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The Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen
Is hell a real fire? Could it be? If it is, why would God create this fire? Does He want to chastise us forever? Many Christians and non-Christians alike have serious difficulties in approaching a God that would let people burn for eternity. In fact, this misrepresentation of God’s so-called wrath or cruel punishment has led many not only to not believe in the Christian God, but to unjustly hate Him.
In this video, we hope that we can realign the way we perceive God. So again, is hell a real fire?
When His Holiness Pope Shenouda, of Thrice Blessed Memory, was once asked this question, his response was simple and clear: no, it is not! Actually, believing that hell is a real fire is an offense to God’s fatherhood. What does that mean? Let me clarify with an example.
So, an earthly father who wants to punish his child for a certain misdeed usually punishes mercifully and/or justly. He does so because the father is setting a consequence for pedagogical reasons—meaning to teach the child how to live properly. He doesn’t punish out of spite or out of vengeance: simply because he loves his child and he wants the best for him or her. Any father or mother would easily understand this concept. Now, if you are not a parent, think about it from the perspective of a sibling or a friend. Now, let us imagine that this sibling or friend is being tortured in a fire here on earth for an evil they did commit, so he is guilty. Would we bear to see this person burn in front of you? Would we not want to get him or her out of there? Would you not have compassion? I bet you would. I know I would. Even a non-Christian would. Because ultimately, all humans are born in the image and likeness of God and each relatively reflects God’s beauty. If you and I would not bear to see our friend or child in this fire, can you really envision that God would purposely punish his children in such a fire, albeit sometimes they might be evil?
Believing this suggests that I am a better father, friend or brother than God. This cannot be. For instance, we sometimes hear of stories of parents that endure their children even in very evil or difficult circumstances and they still try to show compassion and win their children over. Can these people be better than God? Can one father be more compassionate than Our Heavenly Father?
Well, the Bible does give the answer. In Luke 11, when one of Christ’s disciples asked Him: « teach us [how] to pray », He responded with the “Our Father” prayer and He continued speaking about prayer and finally He concluded with this example, He said:
“ 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” (Luke 11: 11-12)
What He means here is that if a son asks for something good, will the parent give something evil in return? Then He continues:
“ 13 If you then, being evil, [meaning relatively not good in comparison to God] know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13)
We have to really understand this verse. Here, there's a clear contrast between the Heavenly Fatherhood and the earthly one, and how the heavenly one is much superior than the earthly one.
Having said this, it must be clear that I'm not stating that hell is a breeze. Hell is painful, but for different reasons, which we will see shortly. What I am trying to illustrate is that it is not a physical burning fire created to punish us for eternity, as many believe. In addition to the main argument of God's Fatherhood, there are several other points worth considering. For example, when Jesus was speaking to the Jews in John 5:29, He mentioned that those who have done good will be raised to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. So both good and evil will be resurrected. In discussing this resurrection, St. Paul says. in Philippians, the following:
'' 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.'' (Philippians 3:20-21)
So the resurrection of our bodies will be conformed to the resurrected body of Christ. Now, Christ’s resurrected body did not have the same characteristics as our current earthly ones. For instance, as the disciples of Emmaus were describing to the other disciples their encounter with Christ, suddenly, Jesus stood in the midst of them. Again, in John 20, when St. Thomas didn’t believe the resurrection of the Lord, St. John writes that as the door was shut, Jesus stood in the midst of them. This spiritual body clearly doesn’t have the same characteristics as the earthly one. In 1 st Corinthians 15, St. Paul refers to a difference between the natural body (which is the earthly one) and another body, which he calls the spiritual body. The question therefore becomes “can this spiritual body be affected by earthly
fire?” An earthly body could be affected by earthly fire; however, a spiritual body could be affected by a spiritual fire. So now, the question becomes, “what is this spiritual fire?” Before answering, I will quickly refer to an additional argument in Matthew 8, when Christ says the following:
'' 12 But the sons of the kingdom [referring here to the Jews] will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'' (Matthew 8:12)
The outer darkness is not a fire that produces light. Also, He refers to the “gnashing of teeth.” Real fire would cause someone to scream, not to gnash his teeth. It is likely then, that these verses should not be understood literarily. So when the Bible talks about a lake of fire, it is talking about spiritual fire.
So, what is this spiritual fire? Let us turn to St. Anthony and see how he describes God and His relationship to humanity:
''God is good and He only bestows blessings and never does harm, remaining always the same. We men, on the other hand, if we remain good through resembling God, we are united to Him, but if we become evil through not resembling God, we are separated from Him. By living in holiness we cleave to God; but by becoming wicked we make Him our enemy. It is not that He grows angry with us in an arbitrary way, but it is our own sins that prevent God from shining within us and expose us to demons who torture us. And if through prayer and acts of compassion we gain release from our sins, this does not mean that we have won God over and made him to change, but that through our actions and our turning to the Divinity, we have cured our wickedness and so once more have enjoyment of God’s goodness. Thus to say that God turns away from the wicked is like saying that the sun hides itself from the blind.'' (St. Anthony)
Essentially, St. Anthony is saying that God’s arms are always open to everyone. However, each human being decides, through his faith and deeds, whether he or she wants to be in communion with God. The spiritual fire is this lack of communion with God. Remember, God is the source of Life, Love, Peace, Joy, you name it... He is the source of all good things. And this communion starts here on earth and continues in the afterlife and that is why it is said that we can live heaven on earth. Truly, all of us can start living heaven on earth as the Kingdom of God is within us and we do feel this communion with God and the fruit of His Spirit.
However, the opposite is also true. Some can live hell on earth, through their lack of communion with God. Typically, those people often express hatred, which is the lack of love—the lack of God, or express anger, which is the lack of peace, etc. There's already an absence of communion with God, a lack of it in their earthly lives. This is not how humans are meant to live. Humans are created to enjoy God’s presence for eternity. Let us therefore start
enjoying the kingdom of God within us here on earth, that we may find the fullness of our joy in heaven.
Remember: Know your faith, live your faith, and teach your faith.