In the Pews: What does Jesus mean by 'fires of hell'?
Our question this week comes from one of our viewers who wants to know what Jesus meant when he threatens the 'fires of hell,' in a passage in Matthew. Furthermore, she asks, "what do you believe about hell?"
We respond to each of these questions briefly and try to incorporate the development of the idea of hell as it was used throughout the Hebrew scriptures and then used in a new sense, in the gospels and letters of the New Testament. The verse in question is from Matthew 5.22, "But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire" (NRSV).
Tune in to learn more about what Jesus might have meant when he threatens the "fires of hell" and how the word that has been translated as hell has been used throughout scripture. Speaking of hell, don't forget to tune in next week for a special pre-game question about the Detroit Lions!
Darcy Crain-Polly is the Associate Minister at the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor.
Comments
robyn
Thu, Nov 18, 2010 : 12:16 p.m.
So this place truly existed? I do realize that many of the places that are spoken about in the Bible have had their existence denied - but are now being verified as real - with factual finding to support their existence. (Nehemiah's wall was 'discovered' a few years back.) Is it possible that our own ideas about Hell stem from this 'Gehinnom'? It sounds like a place so horrific that it could be the basis for what our limited minds would be able to grasp as "Hell". If you think about it - our minds/knowledge are limited as compared to God's, simply due to the fact that we are limited in our life as to what we see, hear and experience. I also know that Jesus was a 'teacher' - as a teacher he put his lessons into words and pictures that people could understand and relate to. I enjoy topics like this, they intellectually and spiritually challenging. Thanks for opening the door to conversation and discussion.
Darcy Crain-Polly
Thu, Nov 18, 2010 : 9:57 a.m.
Robyn, what you know about gehenna and it's base in this actual location is completely true, although it gets worse. They used to burn babies here as well, babies who weren't named and therefore unclaimed by their parents. Truly an awful place. Sorry we couldn't include all the history in the short response. New testament writers have developed the theology behind gehenna in various ways throughout the time of Jesus' ministry and beyond, and we tried to graze over that, but thanks for sharing the geographical history of the place.
robyn
Thu, Nov 18, 2010 : 1:02 a.m.
I thought the word 'gehenna' was derived from the Hebrew word Gehinnom which means the Valley of Hinnom's son. An area that's just outside Jerusalem. In the Old Testement they talk about that area as a place that pagan worship (and human sacrifices) were taking place - so it wasn't a good place. It's also referred to as a garbage dump where fires were kept burning with sulfur to burn off the refuse and keep down the stench. They threw the bodies of executed criminals and other people who were denied a proper burial, would be dumped there. They also threw dead animals and everything else in too.
Nan
Wed, Nov 17, 2010 : 11:58 p.m.
Wait, how does this qualify as news?
Maple
Wed, Nov 17, 2010 : 6:39 p.m.
I'm confused about your beliefs because recently you had a segment answering a 4-year-old's question about heaven and your answer was that "heaven is right here". I wondered if this meant you did not believe in an afterlife per se, and I was further wondering how you can tell some people that "heaven is right here" if they are living lives of extreme violence or poverty, etc. Are you trying to say that you don't think the Bible (OT or NT) is clear and you are withholding judgement on the specifics while trying to focus on living Godly lives here on earth? By the way, I know others have criticized this series for being Christianity-specific but I'm not Christian and I think it's a nice series. I hope there will be other similar series for other religions, it's a nice format.