This is a short testimony I came across on YouTube from a woman who grew up in what seems a conservative, fundamental Christian home: When I was 6 or 7, I burned my hand and it was excruciating. My mother took the opportunity to say, “Imagine if that feeling was …
God
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What is the Lake of Fire, Sulfur and Smoke in the Book of Revelation?
by Dr. Eitan Bar 11 minutes readVery little in the book of Revelation could be interpreted literally. While it is crucial to read and study the book thoroughly, appreciating its language, imagery, and themes, it is equally important to recognize the book’s genre and that almost every element in Revelation is steeped in references to Hebrew …
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Fear God Who Could Throw You Into Hell?! (Matthew 10:28)
by Dr. Eitan Bar 12 minutes read“Then Jesus took the teenage girl and threw her into the fire. As he watched her scream in the flames, he said unto her, ‘Your parents warned you, but you did not listen!’” (Matthew 10:28, according to Calvinism) Sounds too harsh? Sadly, this is exactly how many Christians today read …
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“Lord Lord….”, “I Never Knew You. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23)
by Dr. Eitan Bar 5 minutes readThere are two kinds of “Christianity.” One is a religion that, on paper, intellectually adheres to all the correct theological recipes and doctrines about Jesus’ Lordship and Divinity. The other is a way of life—represented by the kingdom of heaven—embodied by Christ-like individuals who live out the values Jesus taught …
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Aren’t we “Born Again” to Avoid Hellfire?
by Dr. Eitan Bar 5 minutes readEvangelicals, commonly self-identified as “Born-again Evangelicals,” generally interpret “born again” as a profound experience of repentance and faith in Jesus’s sacrifice for sins. This experience is often specific, memorable, and pivotal to their personal testimony. These experiences, usually emotionally charged, can look like reciting a “salvation prayer” from a pamphlet …
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What Are the “Unquenchable Fire” and “Wheat and Chaff”?
by Dr. Eitan Bar 9 minutes readWhen the Western mind encounters the word “fire,” it often conjures images of witches being burned at the stake, nuclear bombs, or Dante’s depictions of individuals tormented by flames, which has significantly influenced Western Christian theology. However, in the Bible, Judaism, and other ancient civilizations, fire, though potentially painful, primarily …
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The Biblical Concept of Time and Why Hell Won’t Last Forever (Aion / Aionios / Olam)
by Dr. Eitan Bar 16 minutes readJustice demands punishment; without it, crimes such as murder and theft would go unchecked, leading to chaos and lawlessness. Retribution is a necessary deterrent to maintain order and protect society. While the opposite extreme of ‘Eternal Conscious Torment’ in Hellfire are those who do not anticipate any form of punishment …
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The Hebrew Prophets also do not contain a Hebrew term equivalent to the concept of hellfire as understood in later Augustine-Calvinist Christian theology. Instead, the Hebrew word “SHEOL,” which simply refers to the realm of the dead, is variably translated in English versions of the Old Testament as “grave,” “underworld,” …
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Does a Sin Against an Infinite God Merit Infinite Punishment?
by Dr. Eitan Bar 11 minutes readOnce upon a time, a naïve couple lived in blissful ignorance, unaware of their own lack of knowledge. Then, a cunning, malevolent figure exploited their innocence, convincing them they could become all-knowing, just like God. Seduced by this idea, they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, which opened their eyes …
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Why God Allowed Sin in the First Place?
by Dr. Eitan Bar 12 minutes read“I’m only human. Of flesh and blood, I’m made. Human. Born to make mistakes.“ (Human, Song by The Human League, 1986) Imagine a game where you put someone in an Escape Room, telling them that unless they figure it out, you’ll burn the room with them in it. It sounds …
