Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Hell and Immortality
    Hell and Immortality
    Hell and Immortality
    Ebook65 pages1 hour

    Hell and Immortality

    By Steve Copland

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Is the human soul naturally immortal? Does the Bible teach that unbelievers souls will suffer a fiery torment for all eternity, or eventually be annihilated?
    The doctrines of hell and immortality are often controversial and divisive. Some views seem to contradict the character of God, whilst others make Him powerless to exercise justice. In this six-part Bible Study Series we explore in depth the main doctrines of hell, Traditionalist, Conditionalist and Universalist.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSteve Copland
    Release dateJun 30, 2015
    ISBN9781310511011
    Hell and Immortality
    Author

    Steve Copland

    Steve Copland is a self-supported missionary from New Zealand, serving The Lord in Ukraine since 2003. He is member of the pastoral team at New Life evangelical church in Kiev. He lectures on Systematic Theology and Church History at the Ukraine Evangelical Seminary, and also Biblical Studies, Apologetics and Church History at the International Christian University in Kiev.

    Read more from Steve Copland

    Related to Hell and Immortality

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      Famous Fathers In The Bible

      May 20, 2019

      Scripture is filled with people who we can learn much from. When it comes to the challenging vocation of fatherhood, several fathers in the Bible show what is wise to do—and what is not wise to do. Of course, the most important father figure in the B

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Letters To The Editor

      Sep 24, 2021

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to [email protected] for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Holy Moly

      Nov 15, 2024

      Holy Moly
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Radiance

      Dec 30, 2022

      Radiance
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Parables Of Jesus

      Aug 23, 2024

      The Parables Of Jesus
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Parables Of Jesus

      Aug 23, 2024

      The Parables Of Jesus
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Ask Val

      Aug 7, 2020

      Ask Val
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Women Of Grace

      Oct 21, 2019

      Many who read the above scripture are usually quick to grab the promises of prisons shaking, stubborn doors opening, and chains falling away. However, upon deeper study of this scripture, it is evident that the “Suddenly” in verse 26 was a direct res

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Ask Val

      Nov 19, 2021

      Ask Val
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Parables Of Jesus

      Jun 14, 2024

      How many readers of JOY! Magazine wrestle with consistent, effective prayer? Our parable this month will help us in this struggle to maintain a persistent prayer life. In His parable, Jesus juxtaposes two people, a powerful albeit corrupt judge, and

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Remember Death

      May 10, 2024

      Remember Death
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      God’s Away On Business

      Jun 6, 2024

      God’s Away On Business
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Finding Faith

      Nov 28, 2024

      THE JOURNEY TOWARDS RELIGION, FAITH and spirituality is a personal one. Some people immediately identify with their family’s traditions and customs, while others gradually drift into it. Some choose not to follow this path and firmly reject it. There

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      7 Quirky ‘Doctrines’ DEBUNKED

      Oct 28, 2022

      Jesus said that the truth sets us free. But the opposite is also true: Lies put us in bondage—even if the lies are spoken from a pulpit by a sincere minister or a Christian celebrity. In my international travels, I’ve sat in countless meetings and he

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Parables Of Jesus

      Jul 21, 2023

      In our ‘Parables of Jesus’ article last month, we noted that in one chapter Matthew gathers together seven parables of Jesus about the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew 13 is a “parable instruction manual” as it contains the two parables that Jesus also pro

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      HE IS Alive!

      Mar 8, 2024

      HE IS Alive!
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Hell and Immortality

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Hell and Immortality - Steve Copland

      Hell and Immortality

      Living in Christ Bible Study Series

      Steve Copland

      Hell and Immortality

      Living in Christ: Bible Study Series

      Published by Steve Copland at Smashwords

      Copyright 2015 by Steve Copland

      All rights reserved solely by the author.

      The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. This book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author, providing it is unchanged and being used for the purpose of making disciples.

      Steve Copland is a self-supported missionary from New Zealand, serving The Lord in Ukraine since 2003. He is a member of the pastoral team at New Life evangelical church in Kiev and former lecturer at the Ukraine Evangelical Seminary and International Christian University.

      Contents

      Introduction: Hell by Degrees

      Chapter One: Immortality

      Chapter Two: Sheol and Hades

      Chapter Three: The Lake of Fire, Gehenna and Tatarus

      Chapter Four: Eternal and Forever

      Chapter Five: Objections and Universalism

      Chapter Six: Conclusions

      Introduction

      Throughout human history people have pondered the question of what happens to us after we die. In almost all cultures and religions there is the idea that for those who live honorable and good lives there will be a reward in Valhalla (Vikings), the Afterlife (Romans), Nirvana, Paradise and Heaven. On the other side of the coin, almost all religions also have an idea of punishment for the wicked in a form of hell, or, in the case of Buddhism and Hinduism, a lifetime of suffering through being reincarnated as a lower life form in order to live out one's bad karma. Many religions claim that a demonic king or death god rules the kingdoms of hell, metes out punishment for eternity, and many have stories extremely similar to the Bible.

      For example, in Egyptian mythology, disobedient souls are punished in a lake of fire, and there is even a story called the Tale of Khaemwese which describes the fate of an uncaring rich man with the fate of a poor beggar, not unlike Jesus' parable of two similar characters in the gospel of Luke.

      When we come to Christian theology about hell, often, the many passages of Scripture which speak on the subject sometimes raise more questions than they answer. There are verses which seem to state clearly that there will be a continual never-ending torment in a fiery furnace, and yet others which seem to state just as clearly that those who have rejected the gospel will be utterly annihilated, albeit perhaps after a time of suffering. And there are also those who believe that every person will eventually be saved, and that we have been misinterpreting the Bible's teachings on hell for centuries.

      In these studies I am not going to tell anyone what they must believe. My intention is to get Christians to take a deeper look, especially to humbly examine views which they do not hold, rather than to stand arrogantly in one camp or other demanding that their view is the only correct one. Ultimately, Christians, and especially Christian teachers and scholars, are charged with 'rightly dividing' God's Word and representing Him and His character correctly, with wisdom, and in humility, recognizing that, as Paul said:

      'Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known'.(1st Corinthians 13:12)

      The Bible's teaching on hell is not a simple topic to be dismissed as if we have it all figured out. For example, the Bible repeatedly teaches that God 'will give to every person according to what they have done' (Romans 2:6, Revelation 20:12-13). Some take this to mean that there will be varying degrees of punishment for the wicked, depending on the depth of their wickedness. Others teach that there are no degrees of wickedness for 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God', and therefore, all deserve eternal punishment. Still others teach that ignorance is no excuse, quoting from Romans 1:20.

      Recently I watched a video of a well-known Christian apologist debating with students in an American University. After several atheists had posed questions, a young Christian woman came to the microphone and asked about the fate of a hypothetical African child who had never heard the gospel. The speaker used an analogy of God as a consuming fire and the child as a dry leaf; if the child wasn't 'born again' it was going to be tormented in hell forever.

      His answer was that Christians send missionaries to such children to save them from eternal hell-fire. If the speaker was correct in his very black and white theology, this means that a poor and starving child, who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel, is punished in exactly the same way as some hypothetical Western adult who has committed the most terrible atrocities and walked past churches on his way home. Many of us would find it extremely difficult to see any form of real justice in such a scenario and, apart from that criticism, this apologist's answer

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1