One of the most difficult verses in the Christian Bible is 2 Thessalonians 1:9. Though it does not contain a word translated “hell,” it talks about the afterlife in terms that sounds very similar to “eternal conscious torment” and “eternal separation from God.”
The NRSV says, “These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” Even without the word “hell,” this verse sounds quite terrifying at a glance. In taking a deeper look at the Greek words being translated in this verse, I think we have a strong basis for deconstructing “eternal destruction” and “eternal separation,” both of which many Christians refer to as “hell.”
The Greek words used here are aionios, translated “eternal,” olethron, translated “destruction,” and apo, translated “separated from.” Let’s unpack these words.
The Greek word aionios refers to the “age to come” or “age-during.” Have you ever heard the phrase “this is taking ages”? Even this phrase refers to a finite period of time with a beginning and an ending. We don’t actually know the length or duration of the age to come, or how many ages there will be. It is presumptive to translate the word aionios/aion as endless, eternal, everlasting, forever, or never-ending time. This word is qualitative, not quantitative. One might argue that aionios isn’t about quantity-time, but quality-time! The aionios or “age-to-come” refers to the quality-of-life in the afterlife, where we perceive heaven and hell to be.
However, I am not arguing that if an age ends, that means the human soul also ends. If God is immortal, as the Scriptures proclaim, then we can be fairly certain that the core of who we are—our spirits, souls, conscience, and consciousness—will not cease to exist, because we are God’s children, the body of Christ: at one and included and embraced within the Trinity. I am arguing that hell, or, in this case, aionios olethron, isn’t referring to endless time, but is describing an age or era in which olethron will take place. Also, this era, the “age to come,” has an eternal quality about it—not endless time, but more like an endless, irreversible, or unfailing impact. The quality of this time is infallible.
When Revelation 21:1-5 talks about God making “all things new,” “a new heaven,” and “a new earth,” but not a new hell—or in Revelation’s case, “Hades” or a “lake of fire”—I suspect this is because the nature of hell will cease, but the essence of God and core of humanity will live on. Hell, whether we are talking about aionios olethron or “Hades” or “the lake of fire,” has an “eternal” quality, a permanent quality, meaning it will do its job. It will not fail. Hellfire will continue to burn, not for endless time but producing a permanent quality—the quality of the age to come or the afterlife.
So, when you read the word aionios or “eternal” in your Bible, think of these two things:
1. The age to come
2. Enduring in quality
Now let’s turn to the word olethron. This word is found in 1 Corinthians 5:5 and 1 Timothy 6:9 as well as our 2 Thessalonians passage. Another word that is also commonly translated “punishment” is the Greek word kolasis, found in Matthew 25:46 and 1 John 4:18. Most of these passages also contain the word aionios, so most are referencing an age-to-come type of punishment or destruction. Olethron and kolasis together help us form a more accurate picture of the afterlife, because they are both used in reference to the afterlife, the aionios.
Kolasis is a Greek term used for remedial punishment (correction or discipline), and the origin of this word is a gardening term that indicates pruning for the growth and development of the plant. Pruning, discipline, refining. Kolasis punishment-discipline is similar to the idea of the “refiner’s fire” found in Malachi 3:2-3. When trees are pruned or even burned (like back burning) they are rejuvenated and produce a newer, healthier kind of growth. This kind of “punishment” produces lifegiving qualities.
Does olethron also produce lifegiving qualities? Yes, but not in the same way. Olethron is undeniably a more destructive term. There are some branches, some blemishes, some sins that need to be cut off and burned up: destroyed in an irreversible way, an “eternal” way—an endless or enduring quality (not quantity) way. The kolasis prunes away sin and shame and these cut-offs often require an olethron kind of destruction—they need to be dealt with such that the person who experiences olethron is transformed, refined, purified. It is a destruction, a pruning, a discipline, a cutting off and discarding, that is redemptive in purpose, not retributive. The human spirit or lifeforce isn’t punished without end or purpose, but the sin itself is destroyed and done away with. Thomas Talbott explains this in his book, The Inescapable Love of God. He looks at how 1 Corinthians 5:5, which contains the word olethron, follows this immediately by saying that the person’s spirit would be saved. The destruction applies to the person’s sin, not the person’s spirit.1
Eternal destruction in Thessalonians and throughout the New Testament would better be understood as a quality of disciplining and refining a person that does its job and does not fail. Hellfire burns away our sin so it has no more power over us and we are fully embraced and embracing of the God of love and love of God.
What is especially interesting is that this verse in 2 Thessalonians says that the aionios olethros is apo, or “from,” the presence of God, and yet this verse is often translated and used to prove that hell is separation from God. The Greek word apo can be translated as “coming from,” “away from,” or just “from.” So, while some English translations like the NIV threaten readers with “everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord,” Young’s Literal Translation renders this exact same verse, “who shall suffer justice—destruction age-during—from the face of the Lord” (emphasis added). In the Psalms we read, “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold you are there” (emphasis added). While the word sheol in Hebrew is not commonly translated “hell” but rather “the grave,” this Scripture is nonetheless talking about being unable to escape the presence of God, even after death. This Psalm seems to confirm that whatever and wherever hell is, God is there. Hell cannot be separation from God.
What’s more, the entire world was created “in Christ” and when the Christ became a human being, any separation that we felt—any sin, any shame that made us feel distinctly ungodly—was reversed. There is an irrevocable inclusion of humanity in the Trinity. Picture the Christ as a mother with a womb. When God said, “let there be life,” the human race was conceived “in Christ.” Then, when God–the Christ became human, whatever happened to Christ happened to the entire human race in the womb of Christ because God and Christ are one.
One has died for all; therefore all have died … In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. (2 Corinthians 5:14, 19)
He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together … For in him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell … And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled. (Colossians 1:17, 19, 21-22, emphasis added)
The separation was in our minds! But the Christ, who is the fullness of God and the fullness of the human race, reconciled the two!
Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. (Romans 5:18)
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39, emphasis added)
The New Testament consistently preaches a gospel of unseparation. A gospel of reconciliation. Anything separating us from God—whether sin and shame, whether in our minds or in our experience—none of this was tangible separation from God’s point of view. And God became human to prove the Trinity was not separated from the human race but joined and reconciled to it.
In conclusion, I pray we can all deconstruct hell as “eternal conscious torment” and “eternal separation from God.” Hell is not endless time. Hell is not punitive destruction without purpose. Hell is not separation from God.
What then is hell?
I will make a case for the reconstruction of hell in my next post!
This is a community-sourced publication meant to encourage you on your journey, whether you’re deconstructing, reconstructing, or just looking for community. Please consider submitting a piece to be published in an upcoming post.
Submit your piece here: TNE Substack Submission
The New Evangelicals is a digital-first 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to creating a better path forward at the intersection of faith, politics, and culture. Through educational resources and inclusive community spaces, we empower people to reject Christian Nationalism and boldly advocate for their neighbors while holding onto a faith rooted in the way of Jesus: with love, justice, and compassion for all.
Thomas Talbott, The Inescapable Love of God (Cascade Books, 2014), 91.
 | A guest post by
|
I cannot agree with anyone who says that the church alone will end up in heaven. We will have a special place there, but the sheep and goats judgment says nothing about what those who were given the kingdom at this judgment believe, only what they did. Romans 2:6-11 talks about people being given eternal life, not because of what they believed, but because of how they lived their lives. The parable of the great banquet talks about the poor, crippled, and others being compelled to come in, and others being invited into the feast. I don't think that any of these are the church, the bride of Christ, but there is also no doubt in my mind that they will be in God's kingdom forever.
At the same time, Jesus Himself said that it's better to rid ourselves of body parts that make us sin than it would be to endure hell, where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." At the sheep and goat judgment, those on Jesus' left will be sent into the eternal fire, prepared for Satan and his angels, where they will suffer eternal punishment. And then there's “But as for the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8), as well as "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name” (Rev. 14:6-11).
And yet, in between, there are those who are cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. I see no indication in the Bible that this is a permanent state. Perhaps these people are like the servant who was forgiven his debt, but would not forgive the debt owed him, who was to be cast into prison until his debt was paid off. I really am not sure.
While I think that far more who aren't Christians will end up in heaven than a lot of the church does today, I also cannot say that every single person will end up being saved and in heaven, because I will neither ignore nor will I explain away Jesus' clear words. God's blessings on you today!
My deconstruction path included the reading of Peter Enns' The Sin of Certainty. I need to read it again.
These days, if a portion of "scripture" conflicts with my reading of the main example and teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, I simply consider those verses as added to the bible in error. They either line up with Jesus or I don't consider them as part of my bible. Friends of the same mind have pointed out to me that, obviously, the Bible wasn't written at one point in time.....so, the New Testament books, outside of the Gospels, were in effect, tacked on later. Even the conservative evangelical church I still attend ( getting slightly less conservative in recent years) speaks less of "inerrancy" but when they do they're referring to the original manuscripts which we don't have.