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Matthew Jay Krachunis May 2000 Hell The idea of heaven entices and encourages
believers and non-believers alike. It is enjoyable to envision a place of
eternal rest and relaxation, in the presence of God and loved ones. Heaven does
exist according to the Bible, and is the destination of the believer in Jesus
Christ at the completion of life on this earth. What is not encouraging is the
fact that there is a place for those whom God chooses will not inherit
everlasting life. This place is commonly referred to in the English language as
hell. It is not metaphorical nor is it mythological, it is real in every sense
of the word; a true literal hell.
It is a time as Guthrie says in New Testament Theology, “ to inquire about
the state of the lost, a subject which tends to be neglected or else glossed
over.....the final state of those who are not in the book of life” (Guthrie p.
887). This will be the focus of this discussion, the eternal state of those
individuals whose name will not be found in the book of life. To fully
understand the implications of the declaration of a place of eternal damnation,
one must first understand what that place is. The common use of the word “Hell”
is considered colloquial and comical to some. In the bible, the idea of the term
‘hell’ is expressed in more ways than one. The terms Gehenna (Matthew 5:22),
Hades (Matthew 11:23), and Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15) are terms that have
been interpreted to believe as hell. The term ‘Gehenna’ occurs twelve times in
the King James version of the bible.
It occurs in all three of the synoptic gospels, but most notably in the book
of Matthew in which it occurs seven times. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of
the Bible defines Gehenna as “ A name for the place (or state) of everlasting
punishment:-hell” (Strong’s p. 19). Jesus Christ spoke of Gehenna and warned
people of it. Jesus said in Matthew chapter five verse thirty, “ for it is
better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole
body to go to hell”. It is as Guthrie says, “ There is no way of avoiding the
conclusion that Jesus firmly accepted that there was a counterpart to heaven for
those who were condemned before God “ (Guthrie p.888). It is clear that Guthrie
believes that there is an eternal and literal hell. Therefore, because Jesus
stated it, and Guthrie supported it, shows that it must have a certain
importance about it. In Mark chapter nine verses forty-two through fifty, Jesus
is talking about the importance of understanding of the implications of a sinful
life and where it will lead.
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