HELL?

The concept of a physical place of eternal torture called Hell looms large in contemporary Christian pop-theology. And has for years. But is this because the Bible makes it central? 

We’re told – or assume – that “salvation” means “being saved from Hell”. But if that is the sole focus of salvation, why is there so little talk of Hell in the Bible?

Out of curiosity I did a search of all mentions of “Hell” in the New Testament. I was shocked at the numbers. 

First the gospels. 

Matthew takes the lead with 7 uses of “Hell”. And that is significant because they are all from the mouth of Jesus himself. 

But Mark has just 3.

And Luke has just 1.

And John? John has zero. 

Can you imagine? A gospel with no mention of Hell?

Then we move into Acts. With all the evangelistic preaching recorded throughout the 28 chapters of Acts there has to be quite a bit of Hell talk, right?

Acts also has zero mentions of Hell. 

And how about Romans, where Paul lays out his theology in great detail? Surely some Hell talk there you would think.

Romans, too, has zero Hell.

In fact, look through the rest of the New Testament and you will find just two more references to Hell – one in James and one in 2nd Peter. 

Compare those 13 mentions of Hell in the New Testament overall to the 137 references to “righteousness” and the 257 for “love”. 

I know this doesn’t prove anything – and I have left out other references that could be read as synonymous to “Hell”, such as “outer darkness” and “lake of fire” – but it still seems to me that Hell might not deserve the place of prominence it holds in our theology. 

What do you make of the concept of “annihilationism” – the concept that those who die apart from faith in Christ do not suffer eternal torment in Hell but rather simply cease to be?