In my experience when it comes to this there are two main issues that someone must be able to overcome and they both fall within contextual analysis.
1. The first is understanding what is rhetoric versus what is just bare knuckle discussion?
2. What does the imagery mean within the symbolism being used.
For example just look at the word hell. First it’s a weird translation. People see the word hell and think it’s a proper place and that’s its name. But the reality is that the word hell is a bad translation of Gehenna which is an actual literal place. But translators went above their job and tried to translate the word in a way they felt conveyed something special. But the reality is it’s just Gehenna which is a place south of Jerusalem known as the Valley of Hinnom. So why is this valley being used? Surely no one believes if we go to this valley we see the dead there being tortured. So we must understand that this concept is being given the name Gehenna symbolically if we look in the Bible we see why. Topeth is where chronicles mentions children were sacrificed here. Also known as place of burning. Overtime, and to this day, it’s become a large pit to burn or toss trash into.
Or take the fire that no one can put out. Does that mean an eternal fire or does that mean a fire that will burn until it’s finished and no one can stop it. Seems to be the latter.
God is more loving than us. Who in here would burn their kids for all eternity? Probably no one. Even me know everlasting torture is undeniably cruel and evil.
1. The first is understanding what is rhetoric versus what is just bare knuckle discussion?
2. What does the imagery mean within the symbolism being used.
For example just look at the word hell. First it’s a weird translation. People see the word hell and think it’s a proper place and that’s its name. But the reality is that the word hell is a bad translation of Gehenna which is an actual literal place. But translators went above their job and tried to translate the word in a way they felt conveyed something special. But the reality is it’s just Gehenna which is a place south of Jerusalem known as the Valley of Hinnom. So why is this valley being used? Surely no one believes if we go to this valley we see the dead there being tortured. So we must understand that this concept is being given the name Gehenna symbolically if we look in the Bible we see why. Topeth is where chronicles mentions children were sacrificed here. Also known as place of burning. Overtime, and to this day, it’s become a large pit to burn or toss trash into.
Or take the fire that no one can put out. Does that mean an eternal fire or does that mean a fire that will burn until it’s finished and no one can stop it. Seems to be the latter.
God is more loving than us. Who in here would burn their kids for all eternity? Probably no one. Even me know everlasting torture is undeniably cruel and evil.
