Who Will Suffer?
One of the main objections to the Christian concept of hell is the undisputed fact that the vast majority of humans have died without ever hearing the gospel and accepting Jesus Christ. Presumably they are — or will be — consigned to hell forever as a consequence.
Are the billions who did not go accept the gospel before they died eternally lost? Are billions consigned to eternal flames because no missionary reached them before they died?
Putting it another way: Would God establish a salvation methodology that the vast majority of humans could not meet and then condemn them to eternal punishment because of it?
Perhaps the entire question of hell can be put into clearer focus by addressing this troublesome issue head-on — the very issue that many consider to be a strong case against Christianity.
It is instructive to notice the variety of ways in which the damned — those who will suffer eternal loss (Greek, damnum) of the presence of God — are described by different theologians.
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Here are a few:
"unbelievers"
"the unsaved"
"incorrigibly wicked"
"enemies of God"
"haters of God"
"non-Christians"
"the unredeemed"
"the rebellious"
"unrepentant sinners"
"those who reject God"
"those who have not accepted Jesus"
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Recommended Reading:
Four Views of Hell,
William Crockett (Ed), Zondervan Publishing.
Two Views of Hell: A Biblical & Theological Dialogue,
Edward W. Fudge, Robert A. Peterson,
Intervarsity Press.
The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis.
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But, we might ask, are these all in the same class? Are non-Christians synonymous with the incorrigibly wicked? Are those who died without accepting Jesus enemies of God?
The need for a more precise definition of the damned is indicated — and may well point to a solution to one of the more stinging objections to the concept of hell. The issue would seem to come down to how and when the damned are defined.
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Lazarus and the Rich Man
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Some regard Jesus' well-known parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16) as solid proof of the reality of eternal fiery punishment in hellfire.
A close reading, however, raises serious doubts about such an interpretation.
In what part of the afterlife is the parable set — immediately after death, or following the Last Judgment?
Many interpreters believe the parable takes place in the intermediate state — the interval after physical death but prior to the resurrection and Last Judgment.
Notice: Jesus specified that the rich man was "in hell [Hades], where he was in torment" (Luke 16:23). Hades is widely viewed as the place where the unsaved dead go to await final judgment. Hades is not itself the place of final punishment; the word Gehenna is used for that (see sidebar).
The parable also contains the implication that the rich man's brothers are still physically alive (Luke 16:27-31).
But even this analysis may be pushing the imagery beyond Jesus' intention. Lazarus and the Rich Man is a parable. A parable is a literary device. As such, it is not intended to be a precise blueprint, with all its details corresponding to actual reality.
The point of a parable is not in the specifics, but in the lesson. Behind the outward or obvious meaning lies a deeper spiritual truth.
In Luke 16, that greater truth is a warning against a life of unrestrained avarice. The immediate context is covetousness and greed.
The parable may be telling us that, for some, torment is possible immediately following death. But there is no indication that it is speaking of the final destiny of those who die outside of God's grace. Hell is not the topic of the parable. Jesus' purpose was not to convey information about the afterlife, but to address the broader context of showing concern for one's fellow man in this life.
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A Plan for the Lost?
Such considerations have prompted some theologians to suggest that a dead but unsaved person may yet avoid the final fate of gehenna fire if he never had a full and unhindered opportunity to know and accept Jesus Christ during his physical lifetime. In other words, such an opportunity might yet be provided prior to the final judgment!
Might it be possible that their decision of faith, or non-faith, might take place in the realm of death?
In his novella The Great Divorce (1946), C.S. Lewis observed that God's purpose for humanity is salvation, not damnation, and he suggested that God may have a plan to save even the lost.
"I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish," Lewis wrote, "but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road."
Is God powerless to put people back onto that right road merely because their physical lives have ended? Is it too much to say that God's grace might extend even beyond the grave?
Might it not be possible that God will yet give all an opportunity to believe and repent — even after death? And that many will then recognize Christ as the deepest longing of their soul, and, at last, know and accept him?
Hell — whatever its character — makes considerably more sense if those who end up there are only those who, with full knowledge, willfully and deliberately reject God. And if that's the case, the alleged unfairness and cruelty of hell vanishes! No longer is hell a case against Christianity!
Only willful, continuing refusal to respond to God's grace and mercy can condemn an individual. God will send no one to hell unless they force him. Sadly, it appears that some will not accept the grace of God (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 19:20; 20:10,15). Some will refuse to face the evil of their lives and repent.
As C.S. Lewis summarized: "Any man may choose eternal death. Those who choose it will have it. . . . There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it."
The Happy Alternative
God's plan includes all of his children. Somehow, someway, every person will have a full opportunity to hear the gospel and repent. The justice of God demands it. We may not know the specifics of how or when this will be accomplished, but we do know that a holy, just and loving God will make righteous provision for all.
God sent his own Son to suffer crucifixion and death to save us. Could such a God be other than just and merciful? To all but the closed-minded, the Bible is a book that leaves many issues open. For his own good reasons, God has not revealed all of the specifics of his plan for humanity. Many of his ways are beyond us (Isaiah 55:8). It's a reminder of our need for humility. And in the absence of those specifics, to speak dogmatically and inflexibly about hell is to hinder potential converts from accepting the love of God.
It is tempting to be manipulated by our biases and to think that our way is the only appropriate way to understand the afterlife. But God is bigger than our personal or denominational views. God is not willing that any should perish. He does not wish anyone to suffer in hell. He wants all to have eternal life (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). He is ever-ready to receive the repentant sinner who turns toward God and goodness.
None of us wants to be in hell — whatever and whenever it is. Happily, we need have no fear of it. Salvation is ours as a free gift when we acknowledge our need for God. We can refuse God — but he will never refuse us.
But God has also made humans free, and has given us the power to decide our own destiny. God will not turn his back on evil and injustice. If we force him, he will deal with evil in absolute, final ways.
The happy alternative is to live for God — not out of fear, but because we desire a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe. And if we make that choice, we'll reap rich benefits — both in this life, and forever in the life to come.
And that makes a strong case — for Christianity!
Keith Stump is an author, script writer, historian and archaeologist.