Eternal Punishment and the Fate of Those Who Haven’t Heard

By Justin Taylor
From the Gospel Coalition Blog

Here are two excellent posts that help to clear away some misconceptions about the biblical teaching on eternal punishment and those who haven’t heard the name of Jesus:

• Kevin DeYoung, “God’s Wrath: Consequence or Curse?“
• Sam Storms, “Bell’s Hell and the Destiny of Those Who’ve Never Heard of Jesus“

Two excerpts follow, but I’d encourage you to read both all the way through.  My comments follow…

DeYoung:

Divine punishment—hell, in its eternal form—is not simply what we get because we make poor decisions or decide to live a selfish life. Hell is what we get because God is offended by our sin and punishes it. We see everywhere in Scripture that divine wrath is a curse on the ungodly, not a mere consequence for self-centered decisions. Hell is much more than God simply allowing us to have our own way and to experience all the bad effects of our choices. Hell is God’s active, just, holy wrath poured out on the disobedient.

Storms:

Let me say this as clearly as I can: No one will ever suffer for any length of time in hell or anywhere else for not believing in the Jesus they never heard of. Should I say that again or is it enough to ask that you go back and read it again?

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Not to mimic Sam Storms, but let me very clear as well, this is what is at stake in the current debate in modern Christianity. Both of these men simply CAN’T be correct. Neither can there be a “compromise” that can reconcile the two of their positions together. The two of them are antithetical, that is, they are opposites, polar opposites. They are on the opposite of the world theologically speaking. Either the unredeemed, those who have not heard of the Lord Jesus, will suffer His judgment or they will not. Further, either that judgment will involve condemnation and suffering or it will not. Further, either that judgment falls upon all men or it does not.

Both Mr. DeYoung and Mr. Storms are correct in recognizing that it must be one or the other. It cannot be both. What you and I must grapple with is of which is it?

As with so many things in life the matter falls down to issue of theology. Biblical theology. What is it that determines what is true and what is not. Sadly, for so many in our modern age, that has boiled down to a more subjective standard than the object of standard of the Word of God. Oh, we still appeal to the Word of God, but we do it in the exact reverse of the fashion in which God intended for us to do so.

We for our opinion, based on their own preferences, and then we look for Scripture to support that idea. Rather, as best we are able, we must look to the Scripture first and allow it to inform us concerning what we ought to think concerning a given matter.

Admittedly, this is a very difficult proposition. Certainly, we are human beings and as human beings we have our opinions. Those opinions are difficult to suppress. No one can approach any issue with a “blank slate”. But the issue for any Christian is to submit those opinions to the authority of God’s Word and not vice versa!

Is this difficult and does it take care? Of course it does. But if we are to be true to the intention of God and His Word and if we are to actually find His desire for a given issue (which is what everyone “says” they really want) then this is where we must go.

Otherwise, inevitably, we end up in the quagmire of human opinion. And that is surely a place where no one wishes to be.