Raising Hell: Christianity's Most Controversial Doctrine Put Under Fire

by Julie Ferwerda

Martin Luther, one of the revered fathers of the Protestant Reformation

Luther argued that the Jews were no longer the chosen people but “the devil’s people.” He referred to them with violent, vile language. Luther advocated setting synagogues on fire, destroying Jewish prayer books, forbidding rabbis from preaching, seizing Jews’ property and money, and smashing up their homes,

(Rom. 2:12).[38]

God. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from

direct power of God. And so in such cases, God instructed earthly courts to set aside the case and await the

here—not only for our own personal offenders, but also to consider

I often get verses like Romans 1:20 quoted by people who have not read or understood this passage in context: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

Could God have prevented man from sinning? Of course He could have. He did not have to plant the tree in the first place, or if He did, He did not have to omit the fence. Even then, He did not have to create a tempter and allow him entrance into the garden. The fact is that God knew the end from the beginning. He was not taken by surprise. He dug that pit and left it uncovered because He had a plan, and the plan called for man to fall. And so he did. By God’s own liability laws, then, He is responsible. So what did God do about it? He sent His only begotten Son who

there are times that all can mean a limited amount of people in context. There are, however, several verses that are, by design, constructed in such a way that even the skeptics cannot credibly deny that all means ALL. As

the false teaching of a place of eternal torment or even everlasting separation from God,

Why then did translators go awry and begin inserting the concept of eternity into the Scriptures? Earlier we learned that the Hebrew word, olam (Strong’s #5956), actually means something like, “behind the horizon” or “concealed from view,” pertaining to times ahead, and simply does not mean or imply eternal. It has been frequently mistranslated as everlasting and eternal throughout the OT,

that’s the effect that the true Gospel—the irresistible Gospel—has on people. You can’t wait to tell people about a love so powerful, so complete, and so pure that it offers value, hope, and purpose to every human being, with no strings attached.

“When you’ve experienced the resurrected Jesus, the mystery hidden in the fabric of creation, you can’t help but talk about him. You’ve tapped into the joy that fills the entire universe, and so naturally you want others to meet this God.

God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. …Behold, I am making all things new. …Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

the “Digital Reformation.” In the same way that the printing press gave power to the lay people during the Protestant Reformation, the Internet has done the same today, leveling the playing field with access to previously controlled information and allowing common folks like you and me to gain new insights into Scripture like we’ve not been able to do before.

KJV pins the name “Lucifer” on the adversary in Isaiah 14, but at closer inspection this is a complete mistranslation, which is why no other Bible versions use it.

we have been led to believe that when we die, we go off to heaven, leaving earth behind. The Scriptures actually appear to teach the opposite—that we were made for earth, and our purpose is to bring heaven here—both now and later. This isn’t to say that we won’t someday have access to other realms and dimensions, but Scriptures seem to say that our earth will be renewed and restored, a fit home for God’s imperishable people.

there are plenty of great reasons not to live a rebellious, self-serving lifestyle: 1. Rebellion against God and selfish living leads to death, whether literally or figuratively. Try it if you want. Go out and have an affair, cheat your employees out of their fair wages, point out all the “specks” in the eyes of your friends, acquire a drug addiction, eat yourself into oblivion, mistreat your kids, live completely for yourself, and then ask yourself in a couple years if your existence is characterized more by life or death.

Documentaries (streaming available on Netflix) Hellbound? (Directed by Kevin Miller) God in America (6 part series) Constantine’s Sword Empires: Martin Luther