Theological Critique Of Four Views On Hell Religion Essay

Regardless of denominational background, and particularly when sing many of those who profess no belief in God or Jesus, the subject of snake pit is one that seems to hold endlessly challenged theologists, the clergy, the temporalty, and the general human population. Nonetheless, Bible itself surely does non avoid the issue of snake pit, doing really strong statements and mentions to this topographic point which awaits impenitent evildoers. Therefore, snake pit is non a subject one can avoid when seeking to turn in the cognition and advocate of God. The inquiry the reader is asked to reply, holding considered some of the changing point of views as shared by modern-day scriptural bookmans, is merely how literally the statements in the pages of Scripture sing snake pit are to be taken. One may moderately get at a scripturally-based sentiment of the nature of snake pit after consideration of the points made by Walvoord and Crockett. However, many of the theological sentiments of Hayes and Pinnock lack scriptural confirmation, irrespective of the support construction they may build in pulling on the Hagiographas of assorted theologists.

II. Brief Drumhead

Stanley N. Gundry, the editor for many of the books in Zondervan ‘s Counterpoint series, and William Crockett, general editor of Four Views on Hell, portion with the reader four different point of views on snake pit as described by writers from diverse backgrounds: John F. Walvoord, the long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was considered “ one of the most outstanding evangelical bookmans of his coevals. ”[ 1 ]Walvoord takes the place that “ scriptural descriptions of snake pit as a topographic point of everlasting ardent torture should be taken literally. ”[ 2 ]; Crockett, New Testament professor at Alliance Theological Seminary, asserts in his chapter that “ the scriptural descriptions of this topographic point should be understood metaphorically. ”[ 3 ]; Zachary J. Hayes, a retired instructor of divinity at the Catholic Theological Union[ 4 ]moves the reader off from the subject of the nature of snake pit itself and focuses instead on the issue of purgatory ; and Clark H. Pinnock, Professor of Systematic Theology at McMaster Divinity College since 1977[ 5 ], who “ contends for the ultimate obliteration of the wicked. ”[ 6 ]

Each author presents a chapter that outlines their place and efforts to set up scriptural and philosophical support for the decisions that are reached. Subsequently, each of the other writers is afforded an chance for rebuttal, defense, and at times a opportunity to foster back up their place. Robert Pyne describes this presentation scheme in composing that “ These different attacks make the book every bit much a survey in theological method as in eschatology. ”[ 7 ]

III. Critical Interaction With Author ‘s Work

The Literal View:

The chapter presented by John Walvoord describes the nature of snake pit as an ageless penalty for the wicked. Equally good as being ageless in length, this penalty is “ punitory, non redemptional. ”[ 8 ]Walvoord explains that this position is repeated throughout Old and New Testament Bible. There is a description of positions on snake pit that were held during the intertestamental period, in the New Testament, and by Jesus, every bit good as on a treatment of the New Testament term aionios, intending “ endless. ”[ 9 ]This culminates in a treatment of whether the actual position is in understanding with the apprehension of a loving God and whether trusters can be justified in sing the word picture of snake pit in actual footings.

Walvoord ‘s is familiar as it stands pig-headedly within the confines of the traditional position on snake pit. his finding to curtail as much of his presentation to long-accepted scriptural support, combined with the treatment of the term aionios adds much to the cogency of his statement, at least in footings of seeking to stand for the nature of snake pit as referred to within Bible. There are some resources that can be found to suggest a more broad definition of aionios. In The Complete Word Study Dictionary we are told that it: “ Denotes continuance or continuation of clip, but with great assortment. ”[ 10 ]Surely, if one were to seek the enormousness of theological and scriptural resources he would be able to happen varied definitions for many scriptural footings, even those with a “ standard definition ” with an overpowering preponderance of scholarly support. In fact, Walvoord portions a really thorough intervention of this term and others that are used as mention to the construct of an ageless snake pit. Indeed, a just sum-up of over 400 cases of aionios found in the Logos Platinum Research Library is “ The word I±a?°I‰I?I?I?I‚ [ aiA?nios ] ( from I±a?°I‰I? [ aiA?n ] , age, aevum, a?ˆIµI? [ aei ] ) means either without get downing or without terminal or both. It comes every bit close to the thought of ageless as the Grecian can set it in one word. ”[ 11 ]

Walvoord besides puts nowadayss a support for the thought that snake pit ‘s penalty is literally that of fire everlastingly devouring organic structures, leting for no divergence from a actual reading. The support that is offered for this, which really is shared during Walvoord ‘s response to Pinnock ‘s chapter on the conditional position, is in the signifier of literally fulfilled prognostication. He asserts that “ 50 per centum of the prognostications of the Bible have already been fulfilled, and fulfilled with punctilious truth, therefore back uping the construct that prognostication was intended to be interpreted literally. ”[ 12 ]However, non merely is at that place no account of what the 50 per centum of prognostications are, but surely cautiousness could be exercised in footings of how literally the prognostications were fulfilled.

In his response that “ Walvoord must cognize that non all Bibles lend themselves to actual reading, ”[ 13 ]Pinnock inquiries whether Walvoord is cleaving excessively tightly to the thought of literalism. Crockett makes the remark that Walvoord ‘s position does non come from “ an detached spirit, but because he believes it to be the clear instruction of Bible ”[ 14 ]seems an attempt to depict Walvoord ‘s ministry ; his place is that of a adult male wanting to be faithful to the Scriptures instead than of one who is interested in frightening people into belief in God.

The Metaphorical Position:

In his ain subdivision, Crocket presents a description of the nature of snake pit that leaves Walvoord ‘s thought of ageless penalty in topographic point, while taking away the demand for a actual reading. The reader is asked to see whether we should take a actual position of the images of Eden and snake pit, or whether we should “ see them as metaphors indicating toward existent but undefinable provinces. ”[ 15 ]Crockett ‘s statement focuses on Bibles usage of symbolism ( rabbinic exaggeration ) and what he proposes to be the incompatibility in the thought of holding arrant darkness and at the same clip firing fires. He concludes his statement by saying that the images of Eden and snake pit in the Bibles depict two existent topographic points, “ one a topographic point of unmeasurable felicity, the other of profound wretchedness. ”[ 16 ]

Initially, Crockett ‘s position seems wholly opposite to that of Walvoord. However, the two positions portion much in common, particularly sing the attacks the two take in rebuting the places of Hayes and Pinnock. R. Muchael Duffy writes in his reappraisal that “ Walvoord and Crockett clearly refute the purgatorial and annihilationist positions. Together they argue persuasively for ageless, witting penalty. ”[ 17 ]Within the text of the chapter on the metaphorical position, Crockett inquiries how the fires of snake pit can work everlastingly on physical organic structures without devouring them. He confirms snake pit as a existent topographic point, acknowledging that it can non be known “ exactly what it will be like. ”[ 18 ]Crockett summarizes mistily, saying that “ The most we can state is that the rebellious will be cast from the presence of God, without any hope of Restoration. ”[ 19 ]

The Purgatorial View.

Traveling into the 3rd chapter of the analysis, the reader finds a really different intervention of the subject wholly. Alternatively of concentrating on the nature of snake pit, Zachary Hayes describes the Catholic stance on purgatory. We read in Hayes ‘ place that “ Purgatory, as Roman Catholic divinity envisions it, involves a procedure of purification after decease for those who need it. It is a procedure in which the concern of the life for the dead, expressed through supplications and charitable plants, may hold a good consequence on the healing of the dead. ‘ ”[ 20 ]Hayes ‘ treatment of purgatory fails to turn to the subject of the nature of snake pit, concentrating alternatively about entirely on purgatory and catharsis. In the rebuttal subdivisions, Hayes ‘ equals express regard for the manner and mode of the presentation, but as Pinnock points out, the job with this chapter “ is non the quality of his work ( which is first-class ) but its focal point and orientation. ”[ 21 ]As for the ultimate impact of ensuing focal point, viz. that of purgatory, Crockett reflects the by and large accepted Protestant and evangelical place that purgatory is unreasonable when he summarizes that “ we have no grounds that Jesus or the apostles of all time taught the philosophy – even in a weak seed signifier – and if so they assumed that decease or the Second Advent ushered trusters instantly into the presence of God, where does that go forth purgatory? ”[ 22 ]

The Conditional View

The concluding chapter, presented by Clark H. PInnock, considers biblical grounds about the the character of God as he seeks to reply the inquiry of whether snake pit can perchance mention to an ageless ardent penalty of impenitent souls.. The foundation the chapter asks the reader to see that there has been more than two millenia of misinterpretation of the what the Bible Teachs about immortality. Appealing to the emotions of the reader, Pinnock proposes that those who are non saved by religion through grace would be excessively cruelly punished if theirs was an ageless, fiery, witting hereafter. Alternatively, reasoning that Bible ne’er remarks once and for all on the ageless nature of non-redeemed psyches, the ‘condition ‘ of the conditional position would look to be mentioning to a impermanent status of the psyche of the doomed. Pinnock efforts to extenuate this theologically untypical place when he writes that “ though annihilationism makes hell less of a anguish chamber, it does non decrease its utmost earnestness. ”[ 23 ]

This unconventional place appears rooted in a mawkishness for how those who are non saved might see a God that would set up an ageless snake pit, and in fact Pinnock himslef opens The Destruction of the Finally Impenitent by inquiring “ How should I get down? Shall I treat the topic in the unagitated manner one would when covering with another issue? Would it be right to feign to be unagitated when I am non? To get down calmly would non truly pass on a full history of my response. I do non experience composures about the traditional philosophy of snake pit, and so I will non feign. ”[ 24 ]

Annihilationism critics have written that “ Evangelical annihilationists use theological statements every bit good as scriptural statements in seeking to support their place, ”[ 25 ]“ but more and more it seems modern-day evangelicals are subjecting to what makes sense to their ain moral sentiments. ”[ 26 ]

IV. Decision

This review is being finalized in the waning proceedingss of Easter, 2011. Following a screening of The Passion of Christ and so a really moving Easter service there is enormous sarcasm in sum uping a review on a book covering with the nature of snake pit. The fact that Christ is the lone life adult male to hold of all time gone at that place, and is hence the lone one competent to notice on snake pit ‘s nature is obliging.

The content and statements presented in this book are weighty and emotional. The grade of uncomfortableness that is inspired by the subject of snake pit may good function to explicate why each of the authors in the book have commented about the decreasing visual aspect of snake pit as a discourse topic from modern-day daiss. The inquiry the book considers, chiefly, is merely how literally the statements in the pages of Scripture sing snake pit are to be taken. It is up to the reader so to find the grade to which exegesis, divinity, spiritual tradition, and emotion impact their apprehension of the nature of snake pit. This is a subject worthy of consideration for those who acknowledge a call to evangelism, as being prepared to discourse the inevitable inquiries about snake pit seems indispensable in the exponentially more sophisticated 21st century.

Although scholarly theologists will see the all the elements of unfavorable judgment and argument put away in this authorship ( exegesis, tradition, history, emotion, and poetic biblical elegance ) , precisely how God will convey about His program will merely be understood from the other side of the grave.