Free Will and Hell

Free Will and Hell  Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32 No series of reflections on hell would be complete without mentioning free will. Among the amazing … Continue reading Free Will and Hell

Merry Christmas!

‘Twas the morning of Christmas, when Love came to earth, By way of a tiny and humble child’s birth; His parents had traveled so far from their home, For the census decreed by Augustus, in Rome. Arriving in Bethlehem, with no place to stay, The new baby slept in a manger of hay; With cattle … Continue reading Merry Christmas!

Hell and Sin

Hell and Sin  But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Romans 6:22 The concept of hell that I carried with me from childhood was one of eternal punishment and misery. Humans were sent to hell for reasons that … Continue reading Hell and Sin

The Pit and Purgatory

The Pit and Purgatory  Can a blind person lead a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? Luke 6:19 One of the most common biblical reference to contemporary images of Hell today is the Pit. When we do not count the pit references that seem to mean a regular hole in the ground … Continue reading The Pit and Purgatory

Sheol and Hades

Sheol and Hades  For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me. 2 Samuel 22:5-6 The term Sheol is commonly used in the Old Testament as a synonym for what many consider as Hell today. Hades appears a handful … Continue reading Sheol and Hades

Images of Hell

Images of Hell   Then he will say to those at his left hand, “you that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…And these will go away into eternal punishment. Matthew 25:41,46 I grew up with the image of hell as a hot place where bad people … Continue reading Images of Hell

Biblical Resurrection

Biblical Resurrection  Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise, O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! Isaiah 26:19 To wrap up this series of reflections on resurrection, I will consider a few of the biblical references to it. As I mentioned in an earlier Life Note, I do not find the … Continue reading Biblical Resurrection