So what’s the deal with hell? And why is it necessary to the Christian faith? In the latest edition of 9Marks eJournal, “Hell: Remembering the Awful Reality,” contributing authors seek to come to terms with such questions about Christ-less eternity, including The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s own James M. Hamilton Jr.
In his article, Hamilton, associate professor of biblical theology, deals with the question stated in the title “How Does Hell Glorify God?” Hamilton considers how hell fits into the biblical storyline. If, as the Bible teaches, God is just and human beings are unjust, one can begin to see why the reality of hell proves necessary to resolve the issue of God’s justice. Hamilton writes the following:
Hell is about God keeping his word. That God sends the wicked to hell shows God to be faithful and just. If God does not enforce the terms he has set, he does not keep his word and he is unfaithful. If he does not send the wicked to hell, he has not upheld his own righteous standard and he has not been just. If he does not punish rebels in hell, the righteous are not vindicated. In fact, if there is no hell, we might conclude that the righteous were wrong for having trusted God.
The article can be read in its entirety at the 9Marks eJournal Web page. There, readers will also find articles related to the doctrine and reality of hell by such authors as Mark Dever, Kevin DeYoung, Sinclair Ferguson, Greg Gilbert and others.