People that are no longer valued or considered to be useful are often told to “go to hell.” We also hear, “you deserve hell for what you did.” Some even assume most of God’s offspring are destined for hell because they do not express a belief in God or in His Son Jesus Christ.
In the last post, we note how there actually is no Hebrew word or phrase that speaks of an after death hell. So, early translators inserted the word “hell” into the Old Testament in place of a word that simply means “grave.” We will now consider where “hell” is mentioned in the New Testament.
Jesus Speaking of Hades
While we generally quote from the NASB version of the Bible, for simple comparison, in this blog we quote from the King James Version (KJV). Between the four Gospels, Jesus is recorded using the word “hell” fourteen times, translating it four times from the Greek hades and ten times from gehenna.
We begin by looking at the Greek hades. This word is similar to the Old Testament Hebrew sheol and means “place of the departed,” i.e. the grave. Paul confirms these Hebrew and Greek words mean the same thing when he quoted an Old Testament prophet’s use of sheol: “Oh death, where is thy sting, O grave (hades), where is thy victory?” (a) [see endnotes for Scriptures]
When Peter spoke of the resurrection of Jesus he quoted sheol as hades; “His soul was not left in hell (hades), neither his flesh did see corruption.” (b) While the Hebrew and Greek words speak of the grave as the end of life, both Hosea and Paul verify our consciousness continues beyond the grave.
Jesus used hades in two Gospels to speak of the demise or end of a city; “Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven (as an authority), shall be thrust down to hell (hades).” (c) The city was not thrust into eternity; it just ceased to function in this natural realm as entering the grave.
Once, Jesus used the word hades to say the grave cannot stop God’s influencing purpose in the earth. “Upon this rock I will build…and the gates of hell (hades – the grave) shall not prevail against (override) it.” (d) The influence of God-in-Christ in this earth cannot be stopped by killing responders.
Jesus also used hades in a biting story, to expose the attitude of the rich Pharisees who believed in the Greek myth of hell. “The rich man also died and was buried: and in hell (hades – grave) he lifted up his eyes …and said, ‘Father Abraham, send Lazarus…I am tormented in this flame.’” (e) Jesus made up this satire to illustrate to the rich that they were the ones lacking in Abrahamic values. This fictitious story is the only place in Scripture that indicates or even hints of an after-death torment.
Rather than contrast the belief in the “hell” that is so ingrained in Christian ideology, each time the Greek word hades appears in Scripture, the NASB and other translations simply transcribe it as hades.
Each time the Greek word hades appears in Scripture, the NASB and other translations simply transcribe it as hades.
Jesus Speaking of Gehenna
The other ten times Jesus appears to speak of “hell”, the Greek word gehenna is used, which literally means the “Valley of Hinnom.” This was the name of the city dump just outside the walls of Jerusalem where the trash, refuse, animal remains, and dishonored humans were discarded. The burning never ceased and wild animals could be heard growling and gnashing their teeth as they fought for food.
Jesus used gehenna five times to address 
the attitude of taking and giving offense. The caution is repeated in five passages: “If thy hand or thy foot offend…cut them off…if thine eye offend…pluck it out…it is better for thee to enter (experience) life with one…than…be cast into hell (gehenna) fire.” (f) Jesus was clearly saying the activity of being offensive and accepting offense is to be avoided.
Three of the times Jesus used gehenna to address the attitudes of anger and fear: “Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause …shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell (gehenna) fire.” (g) “Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell (gehenna).” (h) “Fear him which is able to destroy (bring to an end) both body (flesh) and soul (consciousness) in hell (gehenna).” (i)
In each of these passages Jesus cautions against being angry and producing fear in others. Such people are in danger of being discarded like trash. The gehenna dump is a visual that depicts the destructive aspect we produce when we are involved in such activity. It is not the after-death hell we imagine.
Jesus used gehenna two other times to address the religious authorities of the day; “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye…make one proselyte, and…make him twofold the child of hell (gehenna)…Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell (gehenna)?” (j) This caution was to the leaders of what was becoming the old time religion.
Each of these references to gehenna is a caution about attitudes and destructive action toward others. When we respond to anyone in anger, give an offense or accept one, or convert someone into error, we are in danger of being considered trash. Let us refuse to partake of such trashy attitudes and actions!
When we respond to anyone in anger, give an offense or accept one, or convert someone into error, we are in danger of being considered trash.
Deathly Separation
Beyond the words of Jesus, gehenna appears in Scripture just one other time when Paul said: “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (gehenna).” (k) The ill words we speak are like burning trash that sets ourselves on fire and causes destructive pain in others. We want to temper our attitude and expressions, so we do not lend destroying harm to anyone.
The KJV uses the word “hell” one more time to speak of the angels (messengers) that left their calling in Noah’s day, as being held in hell (tartarus) until their time of corrective judgement. (l) This is the only time this Greek word appears in Scripture. Peter borrowed this word from Greek mythology. It is an imagined condition in the underworld where bad rulers are punished. Was Peter acknowledging that no one is excluded forever from God’s restoring forgiveness?
We finish this section on hell with the one verse that is usually quoted to give credence to the idea of judgement after death. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (m) The Greek krisis translated as “judgement” actually means “to separate.” When we physically die, we are separated from this life by the grave. While we may consider our separation to be judgement, this verse does speak of such after death. Once again, translators choose to include the idea of an after-death hell.
There is no word or phrase in any of the Hebrew or Greek Scriptures of our Old and New Testaments that indicate the penalty for sin ever changed from a deathly separation to a torment in eternity.
In retrospect we must ask, could the Eternal One who “is” Light and Love (n) condemn any of His immature or imperfect offspring to the torment of a hell in eternity because we fail to measure up during this temporal life? Could God create such a place or condition and fail to warn us?
Please remember, God has given us the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures to instruct us and encourage our development in this natural realm. (o) While in this life, we are given glimpses of the spiritual reality. Details about our ongoing existence in eternity remains a bit of a mystery. (p)
In our next installment, we will look at how the concept of hell became a part of Christian thought.
Details about our ongoing existence in eternity remains a bit of a mystery.
a) Hosea 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:55; b) Psalms 16:10; Acts 2: 27, 31; c) Luke 10:15; Matthew 11:23; d) Matthew 16:18; e) Luke 16:19-24; f) Matthew 18:8-9; 5:29; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; g) Matthew 5:22; h) Luke 12:5; i) Matthew 10:28; j) Matthew 23:15, 33; k) James 3:6; l) 2 Peter 2:4-9; Jude 6; m) Hebrews 9:27; n) 1 John 1:5; 4:16; o) 2 Timothy 3:16-17; p) 1 Corinthians 2:9;
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder