-
Didymus on Hell
Didymus the Blind (c. 313 – 398) (aka Didymus of Alexandria) provided a number of commentaries, much of which seem to have been lost, largely because of his association with Origen. I happened to be reading his commentary on 1 Corinthians 15 (as translated by Alice Thompson Croft) and found the following: Because some people…
-
Pressing Chris Date’s Retreat
Over at “Rethinking Hell,” Mr. Chris Date has retreated a few steps in his discussion of the meaning of the term “punishment.” Recall that the argument that “punishment” in this case was a “result” noun was one of Mr. Date’s first supposedly “positive” arguments for his position. Now, Mr. Date tries to argue for ambiguity.…
-
Hell and Romans 12
One surprisingly compelling passage in favor of the idea of eternal conscious torment in the New Testament is Romans 12:20, where Paul explains one motive for doing good to our enemies. Romans 12:20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire…
-
Everlasting Contempt
In my debates on hell, I didn’t mention the following verse: Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Perhaps I should have, as it helps to make clear one of the verses I did cited:…
-
Until He Pay the Uttermost Farthing
Two of the verses sometimes used to argue for the position that hell is eternal state: Matthew 5:26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Matthew 18:34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that…
-
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor on the Eternal State of Atheists
I previously reported some thoughts by Cardinal George Pell. Pell had suggested that there will be those who were atheists in this life who will be in heaven. Cardinal O’Connor has something similar to say: Q: And hell? A: We’re not bound to believe that anybody’s there, let’s face it. … Q: It is sometimes…
-
Cardinal George Pell vs. Richard Dawkins – Some Thoughts
Someone directed me to a sort of informal debate between Cardinal Pell and Dawkins, in the form of a moderated Questions and Answers session. Dawkins came across as insecure, accusing the audience of bias (though they routinely cheered for his statements) and repeatedly asking the audience why they are laughing (such as at his comment…
-
The Door Was Shut, Rob Bell
Rob Bell (Love Wins, p. 66): Could God say to someone truly humbled, broken, and desperate for reconciliation, “Sorry, too late”? Many have refused to accept the scenario in which somebody is pounding on the door, apologizing, repenting, and asking God to be let in, only to hear God say through the keyhole: “Door’s locked.…
-
Your Hell is Too Small, Mr. John H. Armstrong
To John H. Armstrong, author of the book, “Your Church is Too Small,” and to those who buy into his way of thinking, my response is “Your hell is too small.” What do I mean by that? I mean that you are too quick to assume that people don’t need to hear the gospel. You…