Why do Christians believe in a place of torment called Hell?

Matthew
25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me.
25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Nothing confusing about the term "everlasting punishment". Emotionally upsetting? perhaps, but very straightforward. Lets just agree that we shall walk with Jesus. That is what really matters.

yes it does and Jesus is the one who said it more than once. And I posted the verses as many have.

i agree with you oyster67,

but surely you know the error of the idea hell is not an eternal place of torment is unbiblical. Those playing word semantics with

forever, eternal, day and night while taking the words of Jesus out of context is very disturbing.

The only verse that "might" say someone is tormented forever in hell fire is that one verse and it only says it happens to the devil only but two other verses say the devil will be destroyed and no longer exist and since there are no contradictions in the bible we have to recognize that even the forever and ever regarding the devil is a figure of speech and not literal.

that is not correct.

it is a biblical error to allegorize the word of God. Hell is a real literal place Jesus said so.

The reason why you are so greatly in error is

1. Jesus said the place hell would be one of the eternal consequences. Matthew 13:42 18:8 Mark 9:47-48
2. If hell is not an eternal place the payment of Christ was done for nothing. You have just made the death of Christ to no effect why did HE have to die such a terrible death to keep us from a place that is not that bad?
3. I guess the devil really has nothing to worry about and his work of trying to get people to a place he was told he would be going to is just figurative, not real.

4. You are making Jesus is a liar

That's what Jude says too.
"just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." Jude 1:7

"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

However you interpret the word 'eternal' in the verse above, must retain the same meaning for both the wicked and the righteous.

Since we know that eternal life will be never ending existence in the kingdom of God, then eternal punishment would also have to be never ending punishment. To be clear, you can't have 'eternal' for the righteous mean never ending and then have eternal mean cessation of existence for the wicked.

In addition and as I have already made clear to you, the scripture states that the wicked will have no rest, day or night and that the smoke of their torment will rise up forever and ever. There is no way to distort or circumvent the meaning of this. The words 'no rest day of night' and 'smoke rising up forever and ever' support the idea of on-going punishment. If you will use reasoning, in order to have no rest day or night and their smoke ascend up forever and ever, they must be existing in order to experience that.

Regarding Satan, his angels, the beast and the false prophet, their punishment will also be never ending.

"But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur."

"And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Notice in Rev.19:20 that the beast and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire at the on-set of the thousand years. Then after the thousand years are over, Satan will be thrown into the same place, where the beast, the false prophet had been thrown. And all of them will be tormented day and night forever and ever. There's are those supporting words again which infers no cessation of said torment.

"The rich man also died"
"being in torments"
"he cried"
"I am tormented in this flame"
"this place of torment"

Luke 16:22-28 (NKJV)
22 The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' 27 Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'

Couldn't be any clearer.

No one denies hell is a real place. You have misunderstood.

No one denies "hell would be one of the eternal consequences". This is your second error.

Yet again, no one believe that "hell is not an eternal place" A third error.


No one believes hell is a figurative place. That's your 4th error.


No, I am not.

Everyone in this thread believes the fire is everlasting. You are showing you don't even understand what others believe.

That is Hades not the lake of fire. Hades is temporary and will be cast into lake of fire, Rev 20