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The word of God is inerrant, not a particular version of the Bible that one prefers to make a point. I know I opened that proverbial can of worms. The KJV is the most hell friendly version (in English). Other versions render the Greek and Hebrew in different ways that seem to be more accurate.

Most Christians today aren’t very familiar with the Hebrew word sheol and how it relates to the old testament. (a good study http://sheol-know.net ) Most Christians are also afraid to enter into a study on the subject because they don’t want to be branded a heretic if the question the widely accepted belief in eternal torture in hell.

How about the word hell as it is interpreted into our English Bibles - where did we get that word? Many times the original Greek word was gehenna which was a garbage dump that burn as long as trash was heaped upon it.

The Bible doesn’t teach that the unbeliever will “go free”, it seems they will suffer for a time and then be no more. It will be a just punishment - not a one size fits all - eternity.

Remember we serve a God that said eye for an eye. Is eternity in unspeakable torment the just response for a person who lived without Christ for 12 years?

I embarked on a study of hell for not particular reason. I didn’t lose someone close to me that was an unbeliever. I just studied for over a year (and still) - taking every verse in the Bible (old and new testament) to see for myself what they say.

It is amazing to me that God did not warn Adam and Eve that the penalty of there disobedience was hell but death. We seemed to have attached another meaning to the word death by calling it spiritual death.

I John 3:16 we again interpret perish as eternal torment in hell fire - when it means death - end of life. The opposite of life is death. The opposite if eternity is ceasing to exist.

It is difficult to convince anyone of anything by a few words, but I promise you that if you seek His truth it will set you free.

I’m still your brother, a fellow believer in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. I find it amazing that He came from Heaven above to save me from eternal separation - giving me the free gift of eternal life! This corruption (someday) will take on incorruption and this mortality will take on immortality.

So once indwelled by the Holy Spirit you should have no problem in understanding the nature of God’s justice and the Scriptural references to an everlasting hell? You are correct in the complexity of Scripture to those that do not believe. The simple context of many, many references to everlasting damnation is just that, straight forward and simple, and should be understood easily. Do not forget that the Scriptures were written for the common believer to understand. The early Church was overwhelmingly poor and illiterate. The Twelve were also of common stock.