We explore the controversial topic of hell, examining what Jesus actually meant when using the word "Gehenna" versus what church tradition has taught throughout centuries. This message challenges believers to consider context, history, and Jesus' nature when interpreting Scripture.
• The word translated as "hell" in English Bibles is actually "Gehenna" - a physical location outside Jerusalem
• Jesus only mentioned Gehenna when speaking to Jewish audiences, never to Gentiles
• Gehenna (Valley of Hinnom) was a garbage dump where fires burned continuously, not an afterlife destination
• Jesus was prophetically warning of Jerusalem's destruction, which happened 40 years later in 70 AD
• Our modern concept of hell comes largely from Dante's Inferno, not Scripture
• Jesus is the exact image of the Father, making it impossible for God to be more wrathful than Jesus
• Hebrews 12:29 describes God as a "consuming fire" that refines and purifies, not one that tortures
• 2 Corinthians 5:19 states God was "reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them"
If our theology makes Jesus look more merciful than God, we need to rethink our theology. Come home to a God who gives life rather than takes it, whose fire heals, refines and restores rather than punishes.
