His Limits of Retribution

Our God is undeniably just.

By definition, then, He is incapable of administering any degree of sustained cruelty as a form of moral recompense.

In fact, there’s no record of Jesus Christ Himself ever cautioning any human being of having to endure punishment in perpetuity.  Nor is there anything recorded in the Bible to suggest that conscious suffering can occur either within or outside of the mortal remains of a human corpse.

Those who reject Him merely reject His offer of life and the right to experience any dimension of that offer, and they will ultimately perish. After all, the concept of “perishing” is demonstrated in both English and Biblical Greek dictionaries to be a process that must have a conclusion.

So why do I sometimes hear that someone who refuses to repent and believe His Good News is condemned to endure some form of torture which has no end?  Would it be because that person needs to be intimidated in order to believe it?

I hope not.

Because this is a popular concept taught and preached in our congregations. But nothing in the Bible even suggests such a thing.

We would, however, do well to remember two important things when reading the Scriptures.  First, the term “Hell” is a translated English word which is always defined Biblically by the context in which it’s used, not by the traditions of men.

Secondly, Jesus often used this term to bring clarity to His dialog. When He spoke about “Hell, He chose to use the Greek noun γέεννα [gê’-ênnâ], which was actually a valley West and South of Jerusalem. It was a garbage dump and a final resting place for the remains of criminals, animals and other unclaimed organic material.

His implication was not meant to suggest a place of conscious suffering, but rather a condition of utter separation from what was living and breathing.

So, if I really believe the words of the Lord’s messenger in Rev. 22:18-19, I might want to also remember that any misrepresentation of the character of God or the words of Jesus Christ on my behalf surely won’t go unnoticed when He returns to pay me back for my deeds. [Matt. 16:27]

On the other hand, if I’m willing to focus more on what Jesus had to say about “life” rather than “Hell,” I’m likely to achieve that level of clarity He intends for me to have.

His “Hell” is real indeed.

It’s just not what I thought it was.