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To: Elsie

I appreciate you posting Scripture to support your beliefs. And I appreciate your non-combative mode to arriving at the Truth via the Scriptures. There are at least 2 words in Hebrew for the word "hell"; one is sheol which simply means the place of the dead, 6 feet under if you didn't see my earlier post. The other is "gehenna". Outside the city of Jerusalem was a garbage dump that was constanting on fire with all the garbage that had been dumped on it through the years.

As you can see with the Scriptures you posted "hell" is used in different ways.

NIV Matthew 5:29
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Jesus Christ in this verse and others you posted are a figure of speech. If one cut off his hand would he be sinless? No. He is saying if something gets in your way of following him and doing his commandments cut THEM off. This could be the love of anything else more than loving Jesus Christ.

NIV Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
This is another usage of the word "hell". I don't know how to explain the usage here.

NIV Luke 16:23
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
This is a parable and is not to be taken literally.

NIV 2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire , and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
12. as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire , and the elements will melt in the heat.
13. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
You posted a number of Scriptures that have the word "fire" in them. I have been told that whenever "fire" is used in the Bible it is indicative of purification. I don't see it in all the verses you posted but I do see it in most. Fire purifies the earth and everything is burned off and what is left is laid bare. The destruction of the heaven we have now will be destroyed by fire so we can then enjoy the uncorrupted new heavens and earth. This happens after death and Hades and those not found in the book of life are thrown into the lake of purification because we cannot have a home of righteousness if there are still ungodly people or whatever are still around. They will be destroyed from the prescence of Lord forever.


1,387 posted on 04/24/2005 7:41:36 AM PDT by jwh_Denver (The Good News of the Gospel of Christ really is Good News!)
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To: jwh_Denver
This is a parable and is not to be taken literally.

But parables do NOT use proper names; this 'story' does.

1,404 posted on 04/25/2005 6:02:59 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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