Redeeming God

Liberating you from bad ideas about God

Learn the MOST ESSENTIAL truths for following Jesus.

Get FREE articles and audio teachings in my discipleship emails!


  • Join Us!
  • Scripture
  • Theology
  • My Books
  • About
  • Discipleship
  • Courses
    • What is Hell?
    • Skeleton Church
    • The Gospel According to Scripture
    • The Gospel Dictionary
    • The Re-Justification of God
    • What is Prayer?
    • Adventures in Fishing for Men
    • What are the Spiritual Gifts?
    • How to Study the Bible
    • Courses FAQ
  • Forum
    • Introduce Yourself
    • Old Testament
    • New Testament
    • Theology Questions
    • Life & Ministry

The Subjects of Satan (Ephesians 2:2)

By Jeremy Myers
Leave a Comment

The Subjects of Satan (Ephesians 2:2)
https://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1084124686-redeeminggod-the-subjects-of-satan-ephesians-22.mp3

Do you understand what is going on in the world? You would, if you understand the real problem with humanity. Ephesians 2:2 begins to show us what this problem is. The verse contains three phrases that point to one single reality as the identity of our problem. Before we get to our study of Ephesians 2:2, however, we will be answering a question from a reader about hell and ultimate reconciliation.

Ultimate Reconciliation?

Do you think the ultimate restoration of all things (not the same thing as universalism though people could get nervous and think so) is possible?

I address this question in my book, What is Hell?, but let me briefly summarize what I write in the book.

First, let me state the 3 basic views on what happens to unregenerate people after they die.

The first view is Eternal Conscious torment. This it the view that unregenerate people go to a place of suffering where they spend eternity in pain and agony.

The second view is Universalism, which is the view that there is no hell of any kind, and all people go to spend eternity with God after they die.

The third main view is Annihilationism. This is the view that there is no afterlife at all for unregenerate people. When unregenerate people die, they simply cease to exist.

What is hell bookNow, there are shades and variations on all these views. For example, some people believe that unregenerate people will go to a place of suffering and torment, but they won’t spend eternity there. Instead, they will eventually be annihilated. So this view is sort of a cross between Eternal Conscious torment and Annihilationism.

There is another view that is a cross between Eternal Conscious torment and Universalism. This view is often rereferred to as Ultimate Reconciliation. In it, unregenerate people who die will begin eternity separated from God in some form, but over time, they will see that they were wrong, and will repent and believe in Jesus and so will eventually and ultimately be reconciled to God. Over millions and billions of years (if such a term even applies to eternity), hell will be slowly emptied as more and more people are reconciled to God.

It is this last view that the reader is asking about. She wants to know if Ultimate Reconciliation is possible. In my book on hell, I state that while I think it is possible, I do not think it is likely. This is not because God doesn’t allow it, but because human and stubborn and rebellious creatures. I believe that God will hold out the option for anyone who begins eternity separated from Him to be reconciled to Him if they so desire, I believe that while many may accept this gracious offer, there will be many other people who will eternally refuse the offer.

I would love to be wrong on this. I hope I am wrong.

But here’s the thing with humans. We make our decisions, and then our decisions make us. The longer a person remains in rebellion against God, the more likely they are to remain in that rebellion. This applies, I believe, not just for this life, but for eternity as well.

So do I believe in ultimate reconciliation? I do believe that God will extend such an offer to all of unredeemed humanity, but I do not believe that all of humanity will respond positively to that offer, so no, I do not think that ultimate reconciliation will ever occur.

By the way, this doesn’t mean that I believe that these unregenerate people will spend eternity suffering in the flames of hell. I don’t believe that the afterlife for the unregenerate will be a place of torment and torture at all. They will be in a place where they are allowed to be who they want to be, which for the unredeemed, will be an eternity of selfish, loveless, graceless, merciless living. As Scripture describes it, such an existence will be an eternal death. It will be sort of like this present life, but amplified in all the negative ways.

To learn more about what the Bible really teaches about hell, check out my book, What is Hell?

Ephesians 2:2 is a text that sort of speaks to this issue. It is the verse we are looking at today in this Podcast study. It doesn’t talk about what happens to unregenerate people after they die, but is instead describing what happens to unregenerate people while they live on this earth. I believe that the way people live now is a bit of a foreshadowing of how they will exist in eternity as well. So let us look at Ephesians 2:2.

We were Subjects to Satan (Ephesians 2:2)

In our study of Ephesians 2:1, we summarized the entire message of Ephesians 2, and saw that it was divided into three sections. The problem (Ephesians 2:1-3), the Solution (Ephesians 2:4-10), and the Application (Ephesians 2:11-22). By reverse engineering the chapter, we discover that in Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul is describing the real problem with humanity, and this problem is far different and far worse than anything we thought or imagined or than what we hear in most of our churches and Christian books.

Ephesians 2:1 began to talk about this problem by saying that we were dead in trespasses and sins. This meant that we did not function the way God intended humans to function, but were instead dominated by sin, which is primarily defined in the Bible as violence against other human beings.

Ephesians 2:2 continues this train of thought. Paul writes:

Ephesians 2:2. … in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

satan casts out satanPaul says here that we used to live in transgressions and sins. The actual term here is peripateo – to walk about. So rather than “used to live” we should read it “used to walk.”

Our former way of life was a death walk. We were on a walk – but not the kind of walk most of us go on during the warm summer evenings. This walk – in the words of John Stott – “was no pleasant promenade in the countryside.” It was a death walk; a walk of slavery to trespasses and sins. We were walking the plank, and didn’t even know it. We were walking the road to destruction, and didn’t know anything different.

In a way, we were a bit like lemmings. Lemmings blindly follow the crowd until they fall off a cliff or drown in the ocean. Like them, we were headed for destruction and didn’t even know it. It was who we were and what we did.

Ephesians 2 1-3In the rest of Ephesians 2:2, Paul uses three phrases to describe the way we used to walk. But all three terms point to the same reality. Let’s discuss the three terms and then I will identify the single reality that Paul has in view.

The ways of this world

So the first is the ways of this world. This terms refers to how the world operates. It is a reference to the world domination system. How people seek to dominate, rule, and control other people through violence and threats of violence. It consists of the rules, both spoken and unspoken, which guide how all entities of this world work, including governments, militaries, institutions, and business.

As Hoehner writes “This world is the satanically organized system that hates and opposes all that is godly (John 15:18, 23)” (Hoehner, BKC, 622).

I will eventually have an entry on “world” in my Gospel Dictionary online course.

Followed the Ruler of the Kingdom of the Air

So we followed the ways of this world, and second, we followed the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Who is this ruler or prince? We saw this ruler mentioned in Ephesians 1:21 when Paul mentioned that Christ is above all rule, authority, power, dominion and title. In that list of five spiritual beings, the term rule (or ruler) comes first.

God Cannot Look Upon Sin?So the kingdom of the air can be none other than the demonic realm, which means that the ruler must be Satan (cf. 1 John 5:19; 2 Cor 4:4; Rev 12:9). We will discuss satan more in a bit.

What about this kingdom of the air? The kingdom of the air refers to the invisible and unseen forces that guide our thoughts and movements in this world. Since it is of the “air,” this means this kingdom surrounds us all the time, even though we don’t see it, can’t hear it, and don’t even know it is there.

I know … this is sounding a bit like Morpheus trying to describe The Matrix to Neo. But the analogy is actually a very good one. The kingdom of the air is like the Matrix. It enslaves us in ways that we cannot break free from on our own, and so that we don’t even know we are enslaved. It is around us all the time like the very air we breathe. We live by it, operate by it, and are governed by it, even though we don’t know it exists.

I will talk more about this kingdom next time when we look at Ephesians 2:3.

The spirit at work in the disobedient

The third thing we followed which resulted in transgression and sin is the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. This is the impersonal and immaterial force or nature or characterization that is present within this world which leads us into disobedience.

This spirit of disobedience is set in contrast to the spirit of wisdom and revelation in Ephesians 1:17. The spirit of wisdom and revelation guides us into the way God wants us to live, while the spirit at work in the disobedient guides people to live in ways that are contrary to God.

So we have three terms that Paul uses here.

But what is the single reality these terms point to?

Could it be … SATAN?

It’s not really a joking matter, but it is indeed Satan that Paul is describing here.

The Saturday Night Live sketch with the Church Lady was funny though, because many Christians do indeed see Satan around every corner and under every rock and bush, but the sad reality, is that far too few Christians really understand what Satan is and how Satan works.

Ironically, when most Christians blame the problems of the world on Satan, they are actually behaving in a satanic way. To see Satan under every rock and bush is to behave satanically.

Shocking statement, I know. Let me unpack it.

The word “satan” comes from the Hebrew term ha satan. It means, “the accuser.” The spirit of accusation. I will eventually have an entry on the word satan in my Gospel Dictionary online course. It’s not there yet.

temptation of JesusThe word does not refer to a being or entity that dresses in red and has a pointy tale and horns on his head. It also does not refer to an evil being who goes around trying to tempt people to sin. Oh yes, the spirit of satan brings temptation, but not exactly in the way we think.

The word satan is the single word which Paul has in view here. The three phrases in Ephesians 2:2 describe satan. “Satan” refers to the course of this world … the way the world runs. It refers to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, which means that this way of ruling the world is around us all the time like the very air we breathe. It is the spirit at work in the disobedient. The spirit of the accuser leads people to be disobedient, to do the things that God does not want us to do.

So satan is spirit of this age, the spirit of accusation and blame. We all think everyone else is guilty and we ourselves are innocent. The spirit that leads us to condemn others in God’s name and to call for violence and bloodshed against others in God’s name.

And sadly, religious people are guilty of living by the spirit of this age just as much – if not more – than non-religious people. Religious people are adept at using our Scriptures and our rules to condemn and accuse others and to call for “holy war” against our enemies. We view our enemies as the enemies of God, and so we use our religious zeal for God to call for the death of our enemies.

This the same concern Jesus had. This is why Jesus instructed us to love our enemies. Paul is concerned here with the same thing that Jesus was most concerned with, which is the religious sins which people commit in God’s name. Rather than hate and accuse our enemies, we need to turn away from the spirit of accusation and turn instead to the Holy Spirit of love and acceptance. Paul is not just pointing out how unbelievers live, but how we believers live as well.

This is why, when Paul uses the term “disobedient” there at the end of Ephesians 2:2, he didn’t use some other term like “unbelievers” or “unregernate.” Why not? Because followers of Jesus can be disobedient also. We too can fall prey to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit of accusation that dominates this world. And we often do.

When we Christians engage in accusation and condemnation, when we call for the death of enemies, when we encourage violence in the name of God, it is then that we are not following the Holy Spirit, but rather the spirit of this age, the satanic spirit of blame and accusation. It is then that Christians are in fact satanic.

Strong words. I know.

But are you seeing why Paul’s description of the problem in Ephesians 2:1-3 is so important to properly understand? This is not just a description of what “they” do, but is also a description of what we do. Yes, Paul says that this is the way in which we used to walk, but sadly, far too many Christians (myself included) still walk in the old ways. So Paul is going to eventually show what Jesus did to call us to a different way of living, and then also show us how we can do that practically in our world today.

But before we can get to the solution and the application, there is one more verse to go in the description of our problem. This is found in Ephesians 2:3, which we will consider next time.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: Ephesians, Ephesians 2:2, hell, satan, what is hell

Advertisement

Sealing of the Spirit vs. Filling with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

By Jeremy Myers
1 Comment

Sealing of the Spirit vs. Filling with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
https://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1056884059-redeeminggod-sealing-of-the-spirit-vs-filling-by-the-spirit-ephesians-113.mp3

What is the sealing of the Holy Spirit? What is the filling of the Holy Spirit? How are they different? These are the questions we will answer in this study of Ephesians 1:13. We will also look at a question from a listener about why I changed by beliefs about hell.

A Letter from a Listener

What prompted you to reject the traditional view of eternal conscious torment widely held by Conservative Christianity?

I grew up believing in the traditional view of hell, which is that unregenerate people go to a place of eternal conscious torment where they suffer and burn and scream in agony for all eternity. I attended a Bible College and a Seminary that taught this view as well.

What is hell bookThe first step in rejecting this view was in realizing that Jesus fully reveals God to us. Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father” (John 14:9). Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn that Jesus is the exact representation of God and is the image of the invisible God (John 1:14, 18; 14:9-11; 2 Cor 4:4; Php 2:6; Col 1:15; Heb 1:2-3). See this article here for more.

So here is the question: Was Jesus right? Was Paul right? They said that Jesus fully revealed God to us. That if we want to know what God is  like, all we have to do is look at Jesus and what He did and how He behaved during His life here on earth. Is this correct?

I hope you say yes. Jesus was not lying to us.

The ramifications of this are significant. It means, among other things, that if you cannot imagine Jesus doing something, this means God doesn’t do it either.

So … can you imagine Jesus torturing somebody in fire? Even for a few seconds? No. The one time His disciples asked Him to call down fire from heaven and burn a city, He rebuked them for such thinking (Luke 9:54-55). So if Jesus wouldn’t burn people or torture people in fire, and if Jesus fully reveals God to us, then God wouldn’t burn people or torture people in fire either. Not even for a few seconds, let alone for eternity.

If someone believe that God does torture people in fire for all eternity, they that person must also believe that Jesus didn’t fully reveal God to us, and therefore, Jesus was lying when He said He did.

I don’t want to call Jesus a liar, and so I was forced to re-think what I believed about hell. I wrote about my view on hell in my book What is Hell? if you want to learn more.

The Sealing of the Spirit vs. Filling of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

This study is drawn from my sermon on Ephesians 1:13-14.

We are in Ephesians 1:3-14, one long sentence from Paul telling us what our Spiritual Possessions are in Jesus. In Ephesians 1:3-6 we saw that we have Security from the Father. This means that He promises to make us holy through election and make us heirs through predestination.

We saw last time in Ephesians 1:7-13a that our second blessing is Salvation from the Son. This salvation does not refer to going to heaven when we die, but instead points to the redemption and release from our captivity to sin so that we can live according to the will of God in our lives.

In Ephesians 1:13-14, we learn about Sealing from the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:14

This sealing has special significance for the Christians. It is such an important topic, we will spend two podcasts discussing it. Today we will just look at the difference between the sealing of the spirit and the filling of the Spirit. We will answer the question “What is the difference between being sealed by the Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit?”

When someone believes, they are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. I want to comment on this word promised first, and then we will discuss the sealing.

The Spirit of Promise (Ephesians 1:13)

Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ had to leave the earth? Have you ever wished that He was still here, walking around, teaching and training? Have you ever wished you could touch Him and eat with Him and talk with Him?

I know I have. Some days I just long to sit at Jesus’ feet and have Him teach me about God as only He can. This is especially a longing of mine when I struggle with the meaning of Jesus’ words in certain accounts from the four Gospels. I want to be able to go to Jesus and say, “Hey … what did you mean here?”

I still long for this, but Jesus knows what is best for us, which is why He says this in John 16:5-8.

Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.

Do you see it? If Jesus had not left, the Holy Spirit would not have come. I don’t know why this is, but it is what Jesus said, and we need to trust it. When Jesus was here, it was wonderful. He could be seen and heard, and touched. But the drawback was that He could only be in one place at one time.

But when Jesus left, He sent the Holy Spirit which He had promised, so that now, instead of Jesus being in only one place at a time so that those who wanted to hear or see Him would have to travel half-way across the world, we have the Holy Spirit, who is in every Christian all the time, every moment of every day.

So I would still like to have Jesus here, but I think it is better that we have the Holy Spirit. This passage in John 16 tells us that He is at work in the world convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. And the rest of John 16 tells us that the Spirit teaches Christians and guides us into truth. He can do this everywhere and all the time without growing weary or hungry as Jesus did. Yes, I sometimes wish Jesus was here, but I am thankful for the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come, and in Acts 2 He came, and has been with us ever since. That is the promise Paul refers to in Ephesians 1:13.

But the sealing of the Spirit should not be confused with some of the other things the Spirit does for the believer, and specifically, the filling of the Holy Spirit. I see so many Christians getting confused about being filled with the Spirit and being sealed with the Spirit. What is the difference?

Being Sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

When discussing the difference between filled with the Spirit and sealed by the Spirit, we can talk about the conditions and the outcomes of both.

The Conditions of Sealing vs. Filling

As we have seen in Ephesians 1:13, the only condition for being sealed by the Spirit is believing. When we believe in Jesus, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

This means that every single believer is sealed with the Spirit. And this sealing is permanent. Once you are sealed with the Spirit, it is like being branded by the Spirit. The seal, or the brand, is a mark of ownership. It cannot be removed or taken away. We will talk more about this next week when we look at Ephesians 1:14.

Being filled with the Spirit is different, however. Paul writes about being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18, and we will discuss it more when we get there, but for now, just recognize that you are not automatically and permanently filled with the Spirit when you believe in Jesus. Being filled with the Spirit is conditional upon  you submitting yourself to the Holy Spirit.

To be filled with the Spirit is to let the Holy Spirit control you.

To be filled with the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit.

Think of sealing vs. filling as if your life were a car. When you buy a car, you register it and put license plates on it. This is sort of like the sealing of the Spirit. It shows ownership. It shows that you own the car and helps identify you as a legal driver. When you are sealed with the Holy Spirit, God puts His mark on you to show that He owns you, that you belong to Him.

However, you are still driving your car around. When you are filled with the Spirit, you let the Holy Spirit get into the car and drive it around for you. When you are filled with the Spirit, the Spirit takes control of the car. But you can kick the Holy Spirit out of the driver seat any time you want. If you don’t like where the Spirit is driving, you can say, “I’ll take over from here,” and the Spirit will let you. Of course, you’ll end up driving into a ditch, but hopefully that will teach you to let the Spirit keep control of your life.

So you are sealed immediately and permanently when you believe in Jesus, but you are filled, or controlled, by the Spirit whenever you let the Spirit take control of where your life is headed.

Ok, so what about the results of being sealed vs. filled?

The Results of Sealing vs. Filling

When you believe in Jesus for eternal life, four things immediately happen to you in relation to the Holy Spirit. They spell the acrostic RIBS.

The Spirit regenerates us (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). This is the act of God which gives us eternal life when we believe.

The Spirit also indwells us (John 14:16-17). This is the Spirit coming to live within us and abide or remain within us.

The Spirit baptizes the believer (1 Cor 12:13). This is a spiritual baptism, not a water baptism. Water baptism symbolizes what has already happened to us spiritually. This spiritual baptism gives us the basis for victory over sin.

We are also sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). This is what we are discussing now.

Holy Spirit

It should be noted that all four of these things are one-time events that happen instantaneously the moment we place faith in Jesus for eternal life. Once they happen, they cannot be repeated and they cannot be reversed. In other words, during your life, the Holy Spirit will not repeatedly baptize you. Some people teach this, but that is because they do not understand the Spirit baptism. These events cannot be reversed either. You cannot become un-baptized any more than you can become unborn. You cannot become un-regenerated any more than you can become un-alive.

So these four actions of the Holy Spirit, regeneration, indwelling, baptizing, and sealing, are one time events that happen at the moment we receive eternal life, and which cannot be repeated or reversed.

But the filling of the Spirit is different. It is something that can be repeated and can be lost. It is not something mystical that takes place only when there is goosebumps, shivers, chills, and special miraculous signs. Being filled with the Spirit is most often not accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders.

As already stated, being filled with the Spirit is simply being controlled by the Holy Spirit. That’s all there is to it. We stop being filled with the Holy Spirit whenever we try to take over the control of our lives. Whenever we let sin get a foothold in our lives. We need to frequently be filled because as sinful humans, we leak.

The results of being filled with the Spirit are numerous. As the Spirit takes control of your life, you will learn to actually live your life. The Spirit does not want to take away your life, but to show you how to truly live life as God wants and intends. To use the analogy of the car from earlier, the Holy Spirit gives you driving lessons.

As the Spirit drives you around, you will start to be conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus. You will learn to walk by faith, not by sight. You will start to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. You will learn how to pray. You will start to understand Scripture more because the Spirit guides us into all truth.

Do you see? The sealing of the Spirit is mark of permanent ownership that gets put on us when we believe in Jesus for eternal life, but the filling of the Spirit is part of the ongoing, transforming, sanctifying power of God in our life to help us live and love like Jesus.

The reason Paul is talking about this now is because in Ephesians 4-6, he is going to give us a whole list of things we should be doing as Christians. And on our own power, by our own strength, these things are impossible. But with the indwelling and filling power of the Spirit, we are able to accomplish more than we ever thought or imagined.

We will learn more about this as we continue our way through Ephesians.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: Ephesians 1:13, filled with the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, hell, Holy Spirit, Pneumatology, podcast, sealed by the Spirit, what is hell

Advertisement

Do the warning passages of Hebrews 6:7-8 and Hebrews 10:27 refer to Christians going to hell?

By Jeremy Myers
2 Comments

Do the warning passages of Hebrews 6:7-8 and Hebrews 10:27 refer to Christians going to hell?
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/639695445-redeeminggod-164-do-the-warning-passages-of-hebrews-67-8-and-hebrews-1027-refer-to-christians-going-to-hell.mp3

What is hell bookMy book, What is Hell? is now available on Amazon. I am doing a series of podcast studies that focus on some of the content from the book. The studies look at the eight key terms that are often equated with hell, and about a dozen key passages that are thought to teach about hell.

If you want to learn the truth about hell and what the Bible actually teaches about hell, make sure you get a copy of my book, What is Hell?

Also, if you are part of my discipleship group, there will be an online course about hell as well.

In this study, we will consider two of the warning passages in Hebrews to see if they are warning Christians about the possibility of going to hell. We will look at Hebrews 6:7-8 and Hebrews 10:27.

Does Hebrews 6:7-8 warn about hell?

For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

The book of Hebrews contains five warning passages (Heb 2:1-4; 3:7-19; 5:11–6:12; 10:19-39; 12:14-29). The warning passage in Hebrews 6 is both the most severely worded and also the most widely misunderstood.

The author of Hebrews uses the imagery of a plot of land which is cultivated and planted so that a harvest might be gained from it. If the land produces crops, it receives blessing from God, but if it does not produce crops, it will get burned.

In the context, the land refers to the lives of Christians (Hebrews 5:11; Hebrews 6:3-4), and so it is upon Christians that the potential blessings or curses can fall. If, therefore, the cursing and burning refers to the fires of eternal hell, then this passage means that some Christians could end up in hell.

But is that what it means? No.

A careful consideration of three key terms in this text helps the meaning become clear. These words are “rejected, cursed, and burned.”

All three terms are parallel, and therefore help explain each other.

The word “Rejected”

The word rejected (Gk., adokimos) could also be translated as disapproved or disqualified. This word has nothing to do with whether or not a person has eternal life, but instead has to do with whether or not God finds a person useful and honest in their dealings with others.

Due to this, the word “useful” is a good synonym for the Greek word dokimos, while “useless” would be a good synonym for adokimos.

Therefore, if a Christian is adokimos, they still have eternal life, but God considers their “plot of land” to be useless for planting. (See the lesson on the word “Approved” in my Gospel Dictionary Online Course)

Rather than being fit for planting, the field of their life is only full of thorns and briars, which are the cares, riches, and pleasures of this world, so that any seed which is planted would get choked rather than produce a harvest (cf. Luke 8:4-15).

The word rejected is also found in Hebrews 12:17 (along with the word blessing which was mentioned in 6:7) in reference to Esau. Esau sold the blessing of his earthly birthright for a meal, and even though he sought to regain it afterwards with repentance and tears, he was rejected.

So the word rejected refers to the loss of earthly and temporal blessings and inheritance that God gives to those who obey and honor Him. Those who disobey God will not receive the blessings, but will be rejected and turned away from them.

This is not about going to hell, or getting turned away from the proverbial “gates of heaven,” but is instead about being rejected as a useful part of God’s plan here on earth.

The word “Cursed”

The word cursed (Gk., katara) is similar. The word does not refer to an action, but to a verbal, imprecatory declaration about something or someone.

In the context, this word cursed is the exact opposite of the blessing which was mentioned in Hebrews 6:7. The word for blessing is eulogia, and means “verbal praise,” and so the cursing is also verbal. It is a negative declaration that something is useless.

The word cursed is also used in Galatians 3:10, 13 to refer to the curse of the law and the curse of being crucified.

It is used in James 3:10 to refer to the curses that a person can utter with the mouth.

And it is used in 2 Peter 2:14 to describe the behavior and characteristics of false prophets (cf. 2 Pet 2:1). On this last text, it is important to note that in the context, Peter writes about the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. Jude 7), which is similar to how the author of Hebrews goes on to describe the burning of this worthless field.

And just as the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah is not equivalent to burning in the fires of hell, so also, the burning of the field is also not referring to hell.

The word “Burned”

The third key term is the word burned (Gk., kausis). The word is not the normal word for fire (Gk., pur), but is the noun kausis, which is the only time this noun is used in Scripture.

The verbal form is found in 2 Peter 3:10 in reference to how, at the end of the age, this world will be burned with fire. This Petrine parallel reveals that the word does not refer to hell, but instead to some sort of temporal discipline and judgment in this life.

Indeed, in real life, the burning of a field is actually a way to prepare it for harvest. Often, when a field is full of thorns and briars, the quickest and easiest way to prepare it for plowing and planting is to burn the field.

This does not destroy the soil, but instead prepares the ground for future harvest. The burning of the field is a form of discipline and correction to change a useless field into a useful field, making it ready to be planted.

Putting the Three Terms Together

When the meaning and significance of these three terms are considered together, we learn that Hebrews 6:7-8 is not saying anything about how God will send some people to burn in hell.

Quite to the contrary, the author is saying that when a Christian fails to live as God wants and desires, and as a result of this failure becomes useless, God might “curse the ground” and burn over the field of their life, so that the field can be properly plowed and planted in the future.

This is a passage which explains the disciplinary and restorative work of God in helping unfruitful Christians become fruitful again.

This passage is not talking about Christians who lose their eternal life and end up in hell.

Just the opposite.

This passage affirms our eternal security because it is a passage about the discipline that God gives to His own children when they fall away and stagnate in their lives due to the riches and pleasures of life (cf. Rev 3:19).

The author of Hebrews states elsewhere that the Lord disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6), and that is what the author writes in Hebrews 6 as well.

One of the other warning passages in Hebrews also contains a reference to fire, so it too is worth considering, especially since it seems to be more strongly worded than the imagery of the burning field in Hebrews 6:8. This other text is Hebrews 10:27.

Does Hebrews 10:27 warn Christians about hell?

… but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

Hebrews 10:19-39 is another of the five warning passages in the book of Hebrews (Heb 2:1-4; 3:7-19; 5:11–6:12; 10:19-39; 12:14-29).

In the middle of this warning passage, the author reminds the readers what will happen to them if they reject the truth revealed in Jesus. The author writes that those who disregard what they had previously learned about Jesus will face the judgment of fiery indignation and punishment (Hebrews 10:27, 29).

Many see this as a clear reference to torment in the flames of hell, but once again, several key insights from the context reveal an entirely different understanding.

Fiery Indignation does NOT come from God

First, note that Hebrews 10:27 does not say that the fiery indignation comes from God. Instead, this indignation appears to be self-inflicted. That is, it comes from within the person to consume and devour them.

How do we know this?

The word indignation (Gk., zēlos) could also be translated as “zeal” or “jealousy” (cf. Rom 13:13; 1 Cor 3:3). The word itself usually refers to a sinful attitude (2 Cor 12:20; Gal 5:20; Jas 3:14, 16), though there is a form of godly jealousy (2 Cor 7:11; 11:2).

So how can one determine whether or not the zeal or jealousy in question is sinful or godly? The word is often accompanied with a modifying adjective or a descriptive noun which helps determine whether the zēlos is sinful jealousy or godly jealousy. Here, the modifier is the word fire (Gk., pur).

As we have seen over and over from Scripture, fire is often a symbol of judgment, discipline, and destruction. Even when used in a positive way to describe the fires of purification (cf. 1 Cor 3:15), the fire itself is still a destructive fire that burns away all that is undesirable.

The context of Hebrews 10 reveals something similar here. Phrases such as “fearful expectation of judgment” (Hebrews 10:27), “worse punishment” (Hebrews 10:29), and “draw back to perdition” (Hebrews 10:39) reveal that the fire is to be understood in this negative, destructive sense.

Therefore, since the fire is a negative experience, the zēlos can also be understood as the negative, destructive, sinful form of jealousy.

If this is the sinful form of indignation or jealousy, then it cannot be God’s. Since it is sinful, human jealousy, it cannot be godly jealousy.

The jealousy, indignation, or zeal which the author of Hebrews is describing is not from God, but from the sinful heart of human beings.

This insight provides great help in understanding this fourth warning passage.

Don’t Reject the Truth!

The author is warning the readers to not reject the knowledge of the truth they have received through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:26).

For if they reject what Jesus revealed, then there is nothing for them to return to except the old religious system of sacrifices, which never did anything to help them with their sin. Indeed, the sacrifices themselves were sinful (Myers, Nothing but the Blood of Jesus).

sacrificial systemThe sacrificial system was based on fear, accusation, blame, and scapegoating, and Jesus came to set us free from all such things. But if one rejects the revelation in Jesus, then the only other option is to return to that broken and sinful system.

And what did Jesus reveal?

He showed us that we have nothing to fear from God. It is as John writes, the perfect love we have seen in Jesus casts out all fear, because fear has to do with punishment (1 John 4:18).

In Jesus we have learned that God does not punish, and therefore, we have nothing to fear.

Yet those who have not yet seen or understood this revelation of God in Jesus Christ, still live in fear of God. They do not know what God is like and so are afraid of God and live in fear of His judgment.

This explains the fiery indignation that the author of Hebrews has in mind.

Fear makes people feel that they are being unjustly judged. Fear causes a person to feel that the one whom they fear will not judge them correctly or justly.

Only when a person knows they are loved by the one doing the judging will they feel that this judge has their best interests at heart and will make sound judgments.

So when people fear the judge, they become indignant and resentful of the judgment they receive. They feel that all the facts were not properly considered or that extenuating circumstances were not factored in.

And so when people fear God, they become indignant and upset that God will judge them for the actions which they feel they were forced to commit by life’s circumstances. They become upset, thinking that God only wants to punish them, regardless of the reasons for their actions. They develop a raging indignation against God, or a fiery zeal based on incorrect ideas about God (cf. Rom 10:2).

This inner indignation consumes them. It devours them from the inside out.

The author of Hebrews is warning the readers that if they reject what is revealed in Jesus, then they also reject the love and forgiveness of God that is revealed in Jesus.

If they reject this, then there is nothing left but the inner turmoil of fiery jealousy and indignation which consumes people from within.

This is not eternal torment in the flames of hell, but the inner, psychological turmoil that comes from having an incorrect view of God.

But what about Hebrews 10:29, 31, and 39?

These verses contain references to punishment, perdition, and how fearful it is to fall into the hand of the living God. Do these references prove that some sort of punishment from God is in view?

They do not.

What is the “Punishment” of Hebrews 10:29?

In Hebrews 10:29, the Greek word for punishment is timōria. This is the only time this word is used in the New Testament.

church growth through loveIn other Greek literature, it most often refers to helping someone who has been wronged by assisting them against those who committed the wrong. It is giving the offender what he deserves by doing to him what he did to others.

In other words, it carries the idea of a sin against someone else coming back and falling upon the person who committed it. This idea is nearly identical to the concept of indignation from Hebrews 10:27.

The fiery indignation was not from God, but was from inside a person who misunderstands God, and therefore, the indignation is a sin that consumes and devours the person who commits it. The word for punishment here has the same idea. Sin bears its own punishment with it.

What is the “fearful thing” of Hebrews 10:31?

Similarly, when Hebrews 10:31 says that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” the author has in mind the exact same concept that was expressed in Hebrews 10:26-27.

When people reject the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, that God is only loving and always forgives, then the only alternative view of God is that God is out to judge and destroy them.

And for those who have this view of God, for them, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a God who wants to judge and kill. But for the rest of us, who have seen God in Jesus Christ, we need not fear God in such a way.

Yes, God is a judge (Hebrews 10:30), but Jesus shows us what kind of judge God is. Yes, vengeance belongs to God and God alone will repay people for what they have done (Hebrews 10:30), but in Jesus, we see that divine vengeance looks like mercy and that repayment for sin looks like forgiveness.

When we have this view of God, then we see that God is love (1 John 4:8), and the knowledge of this love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).

What about the “Perdition” of Hebrews 10:39?

Finally, we must consider the word perdition in Hebrews 10:39. The Greek word is apōleia, which means “destruction” (cf. Matt 7:13; Rom 9:22; Php 1:28; 3:19; 2 Pet 2:1, 3; 3:16) or “waste” (Matt 26:8; Mark 14:4).

The word itself refers to utter loss or complete ruin. It does not have anything to do with eternal damnation (2 Pet 2:3 in the KJV is poorly translated).

It simply means that a person is inviting destruction into their life, and into the lives of those who follow them and their teachings. This is exactly what happened with Judas, and what will happen with the antichrist, both of whom are called “the son of perdition” (John 17:12; 2 Thess 2:3).

The phrase “saving of the soul” in Hebrews 10:39 also does not refer to escaping hell and going to heaven, but to delivering your life from premature physical death (cf. Jas 1:21; 5:19-20; 1 Pet 1:9).

What is Hebrews 10:19-39 warning about?

So although Hebrews 10:19-39 is indeed a dark and ominous text, it is not teaching that some Christians can end up in eternal hell.

It is teaching that those who abandon Jesus after believing in Him and receiving the knowledge of the truth that He reveals will experience many negative and harmful consequences in their life.

They will become indignant toward God, feeling that He has unjustly judged them, and this fiery indignation will consume them from the inside out.

They will live in fear of God, rather than in the experience of His unconditional love.

And ultimately, if they continue on this path, they will bring destruction and utter ruin into their life. It is indeed a serious mistake to reject the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, for He alone brings love, hope, and encouragement into our earthly lives (cf. Hebrews 10:19-25).

what is hellDo you have more questions about hell? Are you afraid of going to hell? Do want to know what the Bible teaches about hell? Take my course "What is Hell?" to learn the truth about hell and how to avoid hell. This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: fire, Hebrews 10:27, Hebrews 6:7-8, hell, perdition, warning passages, warnings, what is hell

Advertisement

Does 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 teach about hell?

By Jeremy Myers
6 Comments

Does 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 teach about hell?
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/636267321-redeeminggod-163-does-2-thessalonians-18-9-teach-about-hell.mp3

What is hell bookMy book, What is Hell? is now available on Amazon. I am doing a series of podcast studies that focus on some of the content from the book. The studies look at the eight key terms that are often equated with hell, and about a dozen key passages that are thought to teach about hell.

If you want to learn the truth about hell and what the Bible actually teaches about hell, make sure you get a copy of my book, What is Hell?

Also, if you are part of my discipleship group, there will be an online course about hell as well.

In this study, we will be looking at 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, which refers to flaming fire of vengeance and everlasting destruction coming upon those who do not obey the gospel. This certainly sounds like a punishment of everlasting torture, doesn’t it? So what is Paul referring to?

Let’s begin by looking at the passage.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

… in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power …

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9When considered by itself out of context, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 seems to conclusively state that God punishes and destroys people forever with flaming fire.

As such, this text may be the strongest passage in Scripture to support the concept of eternal torment in fire for the unregenerate dead.

But an entirely different understanding emerges after a careful analysis of the text in its context and the numerous intertextual allusions to other passages in Scripture.

And since our previous studies on the topic of hell and everlasting fire have already considered numerous texts with similar terms and has shown that they do not refer to everlasting torture in the fires of hell but to some sort of temporal destruction, we are well-prepared to see what Paul meant when he wrote this text.

Paul is Alluding to Numerous other passages in Scripture

The first thing to consider is the numerous allusions and references in these verses to other passages of Scripture. When Paul wrote these words, he expected his readers to bring to mind the images of fire and destruction that are found in various prophetic texts and the teachings of Jesus.

For example, the terminology and imagery used in the preceding verse about Jesus being “revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7) brings to mind the similar imagery used by Jesus in Matthew 13:36-43 and Matthew 25:31-46. Both of those passages refer to the destruction of nations and countries that ignore the ways of God and the plight of the needy in their midst. Since Paul is using similar imagery, he must have similar ideas in mind.

Furthermore, when Paul writes about “the presence of the Lord and … the glory of His power,” he likely has texts such as Isaiah 2:19-21 (cf. Revelation 6:15-16) and Isaiah 66:15-16, 24 in view.

This first text refers to the “terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty” while the second refers to the destruction that comes upon those who sin against God. Yet it is critical to note that while the Isaiah text refers to the “terror” of the Lord, Paul removes the reference to terror and inserts the “presence” of the Lord instead.

This change is significant.

What does “from the presence of the Lord” mean?

The phrase “from the presence of the Lord” is key to understanding Paul’s point. Many books and articles focus primarily on the first word of this phrase. It is the preposition “from” (Gk., apō), and can refer to location or separation (away from), source or origin (comes from), instrument or cause (caused by), and time (from ages past).

But since the preposition introduces a longer phrase, we can know the proper meaning of the preposition by first understanding the phrase it introduces.

So what does the phrase “the presence of the Lord” mean?

In English, it appears to refer to that which is in proximity to God, or that which is near God. Therefore, to be in the presence of the Lord is to be near God. But the Greek terminology (and the Hebrew on which it is based) is much more vivid.

The phrase Paul uses could literally be translated as “before the face of the Lord” (Gk., prosōpou tou kuriou). This was a specific Hebrew idiom which referred to the honor of God.

The honor of the Lord

In biblical times, the greatest cultural value was honor. People sought to gain and keep honor for themselves, their family, their country, and their god(s) while avoiding shame. In honor-shame cultures such as that of the ancient Mediterranean world, honor and shame are often symbolized by certain body parts.

The head, face, and right hand were symbols of honor, while the left hand, feet, and buttocks were symbols of dishonor (Malina, The New Testament World, 37-39; Neyrey, ed. The Social World of Luke-Acts, 34.)

When Paul (or any biblical author) refers to “the presence of the Lord,” or more literally, “before the face of the Lord,” they are not referring to God’s presence, but to God’s honor (cf. Jon 1:3; Acts 3:19). See my podcast study on Jonah 1:3 for a detailed explanation of this idea.

Further support for this idea is found in the fact that Paul also writes about the power and glory of God (2 Thess 1:9-12), which are closely connected with honor.

Therefore, when Paul puts the preposition “from” in front of this phrase, he is not writing about something that is located with God or comes from God but is instead referring to God’s care for His own honor.

Paul is writing about the negative consequences that come “from” neglecting the honor of God.

In other words, the preposition “from” is causal, but God is not the cause. We humans are the cause of the destruction, for we despised the Lord’s honor and suffered the consequences.

It is our responsibility and calling as the people of God to bring honor and glory to God through obedience to Him. If we fail in this, and bring shame upon God instead, we can expect to suffer for it.

The Suffering We Experience does not come from God

But note that the suffering and consequences which come upon humans for neglecting God’s honor do not come from God Himself, but “from the honor of God.”

That is, for the sake of His own honor, God has given instructions to humans about how to live and function in this world. These instructions are for our own good and to help us live life in the best way possible.

When we ignore these instructions, thereby forsaking the honor of God, we suffer the consequences, not because God sends the consequences upon us, but because wrong choices and bad decisions naturally lead to devastation and destruction.

And indeed, according to Paul, destruction is exactly what comes upon those who do not know God and who do not obey the instructions within the gospel about how to live (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

Three phrases in the context carry this idea. They are “repay with tribulation” (2 Thessalonians 1:6), “in flaming fire taking vengeance” (2 Thessalonians 1:8), and “punished with everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

All three of these phrases are in parallel, containing an action and an instrument of that action. So each explains and amplifies the other two.

Here they are again in parallel format for comparison:

Repay with tribulation
Vengeance with flaming fire
Punishment with everlasting destruction

Let us consider each phrase.

Repay with tribulation

First, in 1:6, Paul says that God will “repay with tribulation those that trouble you.”

The word for tribulation (Gk., thlipsis) does not refer to hell, but to temporal calamity. It refers to negative outward circumstances and troubles in this life. Not anywhere in Scripture does it refer to eternal sufferings or torment.

So when Paul writes about this, he is saying that when others seek to bring trouble upon us for following Jesus, God will turn these troubles back around upon them. This is not a form of punishment or violence, but simply the principle that “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.”

Vengeance with flaming fire

Second, Paul writes that this repayment will come “in flaming fire taking vengeance” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

The concept of vengeance is parallel to the idea of repayment from 1:6, and so the idea of flaming fire is parallel to tribulation. And just as the tribulation is in this world, so also is the flaming fire.

Paul is not referring to torment in the fires of hell.

The image of fire, as seen nearly everywhere else in Scripture, refers to the devastation and destruction that comes upon people in this life as a consequence of disobeying God.

This fire destroys their plans and goals for this life, leaving only emptiness behind. Vengeance is something that God reserves for Himself (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30), but according to 1 Peter 2:14, God often carries out this vengeance through governors and rulers.

So once again, this second phrase is about the temporal consequences.

Punishment with everlasting destruction

The third and final phrase is parallel to the first two, and can be understood similarly. Paul writes that these people will be “punished with everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

punishment everlasting destruction 2 Thess 1:8-9The word “punishment” is not a good translation of what Paul wrote. A better translation would be “pay the penalty” (Gk., dikēn tisousin). God does not punish people for their sin, but sin bears its own punishment with it. And this punishment of sin can come in the form of a penalty that must be paid or exacted.

In sports, a player can get sidelined, put in the penalty box, or even ejected from the game if they break the rules. They are not being “punished,” but are simply paying the price for their bad behavior in the game. They made a choice, and the penalty is the consequence.

Similarly, the “everlasting destruction” (Gk., olethron aiōnon) does not refer to annihilation or everlasting torture in hell.

As with the parallel concepts in the preceding verses, this destruction is an event that takes place in this life which brings to ruin all the plans and goals of the people and nations upon whom this destruction comes.

In fact, “ruin” is a good translation of olethron and better carries Paul’s meaning. It carries the idea of plans coming to ruin, or of instruments and tools being of no further use. It does not carry the idea of everlasting torture or a cessation of existence.

When a car is “totally destroyed” in an accident, it still exists; it just exists in pieces and parts. It no longer functions.

The same is true of “ruin.” If I prepare a meal, and then accidentally drop it on the floor, my meal has been ruined. It is all still there, but it is no longer edible. It cannot be enjoyed for the purpose to which it was prepared.

So the term does not require that the object of ruin or destruction be annihilated, or cease to exist. It also has no implication of ongoing destruction or ruination, and especially no implication of torture or infliction of pain.

Now, in the case of 2 Thessalonians 1:9, the word “destruction” or “ruin” is modified with the adjective “eternal” (Gk., aiōnon), and so some believe that this is ongoing destruction.

And it is, but not in the sense that the activity of destruction itself continues.

If a car is “totally destroyed” it is beyond repair, and will be eternally destroyed. It cannot be fixed. Similarly, if a meal is dropped on the floor, it is eternally ruined. It cannot be salvaged. I cannot go back in time and catch the meal before it hits the floor. A new meal will have to be made.

So “eternal destruction” means that something has come to ruin, and it cannot be salvaged, restored, fixed, or repaired.

In regards to the people about whom Paul is writing, their plans and goals will be ruined and come to nothing.

The word olethros in the LXX is most often used in reference to foreign nations who seek to destroy and subjugate Israel. God tells them that because they have made plans against Israel, it is actually their plans that will come to nothing, and in fact, they themselves will be destroyed (cf. 1 Kings 13:33-34; 15:28-29; Prov 1:26-27; 21:7; Jer 25:31; 48:3, 8, 32; 51:55; Ezek 6:14; 14:16; Hos 9:6).

This is also similar to what Paul writes later about the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:8), and which is discussed in numerous other biblical texts (cf. Psa 18:8, 15; Isa 30:27-33; Jer 7:31-33), some even by Paul himself (cf. 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; 1 Tim 6:9).

When God opens His mouth and speaks truth to worldly power, the plans of those who disobey God and rebel against Him are ruined. The people themselves might continue to live, and indeed, some of them might even be Christians, but their plans which are contrary to the ways of God and the gospel will have no eternal significance and will even be forgotten in the memories of mankind. Their plans come to ruin, come to nothing for eternity, experience everlasting failure, and have no eternal significance or consequences (cf. John 6:27).

So what is everlasting destruction in the flames of fire?

It is the ruination in this life of the plans and goals of the people and nations who array themselves against God and His goals. God has set up this world to bring honor and glory to Himself. When we pursue God’s honor, we will also experience the best possible life in this world.

But if we live contrary to the honor of the Lord, rejecting His glory and power, then our lives will not bring forth joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment, but only emptiness and failure.

These flames of fire and eternal destruction can come in many forms.

It can come temporally in the lives of people, as it did with many of the people in Jerusalem and the Roman Empire after the days of Paul.

It can occur in human history, as the lives and work of people, nations, and rulers fade from memory and have no lasting impact on others.

flames of vengeance everlasting destructionIt can even come upon believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ when they see everything they have worked for and sought after get burned up as wood, hay, and stubble (1 Cor 3:12-15; cf. “the Day” of 2 Thessalonians 1:10).

But one thing that is not in view with Paul’s words here is the everlasting torture of people by flames of fire in a place called hell.

So what is 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 teaching?

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 is not about a future general judgment where unbelievers are consigned to eternal hell.

It is explaining that the ways of this world are not the end of the matter, for a day is coming (and has come) when Jesus will vindicate His afflicted people, so that affliction comes upon the afflicters.

But even then, this affliction is not everlasting torture, but is the sad reality of seeing their life’s work and actions come to nothing for eternity, have no lasting significance on world history or events, and fade away from memory among people.

For those of us who want to be remembered and to make an impact on this world, this is a dire warning indeed.

So even the strongest potential passage in the Bible which is often used to support the idea of everlasting punishment in the fiery flames of hell turns out to be teaching nothing of the sort. Contextual and cultural insights about the text reveal that Paul is saying the same thing that every other passage of Scripture says about fiery judgment coming upon people.

Such texts are not referring to everlasting torture in hell, but to a temporal judgment in this life.

what is hellDo you have more questions about hell? Are you afraid of going to hell? Do want to know what the Bible teaches about hell? Take my course "What is Hell?" to learn the truth about hell and how to avoid hell. This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, everlasting destruction, everlasting fire, fire, hell, punishment, sin, what is hell

Advertisement

Is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) a warning about hell?

By Jeremy Myers
3 Comments

Is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) a warning about hell?
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/632818794-redeeminggod-162-is-the-story-of-the-rich-man-and-lazarus-a-warning-about-hell-luke-1619-31.mp3

What is hell bookMy book, What is Hell? is now available on Amazon. I am doing a series of podcast studies that focus on some of the content from the book. The studies look at the eight key terms that are often equated with hell, and about a dozen key passages that are thought to teach about hell.

If you want to learn the truth about hell and what the Bible actually teaches about hell, make sure you get a copy of my book, What is Hell?

Also, if you are part of my discipleship group, there will be an online course about hell as well.

In this article, we are considering the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. This is probably the premier passage in the Bible that convinces people about the reality of hell as a place of eternal suffering and torment. But is this really what Jesus is teaching in this text?

No. In fact, when people use Luke 16:19-31 to terrorize others about hell, they end up missing the entire point of the story.

Does Luke 16:19-31 teach about torment in hell?

Every discussion of fire (or hell) in Scripture must include an examination of the story of Lazarus and the rich man from Luke 16:19-31. With its detailed and lurid depiction of the suffering of a rich man in the flames of hell, this account appears to support all the horrifying ideas of hell as a place of eternal torture for the unredeemed.

Luke 16:19-31 contains the portrayal of a man being tormented in flames, who cries out for just a drop of water to cool his burning tongue (cf. Luke 16:23-24). When most people think of hell, this is the sort of image they have in mind.

One of the main verses in this passage which seems to teach about the reality of torment and suffering in the flames of hell is Luke 16:24. Here is what it says:

Luke 16:24. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’”

Yet not everyone is convinced that Jesus is describing a literal place with literal flames where literal people suffer and burn for all eternity.

Several factors reveal that Jesus intended some other sort of message with this story.

1. Do you really go to hell by neglecting the poor?

First, if this is a story about how to escape hell and go to heaven when you die, then the lesson of the story is that eternal life and entrance into heaven can be earned by being poor, or at least by being generous to the poor. If you don’t take care of the poor, then off to hell with you!

But is this what Scripture teaches anywhere else? No. Far from it.

Eternal life is the free gift of God to everyone and anyone who simply and only believes in Jesus for it (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47). While there are many blessings and benefits connected to taking care of the poor, escaping hell is not one of them.

2. Are believers and unbelievers all in the same giant “cavern” of hell?

Second, the presence of Abraham and Lazarus in the same vicinity as the suffering rich man does not fit any other portrayal of hell.

In other words, if Jesus is describing the place where the unredeemed dead spend eternity, then what is Abraham doing there, and why does Lazarus get sent there? Is there some sort of annex or suburb of hell where the redeemed can live in relative peace and safety while looking across the chasm at the sufferings of the poor sinners in the torture chamber of hell?

Though many scholars try to explain this away by speaking of “Abraham’s Bosom” as a temporary holding tank for the redeemed which was then emptied at the resurrection of Jesus, such an idea is tenuous at best and is not taught anywhere else in Scripture.

To the contrary, the image of “Abraham’s Bosom” comes from Babylonian intertestamental Jewish literature. The Babylonians believed that there was a single afterlife location for all the dead, and this dwelling place had two regions, one for the righteous and one for the wicked.

Some of the Jewish people living in Babylon picked up on this idea and began telling stories about something similar for Jews. A few of these accounts (which are now found in the Babylonian Talmud) speak of “Abraham’s Bosom” as the place that righteous Jews went after they died.

But no passage from Scripture teaches this concept.

The fact that Jesus refers to it in this story should not be read as an endorsement of the idea, but as a way of using a common image from that culture to make a theological point.

I’ve mentioned it before, but if I began to tell you about meeting Peter at the Pearly Gates, you would know I was using this common folktale image to tell a fictional (and possibly humorous) story, but you would not imagine that I was speaking of a literal place or that people who die actually appear before Peter at the Pearly Gates.

So also with Jesus referring to a common folk-tale about Abraham’s Bosom. He was using the imagery, not because it is correct, but because it helped make the ultimate point Jesus wanted to make. We’ll see what that point was in bit.

3. This story appears to be a parable

Third, despite the claims of some, this story of Jesus contains all the markings of a parable.

There are numerous and significant elements of this story that are parallel to the other parables in the preceding context.

For example, both this story and the Parable of the Unjust Steward begin with the words “There was a certain rich man” (Luke 16:1, 19). These two parables focus the reader’s attention on certain rich men of Luke 16:14 and how their treatment of the poor was an abomination to God (Luke 16:15). Some of the other contextual parallels are considered below.

The only real reason some people think this is not a parable is that Jesus specifically names two characters: Abraham and Lazarus. No other recorded parable of Jesus provides a proper name for any of the key human characters.

However, “Satan” is mentioned in Mark 4:14, “the son of man” as a title for Jesus in Matthew 13:37, and several personal titles in Luke 10:25-37. Many believe that the story of Job is a parable, in which case, it contains the names of several people.

Furthermore, outside of Scripture, many ancient parables often used the names of people in the telling of the stories. So the presence of two names in Luke 16 fails to prove the story is not a parable.

Some speculate that maybe Jesus used the name of a popular beggar who was well-known in the streets of Jerusalem. The other possibility (as mentioned previously) is that Jesus was referencing a popular Jewish folktale which His hearers would have immediately recognized as fiction.

Again, just because someone mentions Peter’s name when speaking of the Pearly Gates, this does not mean they are referring to a literal location or future event.

4. Jesus Speaks of Hadēs Instead of Gehenna

Fourth, everywhere else Jesus speaks about individual people in “hell,” He uses the word gehenna, which referred to the Valley of Hinnom outside the walls of Jerusalem. But here Jesus uses the word hadēs (Luke 16:23).

Elsewhere, Jesus uses this word only as a way of describing the destruction that will come upon certain cities (Matt 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23).

Furthermore, the word hadēs was a Greek word for the abode of the dead, and was also the name of the Greek god of the netherworld. Once again, this provides evidence that Jesus is not speaking about hell (the way He understands it), for then He would have used the word gehenna.

Instead, Jesus uses a word that He typically uses to refer to the destruction of cities, combines in the Greek idea of the afterlife, mixes in some Babylonian imagery of two compartments in hell, and uses this all in connection with the Jewish history and Jewish folktales.

Why? Because this approach makes a memorable story.

Jesus is clearly mixing images from numerous sources so that He can tell a parable to His listeners that will connect with them on multiple levels. Jesus is making a point that He doesn’t want His audience to miss.

Ironically, due to the Christian preoccupation with sinners burning in the flames of hell, we have mostly missed the point of Jesus. But what was that point? The context makes it quite clear.

5. Contextual Keys Help us Understand Luke 16:19-31

This context is the fifth and final piece of evidence that helps us know that the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a parable rather than a description of a literal place.

Jesus has been making one single point in the preceding context, and this story hammers that point home.

The setting for the context is found in Luke 15:1-2. After Jesus welcomes and spends time with the sinners and tax-collectors, the Jewish religious leaders chide Him for eating and befriending such people. They believe it is better to remain separate and distant from such wicked people.

So Jesus sets out to correct this entire line of thinking. In doing so, Jesus tells five parables.

The first three parables explain why Jesus does what He does, and what will come of His actions. These are the Parables of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), the Lost Coin (Luke 15:4-10), and the Lost Son, also called the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

The third parable is transitionary. It not only shows how the younger son went into a far country to squander his inheritance, but also introduces the elder son, who stayed at home and worked the family farm. Yet as the story closes, it becomes obvious that the Prodigal Son, or the Lost Son, is not the one who went into a far country, but is rather the one who remained.

It is the elder son who is actually furthest away from the heart of his father, and wants to keep separate from his sinful, wayward, younger brother. The father invites the older son to the feasting and dancing, but the son refuses, preferring to stay instead in the darkness outside the party. Because he was angry, he would not go in (Luke 15:28).

It is also helpful to recognize that this third parable, the Parable of the Lost Son, not only serves as a transition to the stories that follow, but also serves as a parallel (but opposite) story to that of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

In other words, the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is an inversion of the story of the Prodigal Son.

-Both the prodigal son and Lazarus find themselves in desperate situations. Both beg for scraps.

-Both are in the company of unclean animals (dogs, swine)

-Both stories have father figures: The rich man calls Abraham his “father.” Lazarus leans on Abraham like the prodigal son is held by his father.

-Both contain a theme of distance—there is a great distance between the rich man and Lazarus, and between the father as his wastrel son (in “a far country”). Unlike the father who sees his son from a long way off and runs to meet him, the rich man maintains his structural distance and indifference to the poor, so he sees Lazarus “far away” with Abraham.

-Both the prodigal son and the rich man live sumptuously, but then lose everything. But the prodigal son “comes to his senses” while the rich man does not change his way of thinking. He still treats Lazarus like an inferior wanting him to bring him water with “the tip of his finger,” and then to warn his brothers. He is still thinking of his own status and social group, not of the poor. (Bartlett, Seven Stories, 90-91.)

After these three parables about His own mission and ministry, with the third parable ending with a depiction of the religious rulers as the elder son, Jesus transitions to two other parables, both of which focus on the ministry of the religious rulers. Jesus is seeking to contrast His ministry with theirs by showing where their methods and goals come from and what their methods and goals accomplish.

The first parable that Jesus tells about the ministry of the religious leaders is the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13). Though many assume that Jesus is describing how His followers are supposed to function in this world, this is not the point of the parable. If it were, Jesus would be telling His followers to cheat their employers and live unscrupulous lives for the sake of gaining favor with others and wealth for themselves.

Does this sound like something Jesus would teach? No. Quite to the contrary, this sounds like the opposite of what Jesus would teach. And indeed, it is.

People get confused, though, because they think that Jesus applies the Parable of the Unjust Steward to His followers in Luke 16:9-12, where He seems to say that we should use riches and wealth for making friends with others.

But notice Jesus basically says, “And when your money fails, they will welcome you into their home for ever and ever” (Luke 16:9). We all know that this is not true. If Jesus was actually “applying” the parable here, then He is flat-out wrong.

Therefore, it is better to see that this so-called “application” in Luke 16:9 is not the application at all, but is a tongue-in-cheek sarcastic reference to how the people of this world will not treat you when your wealth is gone.

Jesus is saying, “If you use money to gain friends, don’t be surprised that when your money runs out, so will your friends. Though they may promise that you will always be welcome in their home, this promise only lasts as long as your money does.”

This is reality, and this is also exactly what Jesus just taught in Parable of the Lost Son. When the son’s money ran out, he had no home to go to, and was sent to live with the swine, and no one gave him anything (Luke 15:14-16).

So the Parable of the Unjust Steward is not about how the disciples of Jesus should act and behave, but is instead about how the world works, and how the religious leaders act and behave to gain friends and influence for themselves.

Many of the religious leaders had become very rich by making deals with merchants and political leaders. They were using mammon the way the world used it, to benefit and enrich themselves, and get more money and power for themselves.

Yet it is not just finances that they dealt with; they also trafficked in the forgiveness of sins.

Religious leaders have always sold the forgiveness of sins to others for money. Such a practice did not begin with the selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church in the days of Martin Luther.

The religious leaders were also engaging in this practice in the days of Jesus. Though the religious leaders were supposed to be stewards of the things of God, they were actually using their position to not only cheat others, but to also cheat their master, God.

Jesus, however, gave away forgiveness for free, which is the only way it can be given. But this free forgiveness to the sinners and tax-collectors did not make Him popular among the religious crowd, for it threatened both their teachings and their livelihood.

John the Baptist threatened the religious establishment as well, which is why they had him killed. This is why Jesus mentions John in Luke 16:14-18. John had challenged Herod about his marriage to Herodias (Matt 14:1-12), which eventually led to Herod beheading John.

This event in the life of John also explains why Jesus throws in the teaching about marriage and divorce in Luke 16:18. This is not a non-sequitur, but logically follows what Jesus has said about John. John’s condemnation of the divorce and remarriage of Herodias led to John’s death. This, Jesus says, is what true followers of God can expect from those who live according to the values and principles of this world.

Now the Pharisees knew that they were being derided by Jesus, and so they sought to deride Him (Luke 16:14). This proves once again, that the Parable of the Unjust Steward is not about how followers of Jesus are to behave in this world, but is instead about how some corrupt religious leaders behave.

The Pharisees knew Jesus was talking about them, and they were offended. But Jesus says that their behavior, though highly esteemed among men, is an abomination to God (Luke 16:15).

Their use of mammon and religion to garner favor with the rich and the powerful was a great sin before God. It was an abomination that would lead to their desolation.

Luke 16:19-31, the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

And indeed, this is exactly what Jesus goes on to describe in Luke 16:19-31, the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The “Rich Man” obviously represents the rich men who are discussed in the context, which is the Pharisees who were “lovers of money” (Luke 16:14). They were servants of mammon (Luke 16:13). Like the unjust steward, they used their money and position to make friends with the rich and to enrich themselves.

What were they supposed to do with their money and power instead?

They were to use it to take care of the poor and needy in their midst. Like who? Like Lazarus, who was covered in sores and laid at the gate, desiring just a few crumbs from the rich man’s table (Luke 16:20-21).

At what gate did Lazarus lay?

In the days of Jesus, there were Gentile converts to Judaism who were called “gate proselytes.” Since they were Gentiles, they were kept in the outer “Court of the Gentiles” and could not even pass through the gate into the Court of Women. Many of them wanted to draw nearer to the temple and to God, but were barred from access.

So they would hang out at the gate, peering through its opening, and longing to be closer to God. But the religious leaders kept these Gentile proselytes at a distance. They were sinners who could not draw near to God.

If Lazarus was a Gentile proselyte, that is, a “gate proselyte,” then not only was he overlooked and neglected for his sores and starvation, but also for his desire to serve and honor God.

But now, in this story, the entire situation is reversed.

Lazarus is with Abraham, the father of the Jewish faith, while the rich man is far off, thirsty, and separated. And the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers. But Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers can listen to Moses and the prophets.

Apparently, Moses and the prophets contain enough instruction and warning to keep a person from experiencing the fate of the rich man.

And what is the central and overriding theme of Moses and the prophets? It was that the people of God are to take care of the poor and needy in their midst. Though there are many sins which Moses and the prophets teach against, the overriding theme of the prophetic message is that God’s people must defend the orphans and the widow, provide for the foreigner and the stranger, and take care of the poor and needy.

They must do this themselves; not by demanding the government make laws which force others to do such things. This generous and loving activity was the clear sign that God was in their midst.

So what then is the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus all about?

It is the concluding story of a series of five parables, and it summarizes them all by revealing the danger of living according to the way of this world.

This world worships mammon, and uses money to gain friends and power. But greedy living and lusting after money does not satisfy or quench one’s thirst for meaning or significance in this world. Money satisfies those who chase after it less than a drop of water on the tongue would satisfy a man who is burning in flames.

The quest for money does not quench one’s thirst. No matter how much you have, it leaves you desiring more.

The story of the Prodigal Son depicts a man who started out chasing after money, but discovered it was worthless (Luke 15:11-32).

The story of the Unjust Steward shows how this world uses and responds to money (Luke 16:1-13). The Pharisees didn’t like what Jesus was saying (because they were guilty of such actions), and so in an attempt to justify their own greed, complained about His teaching and derided His message (Luke 16:14).

So Jesus provides the example of John, who was a Just and Faithful Steward. John was not greedy and did not use money to make friends with the rich and powerful, but was instead beheaded by them (Luke 16:15-18).

And now all of these lessons about greed are wrapped up into the one story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

Ultimately, the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a warning against greed.

In Luke 16:15, Jesus identifies the love of money as an abomination to God. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus illustrates that greed does not accomplish the righteousness of God, or help one experience the kingdom of God.

Instead, it only invites flames into one’s life. Greed brings nothing but desolation and destruction. Greed, and the money which comes with it, does not help one experience the kingdom of God in this life or the next.

The flames in this story, then, are “no more literal than Abraham’s bosom. The flames represent the burning agony of his thirsty soul. The rich man is experiencing the agony of thirst and deprivation that Lazarus had known throughout life” (Jersak, Her Gates Will Never Be Shut, 102).

We see this by the two different words used to describe the experience of the rich man in this story.

He was in torment (Gk., basano)

First, Jesus says that the rich man was in “torment” (Gk., basano) in hadēs (Luke 16:23). The word literally refers to a touchstone, which was used in ancient times as a way to test the value and genuineness of the gold and silver found in coins and jewelry.

“While the rich man looks fancy on the outside, when placed under the ‘touchstone’ his veneer comes off. He is being revealed for who he really is … and the revelation is agony” ( Butler, The Skeletons in God’s Closet, 77).

He was tormented (Gk., odunōmai)

Second, the word used for “tormented” (Gk., odunōmai) in Luke 16:24-25 can also “be translated as ‘grief’ or ‘anguish’ and conveys a sense of emotional turmoil rather than physical pain” ( Butler, The Skeletons in God’s Closet, 76).

It is only used two other times in the New Testament, both by Luke.

In Luke 2:48, it refers to the “anxiousness” that Mary and Joseph felt as they searched for Jesus in Jerusalem for three days when He was twelve.

Then in Acts 20:38, it refers to the “sorrow” that the Ephesian elders experienced when they said goodbye to Paul, knowing that they would never see him again. In neither case does it refer to torture, but to intense emotional grief or anguish.

So the rich man is not being tortured.

Instead, he is having the truth revealed to him about himself, about Lazarus, and about what God values in the world. And for a man who has put all his hope in worldly riches and social status, the truth is more than he can bear.

The truth is a torment to him. Too late, he discovers that everything he worked for and sought after during his entire life is worthless in this life and the next. And since he cannot accept this truth, he remains in emotional torment and even seeks to continue the life he knew and loved.

We see this in the fact that, even in death, the rich man attempts to command and control Lazarus. He tells Lazarus to bring him a drop of water and to go warn his five brothers about the fate that awaits them. Even in his state of torment, he prefers to stay where he is and order Lazarus around than beg for forgiveness or ask for the opportunity to come over to where Lazarus reclines with Abraham.

Furthermore, in his continued haughty arrogance, the rich man never speaks to Lazarus but only to Abraham (Luke 16:24, 27, 30). Even though their roles are reversed, the rich man shows only disdain and derision for Lazarus (cf. Luke 16:14).

Notice that in response, however, “Abraham does not call [the rich man] ‘fool,’ ‘disappointment,’ or ‘idiot,’ but ‘son.’ This is an expression of fatherhood, of filial devotion, of care” ( Butler, The Skeletons in God’s Closet, 74). Abraham and Lazarus are on the side of love while the rich man continues in his self-centered mindset.

Ultimately, then, the great gulf that separates the rich man from Abraham and Lazarus is a divide of his own making (Luke 16:26).

It cannot be crossed, because the rich man will not cross it, for doing so would require him to admit that he is no better than Lazarus. This he cannot do, and so his riches, his racism, and his religious arrogance keep him separated from others.

Furthermore, though Lazarus and Abraham may want to cross the divide to the rich man, they cannot, for the division is not of their making.

The rich man is the one who creates the divide, so that those on Abraham’s side of the chasm who “might want to pass” (i.e., act out of compassion) in fact cannot. The text clearly implies that the rich and privileged, those with status, create the divide, not God. Thus the parable is not a picture of medieval hell but of humanly-created alienation and its suffering.

The chasm is a spiritual parallel in death to the social chasm fixed in life by the rich man’s caste. By making it impossible for the poor or the sinner to cross that great gulf into their pseudo-kingdoms and religious enclaves, the spiritually privileged were unwittingly defining their own distance from God’s kingdom.

In the end, Luke 16:19-31 is a condemnation of greed

Luke 16:19-31 is a picture of how life looks from God’s perspective when the rich create chasms between themselves and the poor and needy.

Though the rich could learn much and benefit greatly from the refreshing presence of the poor and needy among them, they separate themselves from those who are considered “beneath” them. And though the religious elites claim to follow the law and the prophets, their actions and behavior show that they know nothing of what Scripture teaches.

Those who rest and live in the way of Abraham, and now those who follow the teachings and example of Jesus, will live in solidarity with the sick, the poor, and the outcast, for it is among them that the kingdom of God most naturally lives and grows.

So what are the rich to do? They should use their wealth to serve, honor, protect, and provide for the poor in their midst. They must use their wealth to serve Jesus in the kingdom of God.

In this way, they avoid the torment of hell in their lives here and now, and experience the joy and fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven instead.

what is hellDo you have more questions about hell? Are you afraid of going to hell? Do want to know what the Bible teaches about hell? Take my course "What is Hell?" to learn the truth about hell and how to avoid hell. This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: gehenna, hades, hell, Luke 16:19-31, Luke 16:24, parables, Rich Man and Lazarus, what is hell

Advertisement

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »
Join the discipleship group
Learn about the gospel and how to share it

Take my new course:

The Gospel According to Scripture
Best Books Every Christian Should Read
Study Scripture with me
Subscribe to my Podcast on iTunes
Subscribe to my Podcast on Amazon

Do you like my blog?
Try one of my books:

Click the image below to see what books are available.

Books by Jeremy Myers

Take Online Courses
with N. T. Wright

Choose from Six Courses:
*N. T. Wright on Jesus
*N. T. Wright on Romans
*N. T. Wright on Galatians
*N. T. Wright on Philippians
*N. T. Wright on the Gospel
*N. T. Wright on Worldviews

Theological Study Archives

  • Theology – General
  • Theology Introduction
  • Theology of the Bible
  • Theology of God
  • Theology of Man
  • Theology of Sin
  • Theology of Jesus
  • Theology of Salvation
  • Theology of the Holy Spirit
  • Theology of the Church
  • Theology of Angels
  • Theology of the End Times
  • Theology Q&A

Bible Study Archives

  • Bible Studies on Genesis
  • Bible Studies on Esther
  • Bible Studies on Psalms
  • Bible Studies on Jonah
  • Bible Studies on Matthew
  • Bible Studies on Luke
  • Bible Studies on Romans
  • Bible Studies on Ephesians
  • Miscellaneous Bible Studies

Advertise or Donate

  • Advertise on RedeemingGod.com
  • Donate to Jeremy Myers

Search (and you Shall Find)

Get Books by Jeremy Myers

Books by Jeremy Myers

Schedule Jeremy for an interview

Click here to Contact Me!

© 2023 Redeeming God · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Knownhost and the Genesis Framework