I am wondering if there might be a cause for exploring a theology which falls somewhere between the two extremes, and what better place to begin than the nature of Hell itself? After all, Jesus speaks more of Hell than any other New Testament figure, and if anyone should know about the subject then it would most definitely be Him.īut I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. A vocal minority exists in complete diametric opposition to the theology of eternal suffering, those who subscribe to a belief known as “Universalism.” While not exclusive to the ranks of Christianity, the Trinitarian Universalist maintains the idea that Christ’s sacrifice is the only means by which humanity is saved, but that this sacrifice is also sufficient to atone for the sins of all humanity, to the extent that everyone will eventually be saved by the cross. This explanation, while making good theological sense in the minds of some, does not sit wholly well with others. Additionally, since all human beings are deserving of Hell to begin with, it is argued, there is no obligation on God’s part to save any of us, and does so purely out of unfathomable grace. ![]() This sacrifice, while available to all humanity, can only be made effective by the faith of the individual. “What kind of God,” it is asked, “would subject any human being, whom He is supposed to love unconditionally, to an eternity of unquenchable fire?” The argument from the more traditionalist wing of Christendom (and one to which I subscribed myself for a good while) is that while God is loving, He is also perfectly just and as such cannot make an allowance for reconciliation to someone who has outright rejected the salvation He has provided in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. ![]() This doctrine, quite well established within the church’s core belief system, seems to have polarised public opinion as being either completely acceptable or absolutely repugnant. In the minds of many Christians today, this state of eternal punishment is nothing less than pure, everlasting torment a conscious, never-ending state of agony which is unimaginable. ![]() Most in the church today would see this fate as “Hell” the state of eternal punishment which we are all in default of attaining as a consequence of our inherent sinful nature. When we come to an understanding of a theology wherein Jesus Christ acts as our personal saviour, we must then come to an appreciation of what it is we have been saved from.
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