Though they are often referred to as Hellfire and Brimstone preachers, they remained ambassadors of Christ's love. .
Avoidance of difficult topics or doctrines can only leave our church members unable to answer difficult questions from enquiring friends. Some may start their own search, but in doing so, there is a risk that they may find the wrong answers that seem to be so readily available. Any church that takes seriously the teachings of Jesus remains obliged to inform their members and their generation of the warnings that the gospels enjoin. The message of the gospels is not simply "God is Love". This particular message is only found stated by John. While love is demonstrated throughout the synoptic gospels, it remains far from the concern of the text. These gospel writers present the question "are you inside or outside of God's Kingdom?" Being outside is a perilous place to be where Christ will ultimately declare "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matt 25:41)3.
In this essay, I will be discussing three prominent views of hell, universalism, annihilationism and conscious punishment. Each with their subsections. If the biblical teaching of hell as an eternal place of punishment is true, and that our understanding of it is to be informed by the scriptures, then my hope would be that we will be all the more diligent in rescuing people from this place. If hell is forever, what is it like? Is it a real or metaphorical fire? Will a loving God condemn people to an eternity there or will his mercy extend beyond the grave? In short, do humans continue to exist beyond the grave and will they be afforded any further opportunity to determine where they will spend forever? .
Will Hell be Forever? .
Behind such a question lies an even deeper one. Does the punishment fit the crime? The question might be rephrased as "if sin is committed within time, does its penalty deserve to be without end?" Some prefer the view that hell is eternal, while the penalty is not.