Is Hell truly eternal? This question has sparked deep debate for centuries, challenging both the heart and the mind. In this thought-provoking discussion, Pastor Jim Butler and Pastor Cam Porter unpack what Scripture teaches about the nature of hell, the justice of God, and the weight of sin. They tackle common objections, such as whether eternal punishment is fair for finite sins, and explore why this doctrine is so difficult to accept. Rather than smoothing out its sharp edges, they highlight how it magnifies God’s holiness and the urgency of the gospel. If you’ve ever wrestled with this topic, this conversation will challenge and deepen your understanding.
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Transcript
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Eternal hell, Bible, psychological difficulty, infinite wisdom, gospel mercy, evangelistic impetus, finite sins, infinite punishment, divine justice, universalism, Purgatory, Limbo, Jehovah’s Witnesses, divine majesty, retribution.
SPEAKERS
Pastor Jim Butler, Wim Kerkhoff, Pastor Cam Porter
Wim Kerkhoff 00:08
All right, next question is short: is hell eternal?
Pastor Jim Butler 00:14
The Bible says it is.
Wim Kerkhoff 00:19
Amen. It’s the same word in Greek use for eternal life as eternal death. That’s right. So yeah, yeah, but Yeah, the question comes up.
Pastor Jim Butler 00:32
Oh yeah, the question comes up, and I get why it comes up, because there’s a psychological difficulty in embracing it. You know, when the grander, the more general theological theme is, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is right. You know, if we have an ax to grind with a particular doctrine, I think that we need to discipline or chasten ourselves to understand that the God who has spoken, and the God who does these things does so according to his infinite wisdom and according to His holy nature and according to His goodness. And so while it may have a bit of a shock factor when we start to parse it out and what that means, and it does. It’s a, you know, we all have loved ones. We have friends or families, or we live amongst the people that are, you know, largely unconverted. The thought of them going to hell forever is tough. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m a human being too. But Shall not the Judge of all the earth to what is right. And there is gospel, Mercy. There is grace. There is a wonderful message concerning our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lived, who died, and who was raised again, and all those who believe on Him shall have everlasting life. And I think that it should provide an impetus on the part of the church to be evangelistic, and it should provide an impetus on the part of the unbeliever to really think through the implications of unbelief.
Pastor Cam Porter 02:09
There’s often a connected argument to that comes up from people who are asking that question, where they say, how can how can God punish one who is finite eternally, who has committed these sins in time? How can he punish them eternally for something that that they have done as as finite creatures? Well, I think the answer is simple. The transgressions have been made against a God who is infinite, and so there is an eternal punishment for a violation of those who have sinned against the one who is eternal, who has made them, who has brought them up from out of the dust, who gives breath in their lungs, who gives them goodness each and every day and all the while they are. I know one, one man has pictured the unbeliever as one who is who is held in his father’s arms, and the father who has given him everything, and he constantly reaches up to slap his father in the face. I think that’s sort of a picture of the unbeliever with respect to the creator, the one and only living and true God. How can an infinite God punish one who is finite eternally? Because those ones who are finite have sinned against a God who is eternal in the perfection of his justice.
Pastor Jim Butler 03:36
And the concept of punishment or retribution really isn’t the issue. I mean, if you know something happened criminally against your family, you would be all too happy to see them punished or to see retribution made. I mean, we live our lives based on that reality, that guy should go to jail, that guy should be executed. So it’s not the issue of punishment or attribution, I think that’s consistently held by all man. It’s that God does it and that God does it eternally, and that becomes the offense. And so I think, you know, connected to that is a minimization of who God is in terms of his holiness and righteousness and justice and just how bad sin is. It is transgression against the divine majesty that warrants punishment and retribution.
Wim Kerkhoff 04:33
yeah, and teachings like the universalism and Purgatory and Limbo that all rounds the corners off those
Pastor Jim Butler 04:39
Oh yeah. It’s a psychological attempt to put smooth, smooth the rough edges.
Wim Kerkhoff 04:48
It kind of surprised me when I started talking to Jehovah Witnesses, like five, six years ago. I didn’t realize at first, but they don’t believe in hell, right? It’s like, that totally changes the discussion, right? You think you’re agreeing on some basics, and then you actually don’t, you know how much at all. That’s right? Yeah.
Got a question on Christianity, Gospel, Scripture, Theology? Submit your own questions here.
