Random Popular Beliefs About Hell That Aren't Actually In The Bible (13 items)

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  (#2) People Are Sent To Hell On The Basis Of Their Actions

  One of the most contentious debates throughout Christian history has been on the value of good works versus God's grace. The gospel of works says that we must perform good deeds in order to be admitted to heaven. The gospel of grace says that God decides where to place us based on criteria beyond our understanding or control.

  Surprising as it may seem, the gospel of grace is more supported by the Bible. Take Ephesians 2:8-9, which says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
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  (#6) Babies Don't Go To Hell

  One of the most difficult things to reconcile in Christian theology is the fate of unbaptized babies. Theology is quite clear that baptism is the only way into heaven, yet a loving God would surely not abandon infants to hell. To answer this question, Christian thinkers developed the idea of limbo, a place where unbaptized babies could escape punishment.

  There is no evidence for limbo in the Bible, but the idea was posited to soften St. Augustine's assertion that unbaptized babies would go directly to hell. However, Augustine was on sturdier theological ground than his critics.
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  (#5) Hell Is Heavily Featured Throughout The Bible

  The modern church puts a great deal of emphasis on hell, so one might expect there to be a similar emphasis in the Bible. However, the truth is that the Old Testament contains zero mentions of hell. There are some passing references to "sheol" and "Gehenna," but those concepts have little in common with the Christian hell.

  In fact, "hell" is mentioned 23 times in the New Testament, compared to a whopping 250 mentions of heaven. Why the disparity? Some Christian scholars believe that missionaries commonly used hell as a motivational tool to convert unbelievers, whereas the writers of the gospels were not particularly concerned with spreading the faith because they believed that Jesus's return was imminent.
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  (#12) Hell Is Massive Land Of Torment 

  No serious theologian would argue that hell is a pleasant experience. However, there are those who push back on the idea that hell is simply one massive experience of physical pain, with men and women burning and writhing in agony.

  Regardless of their position on physical pain, most Christian thinkers believe that the true torment of hell is a separation from God. The result of this separation is a spiritual pain far worse than the physical torments many associate with hell.
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  (#10) Not That Many People Will Go To Hell

  Matthew 7:13 seems to answer this one: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat."

  An eternal conundrum in Christian apologetics is the question of the reach of God's mercy. God is supposed to be eternally mercifully, and yet passages like the one above seem to indicate that most of humanity will eventually burn in fiery torment. If one accepts Biblical inerrancy (the idea that the Bible contains no errors or faults), it seems inevitable that the vast majority of the human race will burn. The work of reconciling these two ideas is ongoing.
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  (#9) God Enjoys The Suffering Of Sinners

  God shows many faces in the Bible. At times, he is full of wrath, eager to damn everyone in sight, and utterly unwilling to consider reconciliation or forgiveness. At other times, he is a benevolent father wanting the best for his children. So which are we to believe?

  There is no easy answer to that question. However, there is significant evidence that God takes no joy in the condemnation of sinners, and is eager for their return to his arms. Consider this passage from Ezekiel 18:

  "But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live... Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" declares the Sovereign Lord. "Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"

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