It seems almost unbelievable, but hell-lovers already know: God gives eternal life to all people. This means something like everlasting life. There is a tiny difference between different groups. The fan club of a hell sees a double outcome for world history. Believers are saved because they believed so well, while unbelievers unfortunately failed. The believers end up in heaven, while the unbelievers are cast into a hell to be tormented there for eternity. At least that is the idea of this one tradition of hell. This tradition is not found in the Bible, but it is often read into it. That’s why we’re taking a closer look at this idea and thinking about it.

Hell is an idea that is not taught in the Bible. Although some older translations still have this term, it is used to translate very different words from the basic text. This does not even happen consistently, as a simple comparison between different Bible translations can show. The closer a translation is to the basic text, the faster the concept of hell disappears from the Bible. Instead, one is sensitized to the original expressions such as “Hades” or “Gehenna”. This helps to clarify a lot of things.

Is hell a terrible idea? It gets even better. Hell is supposed to apply even if people have already died. In order for hell to actually be experienced, all the dead must be resurrected at some point. They are then also given an endless life. So all people will receive “eternal life”, but they will spend it differently. It is often taught that believers only receive “eternal life”, but this is a fallacy. The unbelievers also receive “eternal life”.

At the end of the story, this image emerges: When God has let the world theater run its course, when the curtain has been drawn on the stage, then at the end He stands at the front of the stage as the author of the play. He then summarizes once again: For a few, the story ended well, but for the vast majority, a miserable ending awaits.

This author of world history, this god of the doctrine of hell, then stands on the stage and shows the outcome of the world theater. A tiny group is saved and is in heaven. However, the vast majority of the rest were first brought to life and then tormented for all eternity. Ouch!

This is how the hell-lovers see it: God saves only a few, but gives immortality to all people. Some so that they are “with God”, others so that the same God torments them forever. The self-righteous hell-lovers rise above it without a problem. I find that an agonizing idea.

How much better, on the other hand, is the dissolution of the many alleged reasons for hell and salvation through Christ as the core of the gospel and on the basis of God’s righteousness. You will find plenty of reasons for this here on this website. You can find a few starting points here: