Defending the Doctrine of Hell

The doctrine of hell, or the final state of the wicked, has become one of the most objectionable Christian doctrines because it depicts God as vengeful and wrathful, which is offensive to human sensibilities. As an extension of the problem of evil, where God is put on trial for allowing what may appear to be gratuitous pain and suffering in the world, many Christians and non-Christians alike wonder how a loving God could consign people to suffering in hell forever. After all, why didn’t God make a world where all would be saved if He is truly loving? Belief in the doctrine of hell becomes a dealbreaker for many outside of the faith, while inside the faith, the doctrine of hell causes doubts about God’s character and God’s justice. The following study will provide a biblical overview of the doctrine of hell by examining key words and ideas from both the Old and New Testaments and then will address theological misconceptions and common questions about the doctrine of hell. The goal is to comprehend the doctrine of hell as best as possible given the biblical teachings on the subject and given the other doctrines of Scripture that relate to hell with the working assumption is that hell is a place of eternal, conscious torment, which is the traditional, Christian understanding of hell and arguably the most difficult view of hell to defend. When rightly understood, the doctrine of hell is biblically attested, theologically coherent, and philosophically defensible. Without the doctrine of hell, there is no final justice in the world.