Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:33)
If Gehenna means a place of endless misery for the wicked, it is a fact that the apostles never preached it, either to Jews or Gentiles. The history of the Acts of the Apostles contains an account of their preaching for thirty years, but not once is the subject of Gehenna torments mentioned by them. They were commanded to preach the gospel to every creature, and they did so; but to no creature under heaven did they preach this doctrine, or threaten its punishment?
They addressed the worst of characters, but to none of them did they say, “How can ye escape the damnation of Gehenna, hell?” They threatened men sometimes with punishment, but never with eternal punishment in hell. Paul said to Elymas, the sorcerer, “O! full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” But he does not threaten him with the damnation of hell. He says, “And now, behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.” Acts 13:10-11. In the same chapter, verses 40-41, he says, “Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets. Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish.” In this last text the word perish occurs, and perhaps some may think it means eternal punishment. But it should be observed that Paul was here addressing himself to Jews, concerning whom our Lord had said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” referring to the temporal destruction of the Jewish nation.
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Author: Walter Balfour
Keywords: Gehinnom, Valley of the Son of Hinnom, Moloch, Hinnom, valley of Ben-Hinnom, Valley of Hinnom, Gehenna, Ge Hinnom, Sons of Hinnom, Unquenchable fire, Unquenchable, Fire is not quenched, Hell
Bible reference(s): Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:29, Matthew 5:30, Matthew 10:28, Matthew 18:9, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:33, Mark 9:43, Mark 9:45, Mark 9:47, Luke 12:5, James 3:6
Source: An Inquiry into the Scriptural Import of the words Sheol, Hades, Tartarus and Gehenna, translated Hell in the Common English Version. Revised, with essays and notes, by Otis A. Skinner (Boston: A. Tompkins, 1854).
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