When it comes to understanding the Bible, one of the biggest questions that many Christians tend to grapple with is: Did God create hell?
We’ve all heard different stories and theories about why hell exists and what happens when we die… but what does the Bible really say?
In this blog post, we’ll dive into Scripture in order to get a better understanding of how God views sin and punishment, as well as answer any questions about whether or not He created Hell.
What is Hell?
The Bible clearly says that Hell exists and is a place of eternal punishment for the wicked people. However, the origins of Hell are not so much obvious.
The Bible mentions Hell numerous times. The most commonly cited verses about Hell are found in the New Testament. In Matthew 25:46 we can find the words of Jesus about hell, He says that bad people will get eternal punishment there. On the contrary, there is a paradise in which good people receive eternal life and joy.
Everyone knows that when Satan became proud and decided to become equal to God, he carried away the angels who became fallen. As a result, they all ended up in hell, without God, and they are trying to make people end up with them.
The Bible describes hell as a terrible place many times and warns people about it. We can understand that Hell is a place of intense suffering and torment.
Read Also: Are Adam and Eve in Heaven?
Who Created Hell?
The most reasonable answer may be that hell was not created by God, but it happened with God’s permission. If someone doesn’t love God and doesn’t want to be near him, then God will not force a person, because He is kind and just, he allowed the demons to create a place that is most suitable for their condition.
The Church Fathers also had much to say about Hell. Saint Augustine of Hippo, believed that Hell was created by God as a punishment for sin. (1)
He argued that God, being just and righteous, could not allow sin to go unpunished. Augustine wrote, “God did not create hell for the sake of punishing human beings, but human beings must be punished there if they do not live rightly.”
On the one hand, these words confirm the opinion that God is just, so he doesn’t force people to be with him, on the other hand, the reason for the creation of hell was caused not by God, but by dark forces that could no longer be in paradise. Thus we come again to the idea of God’s permission, which is caused by justice.
Saint John Chrysostom believed that Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for humans. He wrote, “The devil was not created by God for evil, but he himself became evil because of his own free will. Hell was not created for human beings, but for the devil and his angels.”
This idea is based on the belief that God created humans to live in communion with Him, but that humans have the ability to choose to turn away from Him.
The devil and his angels, however, chose to rebel against God and were cast out of heaven. Hell was therefore created as a place of punishment for them, but humans who choose to reject God will also end up there.
Read Also: What Was Lucifer’s Job in Heaven?
Hell is Not A Physical Place
However, we should also take into account that heaven and hell are not physical places, but rather the state of a person’s soul, next to God or far from Him.
In the earthly world, God can’t force a person to be kind and righteous, just as it’s impossible in another world.
That is, demons, like some people, voluntarily distanced themselves from God, independently set the state of their soul far from paradise, and God didn’t force them to be closer to him.
A number of other Church Fathers also argued that God is too kind to initially create hell on his own to send someone there.
God respects the choice of not only people, but also fallen angels who have huddled in a corner away from heaven, and that dark corner is called hell. God couldn’t allow such creatures to stay close to him, so it is generally believed that Satan was thrown out of paradise, although it becomes obvious that it was his own decision.
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If God is Love, Why Does Hell Exist?
God is Love and He doesn’t take revenge on sinners. According to the word of Isaac the Syrian, where there is love, there is no retribution; and where there is retribution, there is no love.
Hell is not God’s revenge for bad deeds, God loves people both during life when they suffer because of sins and after death, when their souls are tormented, unable to satisfy their passions. But God cannot save a person who doesn’t want salvation for himself, despite the love and power of God. He simply can’t go against a person’s wishes because of his respect and love for people.
The torments of people happen because they don’t want to see the truth, believe in it and live righteously. This becomes their lifestyle, and this lifestyle persists after death, but in hell they won’t get any pleasure from the sinful state of the soul.
A person chooses during his life whether to be with God or not. The Lord doesn’t take away this freedom from him either in earthly life or after death. That is why hell exists, man creates it for himself, supporting the demons who are there.
Final Thoughts
It can be concluded that paradise was created by God and initially there were no dark forces and hell, but after Satan rebelled against God, he distanced himself from Him along with the fallen angels. People who have chosen an unrighteous life go near demons.
All this indicates that hell is a state of the human soul far from God, which exists with God’s permission.
The Bible and the teachings of the Church Fathers make it clear that Hell exists and it is a place of eternal punishment.
The Orthodox Christian view shows that hell exists as a consequence of sin and rebellion against God. It is a reminder that our actions have consequences, but it shouldn’t overshadow the hope and promise of eternal life in heaven for those who choose to follow God.
Charalampos
Charalampos is an Orthodox Christian who wants to help others learn about Christianity. His main goal is to help people understand the Bible and how to apply its teachings in their everyday lives. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and hiking.
Connecting with God is essential to praying effectively and receiving answers. Our FREE cheat sheet will help you build a strong relationship with God and create an effective prayer life.
