Most evangelical Christians believe that those people who are not saved before they die will be punished in hell forever. But is this what the Bible truly teaches? Do Christians need to rethink their understanding of hell? In the late twentieth century, a growing number of evangelical theologians, biblical scholars, and philosophers began to reject the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell in favor of a minority theological perspective called conditional immortality. This view contends that the unsaved are resurrected to face divine judgment, just as Christians have always believed, but due to the fact that immortality is only given to those who are in Christ, the unsaved do not exist forever in hell. Instead, they face the punishment of the "second death"--an end to their conscious existence. This volume brings together excerpts from a variety of well-respected evangelical thinkers, including John Stott, John Wenham, and E. Earl Ellis, as they articulate the biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments for conditionalism. These readings will give thoughtful Christians strong evidence that there are indeed compelling reasons for rethinking hell.

This book offers updated explanations of the sins of interpretation to teach sound grammatical, lexical, cultural, theological, and historical Bible study practices. "A must for teachers, pastors, and serious Bible students."--Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

When he was 23 years old, Dale Allison almost died in a car accident. That terrifying experience dramatically changed his ideas about death and the hereafter. In Night Comes Allison wrestles with a number of difficult questions concerning the last things -- such questions as What happens to us after we die? and Why does death so often frighten us? Armed with his acknowledged scholarly expertise, Allison offers an engaging, personal exploration of such themes as death and fear, resurrection and judgment, hell and heaven, in light of science, Scripture, and his own experience. As he ponders and creatively imagines -- engaging throughout with biblical texts, church fathers, rabbinic scholars, poets, and philosophers -- Allison offers fascinating fare that will captivate many a reader's heart and soul.

Includes titles on all subjects, some in foreign languages, later incorporated into Memorial Library.

Hell is a hot topic! The Bible teaches that unredeemed people will stand before God on Judgment Day and those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire. The Bible calls this the "second death." What is the nature of this second death? Will these people suffer fiery torment forever and ever, as has been taught since the time of Augustine in the early 5th Century? Or will they be BURNED UP-literally destroyed forever with no hope of resurrection? And what about universalism, the idea that everyone will ultimately be saved? The author used to subscribe to the eternal torture doctrine until he honestly studied the Scriptures and discovered what they plainly teach on the subject-EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION. The biblical evidence is actually overwhelming! Read HELL KNOW and see for yourself. HELL KNOW has been a hit on the internet for years. This is the NEW REVISED EDITION (2016) with 26 pages of NEW MATERIAL.

Recent years have seen much controversy regarding a unified Christian doctrine of hell: Do we go to heaven or hell when we die? Or do we cease to exist? Are believers and unbelievers ultimately saved by grace in the end? By focusing on recent theological arguments, Four Views on Hell: Second Edition highlights why the church still needs to wrestle with the doctrine of hell. In the fair-minded and engaging Counterpoints format, four leading scholars introduce us to the current views on eternal judgment, with particular attention given to the new voices that have entered the debate. Contributors and views include: Denny Burk – representing a principle of Eternal Conscious Torment John Stackhouse – representing a principle of Annihilationism (Conditional Immortality) Robin Parry – representing a principle of Universalism (Ultimate Reconciliation) Jerry Walls – representing a principle of Purgatory Preston Sprinkle concludes the discussion by evaluating each view, noting significant points of exchange between the essayists. The interactive nature of the volume allows the reader to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and come to an informed conclusion. BONUS CONTENT: Includes entire first edition of Four Views on Hell to help readers grasp the history of the discussion and how it has developed over the last twenty years.