Hell: You Won't Find it in the Bible!

Did you know that the word “Hell” never once appears in the original Greek and Hebrew Manuscripts of the scripture?

Let me say it another way just to be clear, the Bible NEVER once mentions the word Hell!

Shocked? So was I …and a little angry too.

I attended Bible School and was a Pastor for 8 years. The notion of Hell as the final fate of the unbeliever was so ingrained in my understanding of the Gospel and it was taught with such conviction from the Pulpit that I never once thought to question it.

The original manuscripts of the Bible were written mostly in Greek and Hebrew. They had to be translated into English in order for us to be able to read them. Most of us read from one of the following English translations; The King James Version (KJV), The New International Version (NIV) or the New American Standard Bible. (NASB)

Let’s look at the facts regarding the use of “Hell” in the very popular, New International Version (NIV).

The word “Hell” never occurs in the Old Testament but it appears 14 times in the New Testament. The original manuscripts of the New Testament are in Greek. If you look in up Hell in a good concordance you will discover that there are 3 different Greek words that are translated into English as “Hell”

Gehenna

Gehenna appears 12 times in the original Greek manuscripts. On all 12 occasions the NIV translates it into English as “Hell”. Gehenna is the name of a Valley outside of Jerusalem. A number of significant historical events took place in this Valley so the Jews were very familiar with it.  If Gehenna was a well known historical landmark, why wasn’t it translated as such?  The Mount of Olives is called the Mount of Olives. Bethlehem is called Bethlehem. Mt Sinai is called Mt Sinai. Why did the translators change Gehenna to “Hell”?

If you do your research, you will discover that our translators believed that Gehenna was a figure of speech intended to represent “Hell”. So instead of translating for us, they took the liberty of interpreting it’s meaning for us. Follow me closely here.  The word Hell got its meaning from the doctrine of Eternal Torment. But the doctrine of Eternal Torment get’s it scriptural support from these passages that talk about “Hell”.  Do you see the problem? This is circular logic…a slippery slope if there ever was one. Bottom line…Hell is a misleading and inaccurate translation of “Gehenna”. 

 Hades

The Greek word Hades occurs 10 times in the New Testament. On 9 occasions it is translated “Grave” or   “Hades” or “Depths”. Only once, in Luke 16:23, is it ever translated “Hell”. Again, our translators depart from the literal meaning here and use a word that derives its meaning from outside of the language of scripture.

Tartarus

Tartarus is used only one time in scripture. It is a word the Greeks used to refer to their pagan nether world. It is used in 2 Pet 2:4 to describe the gloomy caverns where imprisoned spirits are kept in waiting for judgment. There is absolutely no basis to assume Tartarus has any connection with the “Hell” associated with the doctrine of Eternal Torment. It is another example of a very misleading translation.

In conclusion, if you read your NIV Bible cover to cover you will encounter the word ‘Hell” 14 times. On 12 occasions it is connected to an actual valley called Gehenna. On 1 occasion it is a reference to Hades which in every other use of the word refers simply to the grave. And in one final occurrence, it is referring to a gloomy prison for non human spirits awaiting judgment. Make these 14 corrections to our modern English translations and you can see that the Bible never, not even once, speaks of Hell as we understand it today!

The Bible is clear. Judgment is real and the wicked will be punished. I am not denying that. But it sounds to me like we need to take a much closer look at what the Bible does and does not say about it before we make God responsible for a thing as horrific as eternal torment in a place called Hell.

False Assumptions

False assumptions are dangerous.

Years ago while fishing along the banks of the Cowlitz River in Washington State, I made a false assumption that nearly cost my life. I saw a rope hanging from a tree. It was perched perfectly over the bend of the river. It was irresistible. The fish weren't biting, I was with good friends and the party needed some new energy. I few tugs on the rope provided all the evidence I needed to support my assumption that this rope and the branch it was suspended from were perfectly safe. Three quick steps and a leap out over the river proved quite the opposite. It was mid November. The river was ice cold and it was moving swiftly due to recent heavy rains. Were it not for a quick thinking friend and a long, sturdy branch lying conveniently close by, I am certain I would have drowned.

My spiritual journey has been marked by the often frustrating discovery that much of what I assumed to be true was, like that rope, not very reliable.  In my eagerness to learn I willingly accepted the claims of my trusted teachers with little more than a quick inspection and a few pulls on the rope. 

I am a Christian. I believe in the one true God. I believe in His Son Jesus who laid down his life and rose again, paying the ransom for my sins and for the sins of all mankind. I believe the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God. I went to Bible School. I spent eight years as a Youth Pastor. One of my passions in life was studying and teaching the Word of God. I was nearly thirty when I one of my core beliefs was challenged by someone who dared me to find scriptural evidence for it. The core belief was the doctrine of Eternal Torment. I was challenged to find a single passage in scripture that clearly taught that the final fate of the unbeliever would be eternal torment in a place called Hell. My world was rocked. I could not find it.

The notion of Hell was preached and taught with such conviction that in all my years of Bible Study and Ministry, I never once thought to question it. The next fifteen years of my life were consumed with searching for answers and re-evaluating much of what I assumed to be true about the Christian Faith and the claims of the Word of God. This process has securely rooted and grounded my faith in the fundamental truths of Christianity but it has also brought to light many of our false assumptions. Things we  made up, added or use to explain what we do not understand.  Intentionally or unintentionally, the church and its leaders have introduced many ideas into our faith that are mysteriously absent from the pages of scripture. The doctrine of eternal torment, the notion that man has a Free Will, the origin of Satan and the age of accountability are just a few examples.

The following blogs are  introductions to topics that deserve to be discussed and studied out by truth seeking believers. The truth matters and as difficult as it often is to have our core beliefs challenged...only good can come of it.

Paul commended the Berean’s for searching the scriptures to see if what they were being taught was true. The final authority on any matter is not the church. It is not the teacher. It is certainly not an internet blogger. It is the Word of God. We are admonished to search and study it so that we can be workman who can rightly divide it and who have no reason to be ashamed.

Know the Truth, Love the Truth, Live the Truth…it will set you free!