Wednesday, August 31, 2011

From My DESK

KAILAN NAGING TAMA ANG MALI?
 Marami ngayon sa mga tao kapag sabihin mo sa kanila kung ano ang tama ay hindi na nila ito pakikinggan, lalung-lalo na kapag meron na silang mga pinaniniwalaang mga kung tawagin natin
"SALIGANG ARAL"
 Marami sa mga protestanteng samahan ngayon ay buong akala na ang kanilang Linggo (Sunday) na panambahan ay s'yang inaayunan ng Bibliya.. ang sumusunod ay Testimonya ng 
THE CATHOLIC VIRGINIAN...atin po itong pansining mabuti:



WHO CHANGED THE SABBATH
FROM SATURDAY TO SUNDAY?

The Roman Catholic Church

No such law in the Bible "Nowhere" in the bible do we find that Jesus or the apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is, the Seventh day of the week, Saturday. Today, all Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the [Roman] church outside the Bible." Catholic Virginian, Oct. 3, 1947 

"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctified." James Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers (1917 ed.), pp.72,73 

"If protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the Sabbath Day, that is Saturday. In keeping Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church." Albert Smith, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the cardinal in a letter of Feb. 10, 1920. 

"Have you not any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?" 
"Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her, she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the Seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority" Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism 3rd ed. p. 174 

How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holydays? 
By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church." Henry Tuberville, An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine (1833 approbation), p.58 (Same statement in Manual of Christian Doctrine, ed. by Daniel Ferris [1916 ed.], p.67) 

"The Catholic Church,... by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday. 
" The Catholic Mirror, official organ of Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893. 

"Is Saturday the 7th day according to the Bible and the 10 Commandments?" 
"I answer yes". 
"Is Sunday the first day of the week and did the Church change the 7th day, Saturday, for Sunday, the 1st day?" 
"I answer yes". 
"Did Christ change the day?" 
"I answer no!" Faithfully yours, "J. Cardinal Gibbons" Gibbons' autograph letter. 

Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined the Sunday as the day of worship in the NEW LAW, that he himself has explicitly substituted Sunday for the Sabbath. 

But this theory is entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as holy days. The church chose Sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days." 
John Laux A Course in Religion for Catholic High Schools and Academies 1936, vol.1 p.51 

Which is the Sabbath day? 
SATURDAY is the Sabbath day. 
Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? 
We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemity from Saturday to Sunday." 
Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (1946 ed.), p.50. Geiermann received the "apostolic blessing" of Pope Pius X on his labors, January 25, 1910. 

"The Catholic Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her Founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant, claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. 

In this matter the Seventh Day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant. The Catholic Universe Bulletin, Aug. 14, 1942, p.4 

"The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] church." Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today (1868), p. 213 

Exodus 20: 8-11, 
(8) Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. (9) Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: (10) But the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (11) For in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the Seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. 

Colossians 2:8 warns us to: 
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 

What power has claimed authority to change God's law? 
The Papacy in Rome. 
"The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even Divine Laws...The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth." Translated from Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca (Ready Library), "Papa", art. 2. 

What part of the law of God has the papacy thought to change? 
The Fourth Commandment. 
"Catholics alledge the change of the Sabbath into the Lord's day, contrary, as it seemeth, to the Decalogue; and they have no example more in their mouth than the change of the Sabbath. They will needs have to be very great, because it hath dispensed with a precept of the Decalogue." The Augsburg Confession (Lutheran), part 2, art. 7, in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Harper), vol. 3, p. 64. 

"It [the Roman Catholic Church] reversed the Fourth Commandment by doing away with the Sabbath of God's word and instituting Sunday as a holiday." N. Summerbell, History of the Christian Church (1873), p. 415. 

Does the papacy acknowledge changing the Sabbath? 
It does. 
The Catechismus Romanus was commanded by the Council of Trent and published by the Vatican Press, by order of Pope Pius V, in 1566. This catechism for priests says: "It pleased the church of God, that the religious celebration of the Sabbath day should be transferred to 'the Lord's day. Sunday.'" Catechism of the Council of Trent (Donovan's translation, 1867), part 3, chap. 4, p. 345. The same in slightly different wording, is in the McHugh and Callan translation (1937 ed.), p. 402. 

Do Catholic authorities acknowledge that there is no command in the bible for santification of Sunday? 
They do. 
"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify." James Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers (1917 ed.), pp. 72,73

How did Sunday observance originate? 
As a voluntary celebration of the Resurrection, a custom without pretense of Divine authority. 

Matthew 28:1 KJV States clearly that Christ Rose on the Sabbath Saturday!! IN the END of the Sabbath, as it began to Dawn TOWARD the FIRST day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. Mat 28:6 He is not here: for he is RISEN, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 

Who first enjoined Sunday keeping by law? 
Constantine the Great. 
"The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a constitution of Constantine in 321 A.D., enacting that all courts of justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday (venerabili die solis), with an exception in favor of those engaged in agricultural labor." Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., art. "Sunday". 

By what church council was the observance of the seventh day forbidden and Sunday observance enjoined? 
The Council of Laodicea, in Asia Minor, fourth century. 
What kind of worship does the Saviour call that which is not according to God's commandments? 
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." Matt. 15:9 

Roman Catholic and Protestant Confessions about Sunday

The vast majority of Christian churches today teach the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, as a time for rest and worship. Yet it is generally known and freely admitted that the early Christians observed the seventh day as the Sabbath. How did this change come about?
History reveals that it was decades after the death of the apostles that a politico-religious system repudiated the Sabbath of Scripture and substituted the observance of the first day of the week. The following quotations, all from Roman Catholic sources, freely acknowledge that there is no Biblical authority for the observance of Sunday, that it was the Roman Church that changed the Sabbath to the first day of the week.
In the second portion of this booklet are quotations from Protestants. Undoubtedly all of these noted clergymen, scholars, and writers kept Sunday, but they all frankly admit that there is no Biblical authority for a first-day sabbath.

Roman Catholic Confessions

James Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of our Fathers, 88th ed., pp. 89.
"But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify."
Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism 3rd ed., p. 174.
"Question:  Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
"Answer:  Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her-she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."
John Laux, A Course in Religion for Catholic High Schools and Academies (1 936), vol. 1, P. 51.
"Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined the Sunday as the day of worship in the New Law, that He Himself has explicitly substituted the Sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is now entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His Church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as Holy Days. The Church chose Sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days."
Daniel Ferres, ed., Manual of Christian Doctrine (1916), p.67.
"Question: How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holy days?
"Answer. By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of, and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church.'
James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore (1877-1921), in a signed letter.
"Is Saturday the seventh day according to the Bible and the Ten Commandments? I answer yes. Is Sunday the first day of the week and did the Church change the seventh day -Saturday - for Sunday, the first day? I answer yes . Did Christ change the day'? I answer no!
"Faithfully yours, J. Card. Gibbons"
The Catholic Mirror, official publication of James Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893.
"The Catholic Church, . . . by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday."
Catholic Virginian Oct. 3, 1947, p. 9, art. "To Tell You the Truth."
"For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the[Roman Catholic] church outside the Bible."
Peter Geiermann, C.S.S.R., The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (1957), p. 50.
"Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
"Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
"Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
"Answer. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."
Martin J. Scott, Things Catholics Are Asked About (1927),p. 136.
"Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that worship should be changed from Saturday to Sunday .... Now the Church ... instituted, by God's authority, Sunday as the day of worship. This same Church, by the same divine authority, taught the doctrine of Purgatory long before the Bible was made. We have, therefore, the same authority for Purgatory as we have for Sunday."
Peter R. Kraemer, Catholic Church Extension Society (1975),Chicago, Illinois.
"Regarding the change from the observance of the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday, I wish to draw your attention to the facts:
"1) That Protestants, who accept the Bible as the only rule of faith and religion, should by all means go back to the observance of the Sabbath. The fact that they do not, but on the contrary observe the Sunday, stultifies them in the eyes of every thinking man.
"2) We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith. Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say, this Church, instituted by Christ to teach and guide man through life, has the right to change the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to Sunday. We frankly say, yes, the Church made this change, made this law, as she made many other laws, for instance, the Friday abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages and a thousand other laws.
"It is always somewhat laughable, to see the Protestant churches, in pulpit and legislation, demand the observance of Sunday, of which there is nothing in their Bible."
T. Enright, C.S.S.R., in a lecture at Hartford, Kansas, Feb. 18,1884.
"I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says: 'No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.' And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church."

Protestant Confessions

Protestant theologians and preachers from a wide spectrum of denominations have been quite candid in admitting that there is no Biblical authority for observing Sunday as a sabbath.

Anglican/Episcopal

Isaac Williams, Plain Sermons on the Catechism , vol. 1, pp.334, 336.
"And where are we told in the Scriptures that we are to keep the first day at all? We are commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first day .... The reason why we keep the first day of the week holy instead of the seventh is for the same reason that we observe many other things, not because the Bible, but because the church has enjoined it."
Canon Eyton, The Ten Commandments , pp. 52, 63, 65.
"There is no word, no hint, in the New Testament about abstaining from work on Sunday .... into the rest of Sunday no divine law enters.... The observance of Ash Wednesday or Lent stands exactly on the same footing as the observance of Sunday."
Bishop Seymour, Why We Keep Sunday .
We have made the change from the seventh day to the first day, from Saturday to Sunday, on the authority of the one holy Catholic Church."

Baptist

Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, a paper read before a New York ministers' conference, Nov. 13, 1893, reported in New York Examiner , Nov.16, 1893.
"There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week .... Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament absolutely not.
"To me it seems unaccountable that Jesus, during three years' intercourse with His disciples, often conversing with them upon the Sabbath question . . . never alluded to any transference of the day; also, that during forty days of His resurrection life, no such thing was intimated.
"Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history . . . . But what a pity it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism!"
William Owen Carver, The Lord's Day in Our Day , p. 49.
"There was never any formal or authoritative change from the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath to the Christian first-day observance."

Congregationalist

Dr. R. W. Dale, The Ten Commandments (New York: Eaton &Mains), p. 127-129.
" . . . it is quite clear that however rigidly or devotedly we may spend Sunday, we are not keeping the Sabbath - . . 'Me Sabbath was founded on a specific Divine command. We can plead no such command for the obligation to observe Sunday .... There is not a single sentence in the New Testament to suggest that we incur any penalty by violating the supposed sanctity of Sunday."
Timothy Dwight, Theology: Explained and Defended (1823), Ser. 107, vol. 3, p. 258.
" . . . the Christian Sabbath [Sunday] is not in the Scriptures, and was not by the primitive Church called the Sabbath."

Disciples of Christ

Alexander Campbell, The Christian Baptist, Feb. 2, 1824,vol. 1. no. 7, p. 164.
"'But,' say some, 'it was changed from the seventh to the first day.' Where? when? and by whom? No man can tell. No; it never was changed, nor could it be, unless creation was to be gone through again: for the reason assigned must be changed before the observance, or respect to the reason, can be changed! It is all old wives' fables to talk of the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day. If it be changed, it was that august personage changed it who changes times and laws ex officio - I think his name is Doctor Antichrist.'
First Day Observance , pp. 17, 19.
"The first day of the week is commonly called the Sabbath. This is a mistake. The Sabbath of the Bible was the day just preceding the first day of the week. The first day of the week is never called the Sabbath anywhere in the entire Scriptures. It is also an error to talk about the change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. There is not in any place in the Bible any intimation of such a change."

Lutheran

The Sunday Problem , a study book of the United Lutheran Church (1923), p. 36.
"We have seen how gradually the impression of the Jewish sabbath faded from the mind of the Christian Church, and how completely the newer thought underlying the observance of the first day took possession of the church. We have seen that the Christians of the first three centuries never confused one with the other, but for a time celebrated both."
Augsburg Confession of Faith art. 28; written by Melanchthon, approved by Martin Luther, 1530; as published in The Book of Concord of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Henry Jacobs, ed. (1 91 1), p. 63.
"They [Roman Catholics] refer to the Sabbath Day, a shaving been changed into the Lord's Day, contrary to the Decalogue, as it seems. Neither is there any example whereof they make more than concerning the changing of the Sabbath Day. Great, say they, is the power of the Church, since it has dispensed with one of the Ten Commandments!"
Dr. Augustus Neander, The History of the Christian Religion and Church Henry John Rose, tr. (1843), p. 186.
"The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intentions of the apostles to establish a Divine command in this respect, far from them, and from the early apostolic Church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday."
John Theodore Mueller, Sabbath or Sunday , pp. 15, 16.
"But they err in teaching that Sunday has taken the place of the Old Testament Sabbath and therefore must be kept as the seventh day had to be kept by the children of Israel .... These churches err in their teaching, for Scripture has in no way ordained the first day of the week in place of the Sabbath. There is simply no law in the New Testament to that effect."

Methodist

Harris Franklin Rall, Christian Advocate, July 2, 1942, p.26.
"Take the matter of Sunday. There are indications in the New Testament as to how the church came to keep the first day of the week as its day of worship, but there is no passage telling Christians to keep that day, or to transfer the Jewish Sabbath to that day."
John Wesley, The Works of the Rev. John Wesley, A.M., John Emory, ed. (New York: Eaton & Mains), Sermon 25,vol. 1, p. 221.
"But, the moral law contained in the ten commandments, and enforced by the prophets, he [Christ] did not take away. It was not the design of his coming to revoke any part of this. This is a law which never can be broken .... Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind, and in all ages; as not depending either on time or place, or any other circumstances liable to change, but on the nature of God and the nature of man, and their unchangeable relation to each other."

Dwight L. Moody

D. L. Moody, Weighed and Wanting (Fleming H. Revell Co.: New York), pp. 47, 48.
The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word 'remember,' showing that the Sabbath already existed when God Wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?"

Presbyterian

T. C. Blake, D.D., Theology Condensed, pp.474, 475.
"The Sabbath is a part of the decalogue - the Ten Commandments. This alone forever settles the question as to the perpetuity of the institution . . . . Until, therefore, it can be shown that the whole moral law has been repealed, the Sabbath will stand . . . . The teaching of Christ confirms the perpetuity of the Sabbath."

Sa pamamagitan ng mga pahayag na yan, mapapatunayan natin ngayon na ang lahat na nagtitipon na Iglesya ngayon (sa panahon natin) ay lumilihis at hindi sumusunod sa kung ano ang patotoo ng Bibliya.
Sabi ng Bibliya : "Sa Kautusan at sa patotoo, kung hindi nila sasabihin ito, tunay ngang walang ilaw sa kanila. " Isaias 8:20
 Ano ang aasahan natin sa hinaharap kung tayo ay hindi masunurin?
KAPARUSAHAN lang ang ating mapapala. Mateo 7:21-23
"Hindi lahat ang magsasabi sa Akin, Panginnon, Panginoon, ay papasok sa kaharian ng langit, kundi yaon lamang sumusunod sa kalooban ng aking Amang nasa langit. Marami ang magsasabi sa akin sa panahon iyon, Panginoon, Panginoon, di po ba sa Iyong pangalan nangaral po kami, at sa Iyong pangalan, nagpalayas kami ng mga dyablo, at sa Iyong pangalan, gumagawa kami ng mga himala? At sasabihin ko sa kanila, "Kailanmay, hindi ko kayo nangakikilala, lumayo kayo sa akin mapaggawa ng masama.
  Maliwanag ang sabi ng Bibliya, Hindi lahat na nagsasabing "BORN-AGAIN" o kaya'y Christian ay makakapasok sa kaharian N'ya. Kundi yaon lamang sumusunod sa kalooban ng Dios.
Ano ang Kalooban ng Dios? (Juan 14:15; Exodo 20:1-20) Ang kalooban ng Dios ay ang Kanyang mga KAUTUSAN. Paano natin sinusunod ang Kanyang kautusan? Mabuting intensyon ang mangaral, ang magpalayas ng dyablo, ang gumwa ng mga himala..Subalit kapag ikaw na gumgawa ng ganito ay sumusuway sa UTOS ng Dios..,ang mga gawaing ito ng pagpapabanal ay hindi garantiya na makapasok ka sa Kanyang kaharian.. (I Juan 4:2) Marami sa mga protestante ngayon, naniniwala naman "daw" sila kay LORD, nananalig naman "daw" sila kay JESUS kaya seguro okay na seguro yon di baga? Sa larangan ng Bibliya ang pagsampalataya ay kailangang may kaakibat itong pagsunod na kung ang isang samahan ay binabalewala ito ay sya namang ikakapahamak ng mga miyembro nito sa Impiyerno.. Marami sa atin mga matatanda ng miyembro sa ating mga inaatenan mga fellowship o mga churches, kung tanungin, kilala mo ba Si Jesus, sasagutin kang "Oo" kilala ko naman.. Kung tanungin mo ulit, Alam mo ba ang mga KAUTUSAN N'ya? Sasagutin ka ng ganito, "Wala na tayo sa UTOS nasa GRASYA na tayo at hindi na natin kailangan ang mga UTOS, UTOS na yan sa bagong Tipan...Ganun? Makabibliya ba itong mga katuwirang ito? "HINDI!" Ang Bibliya ay malinaw na nagsasabi na: "Ang nagsasabing kilala ko Siya, (Ang Panginoon) subalit sumusuway naman sa KANYANG mga Kautusan (Ang Sampung Utos) ay sinungaling at wala sa kanya ang katotohanan.
  Maaring worker ka ng inyong Simbahan, o matagal ka ng miyembro nito, ganunpaman kung ikaw ay masuwayin sa UTOS ng Dios, ang Bibliya ay may bansag sa iyo, ano? "SINUNGALING!"  at mawawala lamang ang iyong pagka sinungaling kung makikinig ka sa Salita ng Panginoon, sumusunod sa mga UTOS nito at magbago.                                    

       Pahayag 12:14 "Narito ang pagtitiyaga ng mga banal, Sila na nananatili sa mga UTOS ng Dios at nananampalataya kay JESUS." Ito ay maaring wake up call sa iyo kung saan ka man ngayon, It is about the high time to go back to the Bible, obey God in His LAW.

Maraming Salamat
BAPTIST CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY
Mobile # 09489388198

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Doctrine About Hell


What is the Truth About Hell Fire?

The truth about hellWhat and where is hell? Is hell burning right now and does hell burn forever? Would a God of love really torture people throughout eternity? Views on the truth about hell vary greatly. Some say “Hell” burns now below us, others say “Hell” is in the future (at the end of the world), while still others say, “Life is Hell.” Some of the greatest theological confusion centres around the biblical topic on the truth about hell fire. As always, the truth about hell can only be found in the Bible.

Hell in the Bible

The word “hell” is used 54 times in the Bible. It is translated from several different words with various meanings as indicated below:
In the Old Testament:
31 times from the Hebrew “Sheol,” which means “the grave”
In the New Testament:
10 times from the Greek “Hades,” which means “the grave”
12 times from the Greek “Gehenna,” which means “a place of burning”
1 time from the Greek “Tartarus,” which means “a place of darkness”
“Tartarus” is used once, in 2 Peter 2:4, and means “a place of darkness or restraint.” “Tartarus” is where Satan and his demons reside now. It isn’t a place of punishment or flames.
“Gehenna” means a place of fire, brimstone, and punishment (seeMatthew 5:29-30, described in Matthew 13:40-42 and 2 Peter 3:7.) Note these flames are still in the future at the end of the world.
“Hades” means “the grave” (Acts 2:311 Corinthians 15:55Revelation 20:14). The body of Jesus rested there and His saints are resting there now awaiting the resurrection.
The Greek word “Hades” is translated as “Hell” in many English Bibles such as the King James Version. In Revelation 6:8, the King James Version refers to “Death and Hell [Hades].” It does the same in Revelation 20:14. Yet some English Bibles use the word “Hades” itself, such as the New International Version, which translates both Revelation 6:8 and 20:14 as “Death, and Hades.” Now here is the point; In Revelation 20:14 “Hades” (“Hell”) is eventually “cast into the lake of fire.” So as you can therefore see, “Hades” itself is not a fiery place, but is cast into “the lake of fire” (hell fire). (Italics added)
So Biblically speaking, Hades means the grave. This is easy to prove from 1 Corinthians 15:55, which in the King James Version states, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave [Hades], where is thy victory?” If you look in the Strong’s dictionary, you will find that the Greek word here translated “grave” is “Hades.” By looking at the context, it is obvious that “Hades” means “the grave” because it is God’s saints who rise out of “Hades” when Jesus Christ returns. See 1 Corinthians 15:50-55. Therefore, “Hades” cannot mean a place of burning, for who can imagine God’s people writhing in flames as they await the resurrection? That would be absolutely ludicrous! Additional proof that “Hades” means “the grave” is the fact that “Hades” was the place Jesus Christ’s body rested in immediately after His death. Acts 2:31 reads, “His [Christ’s] soul was not left in hell [Hades] neither [did] his flesh see corruption.” (Italics added.)

Does Hell burn forever?

To discover the truth about hell, we must accept what the Bible says above the opinions of men. I hope you agree. That said, this subject requires close examination for some texts appear contradictory. InMatthew 25:41, Jesus Christ warned that unsaved sinners will enter “the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Many read this and say, “The lost will sizzle forever. Don’t even try to convince me otherwise.” But in John 3:16 Jesus also declared, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” So which is it? Will the damned roast eternally in “everlasting fire” or finally “perish,” and thus cease to exist?
Revelation 20:9 says, “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” This verse describes the “actual event” of hell fire and is NOT symbolic, and likeJohn 3:16, it declares that the wicked will be devoured and perish, yet the very next verse appears to totally contradict which says, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Note that this verse has symbolism and says that “the devil” and “the beast” (beast is symbolic) will “be tormented … forever” in the lake of fire. But Ezekiel chapter 28 reveals a totally different picture. While initially discussing the ancient “king of Tyre” (Ezekiel 28:12), God’s prophet then looks behind the scenes and identifies Lucifer himself, “the anointed cherub” (verse 14), who inhabited “Eden the garden of God” (verse 13), and who was originally “perfect in [his] ways from the day [he] was created,” until “iniquity was found in [him]” (verse 15) Moving on to Satan’s final fate, God declares, “I bring forth a fire from the midst of you, it shall devour you, and I will bring you to ASHES upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold you… You have become a horror, and shall be no more forever” (verses 18 and 19.) So which is it? Will Satan be “tormented day and night” throughout endless ages, or will he become “ashes” and “be no more forever”?
The Bible DOES NOT contradict itself. These are only APPARENT contradictions. The solution is to examine what the whole Bible says about the fate of the lost, discover its overall teaching, and then to closely analyse the difficult verses until you understand them correctly. Once you do, you will find that everything fits and makes perfect sense and that God is NOT an unmerciful tyrant that tortures the lost forever.
First we will look at a breakdown of all the relevant verses and passages and then conclude with a summary.

Hell Fire Is Real

Matthew 13:42 Jesus Christ said the lost will finally be cast “into a furnace of fire.”
Matthew 3:12 John the Baptist said the lost will end up in “unquenchable fire.”

Punishment for Sin and “Hell Fire” Is Future - Not Now

Matthew 13:40 “As the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of this world.
Matthew 25:41 Jesus Christ sends the lost into the fire after His Second Coming.
2 Peter 2:9 God will “reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.
Revelation 20:11-13 The day of judgment occurs at the end of the 1000 years.
Revelation 20:5a13-15 The “lake of fire” occurs at the end of the 1000 years.

The Final Hell Fire Will Be On Planet Earth

2 Peter 3:7 “The heavens and the earth which are now ... are reserved unto fire.”
2 Peter 3:10 “The earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
Revelation 20:8-9 At the end of the 1000 years, “They [the lost] went up on the breadth of the earth ... and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.”

Hell Fire Will Totally Destroy All the Wicked, Even Satan!

Psalms 37:20 “The wicked shall perish ... they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
Psalms 37:38 “Transgressors will be destroyed together.”
Ezekiel 28:1518-19 Even Satan will become “ashes” on the “earth” as a result of the fire.
Malachi 4:13 The “day cometh” when the lost “burn up” and become “ashes.
John 3:16 Those who are lost will “perish.”
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is “death,” not eternal life in hell fire.
Matthew 3:12 “Unquenchable fire” will totally “burn up” the wicked.
Matthew 10:28 “Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Revelation 21:820:14 “The lake of fire ... is the second death.”

Even The Lake of Fire Will “Pass Away”

Revelation 20:7-9 At the end of the 1000 years, the lost are “the earth.”
Revelation 20:9 God’s fire falls on them, and they are “devoured.”
Revelation 20:14-15 The earth becomes one big “lake of fire” as God purifies it from sin. The lost suffer the “second death” in that lake.
Revelation 21:1 Then there is a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth (where the lake of fire was) has passed away.
Revelation 21:4 In the New Earth, there will be no more pain, suffering, sorrow, or death.
Note: If the lake of fire burned forever, there would always be pain and sorrow somewhere in the universe and Revelation 21:4 could never come true. But it is true. Sin will be gone forever and pain will cease to exist throughout God’s entire universe!

Where Did The Doctrine Of Eternal Burning Originate?

Genesis 3:4 The doctrine of souls burning forever is rooted in the idea that “the soul can’t die.” That idea originated with the serpent who toldEve and Satan's lieEve that if she sinned, she would “not surely die.” But God said she would die (Genesis 2:16-17). God of course told the truth.
1 Corinthians 15:50-55 Only true Christians receive “immortality” at the Second Coming.
1 Timothy 6:16 God “alone has immortality.”
Revelation 20:11-15 The lost finally suffer the “second death” at the end of the 1000 years.

The Character and Justice of God Will Be Vindicated

1 John 4:8 “God is love.” He is not a tyrant who will burn people forever.
Revelation 20:13 Each person will be judged fairly, “according to his works.”
Revelation 20:14-15 After God’s just judgment, the lost will suffer the “second death.”
Revelation 15:3 Then the universe will say of God, “Just and true are Your ways, 0 King of the saints!”
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,
And there shall be no more death, neither sorry, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things
[including the lake of fire] have passed away.
And He that sat upon the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
And he said to me,
“Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:4-5
So far we have discovered Bible passages which teach that the lost, instead of consciously suffering in fiery flames throughout eternity, will “burn up” (Malachi 4:1), become “ashes” (Malachi 4:3), “perish” (John 3:16), “consume away” (Psalms 37:20), and finally suffer “the second death” (Revelation 20:14) at the end of the world. But what about other passages describing “eternal fire” (Jude 1:7) and “torment day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10)? It’s time to closely examine these latter verses, comparing Scripture with Scripture.

Luke 16:19-31 - The Rich Man And Lazarus?

Special Note: This is the only place in the entire New Testament that seems to teach the doctrine of lost souls descending into fire at the moment of death. Shockingly, this concept is not taught anywhere in the writings of Matthew, Mark, John, James, Peter, or Paul. A careful analysis of the Luke 16:19-31 reveals it is actually a parable which, while teaching many powerful truths, is not meant to be taken literally in every detail.
Luke 16:19 “There was a certain rich man.” This is exactly the way Jesus often started His parables (See Luke 12:1613:614:1615:1116:1;19:11-1220:9 (KJV).
Is it possible for anyone who is literally burning in fire to carry on a normal and rational conversation?
Luke 16:22 The beggar went “to Abraham’s bosom.” Did he enter his chest? This is obviously symbolic and not possible as Christ described.
Luke 16:23 Can the “lost” and the “saved” literally see and talk to each other? Would heaven be enjoyed if it involved watching people we loved suffer like this. What if it was a son or daughter or a mother or father, could that person even for a moment enjoy there stay in heaven seeing this every day?
Luke 16:24 The rich man is described not as a “disembodied soul,” but rather as “in the body” with eyes and a tongue. Was he therefore not in his grave? Again, this reveals this is a parable.
Luke 16:24 Can a tiny drop of water on a tormented man’s tongue bring real comfort? A real burning man would not request just a drop of water, which would also not survive the flames to get to his tongue.
The context of this parable reveals Jesus Christ was talking to the Pharisees who were “lovers of money” and who “derided him” with their tongues (verse 14). The reason why Jesus spoke of the rich man asking for water on his tongue was to teach the Pharisees that their “tongues” were going to lead them into hell-fire. These Pharisees also believed riches were a sign of God’s favour while poverty represented His curse. Jesus exposed this false theory. The story also counteracts the idea of a second chance after death. At death there is “a great gulf fixed” (verse 26) which cannot be bridged. Our destiny will be decided by our decisions in this life. Many want to see a miracle before they will believe. Jesus said, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” (verse 31). Why did Jesus use the name Lazarus? This story was a prophecy. Jesus did raise a real man named Lazarus (John 11), yet the Pharisees were not convinced and chose to “put Him to death.” John 11:53.

Revelation 20:10 - “Tormented ... Forever”?

Revelation 20:9 says the lost are “devoured” by the fire that “came down from God out of heaven” at the end of the 1000 years. Yet then verse 10Hell Fire will destroy the wicked and burn outspeaks of “torment” forever. Which is it? If you look closely, verse 9 uses no symbolism, yet verse 10does. Verse 9 is a literal account of what happens to the lost, while verse 10 speaks symbolically of the “beast.” In fact, every time the book of Revelation speaks of the lost burning “forever,” those verses are ALWAYS connected with symbolism (see Revelation 14:11 and 19:3). The word “forever” in the Bible doesn’t always literally mean forever. 57 times the word is used for a period of time that comes to an end. Jonah was in the fish “forever” before he came out (see Jonah 2:6). Samuel’s mother wanted him to serve God in the temple “forever” which really meant “as long as he lives.” 1 Samuel 1:2228.

Revelation 14:11 - “The smoke of their torment”?

Revelation 14:11 says, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:” At least half of the verses in Revelation are taken from the Old Testament and so many verses need to be looked at in the light of all other scripture. The verse says it is the “smoke of their torment” that ascends forever and this is actually drawn from Isaiah 34:10 where the desolation of Edom is described. Isaiah 34:10 “It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” It can be plainly seen that Isaiah did not envisage unending fires from the fact that following the conflagration in which he says, “The smoke thereof shall go up for ever,” the country becomes a desolate waste inhabited by wild beasts. (v 10–15)

Jude 1:7 - “Eternal Fire”?

In Jude 1:7, the city of Sodom is described as being destroyed by “eternal fire.” Is Sodom burning today? No. Therefore the “eternal fire” has gone out. The phrase, “eternal fire,” means it was a fire from God with eternal consequences. It was “unquenchable” by man (see Matthew 3:12Jeremiah 17:27Isaiah 66:24). The destruction of Sodom was also an “example” of what will happen to the wicked at the end. According to the Bible, God’s eternal fire turned Sodom into “ashes” (2 Peter 2:6) “in a moment.” Lamentations 4:6. This is similar to what will happen to all the lost at the end of the 1000 years when they are cast into the lake of fire, “which is the second death.” Revelation 20:14.

Matthew 25:46 - “Everlasting Punishment”?

Jesus warned that He will someday declare to lost sinners, “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”Matthew 25:41. Is this fire the same type of fire mentioned in Jude 1:7, which is one that destroys completely? We know it is because five verses later Jesus clarified “everlasting punishment” would come upon the lost, not “everlasting punishing.” This is the same as “everlasting destruction”2 Thessalonians 1:9Matthew 25:46 contrasts everlasting punishment with “eternal life” which is given only to those who believe in Jesus. John 3:161 John 5:12. The wicked will not live forever, but will finally die the “second death.” Revelation 20:14. See also Ezekiel 18:4. Hence we can see that the lost experience “everlasting punishment,” not punishing, just like the Sodomites.
“Behold, the day is coming, that will burn as an oven.
And all the proud, yes, and all who do wickedly, shall be stubble,
and the day that is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, That it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1

Summary and Conclusion on the Truth about Hell

It would normally be considered bad practise to take into account feelings when it comes to studying the Word of God, however there is one area involved in this topic where feelings cannot be avoided. Take for instance this example: You had a dearly loved family member, whether brother, sister, son or daughter, who had lived an extremely righteous life. They devoted their time to the sick and the poor and the needy. They gave most of their wages to help others in need and when they weren’t productively earning their wages, their life was devoted to loving and helping others. If this person ever accidentally wronged anyone their first response would be to apologise and ask for forgiveness. Their love was so great for others that they could not bear the thought of hurting another person in any way, shape or form. However this person had seen other family members hurt severely by Christians that were not walking the Christian walk and as a result this person never accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
The above verse refers to the time when a new Heaven and Earth are created, which takes place after the millennium at which time judgement and the lake of fire occurs. So just prior to this the wicked have just been burnt up or by some people’s misunderstanding of this topic, the eternal burning of the wicked has just commenced. How will this eternal burning be? God would have to make the wicked immortal, so that they could burn and burn, but never burn up. If a person was burning in the excruciating pain of fire how long would it take before they would pass out from shock, or would God make it so they couldn’t pass out from shock so that they could be suffering excruciating pain for every second of every minute of every hour for billions of years, and even then their suffering would be barely beginning. Since some believe this is for all eternity then a trillion years would not even be a microscopic spec on the time scale. Would you consider it just and merciful punishment to have your loved one burn for all eternity like this in horrendous never ending excruciating pain just because they chose not to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour? Take into account that they never deliberately wronged anyone and if they ever accidentally did, they repented and apologised and asked for forgiveness? In other words they did the best they could to live a sin free life and love others with all their heart, might and soul as the Bible teaches we should.
If it was at all possible for this person to live a sin free life they would have, but since the fall of Adam and Eve we have taken on their sinful nature and so now there is only One that is perfect. I don’t believe that anyone would consider even for a moment that for ever burning in excruciating pain is just and merciful punishment. The question is: Is anyone on the face of this planet more just and merciful than God, who is Himself love? The following scriptures are just a few of hundreds that could be quoted to answer this.
1 John 4:8 “He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love.”
Nehemiah 9:31 “Nevertheless for your great mercies' sake you did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.”
Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”
Psalms 86:15 “But you, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
Psalms 136:26 “O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercyendureth for ever.”
Now let’s consider this dearly loved family member again. This is where human feelings unavoidably come into the equation. Is it humanly possible for us to now go through eternity with “neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:” (Revelation 21:4) I personally would find this utterly impossible to do knowing that every second of my eternal existence that my loved one is burning in agonizing pain. How can there be “no more pain” if all these people are burning in the unbearable pain of hell fire? Also, the latter part of Revelation 21:4 says, “for the former things are passed away.” How can they be all passed away if they are still burning and burning and forever burning, but never burning up?
There have been many people through history who have chosen to reject God and Christianity as they claimed they did not want anything to do with a God who could be so cold, cruel and heartless in His punishment. They cannot accept the thought of eternal punishing even for the smallest of crimes just.
Which of the following pair of scriptures is correct? Note very significantly also, that the true meaning of the Greek word for “perish” (apollumi) in John 3:16. The Strong’s Dictionary says the word means to “destroyfully” (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, lose, perish.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not have everlasting life in hell fire, but have everlasting life.”
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is eternal life in hell fire; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The following verse is extremely significant as firstly it says Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the vengeance of “eternal fire” and secondly, we are told this is “an example” of what is going to happen in the end. Did you hear the media reports about Sodom and Gomorrah being a tourist attraction because they are still burning? No, neither did I. That is because Sodom and Gomorrah are not burning today. So why does it say they are burning with eternal fire? Clearly this eternal fire is NOT forever and neither is hell fire.
Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
In the following two verses Jesus gives an example of hell fire and what is meant by eternal fire. Three times in this chapter we are told that the fire will not be quenched, i.e., it will not be extinguished and will burn until everything is burned up. There are fifty seven things in the Old Testament that were said to last forever but have all ended. Forever in these cases was for as long as those things should last. Forever for fire is as long as fire lasts, which is when it has burned itself out. This is consistent with other scripture.
Mark 9:43-44 “And if your hand offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell[gehenna], into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
So what is the example of hell fire we are given with Sodom and Gomorrah and what was the final result?
2 Peter 2:6 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ASHEScondemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.”
Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them with eternal fire, that is, they burnt until they were totally devoured and nothing was left but ASHES. When something is devoured it is gone. Have you ever devoured a piece of chocolate cake? What was left? Keeping this in mind, the next verse describes the final and ACTUAL event of hell fire that happens after the judgement when the unsaved are burnt in the lake of fire (hell fire). This next verse is NOT symbolic and alone describes the truth about hell.
Revelation 20:9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
We are told that Sodom and Gomorrah are an example of hell fire and as we can see from the above verse, it is indeed a perfect example and the lake of fire is exactly the same situation, except everything on earth is totally burnt up except for the saints who are safe in the “beloved city” of the New Jerusalem.
With Sodom and Gomorrah, fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them, and with the lake of fire (hell fire), fire also comes down out of heaven and devours them. Exactly the same thing! We are told that after the eternal fire burns Sodom and Gomorrah, only ashes are left. So what is left if the wicked are devoured in the lake of fire and this is the perfect example? The same as what was left after Sodom and Gomorrah. Ashes! This is undoubtedly confirmed by Malachi 4:1-3 which informs us that the wicked are totally devoured in hell fire that is not quenched and burns until there is nothing left but ashes.
Malachi 4:1-3 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yes, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. … And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”
The truth about hell is indeed a very hot topic and one that is grossly misunderstood. I am not at all surprised that so many struggle here, especially if one puts all their emphasis on one of the symbolic verses that say forever burning, or eternal fire as it says in Jude 1:7 speaking of Sodom and Gomorrah.
When one truly searches for the truth about hell with an open mind, one will find that in fact eternal fire is fire that burns forever in the sense that it is not quenched and so the results of the fire are eternal. We are told that the unsaved are in fact devoured, and that they are ashes under the soles of our feet.
The Bible does not contradict itself. We do indeed serve a merciful God that burns the wicked only according to his or her works and both body and soul are destroyed in hell. Matthew 10:28. In regards to the example of the loved one that lived a very righteous life but did not quite get around to accepting Christ, they would be burned in an instant. If all the wicked burned forever then there would be no point in judging them on their works as to what the consequences would be, as burning forever would be the same for all.
Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
The truth about hell is that the unsaved are judged and fire comes down from heaven and devours them in times according to their works and they shall then be ashes under the soles of our feet. I feel so blessed to know that God is far more merciful and loving than us and His justice is in fact just and fair.