The word “hell” doesn’t exist in the Bible!
Whenever I am asked my opinion on the subject of hell, I usually answer with a counter-question: “What hell do you mean?” The word hell doesn’t exist in the Bible! Rather, there are 4 different words in the Bible, all of which have a different meaning, but unfortunately, all of them are often translated with the word hell. However, none of these 4 words has the meaning we often associate with the word hell. These 4 biblical words are often translated as hell:
The only way to know God’s character for sure!
There are different images of God in the Bible. How do we know what God really is like? What is the standard by which we evaluate different images of God in the Bible? Is there a revelation from God that trumps all others?
Even though Moses spoke to God face to face (Ex 33:11) we find in John’s gospel that no one has ever seen God (John 1:18; 5:37). In contrast to this, Jesus is emphasized as being one with the father and that everyone who sees Jesus sees the Father (John 10:30; 12:45; 14:9). Thus, when reading the Gospel of John, the impression arises that in the Old Testament no one has clearly recognized God’s character, but in and through Jesus’ work and life he reveals God’s true character.
In Hebrews 1:1-3, Jesus is referred to as “the exact imprint of God’s nature” (ESV). The NKJV Study Bible explains that “the Greek word translated express image can mean the instrument used in engraving or stamping, but usually it means the image engraved or stamped. In this context, the word means that Christ is the exact representation of God’s nature. Since God’s essence, nature, and being are invisible, the Son reveals God to us, for He is an exact visible likeness of God” (Radmacher 2009: Heb 1:3).
Col 1:15-20 is very probably a hymn of the first Christians and thus a confession of their Christology. Here, too, Jesus is understood as the image of the invisible God. Patzia explains that the Greek word for “image” in verse 15 is εἰκών(eikōn). It communicates that Jesus made God visible and revealed him perfectly. Through Jesus the invisible God became visible to people (2011: Col 1:15). Col 1:19 and 2:9 add that God dwelt in Jesus in all his fullness. In doing so, Jesus reveals not just a part of God, but him in all his fullness.
In 2 Cor 4:4 we speak of the fact that the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they cannot see “the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is God’s image”. Here, too, Jesus is understood by Paul as an image (εἰκών eikōn) of God. In verse 6, Paul makes it clearer by declaring that we know God’s glory in the face of Jesus.
John 1:18 makes clear that no one has ever seen God, but that Jesus revealed God to us. Cavey explains that the word “exegesis” and the Greek word for “revealed” (ἐξηγέομαι exēgeomai) have the same root and therefore describes Jesus as God’s ultimate interpretation and description of himself (Cavey 2017: 57). Unger confirms this reading and adds that Jesus is the only true revealer of God (“the unique revealer of the Father”) (2014: John 1:18).
John defines God as love (ἀγάπη agapē) (1 John 4:8). This agape love is God’s essence. Love is now a word which many people understand and define very differently. We don’t have to guess how God fills the word love. God revealed his love, his being, to us humans in his Son (v.9). But not only in general through the life of his Son, but especially in the fact that Jesus solved our sin problem for us on the cross. On the cross, God’s being, his character, his love become visible for all people to see.
Is Jesus the highest revelation from God?
Jesus revealed God’s nature to us. But how is his revelation higher or more important than what was revealed by God in the Old Testament? Isn’t everything in the Bible equally important? In John 5:36 Jesus says that his testimony is greater than that of John the Baptist. In Mt 11:11 John is referred to as the greatest of all human beings born so far. This makes John greater than any of the other Old Testament prophets, but Jesus’ testimony is greater than John’s. The same idea can be found in the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain (Lk 9:28-36). Moses, who stands for the Old Testament law, and Elijah, who stands for the prophets, appear on the mountain and God speaks to the disciples and commands them to listen to Jesus, his son (v.35). With this God lifts his Son Jesus above the law and the prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus explains that the Torah refers to him (Jn 5:39) and thus rises above the Torah. The same thought is communicated in Hebrews, in which Jesus is compared to the Torah, Moses, Melchizedek and the sacrifices and is shown to be above and surpass them all. Jesus proclaimed that no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son reveals the Father (Mt 11:27). It can be assumed that Jesus is speaking hyperbolically here when he says that no one, which includes all persons of the Old Testament, knows the Father. Presumably he is indicating that he knows God much better than all people who can only partially recognize God and for that reason alone can fully reveal the Father.
Conclusion: God has always been like Jesus and he will always be like Jesus revealed him. Ramsey says on the subject “God is Christlike, and in him is no un-Christlikeness at all” (1969: 9).
The essence of God is love
If Jesus is really the supreme revelation of God’s nature, then we must ask how Jesus revealed God’s character to us.
In his teaching, Jesus placed love at the center (Mt 22: 36-40), which fits in with the fact that John describes God as agape love (1 John 4:8). Bonhoeffer put it this way: “Love… is the revelation of God. And the revelation of God is Jesus Christ”(1995: 53). If agape love is really the essence of God and thus also of Jesus, then all of Jesus’ works were born out of this love and motivated by it. With this, Jesus shows us how agape love practically looks like in daily life and thus gives us an example that we can follow.
The sermon on the mount is a practical guide how love is lived out in daily life. Jesus demonstrated God’s love by teaching love for enemies (Mt 5:44) and exemplifying it (Lk 23:34). He taught his disciples to forgive at all times (Mt 18:21-22) and he did forgive them when they failed (Jn 21:15-17). He was humble (Mk 10:45; John 13:2-7; Phil 2:5-11), rejected violence (Matt 5:9 + 38f; 26:52-54; John 18:36) and was full of mercy (Mk 6:34). Jesus did not have large possessions (Lk 9:58) and through this taught and exemplified that it is not good to hang on to objects and money with your heart (Lk 12:15). Jesus revealed God to us as the God of agape love. If we want to know how God is, then we have to look to Jesus! Jesus alone reveals to us how God really is.
God is (agape) love! (1 John 4,8)
Why does God not stop evil and suffering?
In this world, we are often confronted with intense suffering and immense pain. Child abductions, abuse, domestic violence, addictions, natural catastrophes, accidents and crippling diseases are only a few of the evils that occur all the time in this World. But why does God not stop all of that?
Does God orchestrates everything?
Some people believe that God orchestrates everything that happens in this world and therefore he is behind the evil as well. Usually, these people believe that God let evil happen to us in order for some hidden purpose he has for us. These people believe that everything that happens in the world is God‘s will which would include all the evils mentioned above.
But I think that doesn’t go along with how God revealed himself to us in the Bible. God constantly reveals himself as the one working against sin, death and evil. He is the source of genuine life and wholeness and his purpose is always to restore and bring healing to what is broken and destroyed. His essence is self-giving love which seeks the good for others.
If that is true, that God is always good and hates suffering and evil, why does he not stop it and takes it away? That is a question many people who experienced suffering struggle with! Why did God not protect me from the abuse I endured? Why did God not heal my child from the disease before it died? Why did God not prevent this accident?
The answer some Christians give is: he could have stopped it but he allowed it to happen for some mysterious purpose and in the end, he will turn it out for your good.
As a father of 3 daughters, I would never allow my daughters to be raped in order for them to learn some lesson if I had the power to stop it! And I believe that God is a way better father than I am. Abuse, evil and suffering is never the will of God! So I don’t believe that the traditional answer is an acceptable answer to the question of why God allows evil to happen. If he is good and he could stop it then he would stop it.
This means that one of the 2 assumptions is wrong. Either God is not good or he can’t stop it. Many people who experienced great pain and believe the traditional answer given above sadly stop believing that God is good! They turn away from a God who can stop perverse evil but allows it for some mysterious purpose.
Fortunately, there is no need to go this way. The Bible reveals God as a good father who always seeks our good. God is good. This is unshakable. That means that the second assumption must be wrong. In the Bible, we find a God who can’t do some things.
Things God can’t do
“God cannot lie,” says Titus (1:2). “God cannot be tempted,” says James (1:13). “God cannot grow tired,” says Isaiah (40:28). I especially like a statement from the Apostle Paul: “When we are faithless, He remains faithful,” Paul writes, “because God cannot deny himself” (2 Tim. 2:13).
God cannot oppose his own nature. The way God interacts in this world is defined by his nature and his character. God can‘t do things that are opposed to his nature.
In order to understand the things God can’t do because they are opposed to his nature, we need to understand his nature first. What’s the primary character of God? What is his essence?
Jesus is the highest revelation of God (Heb 1:3) If we look at Jesus we see how God is. Jesus is the clearest revelation of God. God is never unlike Jesus. God has always been like Jesus and he will always be like Jesus.
Jesus put love in the center of his life and teaching. He revealed God as a loving father who forgives, seeks what is lost, frees the captives, heals the broken-hearted and opposes evil in all its form. He revealed God as a non-violent and non-coercive God who works through love, mercy and forgiveness instead of violence, pressure and fear.
1 John 4:8 confirms that God is love!
The essence of God is love.
The Greek word for love used here is Agape. God is agape-love. In 1 Cor 13 Paul defines this agape-love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV
If we want to know how God is we can replace love with God: „God is patient, God is kind…“
V6 says „Love (God) does not delight in evil…“God hates evil. He isn’t the force behind evil and suffering. He is the God who is always at work to undo the harm of evil and to the force opposing evil in this world.
Why then does God not stop all evil? Because he can‘t! Why he can’t? Because his nature is agape-love.
Agape-love doesn’t force its way on people, it’s not controlling. Agape-love is not coercive but operates through influencing people with love, revealing truth and forgiveness. God wants us to love him. In order to genuinely love God we need to have the possibility to chose or reject him. This is a real choice! It’s not fake. This freedom is irrevocable as well. Therefore God can’t force his way on people. If he would force his way on people he would act opposite to his own nature which he can’t. Therefore God can’t stop many evils. He can’t stop the abuser. He can’t stop the drunken driver. He can’t stop the violent and addicted spouse.
But that doesn’t mean that he is not constantly trying to prevent evil. God does everything possible for him to stop and prevent evil in this world.
Even though God can’t stop many evils he is constantly opposing evil as much as he can. We learned already that the free will of people is a major factor in how much God is able to do. On top of that, God put us, humans, as stewards in charge of this world. We are the ones who are supposed to rule this world and cultivate it. This means the state of this world is mainly a result of how we humans took care of this world. To be honest we didn’t take good care of this world and we reap the results of this in many natural catastrophes that are caused because of how much we abused this world (examples: global warming, plastic…).
God mainly works In this world by influencing people towards good by revealing the truth to them, convicting them of sin and guiding them to make good decisions through his spirit. God works by influencing people to use their free will for good. Hence we humans are the agents God is using and working through in this world to oppose evil and bring about good. God can’t stop evil alone but he needs us to work together with him. Our actions and choices have real consequences. Not everything is orchestrated by God but we literally influence lives by the choices we make and we can be a curse or a blessing to people depending on the choices we make.
While God is not causing suffering and evil he is always working to bring good out of evil. God is the master in squeezing out good of evil. While he didn’t cause and couldn’t stop the evil to happen in the first place he still wants to use it for our benefit. He is the God who always makes beauty out of ashes. He always brings life to what is dead. He is the God who takes shit and transforms it into fertilizer. He didn’t cause the brothers of Joseph to hate and try to kill Joseph. But he used that evil situation for the good of the whole nation. He didn’t cause the man to be born blind but he used this evil to reveal his power. Wherever people open their hearts to God and listen to his guidance and speaking God can work and start bringing his healing. When people open their hearts to God he can start influencing them for good and using them to be a blessing to others.
He always wants to bless people in order for them to be a blessing to others. God’s blessing is always for the greater good and not for private use only.
Does that mean that people who open their hearts to God and surrender to him but for example still don’t receive healing (from some disease) have some hidden sin that blocks the healing? No, that is not what it means. This world is more complicated than we think. As we’ve seen many different factors influence the way and possibilities of God’s influence in this world. While the person might be fully committed to Jesus other factors might hold back the healing.
For us humans trying to understand all the different factors that influence God’s actions in this world is like a knight in the Middle Ages trying to understand how a smartphone and the internet works. We can’t fathom everything that is going on but we can trust that God is always good, that he is not causing evil but that he always does everything possible to him to prevent and undo evil. And we can understand that his ability to overcome evil in this world depends on how much we partner with him and how much we open ourselves to be his hand and feet in this world.
Rom 8:28 is a beautiful picture that summarizes what we talked about above. In the past the verse was often translated like this:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”Romans 8:28 KJV
This translation is unfortunate because of several reasons. First of all, it makes humans passive. God is the one bringing about the good no matter what we do. But many people never experience the good coming out of evil situations. Instead, they suffer their whole life the consequences of some evil or injustice they experienced. Secondly, it limits God’s action to the lives of those who love God. God’s actions are not limited to those who love him. He is the one who loves us while we are still his enemies. He is the one who works in the lives of people who still oppose him (see the life of Paul). He works in every life as much as he can. So how can this verse be better translated?
The UBS is a handbook specifically made for Bible translators in order to provide them with all necessary knowledge about the original text in order to make a good decision on how to translate a passage. After explaining key information about a passage and comparing different ways on how to translate a passage the UBS offers a translation suggestion.
According to the UBS, a better translation of Rom 8:28 would be:
“We know that in every experience which we have God works things out for good with us who love him”
or
“We know that God, together with us who love him, works so that what happens will be for good.”
This translation affirms many things we talked about earlier. Firstly it affirms that God is always the God who is squeezing out good from evil. Secondly, it affirms that God can’t do that singlehandedly but that he does it by partnering with us his children. Thirdly it doesn’t limit God’s loving actions to those who love him.
God never causes evil to us but he is always benevolent towards us. God always, in partnership with us, works towards opposing and defeating evil by turning ashes into beauty, by squeezing good out of bad. The degree of God’s ability to stop evil is always dependent on other influences (things in the spiritual realm, free will of free agents…). God can’t stop evil singlehandedly but he is always at work and always partnering with us to bring about good.
Summary:
The initial question was why God doesn’t stop evil. The answer we found was: because he can’t. He can’t because he can’t act opposing to his nature. His nature is agape-love which grants freedom and isn’t coercive. But God constantly works towards defeating evil and suffering in this world but the degree of his ability to act in this world is influenced and limited by free agents. God always wants to partner with us in bringing beauty out of ashes and life out of death.
The Gospel of the first Christians
How did early Christians define and share the gospel? Is there a biblical summary of the gospel? In 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, we find a kind of mini-summary of the gospel of the first Christians. What does this passage teach us about the message the first Christians proclaimed.
Paul introduces these verses by passing on what he himself has received, which indicates a firm confession that was probably memorized and used to summarize the gospel. Exactly how many verses the creed comprises is disputed, but verses 3-5 form the core. This is the confession:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (RSV)
Four verbs are crucial: Jesus died and was buried. He was raised and appeared.
The death and resurrection of Jesus are central to the gospel, so Paul devotes the remainder of the chapter to the subject of the resurrection. The death and resurrection of Jesus solved the problem of sin. How exactly Jesus remedied the sin problem is not explained here, it is only mentioned as a fact (v.3: died for our sins). However, the passage gives us a crucial indicator of how we must understand the death and resurrection of Jesus, namely “according to the Scriptures”.
An interpretation of the death of Jesus and his resurrection which does not take into account the history of the Old Testament (OT) is dangerous. The events around the cross must be understood in the light of the OT. “According to Scripture” can be interpreted in two ways:
1. Based on specific parts of the OT.
2. Based on the overall picture of the AT.
If we look for specific passages in the OT that help us understand the death and resurrection of Jesus, we cannot get past Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53 makes it clear that it was our sin that brought Jesus to the cross (v.5a). And through his suffering, we humans can find freedom (v.5b). Isaiah also makes it clear that it was not God who punished Jesus (v.4b). So it’s not about God pouring his anger on Jesus and punishing him.
How then is it to be understood that Jesus’ death resolved the problem of sin?
Galatians 1:4 uses a phrase similar to 1 Corinthians 15: 3 and helps us better understand the “died for our sins” part:
In order to set us free from this present evil age, Christ gave himself for our sins, in obedience to the will of our God and Father. (GNT)
Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are set free from the present world and the evil that rules it. So it’s about liberation from powers that enslave us. This fits perfectly into the OT overall picture in which Jesus puts his own death. Jesus gave us a meal to understand his death, he gave us the Lord’s Supper. Jesus explained the meaning of his death to his disciples while he celebrated the Passover meal with them. The Passover meal reminded the Israelites of the Exodus from Egypt and how God freed the Israelites from the slavery of the Egyptians. Exodus is the image that Jesus gives us to understand his death. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus brought about a new exodus. He sets us free from the spiritual dark forces that have enslaved us.
With this, he fulfills the first Messiah prophecy that he will crush the head of the serpent from the very beginning of the OT (Gen 3:15). All human beings are slaves of these powers and are thereby prisoners of sin and death. Whoever makes Jesus King of his life will find freedom from these powers and thus also forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death, 15and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14-15 (GNT)
God has rescued us from the dark kingdom which had power over us. Now we belong to the kingdom of His beloved Son Jesus. Through Jesus we are no longer slaves, all our failures are forgiven.
Colossians 1:13-14 (translation by the author)
Conclusion:
The gospel is not that God, in anger, punished Jesus on the cross for our guilt. No, it was not God’s wrath that brought Jesus to the cross, but our sin (Isaiah 53: 4-5).
The gospel (according to scripture) is that Jesus defeated the dark forces that enslaved us. Through his victory we have freedom from these dark forces, freedom from sin and death will lose its power over us if we accept Jesus as king over our life. Through Jesus alone, we can become free from the kingdom of darkness and enter the wonderful kingdom of God.
What is Agape Love?
At the heart of the Gospel lies Agape Love.
God is Agape Love (1 John 4:8), his very substance is Agape Love. Therefore, he loves everyone with Agape Love (John 3:16). God revealed his Agape Love through Jesus Christ and it is most clearly seen in Jesus sacrificing himself for us (Rom 5:8). Agape Love is greater than hope and faith (1 Cor 13:13). Agape Love is what we should seek above all else (Col 3:12-14). Agape love is the summary of the whole Old Testament law (Rom 13:8; Gal 5:14). Jesus summarized his teaching in Agape Love (Mt 22:37-40).
What makes Agape Love special?
In the time of Jesus a few Greek words for love existed (e.g. phileō, epipotheō). The authors of the New Testament chose the rather uncommon Greek word Agape (ἀγάπη) to avoid the common Greek words for love which were associated with Greek and pagan ideas, which were primarily emotional or sexual (Thiselton 2015:558). They filled Agape with new meaning and thereby defined Agape Love as the love they saw revealed through Jesus Christ. They not only understood love to be one among many attributes of God (e.g. holy, just) but rather understood Agape Love to be the essence of God and all other attributes as secondary manifestations of Agape Love. God’s holiness, his righteousness, his justice, his mercy are all expressions of him being Agape Love in his essence. Everything God does (no matter if it is reigning, judging or something else) is characterized by his Agape Love.
But what is Agape Love?
Jesus demonstrated through his life how Agape Love looks like in action. Everything Jesus did was driven by Agape Love. Paul defined Agape Love in his first letter to the Corinthians with 15 Greek words. While reading his description of Agape Love we should keep two things in mind:
- God is Agape Love. Therefore, by defining Agape Love Paul describes the character of God at the same time. God is like Agape Love.
- Jesus calls us to love others with Agape Love. Therefore, we should love others with this kind of Agape Love as described by Paul.
After reading many commentaries of leading modern scholars and of the church fathers about Agape Love I wrote my own paraphrased version of 1 Cor 13:4-8. Every single one of the 15 Greek words is rich in meaning. My hope is that this paraphrased translation will help highlighting some of the nuances that often get lost in mainline translations.
Agape Love patiently bears hurts, inflicted by others, without retaliation (makrothymei).
Agape Love intentionally treats others with respect and compassion (chrēsteuetai).
Agape Love does not begrudge the status and success of another, but delights in it for the sake of the other (zēloi).
Agape Love doesn’t heap praise on itself (perpereuetai).
Agape Love doesn’t behave arrogantly and is not inflated with its own importance (physioutai).
Agape Love doesn’t treat others indecently, but shows honor and consideration for others (aschēmonei).
Agape Love doesn’t seek its own advantage, but the good of others. Agape doesn’t insist on its own way (zētei ta heautēs).
Agape Love doesn’t react with offended bitterness, aggressive insults, or quick-tempered anger when offended by others (paroxynetai).
Agape Love keeps no record of wrongs (logizetai ou to kakon).
Agape Love does not take pleasure in unjust, sinful behavior, neither in others nor in oneself, it does not praise injustice or behavior that contradicts the will of God and the example of Christ. But it joyfully celebrates truth, which makes it honest and open because it has nothing to hide (ou chairei epi tē adikia de synchairei tē alētheia).
Agape Love always bears the faults of others (stegei).
Agape Love never ceases to have faith in God’s ability to bring good out of evil (pisteuei).
Agape Love refuses to take failure as final and always trusts in the ultimate success of God’s plan (elpizei).
Agape Love endures through all kinds of challenges and never dies (hypomenei).
Agape Love never comes to an end. Agape Love never fails (oudepote piptei).
While many people might see love like this as weak and stupid or a noble and unreachable ideal, this is the kind of love which characterizes God and should characterize his children (John 13:35). God invites us to join his mission to redeem this broken world through being people filled with and guided by Agape Love.
Thiselton, A. C. (2015). Love. In The Thiselton Companion to Christian Theology (p. 558). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.