The False Doctrine of Eternal Punishment.

At the time when the KJV was written there was a lot of puritanical fire and brimstone preaching around, hence the word ‘hell’ appears more in the KJV than any other translation. All the references to ‘hell in the Old Testament are a translation of the Hebrew word Shoel. All other translation are more in line with the ancient Jewish concept of ‘shoel’

Shoel corresponds to Hades. It was the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat) This was in line with the ancients scientific understanding off a three tier universe. It included its inhabitants and also meant the grave.

The first time the KJV translators used it was in Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

First of all note that the fire was in Gods anger and not in the lowest hell

The NIV says “For a fire has been kindled by my wrath,
one that burns to the realm of death below.
It will devour the earth and its harvests
and set afire the foundations of the mountains.”

It’s saying that even his anger destroys death. This is hyperbole though in Christ his anger really did destroy death.

The next reference is 2 Samuel 22:6
The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

It could have been translated as “The sorrows of the grave compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;”

We can do every reference.

Job 11:8 KJV
It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

Job 11:8 NIV
8 They are higher than the heavens—what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths of the grave —what can you know?

Psalm 9:17 KJV
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Psalm 9:17 NIV
17 The wicked return to the grave,
all the nations that forget God.

Before I explain all the apparent references to a place of eternal torment in the New Testament I’d like to destroy the ‘Hell is eternal seperation from God’ doctrine with the King James Translation.

Psalm 139:8
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

Psalm 139:8 (N.C.V)
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there.
If I lie down in the grave, you are there.

What the psalmist is saying is from the bottom of the ocean to billions of light years in space God is there.

In the New Testament there are three different Greek words translated as ‘hell’ Gehenna (used figuratively as a place of eternal punishment.) when Jesus was using classic Middle Eastern hyperbole. Gehenna wass where they burnt the city rubbish. It was a dark gloomy place with fires raging. Here's what it looks like today.





Hades (corresponding to Shoel) and tartarus (The deepest part of Hades according to their understanding of a three tier universe.)

Concerning Gehenna Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:30, Matthew 10:28, Matthew 18:9, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:33, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:47, Luke 12:5, James 3:6 are all instances when Jesus was using classic Middle Eastern hyperbole.

Concerning Hades Acts 2:27 and Acts 2:31 show how the prophecy of the messiah conquering Shoel has come to pass through Christ.

In Matthew 11:23 and Luke 10:15 is Jesus using hyperbole again How could it be worse for Capernaum than it was for Sodom and Gomorrah? They were utterly destroyed to the point where was absolutely nothing left of them!

Now in the region of Caesarea Philippi, there is a landmark where water comes out of what appears to be a bottomless hole that the locals called ‘The Gates of Hades’ Jesus was using local geography to reveal a fantastic truth. Hades/Shoel/The Grave shall not prevail against the church because Jesus was to conquer Hades/Shoel/The Grave.

Matthew 16:16-18 (N.I.V)
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

On the revelation from Heaven that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God Christ is building his church and Hades/Shoel/The Grave will not prevail against it because he has conquered Hades/Shoel/The Grave.

Luke 16:23 is not literal. Jesus is speaking a Parable. Lazarus the beggar was a gentile who accepted Christ while the rich man was a Jew who would now be in torment still waiting for the messiah to come.


If The Rich Man and Lazarus is literal then the Rich Man and the Shrewd Manager must be literal too.


Of course there are other kinds of hell and sometimes Christians can be to honest.