Nov
09
2009
New Don Carson Videos
Here are three new video Q&As by Don Carson (produced by ‘A Passion for Life‘) answering the following questions:
- How do I know God exists?
- How can God be loving yet send people to hell?
- How can God allow suffering and evil in the world?
[HT: Justin Taylor]
Categories: Q&A
5 Comments
On the “How can God be loving yet send people to hell?” video, I’m not sure that I agree with his view on the attitude of those in hell. It seems that there is evidence in the Bible that Lazarus wants to be comforted from the torment he is experiencing in hell. After talking to Abraham, and asking if it’s possible for Lazarus to cool off the rich man’s tongue, he asks Abraham to send someone from the dead to his family who are still living to warn them to repent so that they might not end up in the same miserable place he’s now in.
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. [6] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers [7]—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
And there is another verse (I can’t remember where…) when it mentions that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for those cast into the outer darkness. Isn’t this speaking of hell? Isn’t the weeping and gnashing of teeth that the author refers to one of regret and sorrow for how they’ve lived their lives in light of where God has righteously placed them?
Anyways, I could be wrong obviously, but there does seem to be some regret and repentance in the hearts of those who God sends to hell once they get there, but there is no purgatory to rescue them from God’s judgment.
Random tip: I wish there was a Subscribe to Comments checkbox that I could checkoff to receive responses to those who comment on my comments and to read others in this blog. If this blog is on Wordpress, there is a plugin for that called the Subscribe to Comments plugin (go figure…). Anyways, I think it would be a great way to keep readers and commenters in the loop so that the conversations can continue without having to revisit the blog all the time to check whether someone has commented or not. Thanks!
I had the same initial thought about the Hell video and Lazarus, but then it occurred to me repentance involves more than just a mental agreement with truth. It involves a heart attitude that longs to be restored with the offended party. A person may be genuinely sorry that they did wrong, were caught in it, and punished for it, but not long for restoration and right relationship with the Righteous Judge.
note to D. A. Carson (if you actually read this, lol),
i think i have a better, and simpler explanation of “how God can be loving and send people to Hell:”
God is Ultimate, and is firstly concerned with His own glory. He loves HImself, first and foremost, and does everything for His Own exaltation. it would be most UN-loving if He were to be concerned with anything other than His Own exaltation, and therefore He MUST punish the damned as an expression of His Justice. God is “loving” in sending crushing people in Hell… just not towards them.
p.s.
the first things you said sounded like you were leaning towards the idea that “people want to go to Hell, and God simply gives them what they want.” that’s grace, and there will be no grace in Hell.
mike,
if Lazarus was seeking comfort IN Hell (water), how could one come to the conclusion that the Damned aren’t doing more than just realizing that they were wrong? Lazarus was seeking comfort in a place where God is going to be VERY present in infinite wrath. don’t you think the people in Hell will know who’s crushing them, that He is ultimate, and that He’s the only one who can stop the torment? they will. Lazarus seeks comfort, and the only place his mind could possibly think to seek comfort from is from God, because He is Ultimate in this Ultimate punishment.
note to D. A. Carson (if you actually read this, lol),
i think i have a better, and simpler explanation of “how God can be loving and send people to Hell:”
God is Ultimate, and is firstly concerned with His own glory. He loves HImself, first and foremost, and does everything for His Own exaltation. it would be most UN-loving if He were to be concerned with anything other than His Own exaltation, and therefore He MUST punish the damned as an expression of His Justice. God is “loving” in sending crushing people in Hell… just not towards them.
spencer,
i don’t know if you already saw this, but when you want to write a comment, right above the very bottom of the screen is a thing you can click that says “notify me of followup comments via e-mail.”
is thins what you’re looking for?
[...] three videos were produced by A Passion for Life, and I learned of them through this post at the Gospel Coalition [...]