Is Hell Forever?

[rjp34652]

I was always taught that Hell and the punishment of the wicked will endure forever is that true? I have heard different arguments on this, one says yes they will suffer forever and another says after a time they will cease to be? I hadn't really studied this subject but plan to. What are your thoughts and please give scripture, thanks

Hello:

I have noted several postings on this thread that carry the flavor of universalism; that all men are saved/can eventually be saved, that all men are brothers/ of God, that hell isn't forever, etc.

None of this is true either by examination of logic, experience of the world in general, fellowship of Christ in the Holy Spirit or by consistent study of scripture.

Universalism isn't a new heresy. It's an old one and there are classic arguments against it.

After a diligent search of the Internet I located several good explanations and have pasted in a link to a good one. It's old, in terms of calendar years, but it's argument is solid. I haven't included the entire text here because of bandwidth and time limitations, but if you'd like to read the whole thing please feel free to have a look.

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http://books.google.com/books?id=gJQ3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=universalist+objections+to+vicarious&source=bl&ots=_YZ4b-A8qz&sig=orMP2rwZoPTp1xoV_4NuoyBMhNA&hl=en&ei=WjgaTOeuCYW8lQeS_IXHCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

1. The sinner cannot be saved and then punished.

If the sinner can be first saved and then punished, it follows that salvation is no preventive of damnation, or security against it; and if so, universal salvation, if prived, would constitute no ojbection to the doctrine of endless punishment, since punishment may exist after salvation has taken effect.

2. The sinner cannot be saved and punished at the same time.

If the sinner be saved and punished at the same time, then salvation and damnation are made to meet, at the same time, in the same subject, and exist together. Salvation as remarked in #1 can then be no security against damnation and damnation can in turn be no preventive of salvation; universal salvation becomes consistent with universal damnation. If all this be true, then it may appear that all men should be saved, yet punished endlessly for their sins.

3. The sinner cannot receive all the punishment he deserves first, and then be saved. This is the point around which universalists rally.

That sinners cannot be punished all they deserve, and then be saved, must appear from the following considerations:

a.The sinner cannot receive all the punishment he deserves until a space of time shall have elapsed, after he shall have ceased to commit sin, and he can never cease to commit sin while he is in a state of condemnation and punishment; he cannot, therefore, receive all the punishment he deserves prior to his being saved. It cannot be denied that faith is essential to salvation, for it is written in Mark 16:6 "He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.".

Thus no unbeliever can be saved.

Universalists generally object to this by quoting John 3:18 and endeavor to prove that the phrase "he that believeth not shall be condemned" means nothing.

b.It is generally agreed that unbelief is a sin for which the unbeliever deserves damnation for as long as he remains an unbeliever.

From this it must follow that the moment faith is exercised, the sinner must be released from condemnation and punishment. We must ask then, can the sinner believe while he is yet receiving punishment for his past unbelief? Most certainly not, if there is no salvation from punishment; for as the sinner can be condemned and punished no longer than he ramains an unbeliever, to say that he can believe at any time prior to his having received all the punishment he deserves, would be to say that he might be saved from just punishment; which is to point for which we contend. If the sinner, then, cannot believe before he has received all the punishment he deserves, we ask, can he receive all the punishment he deserves before he believes? Assuredly not; for unbelief is sin, for which the sinner must be damned and punished, and we have already remarked that punishment supposes a time of punishment, in which it is enfured, and this time of punishment must elapse after the commission of the sin, for a man cannot be punished before he committs the sin for which he is punished.

c.Punishment must be subsequent to the commission of the sin for which it is inflicted. Consequently a man must become conformed to the perfect law of righteousness AND THEN SUFFER all the punishment he deserves for his past deliquency. This is impossible, for while the sinner is in the state of condemnation he cannot be conformed to the state of righteousness.

It is absurd to conclude that a man can be holy, living without commission of sins, serving God with all his powers and at the same time be guilty and suffering the punishment of divine displeasure.

From what can men be saved after they have received all the punishment they deserve? Matt 18:11 "The son of man has come to save that which was lost." In what sense then will men be lost, since they have suffered all the punishment they deserve?

1. Acceptance of good does not equate to salvation.

2. Gospel salvation is attainable in this life.

REVIEW

1. Sinners cannot be saved first and then punished for their sins.

2. Sinners cannot be saved and punished at the same time.

3. Sinners cannot be saved after they have been punished all that their sins deserve; if sinners are punished all that their sins deserve, they can never be saved.

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Submitted for the reader's consideration. I hope you find this useful.

it's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Edited May 25, 2012 by rjp34652