HELL, PART TWO: WHAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACHES VS. WHAT CULTURE HAS CREATED

After writing my first article about hell in response to a question from a member of our church, I began thinking about another important part of our conversation. How much of what we believe about hell actually comes from Scripture, and how much comes from literature, art, movies, cultural traditions, and things we have heard throughout our lives? I think this is a question every Christian should seriously consider because, whether we realize it or not, our understanding of hell has been influenced by far more than the Bible.

When most people hear the word "hell," they immediately picture a place deep beneath the earth, filled with flames, demons, torture chambers, and Satan sitting on a throne overseeing the punishment of lost souls. Some imagine different levels of punishment, with particularly wicked people being sent to deeper and more terrible regions. Others picture demons tormenting people with instruments of torture while Satan rules over the entire operation. These images have become so deeply embedded in Western culture that many people assume they come directly from Scripture. The problem is that much of this imagery comes from sources outside the Bible.

As I mentioned in my previous article, Wayne Grudem discusses hell in his Systematic Theology within the larger doctrines of final judgment and eternal punishment. His treatment emphasizes the importance of grounding our understanding in what God has actually revealed rather than in speculation or imagination. That distinction is especially important here. If we are going to teach people about something as serious as eternal judgment, we need to be certain we are communicating biblical truth rather than repeating cultural traditions that have developed over hundreds of years.

One of the most influential works shaping the Western imagination about hell is Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the first part of his Divine Comedy, written in the early fourteenth century. Dante's work is a remarkable piece of literature, but it is not Scripture. It is a poetic journey through the afterlife that reflects medieval theology, classical philosophy, political commentary, and the author's imagination. In the story, Dante is guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil through nine circles of hell, each representing different categories of sin and punishment. As Dante descends through these circles, the punishments become increasingly severe, culminating in the deepest region where Satan is trapped in ice.

What fascinates me about Dante's Inferno is how many of its images have become part of the popular Christian understanding of hell. People often speak about the nine circles of hell as though they are biblical realities. They assume specific compartments for different sins, with punishments designed to correspond symbolically to the offenses committed in earthly life. Dante describes lustful people being blown endlessly through violent winds, gluttonous people suffering in filthy conditions, and traitors frozen in a lake of ice. His system of punishment is built around the literary principle of contrapasso, in which the punishment reflects or contrasts with the sin committed.

But nowhere in Scripture do we find a description of nine circles of hell. The Bible does not provide a map of the underworld with different geographical regions assigned to particular sins. Jesus never described hell as a series of descending circles, and the apostles never taught that sinners would be organized into compartments according to Dante's categories. While Scripture does indicate that judgment is righteous and that accountability may differ according to knowledge and deeds, as seen in Luke 12:47–48 and Matthew 11:20–24, it does not provide the elaborate structure Dante imagined. We need to recognize the difference between a literary depiction of divine justice and the actual revelation of God.

Another interesting detail is Dante's portrayal of Satan. In the deepest part of Inferno, Satan is not sitting on a fiery throne. He is trapped in ice, endlessly chewing on three notorious traitors, including Judas Iscariot. This image is quite different from the popular idea of Satan ruling over hell as a powerful king. Yet both images illustrate the same problem. People often assume Satan is the ruler of hell, overseeing punishment and commanding demons who torment the wicked. That is not what Scripture teaches.

According to the Bible, hell is not Satan's kingdom. It is part of the final judgment that God will administer, and Satan himself will be judged. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus speaks of the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Revelation 20:10 describes the devil being thrown into the lake of fire. Satan is not presented as the ruler of eternal punishment but as one who will experience God's judgment. This is an important distinction because the popular portrayal of Satan as the king of hell can unintentionally suggest that he possesses authority independent of God. Scripture teaches something very different. Satan is a created being who remains subject to God's ultimate authority, and his rebellion will end in judgment.

Hollywood has only added to the confusion. Movies and television programs frequently portray hell as an underground kingdom filled with elaborate torture chambers, grotesque creatures, rivers of lava, and demons carrying weapons. Sometimes Satan is portrayed as a charming, misunderstood rebel. Other times he appears as a terrifying monster who controls the destiny of human souls. These portrayals may serve the purposes of entertainment, but they should never become the foundation of Christian theology. The Bible does not describe demons operating torture chambers or Satan personally deciding who enters hell. Final judgment belongs to God, not the devil.

Another major influence on popular ideas about hell comes from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Long before Dante wrote his poem, the Greeks spoke of Hades as the realm of the dead, with different regions associated with different experiences after death. Tartarus was often described as a deep place of punishment, while the Elysian Fields were associated with the blessed dead. These concepts influenced ancient literature and later Western imagination. Because the New Testament was written in Greek, some of these terms also appear in biblical translations, which can create confusion if we assume that the Bible adopts the entire Greek mythological system.

For example, the Greek word Hades appears in the New Testament, but we must be careful not to import every detail of Greek mythology into its biblical meaning. In Scripture, Hades generally refers to the realm or state of the dead and is sometimes associated with the condition of the wicked awaiting judgment. Revelation 20:13–14 describes Death and Hades giving up the dead and then being thrown into the lake of fire. This distinction is important because it shows that Hades and the final lake of fire are not simply interchangeable descriptions. The Bible presents a final judgment that follows the resurrection of the dead, and we should not confuse that final state with every biblical reference to the realm of the dead.

The Hebrew word Sheol also contributes to this discussion. In the Old Testament, Sheol commonly refers to the realm of the dead or the grave, depending on the context. It does not always carry the same meaning as the final place of eternal punishment. For example, passages such as Psalm 16:10 and Ecclesiastes 9:10 use language associated with Sheol, but we must examine each passage carefully rather than assuming every occurrence refers to what Christians commonly call hell. Understanding these distinctions helps us avoid reading later cultural ideas back into the biblical text.

Jesus also used the word Gehenna when warning about judgment. This term is connected to the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, a place associated in the Old Testament with horrific practices, including child sacrifice, as described in Jeremiah 7:31–32. The valley became a powerful image of judgment. When Jesus spoke about Gehenna in passages such as Mark 9:43–48 and Matthew 10:28, He was using language His Jewish audience would have recognized as connected to divine judgment and destruction. However, we should be cautious about repeating the popular claim that Gehenna was a constantly burning garbage dump in Jesus' day. That description is frequently repeated in sermons, but the historical evidence for a perpetually burning municipal dump during the first century is weak. We do not need that story to understand the seriousness of Jesus' warnings.

Another biblical passage that has influenced the way people imagine the afterlife is Luke 16:19–31, where Jesus tells the account of the rich man and Lazarus. In the account, the rich man experiences torment in Hades while Lazarus is comforted at Abraham's side. The rich man asks for relief and then expresses concern for his brothers, wanting them warned so they will not come to the same place of torment. This passage clearly communicates the seriousness of judgment, the reversal of earthly expectations, and the urgency of responding to God's revelation. However, Christians differ over whether every detail of the account should be understood as a literal description of the intermediate state or as imagery within a parabolic narrative. I believe we should take the warning seriously without attempting to construct a complete geographical map of the afterlife from every feature of the story.

Something else that concerns me is the way people sometimes treat personal stories about visiting heaven or hell as though they carry the same authority as Scripture. Over the years, numerous books, interviews, and testimonies have claimed to describe firsthand experiences of the afterlife. Some individuals describe seeing demons torturing people, others claim to have witnessed specific celebrities or historical figures in hell, and still others provide elaborate descriptions of buildings, prisons, or chambers of punishment. These stories can attract enormous attention because people are naturally curious about what happens after death. But as Christians, we must be extremely careful about allowing someone's claimed experience to shape our theology.

Second Timothy 3:16–17 teaches that Scripture is God-breathed and equips believers for every good work. We do not need modern accounts of supernatural experiences to complete what God has revealed about judgment. Personal experiences must be evaluated according to Scripture, not the other way around. If someone claims to have seen something that contradicts the Bible, we should reject that claim regardless of how emotional, detailed, or convincing the story may sound. And even when a story appears consistent with Scripture, that does not make it an authoritative revelation. Our confidence must remain in God's Word.

There is another popular expression I hear that deserves attention. People sometimes describe hell as a place where God is completely absent. I understand what they are trying to communicate, especially when considering passages such as 2 Thessalonians 1:9, which describes eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might. Hell certainly involves exclusion from the blessed fellowship, favor, and joy experienced by those who belong to Christ. However, we need to be careful about suggesting that God is somehow unable to be present in judgment or that there is a region of existence beyond His authority.

Psalm 139:7–8 emphasizes that no one can escape God's presence, and Revelation 14:10 describes judgment taking place in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The distinction is not that God loses His sovereignty over hell, but that those under judgment do not experience the saving fellowship and blessings enjoyed by the redeemed. Grudem's discussion of divine omnipresence and final judgment helps us understand why we should not speak as though hell exists outside God's authority. God's judgment is not evidence of His absence or weakness. It is an expression of His perfect righteousness.

I also think we need to distinguish between the biblical descriptions of fire and darkness and the elaborate physical images people often associate with hell. Scripture uses both descriptions. Matthew 25:41 speaks of eternal fire, while Matthew 8:12 refers to outer darkness. Revelation 20:14–15 describes the lake of fire, and Mark 9:48 speaks of the worm that does not die and the fire that is not quenched. Some of these images are difficult to reconcile if we insist that every description must function as a literal physical photograph of the same location. That should remind us to approach biblical imagery carefully, paying attention to literary context and the purpose of each passage.

This does not mean the punishment is unreal or that the warnings are merely symbolic and therefore insignificant. Biblical imagery can communicate realities more serious than the images themselves. The point is that Scripture reveals the certainty, severity, and permanence of judgment without satisfying every question we might have about its precise physical nature. I believe eternal punishment is real, but I do not believe we should claim certainty about details God has not chosen to reveal.

One area where Dante's work and Scripture do meet is the idea that judgment is not arbitrary. Scripture indicates that God judges with perfect knowledge and justice. Revelation 20:12 describes the dead being judged according to their deeds. Romans 2:6 teaches that God will repay each person according to his works. Jesus also speaks of differing degrees of accountability in Luke 12:47–48. These passages suggest that divine judgment takes into account the deeds and responsibility of individuals. However, that is very different from accepting Dante's detailed system of punishments. Scripture gives us the theological principle of righteous judgment, while Dante creates an imaginative literary structure around the idea of fitting punishment.

Our culture also tends to turn hell into a joke. We hear people casually say that they would rather go to hell because all their friends will be there, or that hell will be one big party where they can continue living however they want. Sometimes hell is portrayed as a place of freedom from God's rules, where people can enjoy an eternity without moral restrictions. But Scripture never presents hell as a place of celebration, fellowship, or freedom. Jesus describes judgment using language of weeping and gnashing of teeth in Matthew 13:41–42. Second Thessalonians 1:9 describes eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might. Whatever questions we may have about the precise nature of punishment, the biblical picture is not one of enjoyment or liberation.

I think the reason these misconceptions matter is that they can distract us from the actual message of Scripture. If someone rejects the doctrine of hell because they cannot accept the image of Satan ruling over people in underground torture chambers, they may be rejecting something the Bible never taught in the first place. Likewise, if someone believes in hell only because they have been frightened by movies, paintings, or dramatic stories, their understanding is resting on a very weak foundation. Our theology should not depend on whether we find a particular image terrifying or convincing. It must rest on the authority of God's Word.

As a pastor, I want people to understand that studying theology is not simply about collecting information or learning complicated religious terminology. It is about knowing God more accurately through what He has revealed. When we misunderstand hell, we can also misunderstand God's justice, His holiness, His mercy, and the significance of the cross. If we imagine hell as Satan's kingdom, we misunderstand God's sovereignty. If we assume hell is simply a place where people continue enjoying their sinful desires, we misunderstand judgment. If we replace biblical revelation with Dante's imagination or Hollywood's entertainment, we risk allowing culture to disciple us instead of Scripture.

That is why I believe it is so important for Christians to study the Bible carefully and develop a sound understanding of theology. We need to know what Scripture actually says, what it does not say, and where we must acknowledge that God has not provided every detail. There is nothing wrong with reading historical literature or studying the influence of works like Dante's *Inferno*. In fact, understanding those influences can help us recognize why certain ideas have become so common. But we must always maintain a clear distinction between literature and revelation, between artistic imagination and biblical authority.

I also want to return to something I emphasized in my first article. The doctrine of hell should never be used as a tool for manipulation or cruelty. We should not delight in frightening people with graphic images or sensational descriptions. We should not speculate about which particular individuals are experiencing judgment. And we should never approach the subject with arrogance, as though we are somehow more deserving of God's grace than anyone else. Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. The only reason anyone can have confidence in salvation is because of the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

The cross remains central to this entire discussion. Jesus did not come merely to provide a better moral example or improve our circumstances. He came to save sinners. Romans 5:8 teaches that God demonstrated His love toward us while we were still sinners through Christ's death. Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. John 14:6 teaches that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. These truths should shape the way we understand both judgment and salvation.

When we strip away the images created by Dante, medieval art, Greek mythology, Hollywood, and popular religious stories, we are left with the actual biblical teaching. God is holy and righteous. Humanity is sinful and accountable to Him. Final judgment is certain. Scripture teaches eternal punishment for those who remain outside of Christ, and salvation is found through Jesus Christ alone. The Bible does not give us a detailed map of hell, nor does it answer every question about the mechanics of eternal punishment. But it gives us more than enough information to understand that judgment is real and that the Gospel is urgently necessary.

I believe one of the greatest dangers facing the modern church is not simply that people misunderstand hell, but that we have become increasingly comfortable allowing cultural ideas to shape our theology. We repeat things because we have heard them all our lives. We assume certain teachings are biblical because they sound familiar. We accept images and explanations without ever asking whether they can actually be supported by Scripture. And sometimes we avoid studying difficult doctrines altogether because we are afraid of what we might discover.

But if we truly believe that the Bible is God's authoritative Word, then we must be willing to let it correct our assumptions. That includes our assumptions about hell. We cannot allow a fourteenth-century poem, a modern movie, a popular preacher, or even our own emotions to have greater authority than Scripture. As helpful as systematic theology can be, and as much as I appreciate the work of theologians like Wayne Grudem, even their conclusions must continually be tested against the Word of God.

My purpose in writing these articles is not to convince people to adopt a frightening picture of eternity. It is to encourage Christians to think biblically about difficult subjects and to understand why the Gospel matters so much. I want the person who originally asked me about hell, along with anyone else wrestling with these questions, to know that it is appropriate to ask difficult questions. We should not be afraid to examine what we believe. But we must also be willing to accept biblical answers, even when those answers challenge our assumptions or leave us with questions we cannot fully resolve.

In the end, I am far less concerned with whether someone can describe what hell looks like than I am with whether they understand why Jesus Christ came to save sinners. The Bible does not call us to become experts in the geography of eternal punishment. It calls us to repent, believe the Gospel, follow Jesus Christ, and proclaim His message to the world.

Dante gave the world an unforgettable picture of hell. Hollywood gave the world countless more. But God has given us His Word, and His Word must be the authority for what we believe.

If we are going to speak about eternity, we need to make sure we are speaking the truth. Not the truth according to literature, tradition, entertainment, or popular opinion, but the truth revealed in Scripture.

And perhaps the most important thing we can learn from studying hell is not what eternal punishment looks like, but how desperately humanity needs the Savior who came to rescue us from sin and judgment.

That is the message I want people to hear. That is the message the church has been entrusted to proclaim. And that is the message we cannot afford to lose.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Jody

Theological reference: Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, especially the discussions of final judgment, eternal punishment, and God's attributes. Biblical references follow the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB). Historical and literary references include Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the first part of The Divine Comedy, and classical Greek and Roman concepts of the afterlife.