Hope Beyond Hell - Book and PDF

[JM]

Just been reading an interesting book called " Hope Beyond Hell " its free in PDF format and $5 in book format.. Its written by

Gerry Beauchemin has been involved in fulltime missions since 1988. He has served as a missionary in Mexico, the Philippines, and Senegal, West Africa with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), The Luke Society, and Philippine Health Care Ministries. Since 2001, he has been directing Dental Training For Missions in Brownsville, Texas where he trains missionaries to provide simplified dental care with the love, gentleness, and compassion of Christ. He and his wife, Denise, (of 27 years), have three daughters.

What makes Gerry confident He is qualified to write on this theme?

He has extensively reflected upon, read the works of others, and for many years wrestled with and studied the Scriptures on this theme. He has found solid Biblical evidence for his conclusion of hope.

He has agonized for most of his life over hell and understands the contradictions it brings upon the Christian faith

Gerry asked himself and God, “Who am I to write such a book?” Then he recalled 1Co. 1:26-29, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise...that no flesh should glory in his presence." KJV This along with Mt. 10:27 and 11:25 spurred him on.

Anyway here is the start of it.. I will post around 5 pages I may have to break it up into several posts..

THE PROBLEM

Picture yourself as a missionary to the Muslim nation of Sen- egal, West
Africa. The date? September 26, 2002. About a year prior, you befriended
your neighbor, Abdou Ndieye, a Muslim merchant. Only a few weeks ago, he
graciously accepted your invitation to study the Bible with you. You are
thrilled. Abdou
is the first Muslim with whom you have begun sharing the
Good News.
Today you prepare to explore another portion of God’s Word with
him, but something terrible has happened. You cannot believe what you
are hearing and seeing on the news. The Joola, a Senegalese ferry, has
capsized killing almost 2,000 people. You remember Abdou’s wife, Astou, and
his 14 year old daughter, Fatou, are on that ship. You are in shock and
cannot believe what you are seeing—a ship’s underside sticking up out
of the sea with helicopters hovering overhead. You hurry next
door. As you knock on the door, you hear deep groans and
wailing. You slowly enter. Abdou is prostrate on the floor. He pleads
before Yalla (Wolof for Allah), “Why? Why? How could you let this happen?”
He goes into spasms of weeping, beating his hands against the floor.
Feeling utterly helpless, you pray, “God help me comfort
my friend.”
Abdou lifts his eyes, hardly able to recognize you for the tears. “My wife
and daughter have died a terrible death! Tell me
I will see them again. Tell me they are safe in God’s arms! Has your Jesus
taken them to His heaven?” You are lost for words. The silence is
deafening.
“Answer me, Christian, will I see them again? Are they in a
better place? Tell me!”
You remain speechless. What can you say? Where is the
“Good News” when you need it most?¹ Hope Beyond Hell



THE CRAZY UNCLE

I applaud Gerry Beauchemin for his excellent book, Hope Beyond Hell, and
for the courage to write it….This book is a “must-read” for those
Christians who have lost their way because they couldn’t reconcile a
Bible that declares that “God
is Love” while simultaneously teaching that the fate of the sinner
is eternal damnation.
The doctrine of “endless punishment” has for centuries been the
“crazy uncle” that the Church, with justifiable embar- rassment, has kept
locked in the back bedroom. Unfortunately, from time to time, he escapes
his confinement, usually when there are guests in the parlor, and usually
just at the time when we are telling them about a loving God who gave His
Son to die for their sins. It’s no wonder that the guests run away never to
return. But instead of shunting the “crazy uncle” back to his asylum, and
trying to cover our embarrassment (by ever more loudly shouting “God is
Love!”), we need to get our “crazy uncle” healed.
A good place to start this healing process is Gerry Beauche-
min’s book. Layer by layer, concept by concept, Gerry’s mes- sage will
loose the bonds of insanity that has plagued the Church for
centuries.
From the guilt-ridden psyche of Augustine to the tor- mented
fantasies of Dante, the Church has been victimized by the terrors of pagan
nonsense. It has been “corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ”
(2Cor. 11:3 KJV). Books like Hope Beyond Hell are pointing us back to TRUE
“Good News.”

Grady Brown, MTh., DLitt.
Author of That All May Be Fulfilled and That’s What I Have, That’s Who I
Am! Director and Founder of Dayspring Bible Ministries
623 Jack Drive, Lindale, Texas 75771

[JM]

PRELIMINARY NOTE

This book as been written especially for Christians who have mis-
understood God’s judgments. That misunderstanding has led to a false
concept of God that has kept millions of people from coming to
Christ. God is the most awesome and marvelous Being in the uni- verse. He
loves all people with an everlasting love and has demon- strated that love
in Jesus Christ.
It would be best to read this book with an open Bible while
studying all quotes in light of the context. Not to do so will increase the
risk of misunderstanding. In order to provide the weight of
Scriptural evidence that this study demands, I have abbreviated
many passages. This approach is similar to what Rick Warren, author
of The Purpose Driven Life, does in his writings. He wrote:

Verse divisions and number were not included in the Bible until 1560 A.D.,
I have not always quoted the entire verse, but rather focused on the phrase
that was appropriate. My model for this is Jesus and how he and the
apostles quoted the Old Testament. They often just quoted a phrase
to make a point.

The author has added all use of italics and bolding for empha- sis. All
quotations are from the New King James Version (©1979) unless otherwise
noted. Note the following book abbreviations:



I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO:

¨ Our heavenly Father, that the world may know what You are really like.
¨ The Church, Christ’s Body: that we would know and proclaim
God’s unfailing purpose for all.
¨ All afflicted by the idea of everlasting punishment.
¨ My girls: Denise, Renée, Anna, and Nicole.

FOREWORD

LOVE NEVER FAILS! (1Co. 13:8) Words of victory, power, encour- agement, and
hope. Oh, do we dare believe? Can it really be possible?
For most of my life, I have embraced teachings built on well-defined
arguments for why LOVE SOMETIMES FAILS. Not that it wanted to fail or
lacked the power to succeed; it just didn’t work out sometimes. As a matter
of fact, it didn’t work out most of the time. The simple but profound truth
in this study has radically altered the way I now see the One who is Love.
Friends have warned me that truth can be found in the strangest places. The
truth in this book found me on the road back from a medical outreach in the
Aztec villages of Mexico. For the past few years, I had watched Gerry labor
in what he calls his “helps” ministry for the Kingdom—a dental ministry
where he would labor for days well into the night;
demonstrating
practically the Father’s love. As we went
Love never fails.
(1Co. 13:8)
on different outreaches, I came to notice
a pattern—one that to this day continues: Gerry would be the first one
up and running, working late into the night, with
a gentle, caring spirit throughout. On the day scheduled for return,
when everyone else would be packed and waiting, he was finishing up one
last patient. After watching him for several clinics, I had to know what
made him tick. What was his secret? As the trips down would sometimes take
8 to 10 hours we had plenty of time to talk. The study you hold in your
hands reflects his view of God, and the life I saw lived is the fruit of
that. It is a simple truth that can be summed up in three mighty words—LOVE
NEVER FAILS!
I confess that when I first heard him expound on this, it hit me like a ton
of bricks. So simple and yet so radically different from that which I had
heard all my life. A truth that will, as all truth does, set you free. When
this truth caught up with me, I was marveling at God’s never-ending love
for Israel as shared by the Apostle Paul in Romans, in spite of their
persistence in unbelief. With two little words, Gerry turned my world
upside down, or should I say right side up, “Why Israel?” And with that
began a deeper study into this One
14 Hope Beyond Hell

[JM]

who is Love, who is working out His victory and will not stop until He
becomes “all in all.”
Come hear again the Good News shared by the angel with some shepherds one
night outside of Bethlehem—Good News of great joy
to all people! Rekindle the fire as you hear again of the One who is
making all things new. Rejoice again as you ponder our Father who will not
rest until all His children are safely home. Marvel at His wisdom in
working out His master plan for the ages to see His will accomplished—that
none should perish. Worship afresh the living God, who is the Savior of all
men. Watch the Word unfold before you,
as the mystery (hidden for ages) brings a peace that passes all under-
standing. Stand in amazement as you experience the One, who is Love, doing
what He does best—transforming His creation into His likeness. Our God
truly is an awesome God and this study is another affirmation to His
never-ending, never-failing LOVE.
My prayer for you as you journey through this was expressed so well by the
Apostle Paul—“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him,
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is
the hope to which He has called you.…that according to the riches of
His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit
in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend
with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and
to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may
be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that
is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen!” (Ep. 1:17-18; 3:16-19
RSV; 3:20-21 NIV)




David Nuckols
Director of Bread of Life Frontier Missions, Brownsville Texas
15

[JM]

INTRODUCTION

Are you at peace regarding the eternal destiny of your children, parents,
brothers, sisters, grandfather, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and
friends? Are you experiencing abundant joy in your “personal”
salvation while unsure if some of your loved ones might suffer throughout
all eternity? How is that possible? You see, we Christians have a
problem, a very serious problem. The problem is in our belief that hell is
“eternal” and that most of humanity will go there. Deep inside we know
something is not right, but we suppress our questions and doubts because we
“think” the Bible teaches it. What inner conflict rages within! It is
futile to find satisfying answers
to the problems it raises. For example:

¨ How can an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God cre- ate
billions of people knowing most will be tormented in hell forever?
¨ Why must our free will to damn ourselves be “absolute,”
greater than God’s “free will” to save us—His property?
¨ How can Adam’s power to condemn us be greater than
Christ’s power to save us?

Please do not accept pat answers to these critical questions. Je- sus
commands us to judge for ourselves what is right (Lu 12:57). What is right
about a punishment that never ends?
How has this teaching affected the spread of the “Good News”—
the Gospel? Think about it, an “eternal” hell…

¨ Maligns God’s character before the world.
¨ Contradicts His unending and unfailing love for all people.
¨ Makes our worship stem from fear instead of true affection.
¨ Denies His unlimited power to accomplish His will.
¨ Makes man’s will greater than God’s will.
¨ Infinitely minimizes Christ’s triumph over Satan.
¨ Denies Christ fully accomplished His mission on earth.
¨ Violates the divine witness revealed in every conscience.
¨ Negates the most glorious promises in the Bible.
¨ Ignores the testimony of the early Church.
¨ Robs us of peace and joy.
¨ Affects what we become; like father—like son.
16 Hope Beyond Hell



¨ Hinders world evangelism. (Remember Abdou?)

“Test all things” (1Th. 5:21). Have you tested this teaching?
For most of my life the fear of hell stalked me, ever waiting for an
opportune moment to raise its ugly head. Just the idea was like a sword
slicing through me. It has been the greatest stumbling block to my faith.
In fact, I almost gave up on Christianity because of it.
Hell is a horrifying thought. Millions have been terrorized by it. Some
have even killed their children to spare them such a fate. If we would
truly grasp the horror of it, we would go insane. Our every waking moment
would have to be spent snatching whoever we can out of the fire or nothing
but constant guilt would torment us. Can you imagine the horror of
suffering “forever?” What is a billion years? It is but a second in
eternity. Who could possibly imagine such horror? What if you or one of
your loved ones should go there? Does this thought affect how you feel
about God?
This theme has gripped my heart as it afflicts millions of people and
dishonors God before the world. After years of wrestling with this topic,
studying the Bible, and reading the works of others, I have found that hell
is a judgment given from the disciplinal hand of a loving Father. Though
severe, it serves a good and remedial purpose.
One of our greatest presidents agreed. In Abraham Lincoln the
Christian, William Johnson, stated:

Abraham Lincoln did not nor could not believe in the end- less punishment
of anyone of the human race. He under- stood punishment for sin to be a
Bible doctrine; that the punishment was parental in its object, aim, and
design, and intended for the good of the offender; hence it must cease when
justice is satisfied. All that was lost by the transgres- sion of Adam was
made good by the atonement.1

That is the message of this book. It is indeed good news for those
tormented over the destiny of lost loved ones! Millions in our land can
relate. Though the subject is hell, the book is really about God. What is
He like? Have you heard the cliché: “God is good—all the time?” Well you
will find solid support for it here. God is good even
in His judgments. They are not infinite and horrendously cruel, but just,
righteous, and remedial.

[JM]

If you find I am manipulating the Scriptures in this book, then please
leave it. But if not, be ready to fall in love with an amazing and
wonderful God!

Tradition

You invalidate the word of God for the sake of your tradition. (Mt. 15:6
NAS; Mt. 15:3,9)

If religious leaders of Christ’s time could invalidate the word of God for
the sake of tradition, is it not possible today? Is the Church somehow
immune? Only in 1995 did the Southern Baptist Conven- tion finally submit
an official apology regarding their stand on slavery.2 Yes,
slavery used to be accepted in Christendom. Many debates took place
for and against slavery with each side quoting the Bible. However, when one
considers that the letter kills and the Spirit gives life, and our beliefs
must harmonize with the spirit and tenor of the Bible as a whole, the
argument against slavery takes on new force. The same applies with the
case against an “eternal” hell.
Traditions endure for generations, are highly revered, and are extremely
difficult to change. There are no harder forms of error to confront and
correct. When Paul and Steven declared to their fellow Israelites that
God’s mercy extended to the Gentiles, they were stoned. Do we hold
to any traditions for which Christ might rebuke us? If we refuse to
acknowledge any inconsistencies in our beliefs, how will we ever know?
This book examines the Augustinian tradition of everlasting
punishment, so called because it stems principally from the theology
of Augustine, who is said to be the father of the western Church.3
This tradition assumes that the vast majority of the human race will never
be saved. This is based on passages such as, “Narrow is the gate and
difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it”
(Mt. 7:14). But is this what Christ meant by these words? This book
presents strong evidence why this could not be what Christ and the Apostles
taught.
Most Christians have not fully thought through the serious im-
plications of this tradition. In essence, it teaches that an all-powerful
and loving God has created a world knowing full well the majority of His
creation would spend eternity in suffering. How can this be?



Although this is what tradition assumes, most Christians, in their
heart of hearts, do not embrace it. In Hell Under Fire, Daniel Block,
professor of systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary,
wrote, “The traditional doctrine of hell now bears the marks of
odium theologium—Its
defenders are seemingly few.”4
Though its defenders may be few, the doctrine itself continues to
terrorize millions.
The tradition that an all- knowing, all-loving, and all-
powerful God would create a world where the majority of His
human creatures are destined to spend eternity in suffering is
incomprehensible. What greater horror has the world ever known?
The tradition that an all- knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful God, would
create a world where the majority of His human creatures are destined to
spend eternity suffering is incomprehensible.

Implications

These people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but
have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught
by the commandment of men.
(Is. 29:13)

What is this passage saying? It is warning us about a fear toward God
taught by the commandment of men. Could Augustine’s teach- ing on hell be
just such a commandment? Certainly, it removes our hearts far from God! Can
we honestly say our affection toward God has not been influenced by this
horrid doctrine? Has the thought that God might punish you or your loved
ones forever in hell ever hin- dered your love toward Him?
This tradition seriously affects our understanding of God, in- cluding our
whole outlook on life and how we relate to people. Do we not reflect, at
least to a degree, the character of the God we worship?
If we think seriously about the implications of this teaching, it will lead
to certain undeniable conclusions as mentioned on page 15.



Confronting Our Tradition

A tradition begins when someone’s interpretation (in this case Augustine’s)
is accepted by others and passed down through the generations. How
many Hindus,
Buddhists, Muslims, and Chris-
tians hold to beliefs solely because they have been passed down to
them? Should we not critically evaluate for ourselves our tradi-
Why do you not judge for
yourselves what is right?
(Lu. 12:57)
tions? “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (Th. 5:21). “Why do you
not judge for yourselves what is right” (Lu. 12:57)? Christ
strongly warns us about our traditions (Mt. 15:3, 6, 9). Perhaps you have
struggled with hell as I have. Maybe you have longed that
somehow, in this case, tradition is wrong. If so, read on. But before
starting, let us consider one important point.

The Scriptures

The Bible has been translated from ancient tongues and cultures by men
who carry their own ideas into their translations. They cannot
help reading the ancient manuscripts through the lens of their
personal theology. They are only human. Since most have held the doctrine
of eternal torment, they unwittingly filtered all they translated
from that mindset. That is why we must constantly be on our guard, like the
Bereans (Ac. 17:11), comparing Scripture with Scripture based on the
original Greek and Hebrew words. It is naïve and irresponsible not to do
so.
Unless God gives us ears to hear, the Bible will remain a mystery
(Pr. 20:12; Lu. 8:8). For unless He opens our minds and hearts, we toil in
vain. “For our sufficiency is from God and not of the letter…for the letter
kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2Co. 3:5, 6). The Ku Klux Klan are known
to have based their evil actions on the “letter” of Scripture, but did
they know its Spirit?5 “Be diligent to present yourself approved
to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth” (2Ti. 2:15).
To help you rightly divide the word of truth, I submit the follow- ing
basic principles of interpretation for your consideration:



¨ Pray for understanding.
¨ Trust Scripture to interpret Scripture rather than commentar- ies.
¨ Remember that the ancient eastern custom was to use lan- guage in the
most vivid possible way.6 (Appendix III, #16)

“Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor
the power of God” (Mk. 12:24)? I encourage you to meditate on the
Scriptures presented in this study, for they focus strongly on God’s power.
Follow the example of the Bereans, who were “more noble” than the rest, for
they did not just take someone’s word for it, but searched it out for
themselves (Ac. 17:11). To do this you will need a concordance listing
words according to Greek usage, not English. I highly recommend the The
Word Study Concordance, by George Wigram and Ralph Winter. You do
not need to know Greek to use it. Winter explained:

The Word Study Concordance traces not English but Greek words. You can
find listed every passage where a given Greek word occurs regardless
of how many different ways
it may be translated into English. Even the best lexicons are basically
some scholar’s reflections on the data drawn from a concordance. Once you
have read these Bible pas- sages yourself, you have acquired something no
dictionary can easily give you—a certain instinctive feel for the word. You
have become conditioned by the actual use of the word (which is the most
normal and reliable way to learn any word in any language), not to equate
it to some other word. Students often try to short-circuit this process and
go di- rectly to a lexicon.7

We are blessed to have access to excellent Bible study tools ena- bling us
to better understand God’s Word. With a humble spirit and prayerful
attitude, let us look intently into God’s written revelation seeking to
understand His character and purpose in His judgments. Let us now
critically examine the foundation pillars that have made belief in
everlasting punishment possible.

[JM]

Examining the scriptures…to see if these things were so.
(Ac. 17:11 NAS)

“Test all things: hold fast what is good” (1Th. 5:21). The doctrine
of everlasting punishment, in my view, is supported by four pillars.
These pillars represent a misunderstanding of three key Greek
words, and one concept. They are Aion, Gehenna, Apollumi, and
“Free” Will. Once these are understood as the biblical writers under- stood
them, our comprehension of God’s judgments take on a glori- ous new
meaning.

Aion

The first pillar we will examine is the Greek word, aion. It is mostly
translated “eternal,” “everlasting,” and for “ever” in the King James
Version. However, some translations read “age-abiding,” “age- during,” or
“eon,” as noted below. “Robert Young, author of the highly
respected Young’s Analytical Concordance, in his literal translation
of the Bible, always translates it ‘age’ and never once as
‘everlasting,’ or ‘eternal.’”1

Old Testament (Greek Septuagint)

In History of Opinions on the Scriptural Doctrine of Retribu- tion, Edward
Beecher, D.D., pointed out:

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testa- ment and was the
Bible of the early church. The word aion occurs in it about four hundred
times in every variety of combination. The adjective aionios derived from
it, is used over one hundred times.…Aion denoted an age, great or small, so
the adjective aionios expressed the idea pertain- ing to or belonging to
the aion, whether great or small. But in every case this adjective derives
its character and dura- tion from the aion to which it refers.2
22 Hope Beyond Hell



In the Septuagint the Greek word, aion, is used to translate the Hebrew
word olam. Thus, if we want to get a sense of the New Testament
meaning of aion, we need to understand the meaning of olam in the Old
Testament. Numerous passages referring to olam show clearly it cannot mean
“never-ending.” Note these few:

¨ Jonah was in the fish forever [olam] until he left three days later
(Jon. 1:17; 2:6).
¨ Sodom’s fiery judgment is eternal [olam] until God returns
them to their former state (Ez. 16:53-55; Ju. 7).
¨ A Moabite is forbidden to enter the Lord’s congregation for- ever
[olam] until the 10th generation (De. 23:3).
¨ Hills are everlasting [olam] until made low…earth is burned up (Ge.
49:26; De. 33:15; Is. 40:4; 2Pe. 3:10).
¨ Mountains are everlasting
[olam] until they are scattered
(Hab. 3:6).
¨ A slave serves his master for- ever [olam] until death ends his
servitude (Ex. 21:6).
¨ The Mosaic covenant is ever-
lasting [olam] until it vanishes away (Le. 24:8; He. 8:7-13).
Numerous passages
referring to olam show clearly it cannot mean “never-ending.”
¨ The Aaronic priesthood is everlasting [olam] until the likeness
of Melchizedek arises (Ex. 40:15; Nu. 25:13; He. 7:14-22).
¨ These “stones” are to be a memorial forever until (Jos. 4:7)?
Where are they now?
¨ The leprosy of Naaman shall cling forever [olam] until his death, of
course (2K. 5:27).
¨ God dwells in Solomon’s temple forever [olam] until it is de-
stroyed (2Ch. 7:16; 1K 8:13; 9:3).
¨ Animal sacrifices were to be offered forever [olam] until
ended by the work of Christ (2Ch. 2:4; He. 7:11-10:18).
¨ Circumcision was an everlasting [olam] covenant until the new covenant
(Ge. 17:9-13; 1Co. 7:19; Ga. 5:6).
¨ Israel’s judgment lasts forever [olam] until the Spirit is
poured out and God restores it (Is. 32:13-15).
¨ I will make you an eternal [olam] excellence until many gen- erations
(Is. 60:15).



Even passages that do not use olam but signify unchanging are not so when
God is involved. Nothing can deter Him from achieving His purposes. For
example:

¨ Israel’s affliction is incurable until the Lord restores health and
heals her wounds (Jer. 30:12, 17).
¨ Samaria’s wounds are incurable until the Lord brings them back and
restores them (Mic. 1:9; Ez. 16:53 DOUAY).
¨ Egypt and Elam will rise no more until the Lord brings back
their captives (Jer. 25:27; 49:39; Ez. 29:14).
¨ Moab is destroyed until the Lord brings back the captives of
Moab (Jer. 48:4, 42, 47).

New Testament

Turning from the Greek Old Testament, consider the New Tes- tament use of
aion. Does “eternity” make any sense in the following passages?

¨ What will be the sign…of the end of [eternity] (Mt. 24:3)?
¨ I am with you…to the end of the [eternity] (Mt. 28:20).
¨ The sons of this [eternity] are more shrewd (Lu. 16:8).
¨ The sons of this [eternity] marry (Lu. 20:34).
¨ Worthy to attain that [eternity] (Lu. 20:35).
¨ Since the [eternity] began (Jn. 9:32; Ac. 3:21).
¨ Conformed to this [eternity] (Ro. 12:2).
¨ Mystery kept secret since the [eternity] began but now made
manifest (Ro. 16:25-26).
¨ Where is the disputer of this [eternity] (1Co. 1:20)?
¨ Wisdom of this [eternity], nor of the rulers of this [eter-
nity]…ordained before the [eternities]…which none of the rulers of this
[eternity]… (1Co. 2:6-8).
¨ Wise in this [eternity] (1Co. 3:18).
¨ Upon whom the ends of the [eternities] have come
(1Co. 10:11).
¨ God of this [eternity] has blinded (2Co. 4:4).
¨ Deliver us from this present evil [eternity] (Ga. 1:4).
¨ Not only in this [eternity] but also in that which is to come
(Ep. 1:21).
¨ Walked according to the [eternity] of this world (Ep. 2:2).
¨ In the [eternities] to come (Ep. 2:7).

[JM]

From the beginnings of the [eternities] (Ep. 3:9).
¨ Hidden from [eternities]…but now…revealed (Col. 1:26).
¨ Loved this present [eternity] (2Ti. 4:10).
¨ Receive him [for eternity] (Phil. 1:15). Forever or until
Onesimus, Philemon’s former slave, dies?
¨ Powers of the [eternity] to come (He. 6:5).
¨ At the end of the [eternities] (He. 9:26).
¨ We understand the [eternities] have been prepared by a saying of God
(He. 11:3).

How can we say…

¨ “before eternity” or “eternity began”? Eternity has no begin- ning
(Jn. 9:32; Ac. 3:21; 1Co. 2:7; Ep. 3:9).
¨ “present eternity,” “eternity to come,” and “end of eternity”?
Eternity transcends time. Only God is eternal (Mt. 24:3;
28:20; 1Co. 10:11; 2Ti. 4:10; He. 6:5; 9:26).
¨ “this eternity,” “that eternity,” or “eternities”? There is only one
eternity (Lu. 16:8; 20:34-35; Ro. 12:2; 1Co. 1:20; 2:6-8;
3:18; 10:11; 2Co. 4:4; Ga. 1:4; Ep. 1:21; 2:2, 7; 3:9; Col. 1:26;
2Ti. 4:10; He. 11:3).
¨ “eternal secret” if the secret is revealed (Ro. 16:25-26; Col.
1:26)? It is no longer a “secret” at that point.
¨ Onesimus will be Philemon’s slave for eternity? Is he still his slave
(Phil. 1:15)?

Scores of passages demonstrate that aion is of limited duration. In his
book God’s Methods with Man, G. Campbell Morgan (scholar, associate of D.L.
Moody, and a highly respected expositor of Scrip- ture), said:

Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the
word “eternity.” We have fallen into great error in our constant use of
that word. There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with our
“eternal,” which, as commonly used among us, means absolutely
without end. The strongest Scripture word used with refer- ence to the
existence of God, is—“unto the ages of the ages,” which does not
literally mean eternally.3



In his Word Studies in the New Testament, Marvin Vincent, D.D., Baldwin
Professor of Sacred Literature at Union Theological Seminary, New York,
explained:

Aion, transliterated aeon, is a period of longer or shorter duration,
having a beginning and an end, and complete in itself. Aristotle (peri
ouravou, i. 9, 15) said, “The period which includes the whole time of one’s
life is called the aeon of each one.” Hence, it
often means the life of a man,
“Aion, transliterated
aeon, is a period of longer or shorter dura- tion, having a beginning
and an end, and complete in itself.”4
as in Homer, where one’s life (aion) is said to leave him or to consume
away (Il v.685; Od v.160). It is not, however, limited to
human life. It signifies any period in the course of the
millennium, the mythological period before the beginnings of history.
The
word has not “a stationary and mechanical value” (De Quincey). It
does not mean a period of a fixed length for all cases. There are as many
aeons as entities, the respective durations of which are fixed by the
normal conditions of the several entities. There is one aeon of a human
life, an- other of the life of a nation, another of a crow’s life, another
of an oak’s life. The length of the aeon depends on the sub- ject to which
it is attached.…The adjective aionious in like manner carries the idea of
time. Neither the noun nor the adjective, in themselves, carry the sense of
endless or ever- lasting. They may acquire that sense by their
connota- tion....Aionios means “endur-
ing through” or “pertaining
to a period of time.” Both the noun and the adjective are applied to
limited peri- ods....Out of the 150 in- stances in LXX,
[Greek Old
“The length of the aeon
depends on the subject to which it is attached.”4
Testament] four-fifths imply limited duration. For a few instances, see
Gen. xlviii. 4; Num. x. 8; xv. 15; Prov. xxii.
28; Jonah ii.6; Hab. iii. 6; Isa lxi. 17.4

So what if the Greek word aion has been erroneously translated
“eternal” instead of “age”? What does that have to do with everlasting



punishment? It has everything to do with it, since one of the key texts
used in defense of the Augustinian view of hell is Mt. 25:46: “And these
will go away into everlasting [aionian] punishment.” If this passage as
translated here is accurate, then I would have to admit the Bible teaches
that hell is forever. But what if it is not? What if aion does not mean
“everlasting”? What would that do to the “biblical support” of an infinite
hell? It would negate the use of any verses resting on the word aion used
in its defense.
Consider how the following translations word this phrase:

¨ Young’s Literal Translation: “punishment age-during.”
¨ Rotherham Translation: “age-abiding correction.”
¨ Weymouth Translation: “punishment of the ages.”
¨ Concordant Literal Translation: “chastening eonian.”

These reputable and literal translations use the word “age” and not
“eternal.” These two concepts are diametrically opposed to one another.
They are not the same by any means. An age has a begin- ning and an end;
eternity does not.
Augustine raised the argument that since aionios in Mt. 25:46 re- ferred to
both life and punishment, it had to carry the same duration
in both cases.5 However, he failed to consider that the duration of
aionios is determined by the subject to which it refers. For example, when
aionios referred to the duration of Jonah’s entrapment in the fish, it was
limited to three days. To a slave, aionios referred to his life span. To
the Aaronic priesthood, it referred to the generation preced- ing the
Melchizedek priesthood. To Solomon’s temple, it referred to
400 years. To God it encompasses and transcends time altogether.
Thus, the word cannot have a set value. It is a relative term and its
duration depends upon that with which it is associated. It is similar to
what “tall” is to height. The size of a tall building can be 300 feet, a
tall man six feet, and a tall dog three feet. Black Beauty was a great
horse, Abraham Lincoln a great man, and Yahweh the GREAT God. Though God is
called “great,” the word “great” is neither eternal nor divine. The horse
is still a horse. An adjective relates to the noun it modifies. In relation
to God, “great” becomes GREAT only because of who and what God is. This
silences the contention that aion must always mean forever because it
modifies God. God is described as the God of Israel
or the God of Abraham. This does not mean He is not the God of

[JM]

If you want to download and read the rest go to

Hope Beyond Hell Free PDF

Free download there of the PDF you will need adobe reader to read it

[shibboleth]

This is a book I gave to a few people who aren't really into Bible study. It is easy to read and he gives enough scriptures to look up, but not so many that you become overwhelmed.

We all have preconceived ideas about God and what he can and can't, will or won't do.

A book study was started on Hope Beyond Hell in another forum. We only went to 2 chapters before everyone lost interest. It really is a good book to give to unbelievers or doubters of hell fire. I hope many are blessed by your posting some of the chapters.

[JM]

One thing that is used and preached on by Christians is that

" Love and Justice " go together

And that Hell is reasonable Justice

So i guess we can conclude

" Love and Torture " go together

Yeah ok.. Not!