The Original Christian View of Hell

The Truth About Hell

Three words in the original Bible manuscripts are all translated into one word - hell.

Did Bible translators make a mistake when translating three different words with three different meanings into a single concept of hell?

Is it possible that the translators either of their own volition or by direct order, attempted to influence our concept of hell in order to scare people into being obedient Christians?  

Heaven is mentioned in the Bible 551 times, compared to hell which is only 54 times. Yet we seem to be a generation of Christians who enjoy one-upping those awful heathens (joking here), threatening them with eternal suffering instead of helping them find the joy and peace of the Almighty God and the Messiah.

Hades simply means the abode of the dead, Sheol means the underworld or the abode of the dead, and Gehenna refers to the trash dump of Jerusalem.

So where did the use of the word "hell" come from? Unfortunately, it was not in the original manuscripts according to ancient philosophers, such as Cicero. The concept of the fire and brimstone of hell were ushered in by new Christian converts, converting from and yet holding on to their heathen beliefs. The Latin translation of the scriptures solidified the transition by translating the three words into the one-word concept of hell. Later translations were rendered from the Latin version, continuing the process. Even today, with all of the study tools available, the majority of preachers seem to love to warn their loyal flock of the horrors of hell. There is no excuse for this. A preacher, above all others, should study the word deeply, not just on the surface of a particular translation.

Timothy tells us in II Timothy chapter 2, verse 15...

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Why do you suppose he used the word "dividing" here? The logical answer is that we are to divide what is true from what is false. If we are to divide it, then it must be surrounded by something false or it would not need to be divided at all.

What about the word "eternal?"