Belfast OutReach

The Bible teaching about hell is heart wrenching, painful, and downright depressing. Heaven causes one to emotionally soar, but the malignancy of that other place drives one to their knees in prayer and dismay. At least it does me. It is impossible to be upbeat when describing that horrific place – which out does the most masterfully produced slimy grotesque monsters slithering through the horror movies created by Hollywood. Fair warning. It’s bad. But, to be honest, consistent, and fair in teaching the Bible, I must venture into this ugly terrain and explain what is there. Bear with me, and don’t shy away. Several awful factors we examine. Please remember, I am not making this stuff up to scare you. Actually, I don’t know if there is a hell or not. I have not been there. I don’t even like to talk about it. I am only, with compassion, reporting to you what Jesus and the Bible says. You decide. Hell Exists That’s right. Hell is a real place. In the New Testament Hades is referred to as

by. Dr. C. Matthew McMahon Hell is becoming a byword. The concept of the eternal torment of the damned is something people do not care to teach, talk about, preach about, or believe. (Even by Christians!) Hell has come to take on many different meanings. Some people believe this world is our own "hell." There are those who believe hell is a state of mind. Some people associate hell with the river Styx and the boat-keeper Charron of Greek mythology, a place fairy tales are made of. The philosopher Sartre thought "Hell is people." But what does the Bible say concerning hell, and what does Jesus Christ, the Almighty God, say about it? Jesus Christ taught about the reality of a literal hell. What do we mean when we say "literal?" Hell is a real place, with real fire, and real darkness, and the utterly real wrath of God. It is the eternal abode where imperfect, sinful souls reside when they die. The wicked are those who have not been redeemed by the blood o