No, it's because you are ignoring a lot of other biblical context. I have provided ample evidence that where a person spends eternity is determined by whether or not they have accepted God's free gift of salvation by faith,
Those are your words.
Yes, I know.
and there is only one period of time in which that can happen--this life. Once a person dies or Christ returns, they face judgement. Nowhere is it stated in Scripture that a person can go from hell (the lake of fire) to heaven.
Again, your words. You are the one calling hell the lake of fire.
Yes, I know. Jesus said the final destination of the wicked is
gehenna, a place of eternal fire. Revelation says the final destination of the wicked is the lake of fire. I'm just putting two and two together.
These states are eternal, hence Jesus's severe warnings:
You again, and you go on to try proving your statements by citing these "severe warnings" showing that one must lose arms and limbs in order to accept what you call a "free gift."
That's your interpretation of the verses I gave.
After those "severe warnings" you say this:
"He is saying that it is better to enter eternal life with God missing a foot or an eye than to be thrown into hell. There can be no stronger warning than that. Most people will end up in hell for eternity:"
You see how I got there now? Good.
And now you agree that Christ is speaking figuratively.
Ok, so then hell (gehenna) in that passage must be figurative as well right.
Right.
It depends on what you mean. That Jesus used
gehenna as a metaphor for the final punishment of the wicked is certainly true, but that doesn't mean that the idea of a horrible punishment is false. That is, after all, the purpose behind his severe warnings about sin--that a person should do all that they can to avoid going to
gehenna, which is the final destination of the wicked.
But you got it figured out; he's speaking of the lake of fire when he speaks of hell, right?
Most likely. The language used is the same and both speak of the final destination of the unrighteous. It's just basic reasoning.
The problem though is that when we read of that lake it is also figurative language.
Sure, we don't know exactly what it is, but Jesus offers his most severe warnings about
gehenna and Revelation says the lake of fire is the second death.
Sure, he went around teaching pagan dictrines. Good grief!
Of course he didn't; I never said he did. The English use of "hell" is just used in place of the word
gehenna. Translators could have left it as
gehenna, but then English speakers would have no idea what was meant without further explanation; but we do have ideas about what is meant by "hell." And, be careful, God can reveal truths about anything even to pagans and it may just appear in their beliefs as well.
No, he most certainly did mot say that.
Mat 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Thats everyone.
That is to completely divorce that verse from the context of the entirety of Scripture. Hence you end up at a wrong conclusion.
What I said was: "Where did Jesus say the final destination of unbelievers was?
Gehenna.
Mar 9:43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you
to enter life crippled than with two hands to go
to hell, to the unquenchable fire.
Mar 9:45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you
to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown
into hell.
Mar 9:47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you
to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown
into hell,
Mar 9:48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’
Do you see what Jesus is contrasting? He is clearly contrasting "life" and "the kingdom of God" with
"hell [
gehenna]." That is, eternal life with eternal punishment in hell.
Clearly not everyone will be saved:
Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Mat 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Mat 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Eoinian fire is not eternal fire.. The only fire I know of that is eternal is God the Father.
It can only be that the fire is eternal:
Mat 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
If the punishment isn't eternal, then neither is life.
Wrong. According to Revelations, that is resurrection through damnation.
The second death is "resurrection through damnation"? What does that even mean?
Nowhere in Scripture is the idea ever given that all will be saved, that there is some way out of the lake of fire, that eternal punishment means something other eternal punishment.
The punishment for sin is death, not hell.
Apart from "death" having more than one meaning, including separation from God, hell, the lake of fire, is the second death.
