“In every generation, there are truths that are quietly set aside—not because they are unimportant, but because they are uncomfortable. Among these, few doctrines have suffered more neglect in the modern church than the reality of hell . . . only when we understand what we are saved from can we fully appreciate what we are saved unto . . . The doctrine of hell, rightly understood, is not meant to drive us to despair, but to lead us to repentance and faith. – Wazer H. Walker

I’m getting ready to teach an 8-week series on the Doctrine of Hell this fall at our church. Jesus said in Luke 12:5, “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (ESV). Today, Hell is “under fire” (no pun intended) as more contemporary Christians abandon this historic doctrine in favor of either Universalism (everyone will be saved) or Annihilationism (the wicked will cease to exist.)

This will be an apologetics class, defending the historic doctrine of Hell and arguing for its role in contemporary apologetics to a dying culture. Jesus was certainly not reluctant to use the doctrine of Hell in his warnings to the religious hypocrites. Peter seems to have used it on the day of Pentecost in his pleading with the citizens of Jerusalem to “save themselves” (Acts 2:40). Paul used it in his defense before the Roman governor Felix, scaring him (Acts 24:25).

Why is the doctrine of Hell important? – Because the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture is at stake. If eternal punishment in Hell does not exist, then either (1) Jesus was mistaken . . . or (2) Scripture is wrong to attribute it to him. Either way, we inject a fatal flaw into our understanding of Scripture and open the door to picking and choosing doctrine that appeals to us or rejecting doctrine we find objectionable.

“The doctrine of hell does not stand alone as a kind of ancient Christian horror story. Rather, hell is inseparable from three other interrelated biblical truths: human sin, God’s holiness, and the cross of Christ.” – Doug Groothuis, Denver Seminary

“It has been reserved for modern and contemporaneous atheism, carried to the pitch of delirium, to outdo the impiety of all ages by denying the existence of hell. There are, in our day, men who laugh at, question, or openly deny the reality of hell.” – Francois Schouppe, theologian of the 19th century

The final dimension of judgment and hell is anticipated in the Old Testament (Dan. 12:1-2; Isa. 66:24) and taught in every section of the New: the Gospels (Matt. 5:22, 29-30; 7:13, 23; 8:12, 29; 10:28; 13:42, 49-50; 18:6-9; 22:13; 23:33; 24:51; 25:30, 41, 46; 26:24; Mark 1:24; 5:7; 9:43, 45, 47-48; Luke 3:17; 4:34; 12:5; 13:3, 5; 16:23-25, 28; John 3:16-18, 36; 5:28-29; 8:21, 24); Acts (10:42; 17:31; 24:15, 25); the New Testament letters (Rom. 2:5, 8-9, 12; 6:23; 9:3, 22; 1 Cor. 11:32; 2 Cor. 2:15-16; 4:3; Gal. 1:8-9; 6:8; Eph. 5:6; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:3, 9; 2 Thess. 1:8-9; 2:10; Heb. 6:2; 9:27; 10:27, 39; James 4:12; 2 Peter 2:1, 3, 4, 9, 12, 17; 3:7; Jude 4, 6, 7, 13); and the Apocalypse (Rev. 2:11; 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10-11, 19; 16:19; 17:8, 11; 18: 8, 9, 18; 19:3, 15, 20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8; 22:15).