Hell

In the narrative of Christian theology, Satan represents the principal adversary, actively working to lead humanity away from God by trying to convince us He can’t be trusted. Yet, if we accept that God’s attributes surpass any of His creations, including Satan, then the Devil’s power to deceive and corrupt…

In contrast with the biblical portrayal of justice, which harmonizes retribution with mercy, the Augustinian-Calvinist “Hellfire” view asserts that God’s justice demands a rigid, eternal punishment for any sin. When I say rigid, I mean melting your skin in flames of fire forever and ever, a doctrine that always struck…

As humans, we have the tendency to be overly judgmental due to a combination of psychological, religious, and social factors. However, the ability to quickly assess situations and people was always crucial for survival and social cohesion. Psychologically, judgment helps simplify the complexity of human behavior and social interactions, providing…

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…

Very 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…

Revelation is a book steeped in symbolism and metaphor, written in the apocalyptic genre. It features descriptions of beasts, dragons, flying horses, and other imagery that first-century readers would not have interpreted literally. The apocalyptic genre is characterized by vivid imagery and symbolic language meant to convey deeper spiritual truths…

The Epistle of Jude, which was written to warn of the destructive concourses of false doctrines, is often cited by the Augustinian-Calvinist Eternal Conscious Torment proponents as supporting the concept of hellfire. For instance, in John MacArthur’s commentary on Jude verse 23, he claims the fire is “the fire of…

New Testament’s 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 is often cited by proponents of Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) as a key passage supporting the doctrine of hellfire. However, a careful analysis of the text within its context and its numerous intertextual allusions reveals that Paul is not teaching about eternal torture in fire.…

“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…

Matthew 16 is where Jesus finally introduces the concept of his death and resurrection to his disciples. In verse 18, Jesus declares something that confused many: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not…