The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-24
Mr.. Donley to Rev. Mr.. Benninger.

Mr.. Donley to Rev. Mr.. Benninger.
Editor Of The Tribune
Sir; The proof that a literal hell does no,
exist, or at least is not taught from the parable
of the rich man and Lazarus, must rest on the
rendering correctly or incorrectly OF certain
Greek word. 1t is a mere question Of definition
OF words. Rev. Mr.. Bcnninger has not defined
very closely what he means by a literal hell.
The notion that the pupts have given of a
literal hell may be put in four sentences.
"Frst-That the fire of hell is material and
that its agonics are physical agonies.
'Sccond-That the doom of everlasting damna-
tion' is incurred by the vast majority of man
kind.
"Third-That this doom is passed irreversibly
at death on all who die in a state OF sin,
"Fourth-That the duration of this material
torment is necessarily endless for all who incur
them
From "Mercy and Judgment" Farrar.
believe that the Methodist church practically
teaches the above, possibly emitting the word
majority"
That "lIades," the word rendered hell" in
| the parable mentioned, never meant and never
means a literal hell, is known to all who claim
TO be what a clergyman should be, educated.
The word "lIades," which is rendered hell in
our English version, never conveyed to those
who heard Christ speak, ''litcral hell "
"Hades" is an intermediate place or state.
that those who die are in before the final judg-
mcnt Lazarus and the rich man were prac-
tically in the same place. For in this inter
mediate state, "Hades," the wicked and the
good do not associate,
"lIadcs" is the state the dead in until
the final judgment, when the fate OF the soul
is TO be determined ii there is literal hell
the soul does not pass it until it leaves
"IIades." The above definition of "Hades' is
all that is required TO prove that this parable
does not teach a literal hell.
It is a lamcntahle fact that the ideas deliv.
eed from the pupts of the cold school" the
ology concerning "hcll and everlasting pun.
ishment," and damnation of those who die un.
believers, seem to be borne out by the wording
Of the New Testament. That mary of these
words miS-translltions of the original Greek,
and that even the words used to render the Greek
have come to mean more in their English sig.
n!fcancc than they primarily meant, is known
to all clergymen who claim to be educated.
| purpose in this paper to give true rem
dcrng Of some Of these words upon which so
much depends. Many Of the clergy in various
denominations seldom or ever think Of enght-
cning their congregations regarding errors aSSo-
cated with the teachings Of Christ and the
apostles.
In the first place we will give and define the
four words in the Bible rendered in the author.
lied version "hell" The Hebrew word "Sheol''
does not enter into the argument for or against
literal hell since it does not appear in the New
Testament "Shcol" is the equivalent of the
Greek word "Hades." "Shcol," "Hadcs," and
our English word, hell primarily meant the
same thing, the grave. "Sheol" and "Hades''
came to mean, secon1ary in Biblical lang
uagc, the state or condition OF the dead Our
English word, hell. however, came to have a
stronger meaning, since early ancestors as
socated with the word hell, meaning the coy.
| cred place or grave, certain crude pagan ideas
OF what happens to the soul after death.
Besides the imaginatiOns Of Christians has
added a more terrible meaning TO hell than it
primarily meant or the original Greek justifes.
The third word rendered he'll in the Bible is
"Gchcnna." This word is the strongest word
that can be used as a place of future punish.
ment correction.
| conccde that it is used iguratiyely by Christ.
This is great concession for literally 1t can.
not mean a literal hell. 1t means literally a
geographical place, the 'Land of IItnnom," or
the "NallCy Of lIcrnom" Just south Of Jcrusl.
lem. In this valley the worship of Moloch dur.
ing the time Of Solomon and later was per.
formed, MolOch being the God Of the ire.wor.
Shippers there were fires kept continually burn.
ing and from this we get the ''eternal fires" OF
hell or eternal fires of Gchenna, referring to
the fires kept in honor Of the god Moloch. These
hrcs have ceased IN be.
me loullu worn translated neil is 'lartlruS,
which is used only once in the New Testament,
i'll II Peter, ii, 4, and is used not as a place for
men but for "angels that snned." 1t can never
he used TO mean literal he'll without counte.
nancinE the Greek NEUROLOGICAL notions aSSo.
catcd with Tartaus--thc stories Of the tortures
Of Tantaus, lNiom and Sisyphus.
Such in brief is the literal meaning of the
words the translators OF the authorized versions
have rendered hell.
lal,iuls those wards Iitara1l,. mould -,
means Civ" a literal he'll such as defined ubo,
but we must attach great weight 10 the words
OF our Saviour where he speaks Of the wicked
going into "age-long" fire of Gehenna Christ.
without doubt, has taught that sin will be pun
ishcd not only in the present life, but also in
the life TO come, and that this punishment in tho
future life is to be a severe punishment but
after the evil in man is consumed, or his work
is tried by fire. the good that remains in him,
and he himself shall be saved or restored.
Fire Is used in the Bible in a hgurative sense
to mean purifying agency, as gold is refined
| or purified by fire. That | am not speaking
without Biblical sanction, | quote Cor iii, IL.
'tor other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid. which is Jesus Chrict.
"Now il any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver precious stones, wood hay, stubblc.
Every mans work shall be made manifest ;
for the day shall declare il, because il shall be
revealed by fire. and the fire shall try every
mans work. what sort II is.
III any mans work abide which ne hath built
thereon, he shall receive a reward
'lf any mans work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss; hut he himself shall be saved; vet
so as by fire."
As to the term damned need bur r,icr my
readers to the Revised Version Of the New Tcsta-
ment where the Greek words "Krino Kata
krino" are rendered "to judge" "to condemn, Z"
which Is a correct rendering. Dan,nation is an
incorrect translation Of the Greek word "hrisi''
Cor crisis as in EnglIsh), which means "judg-
ment' or at most Condemnation" as our re.
yiscrs now fully admit in their version.
It remains TO consider the words and expres.
sions rendered eternal" everlasting" and
"foIeyCT"
After the learned dissertation Of the Rev. Mr.
BCnninger on "aionios" it would be useless for
me 70 say without producing authorities, that
h. did lot explain Pnything, but only committed
himself TO all the inconsistencies thai arise from
taking the authorized version as a correct rem
derng OF the Greek. | produce two authori.
ties who sat the whole matter clearly:
'Ihe word 'aion is never used in Scripture
or anywhere else in the sense Of endlessness
(yulgarly called eternity. II always meant
both in Scripture and out, period Of time. -
Canon Kingsley.
=" 'Aion means properly AN age an indefinite
period, long or short The phrases which are
asserted to imply endlessness are again and
again used Of things which have long since
ceased to be- For example, the Passover
sprinkling, Ex,, xii;9i; solomon temple,
Kings viii. II aion meant eternity how
came II to have a plural "aonesD and how
came the Jews 10 talk Of 'foreyer and ha