The scriptures are clear on post-mortem repentance not existing: Death then judgment (Heb 9:27)( Rev 20:11-15)
What makes you believe that all people will want to repent after being in hell? The richman showed no indication of repentance after being tormented in the flame of fire but only showed arrogance by asking Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue. (Luke 16:23-25) The people in Revelation after being scorched by great heat did not repent…what did they do? They blasphemed the name of God instead of repenting to give God glory. (Rev 16:9)…I’m not saying there won’t be some people that will have remorse but most will not. Those are my reasons.
Dunno what a pelagian is…I stay away from man made labels as did Paul in (1Cor 1:12-13) God bless.
Usually the responses I received in the past for such verses is that you’re ripping them out of context. However, my thoughts are right along side with yours. If God is telling Israel that the reason they can take joy is because their God is not one who casts off men forever or is forever angry. Instead he placates his anger by turning them back towards them. It pleases him to turn them back towards him. So how are we ripping them from the context.
It seems clear to me that the context is Isreal has a crisis. God assures them the crisis will not last forever because of his character - not because of theirs.
I see no reason to embrace their line of reason that God does in fact cast off men forever. Instead we ought to look at the metaphors of hell, gehenna, lake of fire and admit we don’t fully have our grasp around these puzzling passages. But what we do have our fingers around is the love of God that it does not ever give up; it never fails; perseveres all things. Thank God he’s omni-benevolent.
Hi Revival. I am not trying to be critical of you. I fully understand how things can get jumbled when emotions are high and we tend to say things that we don’t mean. I am a firm believer in an eternal hell because it takes less presupposition on the part of a person who believes in ET vs a person who doesn’t believe ET, but I just don’t see anywhere in scripture that God needs hell.
I read him to be saying that he does believe in Hell–and, specifically, the Hell of ECT–but doesn’t believe that God has any particular need for Hell. I’m sure he’ll correct me if I’m wrong.
God made man in his image and likeness. Gen 1:26. 1Thess 5:23 Our spirits were made immortal or eternal. More than once in scripture Paul refers to our inner man or our spiritual man. We are spirit beings that have a soul that live in a mortal body. Your spirtual man looks just like you without the infirmites. As soon as you die…your spiritual man steps out of your mortal body into eternity.
well, since the KJV translates Gehenna into “hell” as well, I suspect the confusion will continue. But I think I get it now. Unbelievers go to Hades, until the judgement, then, they are cast into the lake of fire. no need for the word hell at all really, though it makes for some great rock n roll songs!
Man was made in the image of God…The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. We are spirit, soul and body. God is a Spirit and eternal therefore man are spirits and eternal. 1 Thess 5:23.
Our spirits are immortal whether you are saved or unsaved. The nature of your life in your spirit when you die ( whether you have spiritual life or spiritual death) determines where you spend eternity.
How can one possibly believe that a created being is eternal (which means outside of time, without beginning or end) and think they’re still within orthodoxy?
It’s interesting that you say that. The bible says this in 1 Tim 6:16:
to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
and it says that immortality is something that we are given as a gift, that we put on. What do you think about the scripture above that says only the Lord is immortal?
By the way, the word that you say means “eternal” is “aionios”, which comes from the noun “aion”, which means “an age”. “aionios” can be translated as “lasting for an age”, “eternal” and a few other things. Based on scripture, what makes you think that God would punish people eternally? We know he will punish them “aionios”, which literally means “age enduring”. Here is aionios NOT meaning eternal in your King James Version:
Romans 16:25
King James Version (KJV)
25Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began (aionios),
This encompasses a period of time from when the world began up until the time of Christ, definitely NOT an eternal period of time. So once again, what, in the bible makes you think that aionios should be translated “eternal”? Especially in light of the fact that an interpretation of “eternal” contradicts the clear teaching of scripture that God does not cast out people forever:
Lamentations 3:31
31** For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
**
Psalm 103:9
9He will not always accuse us of wrong
or be angry with us forever.
**
Jeremiah 3:5
5He won’t hold a grudge forever.
He won’t always be angry.’**
Isaiah 57:16 ff
16I will not accuse you forever.
I will not be angry with you forever.
Otherwise, the spirits, the lives of those I’ve made,
would grow faint in my presence.
17I was angry because of their sinful greed,
so I punished them, hid from them, and remained angry. But they continued to be sinful.
18I’ve seen their sinful ways, but I’ll heal them.
I’ll guide them and give them rest.
I’ll comfort them and their mourners.
19I’ll create praise on their lips:
“Perfect peace to those both far and near.”
“I’ll heal them,” says the LORD.
Psalms 30:5
5His anger lasts only a moment.
His favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may last for the night,
but there is a song of joy in the morning.
Micah 7:18,19
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
**You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy. **
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
dirtboy,
The part of us that God made immortal is our spirits. Our bodies our mortal because of the fall. Adam would of lived forever if he did not sin. He still lived to be over 900 years old…what does that tell you? We will live forever in one of two places. New Heaven and New Earth or the lake of fire. God bless.
men are eternal beings? Hmmmm, I know people believe that, but is it in your Bible? 
