There is an interesting passage in Luke where Jesus tells a story about Hell. I thought the best way to handle this topic might be to look in depth at this passage and use it as a jump-off point to address these objections to Hell.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19 - 31
Observations
1. Life is eternal - both the rich man and Lazarus died yet are still alive after death. Also we know Abraham died (Gen.25:8) yet he still lives on. Many people say that there is nothing after death - when they die, that's it. The Bible doesn't teach that. The Bible teaches that people and their souls have such intrinsic value that God created the soul to never end. If God loves intrinsic value, then He has got to be a sustainer of persons because that means He is a sustainer of intrinsic value. He refuses to "snuff out" a creature that was made in His own image. This is the view called soul annihilation which is believed by Jehovah Witnesses and most recently John Stott. If you are interested in reading more on this check out this link. http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/annihilation-or-eternal-punishment/
2. Hell exists as a place - Where it is - we don't know. It could be in another dimension, we don't know. Did God create it when He created Earth? Probably not because He said everything was good. When you create Utopia, you don't create jails or prisons because that is not what you have in mind. That is a fallback measure when things don't go according to plan. God hates Hell and people going there.
‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Ezek. 33:11
3. Lazarus has a name; the rich man doesn't - The Bible says that when we are saved, our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Lazarus had his name written there. The rich man didn't. In fact the rich man was known throughout eternity for his wealth. Why is that? Tim Keller suggests that this was his fully chosen identity apart from God that now persists on a trajectory to infinity. "Hell is a trajectory of the soul living a self absorbed, self centered life going on and on forever." That's why...
4. The Rich man still is ordering Lazarus around. - He is still self - centered. He is oblivious to the facts. He is consumed in his selfish world and doesn't understand that Lazarus no longer answers to him. C.S. Lewis describes it like this - "There are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years; but which I had better bother about, very seriously, if I’m going to live forever. Perhaps my bad temper or my jealousy are gradually getting worse. So gradually, however, that the increase in seventy years will not be very noticeable. But it might be absolute hell in a million years!" The rich man's conceit, disregard for anyone but himself, selfishness, and self-centeredness are persisting on into the after-life and will continue on to escalate.
5. Justice is being served - Lazarus on Earth got bad things now is getting good. The rich man on Earth got good things now is getting bad. A lot of people are bothered by this especially in the West where we value love, forgiveness, turning the other cheek. Why doesn't God just let everyone go to Heaven? There are a number of responses to this but the one I want to focus on here is that God is a just God - and that is a good thing. Volf, a Croatian theologian says, "My thesis is that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance that will be unpopular with people in the West. The lack of belief in a God of vengeance secretly nourishes violence. If I don't believe in a God who will eventually put all things right, I will take up the sword and be sucked into an endless vortex of retaliation. Only if I am sure that there is a God who will right all wrongs and settle all accounts perfectly, do I have the power to refrain." What he is saying that we Americans who have cushy lives without suffering, persecution, or injustices have a hard time with the concept of Hell, where as people who are suffering abuse in other cultures actually appreciate the concept. That culture would have a problem with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The fact is that the Bible, since it is an absolute standard outside of cultures, will offend everyone at some point. If it didn't and agreed with us on everything, it couldn't change us and we would have to suspect that it was written by us.
The question shouldn't be, "How can a loving God let Hell exist?" but rather "How can a loving God not let Hell exist?" Shouldn't Hitler go to Hell? Shouldn't these masked men beheading innocent people receive judgment?
6. Abraham treats the rich man with respect - Abraham calls him, "son" and dignifies all his questions with kind answers even when the rich man disagrees with him. Many people contend that a belief in a God of judgement will lead to a more brutal society but as seen with Naziism and communism the opposite is true. Christians don't look down on people that have rejected Christ and therefore, according to their beliefs, are going to Hell. Rather they are to be treated with more love, kindness, compassion in a desire to woo them away from eternal judgement. The illustration goes - if there is a cookie and Jack thinks it is poisonous and Jill thinks it is edible, is Jack more hateful and narrow-minded than Jill because he thinks the consequences of eating the cookie are more dire? Christians aren't more narrow minded or judgmental because they think that wrong thinking has eternal consequences. In fact they will do all they can to prevent Jill from eating the poison and that is the only kind response.
7. Fire, agony, torment - Is Hell a place of literal fire where unbelievers will experience the agony and torment of being burned up but not consumed for all eternity? This is certainly what I was taught as a child growing up and there are verses to support this
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matt. 5:22
And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matt. 18:9
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. Matt.13:40
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt. 25:41
His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Luke 3:17
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Heb.10:27
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 7
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev.20:14,15
With all these verses on fire, why would anyone think Hell would be any different? Well scholars like C.S. Lewis, Tim Keller, J.P.Moreland, J.I.Packer, Billy Graham, Francis Chan, Martin Luther, John Calvin, F.F.Bruce, and many others think fire is not literal for the following reasons
A. Hell is a place of fire and darkness. How does that work?
But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt.8:12
“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matt. 22:13
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matt. 25:30
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 2Peter 2:4
They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. Jude 13
B. We will have heavenly/spiritual bodies - will fire really hurt those?
He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Dan.3:25
C. There are differing degrees of punishment. Will some be in blue flames and some white?
“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. Luke 12:47,48
Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. Matt. 10:15
The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Rev.20:12
D. Throughout the Bible fire is symbolic of judgement
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. Rev.20:14 (how do you throw death into the lake of fire)
for our “God is a consuming fire.” Heb.12:29
their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 1Cor. 3:13
and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 2 Thes. 1:7
In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” Heb. 1:7
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. James 3:6
These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:7
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. Rev. 1:14
Whether it is literal fire or not, I don't know and frankly, unless God explains it to me some day, I will never know. If it is, I will trust him because,"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Gen.18:25
Whether it is literal fire or not, I don't know and frankly, unless God explains it to me some day, I will never know. If it is, I will trust him because,"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Gen.18:25
9. The rich man dies and goes to hell and Lazarus is ushered to Heaven - Hell exists as a monument to free will. God doesn't violate one's free will even at death. At the end there are two kinds of people, those who bow the knee to God and say "Thy will be done" and those who don't bow the need to God to whom God will say, "Thy will be done". The judgment of God in the Bible is often seen as God "giving people over" to the natural consequences of their sinful choices as a testimony to His unwillingness to violate our free will and respect for us to be able to make our own choices.
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts... They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts...Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind." Romans 1
On judgement day God will say, "based on your own decision to live life separately apart from me you will spend eternity apart from Me also."
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 2 Thes. 1:9
10. The rich man doesn't ask for God to bring water or have mercy - We have this impression that the damned will be sent into the fiery pit saying "I'm sorry God, please let me into your presence" and He will say, "No, it's too late, you had your chance" , as those on their way to Hell and those in Hell are forever begging God for forgiveness. I think it is probably more likely that these people can't wait to get out of God's presence because of His holiness and the fact that they didn't want Him in life, they don't want Him in death.
11. The rich man doesn't ask to get out- it has been said the gates of hell are locked from the inside. What does that mean? It means that the person that rejected God their whole life grows in disdain for Him throughout eternity and the last thing they want is to be in His presence. Notice the rich man is implying that God hasn't done enough. He needs to send someone to his family and personally warn them. It's like, "if that had happened to me, I wouldn't be in this place.It's your fault I'm here, God"
Picture it like this... You go to a party and there is this beautiful, perfect person who is brilliant and so endearing that everyone wants to be around them to the degree that everyone forgets you even exist. That is hard to take for 3 hours but what if you had to be around that person for 3 months or 3 years? Extend that out into eternity and if you haven't fallen in love with that person, that would be Hell for you to be around them.
Or picture it like this. There is a restaurant that has gotten 5 star reviews and is the rage but it is non-smoking and you are a smoker. Would it be a place where you would want to go?
Or this. Have you had some sexual encounters in your life? Was your mom there when they happened? Of course not. Why? Because we can't do those things in the presence of our moms! The unrepentant sinner doesn't want to go to Heaven because the source of all good or their "cosmic mom" is there judging them restricting their freedom.
Here is an account about Billy Graham golfing; After the round of golf was finished, one of the other pros came up to the golfer and asked, “Hey, what was it like playing with the President and with Billy Graham?” The pro unleashed a torrent of cursing, and in a disgusted manner said, “I don’t need Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat.” With that he turned on his heel and stormed off, heading for the practice tee. His friend followed. . . . His friend said nothing. He sat on the bench and watched. After a few minutes the anger of the pro was spent. He settled down. His friend said quietly, “Was Billy a little rough on you out there?” The pro heaved an embarrassed sigh and said, “No, he didn’t even mention religion. I just had a bad round.” Likewise, the presence of God, after rejecting Him throughout life is something not welcomed.
12. Hell is eternal, there is a gulf fixed - If people in hell don't want to get out, the whole question posed by people like Rob Bell or universalists or people believing in Purgatory of "will people in Hell after suffering for a while get a chance to get out?" becomes moot. First of all it would make this life meaningless if death is the incubation period, why not just start there? No, this life is the incubation period that decides eternity.Life is not a silly game, life is for keeps. Second, any choice made in Hell would be self - centered; it would be made because they want to get out of the eternal torment. It's not that they want God, they just want what's best for them.
That raises the question, if life is but a vapor in comparison to eternity, why are people punished eternally for finite sins? Isn't that a bit excessive? One answer would be, how long does it take to commit murder- maybe 10 seconds? Why then is a person punished for life? You see the punishment is not necessarily equal to the time but rather the seriousness of the offence. What is the worst thing a person could do in life? How about rejecting, mocking, dishonoring, and refusing to love the One who we owe absolutely everything to - our creator, God. The degree of a crime is related to the magnitude of the one sinned against. For example, if I lie to a stranger, no biggie. If I lie to my friend, it could ruin a relationship. If I lie to my wife I have broken trust. If I lie to a court, I have committed perjury, and if I lie to the president I have probably committed treason. Take that to the nth level with sinning against God and you see the seriousness of our crime.
13. Tell my family - Shouldn't the thought of hell drive us to evangelism?
Abraham points to two of the tools we have at our disposal to lead people to Heaven. Number one is the Bible. "They have the Law and the Prophets". Use the Word of God as you evangelize.
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Heb.4:12
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 1Peter 1:23
Secondly, use the resurrection. That is the point at which Christianity stands or falls
" If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." 1 Cor. 15:13-19
Thankfully, there is so much proof for the resurrection ( http://thoughtsfromtherightbrain.blogspot.com/2015/04/teaching-your-kids-to-defend.html )that when asked things like "Where did Cain get his wife"? or "Can God make a stone so big that He can't move it"? we can say, let's get back to that after we decide what happened to Christ's body? What is the explanation if He didn't rise from the dead? Tim Keller calls this, "Diving into the deep end of the pool". All those things in the shallow water can be dealt with once we accept Christ's resurrection from the dead.
14. Jesus is telling the story - I put it in red letters for a purpose. Jesus believed in Hell and talked more about it than Heaven and as Andy Stanley would say, "Anyone who can predict their death and that they will rise from the dead and then pull it off - I believe that person". Why is this important? First of all people say that we have a God who had a midlife crisis. In other words he was filled with wrath, vengeance, and judgment in the Old Testament and now in the New Testament He is a God of love and we like that God and reject the other. Jesus, throughout the New Testament claims to be God and yet discusses Hell frequently and boldly. Do you believe Him?
Secondly, where do people get this idea that God is a personal God of love? Certainly not through the violence and injustice of nature. Certainly not through world history. Certainly not by reading other religious books. No, the whole concept of God being a God of love comes from the Bible. If skeptics are going to assume this position then they must realize it comes from the Bible which also teaches that God is a God of justice also. They are basically making up their own God and accusing our God of not aligning with their God.
In summary D.A. Carson puts it this way. "Hell is not a place where people were assigned because they were pretty good blokes but they just didn't believe the right stuff. They are consigned there because they defy their maker and want to be the center of their universe. Hell is not full of people who have already repented only God isn't good enough to let them out. It's filled with people who for all eternity want to be the center of their universe and persist in their God-defying rebellion"
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