Tag: Christianity

Hell

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I wanna write a few things before you jump into this blog:

  1. I’m not entirely sure why I’m writing this. I feel like I need to, there seems to be a massive swell of conversation around this topic of late. I guess I’m trying track with it while offering some insight and resources for my readers.
  2. I’m not entirely sure where I actually sit on the issue of Hell. Like I mention in the blog, the Bible uses a lot of different languages to describe its nature. I think it is real but what Hell actually looks like is still a bit of a mystery to me.
  3. I’m not really refuting any other position per se; instead, I am writing about this topic in order to work out in my own head and heart what this is all about. While there are certain positions on the doctrine of Hell I certainly reject, I am open to discussion and different perspectives.

Anyway, enjoy, ready, love and get back to me on your thoughts over the issue. Here we go.

“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. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

Hell. No matter where you land on the issue, it is perhaps one of the most dreadful of doctrines to discuss. Every Christian knows someone who will be found wanting on the Day of Judgement, and like God, we take no pleasure in the perishing of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). One should not be able to discuss such doctrines without feeling a sense of despair for the one who may go there. It is a heavy burden indeed to live one’s life, knowing that not everyone’s future is so secure. Yet, it is a reality that every one of us must face, that we all must give due diligence to if we are to be faithful Christians who deliver the message of hope. For some, Hell is a place where the fire burns eternally, where the stench of sulfur and ever rotting corpses permeate the underworld never ceasing. For others, Hell is fiction, perhaps a fairy tale used to scare children into being good little boys and girls. The truth, I think, is somewhere in between.

When we grab one doctrine and start to study it, we must consider it in light of Scriptures grand narrative, the bigger picture so to speak. Simplistically, the story of the Bible looks something like:

creation > fall > exile > redemption > new creation

—————————————————————————–

                                    (Kingdom)

The question is, where does the doctrine of Hell fit into all of this? Systematically and traditionally, Hell is the consequence of rejecting God in this life, so you suffer eternally and consciously in the next. Think torture, burning and wrath being poured out on the wicked for all of eternity. Usually, this fits in between redemption (the Cross) and new creation (as that’s sort of where we are currently in the timeline). However, I think the Bible paints a bit of different picture of Hell, and even the picture it does paint is messy, and not always very clear.

First, where does the idea of Hell even come from? A lot of work has been done on this, a great podcast you can listen to is here. In short, I’ll say this. While the primary image and metaphor that is used to describe the nature of what happens to those in the afterlife, who continue to rebel against God are one of fire and torment, the New Testament also uses other images to describe this reality. Hell is firey, hot and tormenting (Matthew 13:42, 25:41; Mark 9:43; Jude 1:7; Revelation 21:8), but it is also dark, depressing and full of anguish (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30; 2 Peter 2:4). Because the Bible is using metaphors to describe to us what Hell is like, and Hell can be both fiery and painful, as well as dark and depressing. Interpreting these images is quite the task as they could have different meanings based on the context and on the literary structure of the Bible. What we can gather, however, is that this is not a place you want to end up. For me personally, Hell is more about what we do to ourselves as opposed to the everlasting wrath of God tormenting us.

Hell, I think, is more about the choices we make here in this life and how they carry over into the next. There is beauty in this life, a lot of it but it seems so often clouded by the chaotic choices humanity makes. We quickly turn against God, one another, and even our true selves in order to get what we think is good for us (Gen 3). Picture this for a second. What is the New Creation? It’s where God dwells among His people, it is where people are in perfect harmony with God, one another, and the rest of creation. Love reigns, there’s goodness and perfect health. There’s light and laughter, flourishing and beauty. Therefore, Hell must be a place void of goodness, the opposite of flourishing, a place of darkness and anguish, sickness and death. Why does anyone go there? Because we choose to. The Bible is pretty clear, there are those that love the light and those that love the darkness (John 3:19-21). So lovers of darkness get what they love… darkness. Lovers of light, on the other hand, get light.

All that to say this – death and then judgement is something that happens to all of us at the end of the age. Jesus will judge all of us, He will separate the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25), the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), to those who don’t obey the Gospel God will judge with everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1) but will grant everlasting life to those who believe (John 3:16). We have to wrestle with this, meditate on it and work out the implications of what we believe. We must ask why does this matter, what does this mean, and how this affects our lives? Good luck.

Relationships: Love First – Theology Second

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Hey guys! Have you missed me? I know, this first post I’ve done in a few weeks. Life has been hectic. My wife and I just bought our own cafe so most of our energy has gone into working there, if you’re ever on the Sunshine Coast let me know and I’ll make you a great cup (I hope). Anyway, enjoy this blog 🙂

The other day I was sitting and having a coffee with a friend of mine. We talked about a lot of different things but the one thing that stuck with me was what he said about theological debate and discussion. He told me that we need to move from trying to fit people into boxes and just let them become who God is making them too be. I loved that.

Boxes are both helpful and unhelpful. Helpful because putting people into boxes and labelling them helps us to recognise where they’re at in their journey, what they believe and even how to relate to them. This is good because God actually wants us to engage meaningfully, intellectually and teachfully (is that word?) with one another. Boxes are good for this. Unhelpful – because often when we box someone and label them we often end up treating them differently to how God wants us to treat them.

If someone is different to you theologically or philosophically, we tend intellectually alienate them, treat them like as though they don’t belong, like as though they’re a second class (this is called tribalism). I’ve done it, you’ve done it, we all do it, and I know exactly how it feels being on the receiving end of it (it does not feel nice). We too easily forget that doctrine doesn’t save per se, rather, Jesus does. Doctrine and theology aren’t the path to everlasting life, they are handrails to help us along our journey along the path. Please don’t get me wrong, theology and doctrine are important, obviously… I mean my blog is called Scribbling Theology, I love it… sometimes too much. It too easily becomes an idol and it easily becomes the way in which I filter my reality… even people through. I think there’s a better way.

Instead of letting labels and boxes define the people around you, let God define them. They’re image bearers (Gen 1:26), people who are loved by Jesus (John 3:16), who need grace and mercy as much as the rest of us. If there’s a label that we must use to define our relationship with others, if there’s a theology or a doctrine, let it be love (Colossians 3:14-16). Love that person and let them become who God is shaping them to be, not who you want them to be. If they’re behind, maybe that’s exactly where they need to be, if they’re different, maybe God has them there for a reason. Then, finally, grow with them, shape with them, sanctify with them. Teach and be taught. Live and let live. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, after all the advice, prayer and love, they’re life is between themselves and God and that’s a good thing.

Scribbling Scripture: Darkness, Water and Spirit in Genesis 1:1-3 Part I

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For me, the Bible is as deep as it is wide. It is a collection of sixty-six books that tells the story of all of humanity through characters, nations and a whole lot of poetry, prophecy and prose that meets its climax in the person of Jesus and the New Testament. The Scriptures are complex, sometimes confusing, but life-changing and immensely profound if you give it the time it deserves. The reason why the Bible can be hard to understand that it was written at the least two thousand years ago in a country and culture far removed from the West by at least forty different people who are poets, mystics, prophets, historians, fisherman, religious leaders and scribes. In the Western 21st Century world we have to work hard to understand the world, culture and context each work was written in so that we can appreciate and understand the meaning of the text.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. – Genesis 1:1-3

One of the more famous passages of Scripture, Genesis 1 has had its fair share of debate throughout the history of the Church. Let me assure you, the debate has been hot. However, I’m not going to get into the debate. I’m simply going to give my perspective on any text I end up doing and have you discuss it in the comments in whatever platform you desire. So I’ll be upfront, I believe Genesis 1-11 should be understood and read literarily and theologically not necessarily literally. This does not mean that the events in Genesis 1-11 didn’t happen, it just means that what we should be drawing from these chapters isn’t primarily literal historical accounts of times gone by, but rather a theological point that reveals something about God and the story of humanity. This means that chapters 1-11 and perhaps all of Scripture in a general sense is what is known as a theological narrative which means that something about God or humanity is revealed to the reader through story (as many of the best things are i.e. Lord of the Rings)

Genesis 1:1-2 sets the tone for the rest of the Biblical narrative. Five things are happening here that should immediately jump out to the reader:

  1. There exists a supernatural deity (the word for god in Hebrew is אֱלֹהִים ‘elohiym).
  2. This deity created the sky, moon and stars and the earth (שָׁמַיִם shamayim = sky).
  3. The earth began as a formless, chaotic wasteland shrouded in darkness (בֹּהוּ תֹּהוּ tohu vabohu literally means wild and waste).
  4. This deity had a spirit (רוּחַ ruwach = breath) that dwelt among the watery chaotic and darkened state of cosmic existence.
  5. God overcomes the chaotic darkened state of existence by speaking light into the world.

These themes are constant throughout the biblical narrative. They’re thrust from the Torah through the Prophets and the Psalms and into the New Testament. In many ways, we almost have the whole Biblical story here. This god (we’re yet to determine which god in the narrative) dwells among the chaotic state of our world and brings light into the midst of it. One could argue that the rest of the Bible is really just fleshing this out and telling the story of how this particular elohiym actually does this. To say the least, there’s more happening here than simply a raging debate over the age of the Earth and the literal nature of the text.

All that to say this, as we read through the story of Genesis let us remember that this god (later to be identified as Yahweh of course) sees a chaotic and dark world and is about bringing light into it. This is just the beginning, a foretaste of what is to come.

Modern Prophets

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2019 and beyond… what will the world look like? It seems as though the world is in a constant state of change sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. With the birth of the technological age, humanity is making leaps and bounds to better our lives with entertainment, production, leisure, even love. But, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility and we have not always been so responsible. Whatever demonic evil thought the nuclear bomb was a clever idea clearly needs a wake-up call. Abortion is at an all-time high, the last century was the bloodiest in the entire history of humanity. As humanity evolves, chaos and corruption are an inevitable price for purchasing prosperity and harmony – apart from God’s Kingdom.

Imagine though something altogether different. Imagine a world where people love one another without condition or expectation, where prosperity and life flow freely and people live in unison from every tribe nation and tongue. No war, famine, corruption, or chaos, and sin is washed as white as snow. Just the world we all sense it ought to be. The Bible calls this image God’s Kingdom and God calls His Church to be heralds of the Good News of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. We haven’t always done this well. From time to time, along the way, instead of taking up God’s message we took up arms and killed one another. Instead of loving our neighbours and displaying to the riches of God’s grace we abuse them and display darkness preach chaos. However, I believe today is a new day.

God is still as passionate today about sending forth His message as He was two thousand years ago when Jesus commissioned His disciples with the great commission. I believe God is continuously calling His Church to preach repentance and good tidings in every nation, with a fire in their bellies and breathe new life into dry bones. I think He wants us to be prophets. He wants us to effectively and meaningfully engage with our contexts (mines Australia) and deliver God’s message that saves. He wants us to call them out of the darkness and into the light. He wants the nations to turn from their sin, uphold the poor and the widows, and be reflections of God’s Kingdom here on earth. It sounds crazy, I know. We can only ever get so far with this. Even with our prophetic sense of purpose in the world, the Spirit guiding us and the Gospel on our tongues the Kingdom will only come in all of its glorious fullness with our Lord Jesus. Until then, preach:

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

(Romans 10:11-15)

Do Christians Need to Go to Church?

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What a question. It’s one I’ve heard a lot over the years in different ways. “Do I need to go to church in order to be a Christian?” “Do I need to go to church to be saved?” “If I can read the Bible for myself, and catch up with other Christian throughout my week for coffee and Jesus chats, why do I need to go to church on a Sunday?” Great questions and they’re honest questions I’ve asked my self as well. I think that a part of the problem with these sorts of questions presupposed a certain kind of modern church that isn’t healthy or biblical. This might stir up some controversy so strap yourselves in for a ride.

In short, yes one does need to attend a local church in order to be a healthy Christian. Why? A Christian not attending a local church but expecting to have a healthy Faith is like a bodybuilder not going to a gym and not lifting weights but expecting to win first prize in their next comp. It’s like a writer never actually writing anything at all but expecting a book to still be published, or a coffee connoisseur only ever drinking Nescafe Blend 43  (God forbid). I think you get my point, it just doesn’t work. Ok, sure. A person who drinks bad coffee might still consider themselves an expert on coffee. They might have read every book on it, joined every Facebook group and listened to every podcast (important for any coffee enthusiast), but that can never replace sitting down in the actual shop, drinking the actual cup of coffee and enjoying, savouring and experiencing every moment of the sweet velvety nectar that flows from the throne room of God Himself (I’m obviously drinking a very nice cup while a write this).

Fundamentally, I believe, what often lies behind this question is discontentment with the state of our local churches. Fair enough. Take my context, for example, the Sunshine Coast. The Coast is absolutely flooded with churches. Almost everywhere you look there’s a “city life community good point” named church that gathers people to do life together, to encourage and build up. The problem, however, is that that’s where it stops. (Get ready for the trigger) The vast majority of churches on the Sunshine Coast (not all) pitch to their congregations that loving one another, that living out your destiny or purpose, that living the “good life” in this slice of heaven called the Sunshine Coast is the Good News that Jesus offers us. That is not all the Gospel is.  Let me be clear, the Gospel includes – certainly in the age to come – the good life, a life free from suffering, pain, financial hardship, no sickness or death. The Gospel includes the mandate to love one another as ourselves in order to image God. However, the Gospel starts with Jesus as King (Luke 1:26-33) who offers forgiveness of and freedom from sin (Romans 3:23-26), victory over Satan and the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:14-15), a new heart, mind and soul (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10), and (among many other things) union with God Himself (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Most of the people I find asking these sorts of questions are in churches that have an emphasis on living the “good life” instead of first God, Jesus and the Gospel. Rarely do I ever hear the question asked in healthy Gospel-centered churches. Why? Because when the entire Gospel is presented, not just part of it, the sheep are fed and are fueled to live the good life, to love neighbours and get involved in social justice out of a gospel-centred motivation.

For the sake of the article, let me again be clear: The good life, loving your neighbours and wanting what is best for yourself now is a part of the Good News (God wants this for people), but, it starts with Jesus, sin and darkness and then leads to those things (if not in this life – remember Jesus promises hardship and trials – then certainly in the age to come). It is my desire and prayer that the Coast would experience a sort of reformation where we go back to the ancient ways of preaching Gospel-centered messages to feed our sheep, where we pray, seek and save the lost, and see Christians being deeply moved by every facet of the Gospel, not just the physical benefits (which are great).