AgnosticBoy wrote: I agree with all on your list if we’re only referring to the dead in Sheol. But I believe many Christians equate “Hell” with the Lake of Fire reference. Eventhough equating the two is wrong, but the concept of eternal punishment is still mentioned in the Bible in my opinion.
Yeah, we’ll have to address the concept of eternal punishment, which seems to be the biggest stumbling block for non-Christians (and Christians).
So, this is a good time to start looking into the New Testament.
As mentioned before, there are multiple Greek words used in the NT that are translated as hell:
– Gehenna 12x
– Hades 11x
– Tartarus 1x
It could be possible all three of these words refer to the same thing. Or it could be they refer to three different things.
Taking at face value, Gehenna is a literal physical location. “Gehenna is a small valley in Jerusalem. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna
Jesus was the only person who used this term with one exception. It is mentioned one time in James, where the tongue is compared to it.
Jesus said Gehenna was a place people could be cast into.
[Luk 12:5 KJV] 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.Jesus said Gehenna was a place people would be destroyed.
[Mat 10:28 KJV] 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.Jesus said shouldn’t say “thou fool” or else would be in danger.
[Mat 5:22 KJV] 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.The only specific group of people referenced by Jesus about damnation and hell are the scribes and Pharisees.
[Mat 23:2 KJV] 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:[Mat 23:33 KJV] 33 [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Jesus speaks quite often about it’s better to enter Gehenna maimed than having an offense.
[Mat 5:29-30 KJV] 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell. [Mat 18:9 KJV] 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. [Mar 9:43, 45, 47 KJV] 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: … 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: … 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=970221#p970221