As we noted last month, almost all the Biblical teaching on Hell comes from the lips of Jesus! This being the case, we need to take what is said very seriously.  But what exactly did Jesus teach, and how are we to understand it?  Is it to be taken literally or metaphorically?

Jesus gives several descriptions of Hell. On several occasions he refers to “unquenchable fire” Matthew 5:22 and Mark 5:48 being two examples.  The Mark 5:48 reference also notes it as being a place: “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” which gives rise to the notion of it being a place of eternal punishment.  This fits well with the description of: “eternal fire” as mentioned in Matthew 25:41 when Jesus is teaching the ‘Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (or preview as I prefer to call it).  Yet, on the other hand, Jesus, in the ‘Parable of the Net’, refers to fire once again, but adds that: “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:50).  To complicate matters further in Matthew 25:30 in the ‘Parable of the Talents’ although hell is not mentioned it’s clearly inferred with the wicked and lazy servant being cast out: “into the outer darkness” where once again: “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

But these descriptions present us with a problem if we take them literally. A few years ago I was reading a book by a notable Christian writer which treated each bit of Jesus’ teaching on Hell this way.  This led to a problem as about halfway through the book I was scratching my head and thinking the author was contradicting himself with the conclusions he drew!  For a start, fire and darkness don’t sit well together.  So presumably this means that we must take Jesus’ teaching as metaphorical and therefore symbolic!  This approach is made even more feasible when we realise that many of the references to hell from the lips of Jesus could actually be translated ‘Gehenna’. This was a literal place in the valley of Hinnon, and when Jesus mentioned it those listening would have had a reaction of sheer horror!  It was an accursed place due to its unsavoury history of idolatry and, if that wasn’t bad enough, a place where in the past child sacrifice had taken place (Jeremiah 7:31 and 19:2-6)!  In Jesus’ day it was used as a rubbish dump where fire was continually burning and the bodies of condemned criminals were left to rot!  Perhaps it’s this picture that best helps us understand Jesus teaching on the subject. No good Jew would want to go near the place due to its unsavoury history, general unpleasantness and the fact that you would be incredibly ceremonially unclean (hence you would excluded from worship) if you went anywhere near it.  Could the picture be any clearer, this was not a place where anyone would want to visit or stay, it was a place you avoid at all costs and would want to get as far away from as possible!

As Jesus uses this combination of symbols rather than literal descriptions this leads us to conclude that the reality must be far worse and more indescribably horrific than we can imagine!  This is a place where any of God’s goodness is null and void because of its unholy and unclean nature!  But the reasoning is simple, this is a place to be avoided at all cost and hence Jesus is warning people to turn from their rebellion, which the Bible calls sin, turn to him and repent!  It’s now up to us to heed this merciful and gracious warning!

To be continued……..

Feel free to listen to this sermon which includes the ‘Parable of the Net’: More Parables and a Prophet without Honour! Matthew 13:44-58.