Short answer: The Bible teaches that hell is real. It is the place and condition of judgment for those who finally refuse God, and Jesus himself spoke of it more than anyone else in Scripture. Christians differ on its details, whether it is endless torment or final destruction, but the Bible is just as clear that God does not want anyone to perish and has provided Christ so that no one has to go there.
In This Article
In Christian theology, hell is the destination of those who persist in unrepentant sin and reject God's grace. The Bible pictures it as everlasting punishment, with darkness, fire, separation from God and final destruction. It is not a comfortable topic, and I do not want to treat it lightly.
People in the pews kept asking me what the Bible actually says, as opposed to what movies, cartoons and old paintings suggest. While the idea of hell can be traced back to the Old Testament, the New Testament gives more explicit and vivid descriptions of its nature and significance. This article follows the words, the teaching of Jesus, the questions about God's justice, the debates about how long it lasts, and the way out.
What Words Does The Bible Use For Hell?
English Bibles use "hell" to translate several different words, and the differences matter.
| Word | Language | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sheol | Hebrew | The realm of the dead, the grave, where all the dead go |
| Hades | Greek | The realm of the dead; in Jesus' teaching, a place of torment for the wicked |
| Gehenna | Greek (from a Hebrew place name) | The valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, used as a picture of final judgment by fire |
| Tartarus | Greek | A place of confinement for rebellious angels (2 Peter 2:4) |
| Lake of fire | Greek | The final judgment, called the second death (Revelation 20) |
In the Old Testament, Sheol is a shadowy realm where both righteous and unrighteous go after death. Psalm 9:17 says the wicked go down to the realm of the dead, as do all the nations that forget God. Sheol does not expressly describe punishment, though the Old Testament does hint at judgment beyond death.
In the New Testament, Hades keeps that picture but makes the distinction between the righteous and unrighteous much sharper. Jesus' account of the rich man and Lazarus is the clearest example:
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
Luke 16:23 (NIV)
Whether you read that as a parable or a true account, Jesus used it to teach that the choices of this life matter beyond the grave. For more on the unseen realm, see How Many Heavens Are There According To The Bible?
What Did Jesus Teach About Hell?
Almost everything the New Testament says about hell comes from Jesus. He used it as a serious warning, not a threat to enjoy. Here is how he put it when urging us to take sin seriously:
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.
Mark 9:43 (NIV)
Jesus is not telling anyone to mutilate themselves. He is using sharp, hyperbolic language to say that nothing, however precious, is worth losing eternal life. Elsewhere he says:
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28 (NIV)
And at the great judgment scene in Matthew 25 he draws the contrast as sharply as it can be drawn:
Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
Matthew 25:46 (NIV)
Notice what the passage tells us about Jesus. The one who warns about hell is also the one who laid down his life to rescue people from it. Hell is not an obsession of his; it is a reason the cross matters. The question of where sinners go is bound up with what the Bible means by sin and the final judgment, not with a list of bad deeds.
Does God Send People To Hell?
This is the question that troubles people most, and it deserves a straight answer. God is the righteous judge, and the Bible does say that the final judgment belongs to him. But the same Bible says God takes no delight in it:
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.
Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV)
Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
So I would put it this way. Sin has real consequences, and God would be unjust to ignore it. At the same time he has done everything needed to rescue us, and hell is what remains for those who finally refuse that rescue. It is not that God is eager to condemn; it is that a person who insists on living without him is ultimately given what they chose. Our sin is our own doing. Our salvation is his.
The Catholic Church teaches that a person who dies in unrepented mortal sin is separated from God forever, a position it holds alongside its teaching on purgatory for those who die in grace. See What Is A Mortal Sin? for how that tradition draws the line. Evangelicals like me hold that salvation depends on faith in Christ alone, but we agree that hell is real.
Is Hell Eternal?
Christians have held three main views, and I think it is better to lay them out honestly than to pretend there is only one.
- Eternal conscious punishment (the traditional view). Those who reject God face unending punishment. Supporters point to Matthew 25:46, where the same word, eternal, describes both the punishment and the life, and to Revelation 14:11 and 20:10.
- Annihilationism (conditional immortality). The wicked are judged and then cease to exist. Supporters point to texts about destruction, such as 2 Thessalonians 1:9, and to Matthew 10:28. A number of respected evangelical scholars hold this view, and I do not regard it as a denial of the gospel.
- Universalism. Everyone is finally reconciled to God, and hell is purifying and temporary. Supporters cite Romans 5:18. The church has overwhelmingly rejected this view, because Jesus speaks of a real separation and a closed door, and because Paul in the same letter calls people to repent and believe.
My own reading is the traditional one. The language of everlasting punishment, of fire that is not quenched and of a final separation reads most naturally that way to me, and it is how the church has understood these texts through most of its history. I hold that with humility, and I would not break fellowship over the question of whether hell is endless torment or final destruction. What no honest reading can do is turn hell into a mere metaphor with no consequence.
What about the question of whether hell is ever destroyed? Revelation 20:14 says death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, which I take to mean death itself is finally defeated. It does not say the lake of fire is emptied. The same chapter says that anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
How Can Anyone Be Saved From Hell?
This is where the whole subject turns, because the Bible's answer is generous. Paul puts it in a single line:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
We cannot earn our way out. We receive it as a gift, by trusting Jesus, who bore what we deserved. John says whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. That is why I say hell is not the heart of the gospel; rescue from it is. The good news is simply that you do not have to go.
If you are worried, here is what I would suggest:
- Admit your need. Tell God the truth about your sin. See How To Repent.
- Trust Christ. Rest your hope on what he has done for you, not on your goodness.
- Know that forgiveness is wide. God forgives all sins brought to him in repentance, and the one exception, explained in the unforgivable sin article, does not describe anyone who is afraid they have committed it.
- Share the hope. If hell is real, the people we love are worth telling about Jesus.
If you already believe, struggle with sin and fear you have lost your place, read What Does The Bible Say About Sin After Salvation?
Key Bible Verses About Hell
- Psalm 9:17: the wicked go to the realm of the dead, as do all nations that forget God.
- Luke 16:23: the rich man is in torment in Hades.
- Mark 9:43: better to enter life maimed than go to hell where the fire never goes out.
- Matthew 25:46: eternal punishment for the unrighteous, eternal life for the righteous.
- Revelation 20:14-15: the lake of fire is the second death.
- 2 Peter 3:9: God is patient, wanting everyone to come to repentance.
- Romans 6:23: the wages of sin is death, but God's gift is eternal life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Bible say sinners go to hell?
Jesus speaks of it in the Gospels as Gehenna, a place of fire and judgment, and he links it to the final judgment. Revelation 20:15 says anyone whose name is not in the book of life is thrown into the lake of fire. The Bible describes the destination more than the route: it is where those who finally reject God end up.
Will God eventually destroy hell?
Revelation 20:14 says death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, which means the old order of death is ended. It does not say the lake of fire itself is destroyed or emptied. Most Christians read this as the final defeat of death, not an end to hell.
Does God send people to hell?
God is the judge, but he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and desires that all come to repentance (Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9). Hell is what is left for those who refuse the rescue he has provided in Christ. He sent his Son to save us from it, which is why the gospel is good news.
What is the number one worst sin?
The Bible does not rank sins on a simple ladder of damnation. What sends a person to hell is unrepentant rejection of Christ, not a particular act. For the longer answer see The Greatest Sin In The Bible and Are All Sins Equal?
Is saying "Oh my god" a sin?
It can break the third commandment when it is a careless use of God's name, but it is not a ticket to hell. Believers are forgiven when they repent. I address this at Is Saying Oh My God A Sin?
What sin is unforgivable?
Jesus names only one: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is a settled, hardened rejection of his testimony to Christ. Anyone worried that they have committed it is showing, by that worry, that they have not. See What Is The Unforgivable Sin?
