The Pope, Hell, and the Nonagenarian Journalist

I'm probably a bit late to the game here, but I thought I'd do my bit answering a question on the mind of many Catholics....

Dear Apologist, I heard the Pope changed the Catholic teaching on Hell.  Is that true?

A Summary of Afterlives - Old Testament

What happens to us after we die?  

This question has occupied the minds of men for ages.  The texts in the Bible go a long way to illuminate the matter, but at no point do we get a systematic explanation. Therefor we have to piece things together.

There are three different periods we need to look at - each hinging on the actions of Jesus Christ.  Today I wanted to explore what happened prior to Christ's death.

Wait....Are We Judged Twice?

One of the basic truths we learn as Christians is that when we die, we personally go before God for judgment.  But then you read the New Testament and notice something odd… the Bible presents the judgment as a massive public event at the end of time.

So which is it?

Well, your eyes do not deceive you – there are two judgment events.  The first occurs upon your death.  The second comes at the end of time.  But why?

That’s what I wanted to go over today.

What of the Man on the Island?

One of the most controversial topics in the Christian world is regarding the fate of non-Christians.

Is God really going to condemn every single person who did not come to a conscious belief in the Christian faith?  

The question presents a conundrum for Christians who love God and take their faith seriously.   On the one hand you want to affirm the necessity of faith in Christ for salvation.  On the other hand, you want to affirm the unlimited mercy and love of God.  Considering the fate on non-Christians seems to drive a wedge between the two beliefs.

This is especially the case when we’re considering the fates of decent people for whom hearing the Gospel was completely impossible or for whom believing it is an unreasonable expectation.

That is what I wanted to look at today.  What principles can the Bible give us when considering this problem?  And how is this reflected in the teaching of the Catholic Church?

Short Answers: Jesus Descended into Hell?

Dear Apologist, Why does the Apostles Creed say that Jesus “descended into hell”?

The Apostles Creed is an ancient Christian statement of belief which predates the Nicene Creed.   A Catholic is most likely to encounter it when praying the Rosary, as it is recited at the beginning.  Certain translations of the Apostles Creed say:

“[Jesus] suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended into hell and on the third day he rose again from the dead.”  

This part of the creed is a reference to 1Peter 3:18-19, which describes Jesus dying and visiting imprisoned spirits.  The use of the word “hell” - and the prospect of Jesus going there - has confused many English-speaking people into thinking the Son became estranged from the Father and temporarily suffered the plight of the damned.

The reason for this confusion is a mixture of translation choices and the evolution of the English language.  The original Greek says that Jesus went to “Hades”.  Readers in ancient times would have been familiar with Hades being the abode of the dead, the underworld.  It was thought of as a place where the spirits of the deceased dwelt, but not a place of torment.  That word “hades” was translated into Middle English as “hel”.  This word originally had the exact same neutral connotation as “hades”.

However, over time our conception of the word “hell” changed to refer only to the place of eternal punishment and separation from God.  It would be impossible for Jesus, who was God, to experience such a thing.  Thus, some modern translations of the creed now say Jesus “descended to the dead”.  This rendition is friendlier to modern audiences and conveys the correct meaning.

Why do People Go to Hell?

One of the first things people learn about the Christian faith is the two eternal destinations: Heaven and Hell.  

The basic formula we learn is that good people go to Heaven - where everyone lives on fluffy clouds and plays harps.  Bad people, on the other hand, will go to Hell - where they will undergo an eternity of fiery punishment. 

The concept of Hell can be very confusing.  Most of us don’t want to see harm come to other people – even those we dislike.  The idea of condemning a person to an eternity of misery and torment seems a bit… psychotic.  Yet, Christianity posits that our infinitely good, infinitely loving, and infinitely merciful God is prepared to do just that.

So… what’s that about?  How could a loving God do that to someone?