One of the greatest conspiracies within Christendom is the doctrine of "Hellfire" or "Hell"
Below is the basic theology and doctrine, it may deviate slightly from church to church but basically this is it
Hell, in Christian beliefs, is a place or a state in which the souls of the unsaved will suffer the consequences of sin. The Christian doctrine of
hell derives from the teaching of the New Testament, where hell is typically described using the Greek words Gehenna or Tartarus. Unlike Hades, Sheol,
or "purgatory" it is eternal, and those damned to hell are without hope. In the New Testament, it is described as the place or state of punishment
after death or last judgment for those who have rejected Jesus. In many classical and popular depictions it is also the abode of the devil and of evil
spirits. Hell is generally defined as the eternal fate of unrepentant sinners after this life. Hell's character is inferred from biblical teaching,
which has often been understood literally. Souls are said to pass into hell by God's irrevocable judgment, either immediately after death (particular
judgment) or in the general judgment. Modern theologians generally describe hell as the logical consequence of the soul using its free will to reject
the will of God. It is considered compatible with God's justice and mercy because God will not interfere with the soul's free choice. In some older
English translations of the Bible (such as the KJV), the word "hell" is used to translate certain words such as sheol (Hebrew) and hades (Greek).
These words do not typically refer to the place of eternal punishment, but to the underworld or temporary abode of the dead.
Opposition to this doctrine began early in the 20th century
In what later appeared to be an attempt by the Pittsburgh ministerial alliance to discredit C. T. Russell’s scholarship and Biblical views, on
March 10, 1903, Dr. E. L. Eaton, minister of the North Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, challenged Russell to a six-day debate. During each session
of this debate, held that autumn in Allegheny’s Carnegie Hall, on the whole Russell came off victorious. Among other things, he Scripturally
maintained that the souls of the dead are unconscious while their bodies are in the grave and that the object of both Christ’s second coming and the
millennium is the blessing of all the families of the earth. Russell also made a very strong Biblical denial of the hellfire doctrine. Reportedly, one
clergyman approached him after the last session of the debate and said: “I am glad to see you turn the hose on hell and put out the fire.”
Interestingly, after this debate many members of Eaton’s congregation became Bible Students.
Where we need to start is with our Greek And Hebrew and what the transliteration actually is.
Transliteration is the representation of a foreign word by rendering the spelling in the alphabet of another language
Hell is only an English word and that is key to understanding this false doctrine.
Many translations of the bible insert "Hell" instead of using the following proper words, this confuses people. They are Sheol, Hades, Gehenna &
Tartarus
Sheol
Sheol (pronounced "Sheh-ole"), in Hebrew שאול (Sh'ol), The common Gave of Mankind; Gravedom
Sheol is the common destination of both the righteous and the unrighteous dead, as recounted in Ecclesiastes and Job.
The following scripture shows how a bible reader could get confused, but then common sense comes into play.
Job 14 verse 13
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember
me?
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
I wish you would hide me in Sheol and keep me hidden there until your anger cools. Set a specific time for me when you will remember
me.
Bible in Basic English
If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might
come to your memory again!
New Living English
I wish you would hide me in the grave
and forget me there until your anger has passed.
But mark your calendar to think of me again!
So what was Job really saying here, he wanted to go to hell, to be safe and protected, does that make any sense? No he wanted to die and go to the
grave, and then be remembered by God to be resurrected at a later date.
He knew the principle behind Ecclesiastes 9 verse 10
Amplified Bible
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the
dead), where you are going.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with [all] your might, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or skill in the grave
where you're going.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou
art hastening
Previously Ecclesiastes 9 verses 5 & 6 tell us the state of those in Sheol
5For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.
6Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.
Death=non-existence=Sheol=common grave
Hell=Fictitious place of torment which was heavily sponsored by the church when the clergy taught this, hiding the true meaning of Sheol from the
people.
Hades
Hades (from Greek ᾍδης, Hadēs, originally Ἅιδης, Haidēs or Άΐδης, Aidēs, probably from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-wid- "the unseen
place"
It also is the equivalent of the Latin word infernus which is again translated mistakenly into hell.
In Acts 2 verse 27 Peter quotes Psalms to link Hades and Sheol, so they are the same
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
because you do not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your holy one to decay.
King James Bible
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 16 verse 10
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
because you do not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your holy one to decay.
King James Bible
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Even Jesus spent some time in Hades as shown in Acts 2 verse 31
American Standard Version
he foreseeing this'spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
David knew that the Messiah would come back to life, and he spoke about that before it ever happened. He said that the Messiah wouldn't be left in
the grave and that his body wouldn't decay.
King James Bible
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Thus Hades=Sheol=non-existence but with a hope of future life.
Next post will deal with Gehenna and Tartarus