Time for a Sermon on Hell?
by Carmen Holland
The cover of the April 25 (2011) issue of Time asks the question, “What if there’s no Hell?” The accompanying, lengthy article reports the growing conflict in Evangelical circles over a new book by Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan where weekend attendance averages more than 7,000.
Bell recalls a quote by Gandhi on a poster displayed at the church and a sticky note someone posted next to the famous name; “Reality check: He’s in hell.”
“Really? Gandhi in hell? He is? We have confirmation of this? Somebody knows this? Without a doubt?” The slim volume proceeds to dismantle the classic Christian teaching on hell because it is a contradiction of God’s character. (God will perform miracles to keep people alive so they can be tortured? Forever? Really? The Bible actually says this?)
The book also suggests that a kind of universalism is a possibility. Perhaps no one will, in the very end, be lost. Maybe all humanity will be reconciled to God. In fact, Bell finds it easier to leave many questions up in the air, to allow God answer them in His own good time, than he does to make doctrinal assertions. This is what has infuriated many conservative Protestants.
If there is no threat from God of everlasting torture in the hereafter, will people lack the motivation to follow Jesus? Or, at least, to rigorously follow His way? If we reinterpret all of the texts about a “lake of fire,” etc., do we run the risk of nullifying the entire text of Scripture?
When Bell writes, “I have long wondered if there is a massive shift coming in what it means to be a Christian,” he does not make them feel any easier. Yet he is the pastor of a Bible church and his text for Easter Sunday is Revelation 3:1-13, the last two in the vision of the Seven Churches, Sardis and Laodicea.
Now that someone as visible as Rob Bell has raised the topic, maybe it is time for Seventh-day Adventist preachers to (again) address the topic of Hell. Time notes that “Christians have debated atonement and judgment for nearly 2,000 years.” There continue to be a number of contesting positions. Adventists have taken their lumps for being too ambiguous on some aspects, and now we are confronted with a generation that is more comfortable with ambiguity than asserting what is just wrong.
In fact, Adventist theology on these questions is somewhere between Bell’s alleged vague universalism and the conservative Evangelical’s class teaching on Hell. It provides a better accounting for the literal Scriptures involved than do either the traditional expositions or Bell’s book.
We have something to offer here. We have insights to share that go beyond simply persuading converts. If the Evangelical world were to take seriously the Adventist biblical studies and theology on this topic—and were not afraid to adopt anything from an Adventist source—they would find good solutions to the problems that Bell has opened to view. And Bell would find his “something new” without throwing out the baby with the dirty bathwater.
Frankly, Adventist pastors and theologians have a duty to speak up at this point. We have something the larger church needs. We have some solid answers. Don’t be afraid to do it. Preach about Hell.
Monte, I pause to wonder if a book written on the Biblical details of hell, the ultimate consequence for rejecting God’s reconciling love in Christ, would get the kind of pub / hype Bell’s book does / has. A Baptist lawyer, Edward Fudge has a fine book on the subject, The Fire that Consumes. He upholds our position of the extermination of the wicked, those who choose death rather then life in Christ. Personally, I believe that when we SDA’s get our house in order when it comes to what the gospel of the kingdom actually is and proclaim it as we are called to do, the subject of hell and all others pertinent will become front page news.
laffal
Having read Bell’s book several weeks ago I believe he is raising important questions for Christians: what would Christianity be without hell? It is been the fear of hell since Christianity began (Jews had no fear of Sheol, or (hell) as they had no belief in the afterlife.
What is the suggestion that pastors and teachers should now teach? Even though the fear of hell may have been softened, nevertheless, it is still taught that only a very short period of suffering, vs. forever burning. Even the much quoted EGW remark that “some would suffer longer than others” is insufficient for much comfort, as is the idea, often taught, that the saints inside the walls would look over and see the destruction of all those who were lost. Is this anyone’s idea of a heaven–to watch people burn in fire sent down from heaven?
Bell makes a good defense of universalism compared to the “narrow” way of the “remnant” as being a small group entering heaven. Could you elucidate on what “good solutions” Adventists have to offer that has not been taught yet? Why withhold such good information?
The SDA theologians have a “hot potato” in trying to adjust or teach about hell. Good luck, they will surely need it.
Monte, Why do you think that people who read your blog don’t read Time magazine? I guess that most of the people here are interested in current events. I read Time, the Washington Post, the NYT, the San Francisco Chronicle, and link to articles in other papers and magazines, on a daily basis. Why would I need you or anyone else to interpret or explaon the news for me?
One church I used to attend, the sermon often revealed a careful scrutiny, by the pastor, of Time magazine. Really, if I want to know what Time magazine says, I’ll read the magazine. From preachers, I want to hear the word of God explained.
Do most Adventist clergymen assume that congregants are uninformed and stupid?
The real issue regarding hell and why it is as big a battleground as the Sabbath is because the doctrine of eternal torment turns upon the nature of man. If man does not have an inherently immortal spirit, then eternal torment is impossible. People would simply cease to exist, as Adventists teach. Most churches, however, subscribe to the idea that man, even sinful man, will not surely die, that our spirits/ souls are immortal; consequently, those separated from God do not die but continue to live in torment. That’s the real issue. Hell is a peripheral one.
Advent preachers simply offering a few prooftexts isn’t adequate nowadays. There are good texts in the NT that obscure what often seems clear in the OT. The OT itself appears to provide conflicting information on the relationship of the soul to the spirit. People who are interested enough in doctrine to be studying it are not going to be duped by a slick evangelist as easily as in the past, unless you are angling for emotionally driven, barely literate people to fill your pews, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I have very recently begun to consider destruction vs eternal torment. Some argue that we are immortal and therefore have to exist somewhere… i.e., either heaven or hell,… BUT the fact that God created us must surely mean we are not immortal as we didn’t exist before he created us, therefore it is possible for him to destroy us completely.
How are we so certain that John wasn’t doing much “wishful thinking” that the Roman empire and its persecution of Christian weren’t destined at the end to get their just reward?
Elaine, John could easily see / recognize what Jesus had said would happen to His followers:
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.(Matthew 10:16-18 ESV)
laffal, his already occurred when John wrote this? Was Paul not described as actively persecuting the Christians decades before the Gospel writers or John wrote? When does describing current happenings become prophetic?
Elaine, the text quoted was Jesus prophesying about persecution coming those who would follow Him.
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:20 ESV)
Persecution is part and parcel of being a follower of Christ.
When does expecting persecution become a self-fulfilling prophecy? I have known people who claimed to being persecuted when they lost their job because of sabbath. This is NOT persecution: when a person makes a choice there are always consequences and knowing in advance what those might possibly be is merely the course of events. Persecution as something to expect has been highly over taught. What persecution has the average, even majority of Adventists experienced today?
Tom,
While it may be true that fear is a poor long-term motivator, it certainly is a good one for getting one’s initial attention in the short term in order that one might hear, listen, live, learn, and ultimately love.
I know that for me, as with probably most children, I first feared the consequences of disobedience before I matured and learned to respect and love my parents because I realized that their “commandments” were loving guidelines. That’s not to say that I uniformly obeyed them, but I understood that I should. When I left the nest, so to speak, and didn’t have to obey them, I realized that I wanted to; and lived to regret that I hadn’t been more obedient earlier in my life.
Is our relationship with God like this?
No, everyone’s relationship with God or their parents is not like Stephens. Many children are raised with love from the start and are eager to make their parents happy and be rewarded with a smile or thank you, or praise. Fear as punishment (although approriate for protection–don’t run on the highway, etc.) is a very poor motive: witness the prisons that are filled with those who had no fear, and even are recividists.
Love is far more powerful than fear, else why did Jesus and the apostles say much more about love, both to God and fellow man than preach the fear of hell?
This dualism: black or white, heaven or hell, the two struggling powers to gain control of humans is straight from Zororastrianism and picked by the Jews while there. There was no menton of hell as anything but the grave until after this period–and reflected in the later OT writings. Where is there any mention of hell or even an afterlife in the early OT history? It entered Judaism a few centuries B.C. and was carried over into Christianity–which is the origin of both heaven and hell. Where is the idea of heaven found in the Torah? Only blessings and cursings.
Unlike you, I can only speak for myself and my experience. I can speculate about other children but, I can only speak for me and mine.
I was brought up with nothing but love, but I am hard-headed (or strong willed) in the extreme. If consequences to disobedience had never been introduced to me, I would probably still have sought to please my parents—when their wishes intersected with my perceived interests.
Thank God that my parents realized that without consequences, there would have been no hope—in my case. I think I’ll write a blog on this.
As for the origins of the concept or the doctrine of hell, all I know is that Jesus the Christ had a lot to say on the subject. I will take His Word for it.
There is a saying that goes like this…
“Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time!”
On a more serious note however, it is ultimately God who moves the heart of the preacher to proclaim His Message.
“Preaching is the proclamation of the Incarnate Word from the Written Word via the Spoken Word” The Message should always remain God’s prerogative…
T
Love doesn’t necessarily mean that a favourable response will be reciprocated. Jesus’ death on the Cross magnified the deep extent of God’s Great Love yet like the one thief next to Jesus, many spurn that love, while others respond like the second thief: Lord remember me!
People learn about God Love in diverse ways and are Saved. Whether by a Fire and Brimstone Message or a Prophetic message or a Bible Story – they learn about God’s Love through the working of the Holy Spirit.
I know of a preacher who learned about Jesus from his drunkard father and who gives testimony of his experience in accepting Jesus as a result of this.
Again I say, whatever the theme of a Preacher’s message – Christ should always be the central focus: Always! Sabbath, Hell, IJ, whatever…
T
Monte, I’m late in reading the AToday blogs, so this is not a timely response, but I also read the comments on your suggestion, so I just want to tell you, thank you for writing that piece! And please forgive your critics who don’t seem to get it.
The Satan inspired herisy of a punishing God eternally torturing his enemies is the root of so much atheism and religion bashing that frequent and public opposition to “that kind of hell” and “that kind of a God” should be one of the things Adventists are most noted for. I don’t mind being known as those Christians against the suffering, abuse, killing and eating of farm animals. But I wish we were also known as those Christians vigorously against the slander of suffering, abuse, and torture of His enemies by a just and gracious God.
One of the finest books, and a very good read, is Rob Bell’s “Love Wins.” Adventists who do not believe in the same hell as most other Christians would find this a refreshing look at the future of the saved. He uses many Bible texts to present his well-deserved position.
haha wonderful God knows best
Speaking for myself, I can say that the Adventist doctrinal beliefs on the nature of hell and the state of the dead were much more important to me than the Sabbath. Once I worked it through from a bunch of angles, the Sabbath day, as opposed to Sunday, just became a Biblical fact, but our take on hell made me rethink the very nature of God.