What is hell? Is it an actual place or a metaphor? Is it a place of punishment or is it better characterized as separation from God? Is hell reserved for those who rejected Jesus? What about those who never heard of Jesus? Will I end up there if I don’t believe it’s an actual, physical place of torture?
I’m tempted to stop there. I don’t have answers (although I have some opinions). Have at it. But I’ll add a little bit and you can tell me whether I should have stopped at the questions.
Some folks get really wound up by hell, saying it’s a real place of eternal punishment, filled with fire, pain, wailing, and gnashing of teeth (which I read somewhere signified anger and not pain). Hell is punishment for all our sins, punishment we deserve, punishment anyone who doesn't profess Jesus as their personal savior will get. And, they say, the problem with the world is that people don’t believe in a real hell (I think that’s also in C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters).
Other people say hell is a state of being and not a place. Hell reflects our separation from God, the absence of love, and is more the consequences of our choices than a punishment God actively inflicts on us.
This post was triggered by three posts on the Jesus Creed blog about a recent book by Edward Fudge, called Hell: A Final Word, (here, here, and here). I needed more words, so I read the responses to questions about hell in Banned Questions about the Bible (p. 16-18 and 90-93). Then I looked at scripture passages and notes on hell in my study Bible, consulted The Oxford Companion on the Bible, and did a Google search on “What does the Bible say about hell?”, which provides a clear answer if you only look at one link.
What does the Bible say about hell? Possibly not as much as some traditions have developed. In fact, the concept of hell (which is the English translation of several Hebrew and Greek words used in the Bible) evolves in the Bible. The Hebrew word “Sheol” in our Old Testament refers to “the grave” or “the resting place for souls.” Jewish thinking on the concept of separate places for the righteous and the sinners developed during and after their exile in Babylon, influenced by the Zoroastrians in Persia. This can be found in parts of the Apocrypha which aren't included in most Protestant Bibles. In the New Testament, the Greek word “Hades” means “the realm of the dead,” while the word “Gehenna” is reserved for a place of pain or punishment (Matt 5:22, 10:28; James 3:6). Revelation brings more imagery of a fiery hell as punishment (Rev 20:11-15; 21:5-8). But a lot more of the imagery comes from Dante’s Inferno than the Bible.
There’s an interesting history behind the word “Gehenna” that Jesus uses in the Gospels. Originally, it was the Hebrew name for a valley south of Jerusalem called “the valley of Hinnom,” which may have been a burning refuse dump in Jesus’ time. That would have provided a vivid image for those who lived then. But that valley also had a long history of being used by Judeans who strayed from God to sacrifice children by fire to another god (2 Chronicles 28:1-4 and 33:1-6; Jeremiah 7:30-34). The valley represented a horrible fate brought on by people who had become separated from God.
Here I agree with those commenters in Banned Questions… who said that whether hell is an actual place or a metaphor for separation from God, it’s a good place to avoid.
Does God use hell as a place of punishment or is it a natural consequence we experience when we choose not to follow God? How we answer that question may say more about us and our theology than it does about God. I have trouble reconciling hell as a place of eternal torment and punishment with what I understand about God as love and about the grace we see through Jesus. It’s easier for me to see hell as the consequence that comes when we choose to separate ourselves from God. But I could be wrong (and there were a whole lot of opinions to that effect expressed on web sites I visited in my Google search).
When I read that God is love (1 John 4:7-12) or that God sent Jesus to save the world, not condemn it, I’m more inclined to agree with this part of Jim Robinson’s response in “Banned Questions…”:
“I prefer to err on the side of grace rather than rules, laws, and prerequisites. I find in scripture a movement away from law and towards grace.” [p. 17]
Your turn: What do you believe about hell? Is it a real place or is it a metaphor for being separated from God? What do you think it means to be separated from God? How do you resolve the concept of hell with grace? Do you agree with Jim Robinson that our current concept of hell is a misrepresentation of scripture?
Last week we looked at the handful of passages in the Bible that address homosexual acts. Some folks point to these passages to say that the Bible explicitly condemns homosexual acts. Others believe those laws apply more to rape, prostitution, or cult worship, leaving room in God’s kingdom for a loving, faithful same-sex relationship. If we sincerely study the Bible and closely examine the passages that deal specifically with homosexual acts, we’re likely to find that those passages don’t necessarily support or refute our particular views.
Where does that leave us?
One argument against same-sex relationships is that there’s no scripture passage to support it as there is for a heterosexual relationship; nor is there any passage that explicitly overturns the laws against same-sex acts. But, as Kathy noted in her comments on the last post, Jesus paid far more attention to divorce and adultery, and yet views on this have changed over time. Are Christians who make a bigger deal out of homosexual relationships than divorce being hypocritical (another sin Jesus addressed often)?
There’s certainly nothing in the Bible to support condemnation of homosexuals or acts of hatred or insensitivity toward gays. Jesus emphasized the commandments on love, including “Love your neighbor as yourself” (if you add his parable of the Good Samaritan, “neighbor” includes those you might not normally associate with), “Do to others as you would have them do to you”, and “Love one another as I have loved you”. In the first letter of John we read that God is love and if we love, then God lives in us and we live in God. It’s pretty obvious that if we are following Jesus, we not only begin with love, but we also look for where love is (as Kathy mentioned in her comment on the last post).
Let’s explore a couple of passages that have been offered in support of God’s intent to accept homosexuals.
The first passage, Philip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, is one I had not heard used in this context before. In Banned Questions about the Bible, Jose Morales, Jr. suggests we look at how the Bible treats eunuchs. Eunuchs were prohibited from being part of the assembly (Deut. 23:1; interestingly, so were those born of an “illicit union,” which would likely have applied to Jesus if Joseph hadn't stayed with Mary), but Philip talked scripture with the eunuch and baptized him as what may have been the first non-Jewish convert to Jesus. Morales said that the term “eunuch” can also refer to “‘effeminate’ men, men with both sets of genitals, and men with same-sex attraction,” although I don’t know whether those additional meanings were used at the time the Bible was written. The only passage that might suggest a broader meaning comes in Jesus’ dialog about marriage and divorce in Matthew 19, where he says ‘For some are eunuchs because they were born that way’ (Mt. 19:12).”
For me, that passage is likely to open up debate about whether the term “eunuch” encompassed same-sex attraction in the Bible. Nevertheless, it shows that, at the very beginning of the early church, God opened the doors to those who were once considered outsiders by the law.
And the whole concept of God’s people is opened wide in Acts 10-11 when Peter encounters Gentiles filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter has a vision in which a voice tells him to eat unclean animals. When Peter refuses, the voice says, “What God has made clean, you must not profane” (Acts 10:9-16). Then God leads Peter to the house of Cornelius, a centurion. Peter witnesses God’s Spirit among them and baptizes them (10:44-48). Later, when he is called on the carpet by the church in Jerusalem for baptizing non-Jews, Peter responds, “If God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in Jesus, who was I to hinder God?” (11:17).
Our understanding of genetics increasingly points to the fact that our sexuality is not a lifestyle or a choice but the very essence of who we are. More and more Christians are recognizing that homosexuality is not a choice that can be switched or a “disease” that can be cured. It is part of who we are born to be.
I don’t know if those passages offer a counter to those who insist that God abhors homosexuality. But I do know that not only are there people in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community who seek to follow Jesus, but there are even more who have felt pushed out by the very people Jesus called to be known by their love. If God is at work among the GLBT community, then who are we to hinder God?
I liked this comment from Kathy Escobar about the debate over what the Bible says about homosexuality:
“Over time, I have come to the conclusion that I don’t really know, but I don’t really need to know. I don’t have a simple way to reconcile these passages or dismiss created design and the differences between male and female anatomy. Regardless, I can say that all of the unknowns, various interpretations, and perspectives do force me to keep turning to and relying on the bigger story, and the bigger story is about Jesus alive and at work, restoring, rebuilding, healing, challenging, moving people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and sexual orientations.” (Banned Questions about the Bible, p. 24)
If we don’t know for sure, what are our options? Keep quiet? Continue to insist on our interpretation? Respond in humility and love? Trust that God is at work in ways that aren’t limited by our lack of understanding?
What do you think?
What does the Bible say about homosexuality, gay marriage, and ordination of gay ministers? These questions often get strong reactions. Where you stand on this issue likely depends on how you approach the Bible and your faith and how that relates to the way you live your life. But it also depends on cultural views, your understanding of sexual orientation, and your position on a number of other political and ideological issues. It’s hard for us to separate our cultural/world view from our approach to faith.
If you search the Bible, you’ll find far fewer passages about homosexual behavior than you will for things like idolatry, pride, greed, justice, or hypocrisy. That’s not to diminish it, but to note that it is not a major theme in the Bible. Let’s take a look at those passages. You can find a compilation of those references at Christian Bible Reference.
First, let’s be clear: You won’t find a Hebrew or Greek term for “homosexuality” in the scriptures. There was also no understanding of sexual orientation as we understand it today. The scripture passages address homosexual acts, but not orientation or relationships.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) is often cited as God’s punishment against widespread homosexuality in those cities. But is their offense homosexuality or rape? Ezekiel described the sins of Sodom: they were “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me.” (Ezekiel 16:49-50). Read on and you’ll see that God also promised to restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, returning them to what they were before (16:53-55). A similar passage in Isaiah includes no reference to homosexual behavior (Isaiah 1:10-17).
Is homosexuality the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, or is Genesis 19 an illustration of the extent of their arrogance, gluttony, pride, and lack of concern for others?
The Holiness Code in Leviticus includes two references to homosexual acts:
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" (Lev. 18:22) and
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them" (Lev. 20:13).
That’s pretty straightforward. Sex between two men is an abomination punishable by death. Many arguments against homosexuality often emphasize the “abomination” part. I was surprised at how often “abomination” appears in the Bible. It occurs in 110 verses in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (142 times in the King James Version and 115 times in the Amplified Bible; the NIV uses the word “detestable” instead). Abomination is used to describe everything from improper sacrifices to unclean foods to idolatry and not keeping God’s statutes and ordinances. The bottom line is that it’s not a term reserved for a certain kind of sin: pretty much any sin is considered an abomination.
As for sins punishable by death, that list includes murder, cursing a parent, kidnapping, witchcraft and sorcery, sex with an animal, working on the Sabbath, incest, adultery, blasphemy, false prophecy, and false claim of a woman's virginity.
Three passages in the New Testament refer to homosexual acts, including the only reference to sex between two women. In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote that, because the wicked refused to honor God and worshipped idols, “God gave them over to shameful lusts”, unnatural sexual relations, and same-sex acts (1:24-27), as well as envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, God-hating, insolence, arrogance, disobedience to parents, and lack of fidelity, love, and mercy (1:29-31). Some, including several responding to the question in Banned Questions About the Bible (p. 23-28), say that Paul was addressing ritual pagan worship behaviors rather than same-sex relationships.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes that idolaters, adulterers, men who have sex with men, cheats (swindlers and thieves), the greedy, drunkards, revilers, slanderers, extortioners, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10)… at least not without the grace offered through Jesus (6:11). There’s a similar statement in 1 Timothy. In both passages, Paul refers to those who engage in homosexual acts with a Greek word (arsenokoitai) that has a range of interpretations. Beyond interpretation issues, Paul doesn’t single out those acts, but includes it in a longer list of sins.
Here’s what Jesus said about homosexuality in the Gospels:
There’s nothing there. Jesus says he came to fulfill all of the laws, not do away with them (Matthew 5:17-20). There’s a whole other post sometime down the line on what that means in light of Jesus’s ministry. But, in the same sermon, he also warns us against judging others and tells us to take the log out of our own eyes before we try to take the speck out of someone else’s eye (Matthew 7:1-5). At the least, this should challenge anyone who calls homosexuality an abomination while ignoring their own abominable sins.
Jesus focuses on restoring our relationship with God – loving God with everything we have and loving our neighbors as ourselves. He said that all of the laws and prophets are built on those two commandments.
Those are the passages that specifically address homosexual acts. Some argue with great conviction that the Bible explicitly condemns homosexuality while others say it’s not as clear cut as it seems. What do you think?
In a follow-up post, I want to explore the question “Do the Biblical laws on homosexual behavior still apply today?”, but for now I’d like to focus on these passages. Do you think they warrant the amount of emphasis some Christian groups place on them today? Do you see room for the arguments other groups make that, taken in context, they may not address monogamous same-sex relationships?
I look forward to your comments. As always, let’s be mindful that, as Christians, we are called to be known by our love. This particular topic is one in which many folks outside the church too often get a very different view of Christians: one of intolerance and hate. I will be watching closely to make sure we continue to keep this blog a safe place for people to share their thoughts and questions.
We began this journey in September with a simple goal of providing folks at Grace Presbyterian with a safe place to explore questions about faith, God, Jesus, and the Bible. At times, we succeeded in getting a good discussion going; other times, we didn't do so well. We'll see if we can do better in the new year.
We've been using the book Banned Questions About the Bible by Christian Piatt as a background source for discussions. If you've been following along, then you know we haven’t exactly been following the table of contents (bouncing willy-nilly with a sometimes purpose might be a better description). We've also taken on some questions that weren't in the book.
We began with the question “If Adam and Eve were the first people on earth, where did their sons’ wives come from?” which turned out to be the most “popular” post of the year in terms of views and comments. It’s not easy when you go downhill after the start, but we’ll try to bounce back.
We also had some interesting discussions on violence in the Bible and how we resolve it with Jesus’s teachings, whether Jesus was married, and what the Bible says about the role of women in the church (here and here, with a follow-up here). After Hurricane Sandy led to a discussion on God’s wrath, I thought it might be a good idea to tackle some of the questions on whether the Bible has inconsistencies and errors and how we deal with different interpretations. That may have been better in concept than in practice. I suspect it’s better to wrestle with those questions in the context of actual passages.
While I've spent a lot of time wrestling with the often-exaggerated conflict between science and religion, as well as how both can (and should) co-exist. That appealed to hardly anybody else. Maybe it was the subject matter, the presentation, or the busyness of the Christmas season. Either way, we’ll move on to other topics.
One of my favorite posts was the discussion on whether the church is still relevant today. It’s something I ponder a lot as a parent and a volunteer with our youth group. How we engage people outside the walls of the church will continue to be an underlying theme here (at least from me).
What’s next? That depends on what questions you would like to explore. Here are a few questions/topics from Banned Questions… that could be interesting:
- What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Given the mounting evidence that homosexuality is something people are born into and not a “lifestyle” choice, how should we respond?
- How can God be all-loving and allow some people to be condemned to hell? Are some people really “predestined” to hell? [That’s more of a Calvin question]
- What is hell? Are we supposed to interpret it literally or metaphorically?
Here are a few other questions not in the book that might also be interested to discuss if there’s broader interest:
- What does the Bible say about justice? Why does it seem that some Christians are more obsessed with sexual immorality than with greed, hunger, and inequality?
- Why would God send Jesus as a sacrifice to die for our sins? Why didn’t God just offer grace and forgiveness without the sacrifice? Why would God choose to sacrifice the one who embodied God among us?
- What is salvation? Is it all personal or is there a larger aspect that applies to all of creation?
- When Jesus says “I am the way,” is he being as exclusive as some people make him out to be?
- Paul said we’re justified by faith alone. James said faith without works is dead. Which is it?
Actually I have a longer list, but I’d rather hear from you. It’s a new year. What questions would you like to explore? What questions are you wrestling with right now? Let me know in the comments below.
