New Britain herald., 1923-06-25
NO FIRES IN HELL SAYS SPEAKER HERE
Platt Is Simply Grave Ol EVtr.
 lasting Silence


 hTamsfans and places af eternal fer
 msnt dates hack tG the ages when il
 was necessary ta friEhten people into
 q religious feeling according 10 Rev
 t1s w Workman, of fhe International
 Bible Students Association. Afr
 T AaFkmsn delivered q lecture KestARs
 aaK afternoon in Odd FsllaN's' hall An
 Arch street He took as his theme,
 To Hell and Back and Who Are There He saia'
 ''9ina might say on hearing this ' subject that is ahaFFif theme We must admit that The theme as gsneFs slis represented and accepted is q l haFFid one, shutting out to a very large extent the glorious vision af inc iase and power and wisdom Of Ged, which His haly word presents, But let us examine the scriptures and see what thls TeFd 'Hell' really means ard VIC Eill then sst better and more reasonable explanation than the generally accepted Ytw.
 ''It is our duty as Christians te take this stain from the Creators name, The doctrine Of eternal torment was introduced and fiourished at time when bull lights, burning of Chris Hans. iortures af ali kinds. and fright. ening 'hersties' into the doctrines Of the day. were common.
 ''The 0id Testament Scriptures were written in the Hebrew language and the New Testament in the Greek. The word he'll is an English word sometimes selected 10 express the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek words hades, Tartarns and Gehenna. 1 These same words are sometimes ren. l dered grave and pit The word he'll in old English usage. before the theoiogians picket it ID and gave II new and special significance to suit their own purposes. simply meant to conceal. to hide. 10 cover: hence the hidden or covered place. The word hell was therefore properly used with the words, grave and nit. to translate the words 'sheo'' and hades' as signifying the secret or hidden condition Of death. But If he translators of the revised version had been horoughlyt disentangled rom ereeds. and honest enough. they ,honid have done more to help the English student than merely to sub ,,itute the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word hades. They shouin nave translated the words.
 .The world hell occurs 31 times Tn he old Testament and in every in- ,tance 1t is sheol in the Hebrew. It loes not mean a lake of fire and ,rimstons nor anything at all re- em bling that thought. Instead Of ,lace of blazing fire it is described In he context as state Of darkness Job 10:2D. instead of a place where hrieks and groans are heard it is de- crtbed as q place of silence (Psa. 15:t7): instead of representing pain nd suffering or remorse it shows for ,etfulness (Psa. ss:11.12). There is 10 work nor device nor knowledge in he grave (sheo) whither thou goest Eccles. 9:10).'
 "tMatt. 11:2s) Christ speaking of ne wicked city Capernaum said, Thou shalt be brought down to hell. was fguratively cast down to ades, overthrown. destroyed It is ow so thoroughly buried in obliv- ,n that even the site where it stood
 a matter of dispute.
 "lnrOugn the Idil oi Audh' "ii ,ankind has been doomed to hell rave, death. St. Paul in Roman 23 states: For the wages of sin is cath (not eternal torment) but the it of God is eternal life through asis Christ our Lord (Rev. 20:14) nd death and hell were cast into the l.. ke of fire. This is the second death. III ], death, where is thy sting? o, W ave. where is thy victory?' It will al deed be a victory when death has zen conquered. Marvel not at this; = r the hour Is coming in which all N at are in the graves shall hear His ice and come forth" (John 2S-29.)