To Hell with Hell!? (Does Hell really exist in Christianity?)

[Freak80]

A Christianity without Hell is sort of like a shark without teeth. Christianity wouldn’t have conquered half the world without the threat of eternal punishment.

[Matthew 4:4]

Originally Posted by Freak80

A Christianity without Hell is sort of like a shark without teeth. Christianity wouldn’t have conquered half the world without the threat of eternal punishment.

Hell Fire was a false clergy tactic to try to control the Flock of God.

The word Gehenna was translated into English as: hell fire.
Gehenna was just a garbage pit outside of Jerusalem where things were destroyed.
So, Gehenna is a fitting word for: destruction.
Destruction for the wicked ( Psalms 37:38; 92:7; 104:35; 145:20; Proverbs 2:21-22 )

Jesus and the OT both teach ' sleep ' (Not pain) in death - John 11:11-14; Psalm 115:17; Isaiah 38:18; Ecclesiastes 9:5
So, the day righteous Jesus died he went to hell, went to the stone-cold temporary grave for the sleeping dead - Acts 2:27

[Matthew 4:4]

Originally Posted by EnchantedMuggle

Jesus was Jewish and the Jewish belief is that hell is temporary and a correction of sins. The absolute maximum anyone can be in hell is a year. According to the belief.

But, what Scripture is the ^ above ^ based on ?
Yes, biblical hell is temporary. Righteous Jesus was only in hell from a Friday to Sunday - Acts 2:27
Jesus needed No correcting but paid the price for our inherited adamic sin from fallen-father Adam.
If biblical hell was only temporary for No more than a year, then all the faithful men of old would be here alive today.
Remember: the way to Heaven was Not opened up til Jesus died. Jesus the first to be resurrected.
Everyone who died before Jesus' died is still 'sleeping' in the stone-cold grave for the sleeping dead. -John 3:13

[High.priestess.Sarah]

Originally Posted by TheGoldenChild

The oldest Christian manuscripts (epistles & gospels) do not contain any specific word that could be accurately translated into the European conception of 'Hell'. In the oldest manuscripts (written in Koine Greek) there are four words that often get translated into 'Hell' for European New Testament translations, and those words are:

-Sheol
-Gehenna
-Tartarus
-Hades

To the ancient Hebrews, Sheol was a resting place where everyone's soul was to go to after they died. Sometimes it is also translated as simply 'the grave'.

For the Hebrews, Gehenna was a place where the wicked go (after death) to be purified of their sins for a period of time (Some Jewish sources say for no longer than 12 months). Gehenna was also an actual place outside of Jerusalem were the dead were cremated and criminals were executed.

Tartarus comes from Greek mythology and refers to the deepest region of the underworld, where the Gods locked up their enemies, such as Titans, or locked up wicked people for punishment.

Hades is also derived from ancient Greek mythology and refers to the 'God of the Underworld'. Hades is also sometimes loosely used to described the entire underworld.

These are the four concepts that get combined and then translated into what modern Christians know of as "Hell". Keeping this in mind, does Hell really exist?

You have an interesting take on hell, and I'm familiar with the 4 concepts of hell you mentioned about. The popular Xena TV series had a great story on tartarus titled "Mortal Beloved" that explained how wicked people were punished.

When I died I am so sorry but I didn't see any evidence that hell exist. Maybe it won't exist until final judgment day from God, I really don't know my apologies.

Regardless if it exist or not I'm not going there because I'm choosing to go home by my own free Will when it is my time to leave your Earth. So, whether hell is real or not is a non issue for me. I'm sorry I'm so controversial but I'm a very complicated person that's not afraid of this issue. I wish you well and pray you don't beat yourself up on this subject. Take care and see you at our home when it is our time to cross over to the other side, hugs!!!