that there is no truth or value found in other religions, there is. But when you ask who will get into heaven, you quickly discover that the various religions give very different answers to that question ranging from looking within you to working hard to be moral. Only Christianity calls you to abandon all hope in yourself and to look to the person of Jesus Christ for your salvation.
For more thoughts on the differences between other religions, see this short article.
David Thompson
Northeast Parish Minister
The Alpha course is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed manner over eight, thought-provoking weekly sessions. The discussion topic from week 3 was "How can we have faith?" For more information, contact Amy Waggoner at 214-291-5037.