As to the Issue
Adequate time needed to devote a detailed response to this article is lacking. This article is not to serve as a research paper and thus will not be treated as such, but rather, a digested yet rough response to my position 2 weeks ago that Scripture does in fact validate the notion of degrees of punishment in hell based upon what a person knew (in terms of the Law). As to what edification this may serve in knowing this position, perhaps three responses come to mind. The first is that it does paint a picture of a just God. The second edification is for us as believers no to give up too quickly on those that have heard the gospel. The fact that they know the gospel should drive us to mourn more for them because of the severity of punishment they will receive in hell unless they repent and turn to the Lord. The third edification is having a heart for the lost who haven’t heard the gospel. I will qualify my position at this moment in saying that this does not mean that there is a ‘Lesser Hell’ or ‘a More Hell.’ What it means is that within hell there is severer torment for others. However, Hell is still Hell of conscious eternal torment and separation from God.
As to Why Those Without the Gospel Will Perish
Paul’s apology in Romans is that in all man there is a light of who God is. By ‘light’ I mean a knowledge or understanding. God has revealed Himself in their hearts by some code of ethics telling them that God exists. It is this truth (this light) that if they should follow and acknowledge, should lead them to the knowledge of God. The second reason is that God has also revealed Himself in nature or creation. Instead of man honoring God because of this, they suppressed this truth and worship idols. The idea here is as follows: man has been given enough light by God in his heart and in creation to know that God exists and deserves honor. God looks at this understanding and judges in His infinite wisdom that they have no excuse. Therefore, the wrath of God is upon them. Their sin is that they did not honor God or give Him glory.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for [because] God made it evident to them. For [because] since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures (Romans 1:18-23).”
As to why those with the Gospel will perish
Paul attacks the false assurance that the Jews had in their heritage. They had the Law, but they did not live it and rejected the Messiah. Instead, in their pagan false assurance, they were quick to judge others based on the Law, and yet they themselves disobeyed it. As a result God’s name was blasphemed among the Gentiles because of them (Romans 2:17-24). What advantage did the Jew have then? They had the oracles, or law of God (Romans 3:2) which were meant to lead them to the Messiah and be a light to the Gentiles (Exodus 19:3-6).
The problem with the Jews was not that they had the Law. The problem was that they thought that the Law could save them from sin, which it didn’t (Romans 7:13-25, Galatians 3:11). The Law was never meant to save anyone, but was given to reveal sin and show that no one could keep the Law by himself and they needed someone who would fulfill the Law for them eternally and thus give them peace with God. Galatians 3:13 reads,
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, " CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"”
What then did the Law ultimately do for the Jews? Simple…it brought them under greater condemnation before God, because they knew God’s standard.
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19-20).
The reason why I belabor this point is to show that there was a greater responsibility on the part of the one who had the Word of God. The book of Romans is clear on that.
As to the Justice of God
Scripture affirms the justice of God in several passages. The context of Romans 2 is that of how God is justified to judge ‘in the day of wrath.’ This is a future day referring to the Great White Throne of Revelation 20. On that day, God will render to each person according to his deeds (Romans 2:6). This will be the standard of judgment for the saved and the unsaved…deeds. This is not to say we are saved by deeds or works but that God will look at the deeds as evidence of a person as being saved or unsaved. Salvation is by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8), but it does bring forth works or fruit produced by the Spirit as a natural consequence. God will look at these as the basis of judgment (Romans 20:12, 13). To those who have not produced fruit unto salvation will be punished with eternal damnation.
Paul then moves a step further in verse 11 saying that “there is no partiality with God.” The idea here is that God will be fair according to His justice. There is not going to be any favoritism. God will not say “oh…because you are Jewish, you get to go to heaven.” No! He will be just. The word for ‘partiality’ literally means ‘respect of persons.’ God’s justice will be based also on what each person was given without respect of persons. Romans 2:12 reads,
“For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law”
The word for ‘perish’ is ‘apollumi’ which, when talking about people, speaks of either physical or eternal death. In the context of chapter 2, since Paul is talking about the Day of Wrath, the word then is speaking of eternal perishing. In essence Paul is saying that those who did not have the Law, will be judged as those who did not have the Law, and those who did have the Law will be judged as those who had the Law. The term ‘Law’ here is speaking of the written Law of God. As I noted earlier, the Jews were under greater condemnation because he knew God’s standard. God will take this into account when judging the unredeemed. The text is still saying that both groups (those who had the Law and those who didn’t have the Law) will still be condemned to hell. They both, as Romans 1 said, have the Law of God on their heart (in this case meaning that God revelation of God in man’s heart and nature which is sufficient for them to honor Him and not idols) and that in itself makes both groups have no excuse.
As to the degrees of condemnation
With the consideration that there is no one who has an excuse before God, that there are people who have a greater knowledge, and that God will be just, are there any allusions in the Gospels that would suggest that there will be degrees of punishment in Hell? I would venture to say yes, and will consider at least two of them before looking at Hebrews 10.
Matthew 11 (Luke 10:12-15)
The context of this passage is with the backdrop of how Christ came to offer the Kingdom during His earthly ministry. He had done so to the Jews first (Matthew 10:5-15) and it has been rejected several times (Matthew 11:16-19). They have been told that He is the Messiah, He has explained the standard of God’s Law and how they cannot keep it, He has performed many miracles and they have been rejected. In essence, the Jews have a greater knowledge. With this backdrop, Christ denounces them saying,
“Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
"Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
"And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.
"Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you (Matthew 11:20-24)” [Emphasis Added]
The people in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, did not have these miracles performed in by Jesus to authenticate His Messiahship. The people in Sodom did not have this greater knowledge. Christ is saying that because the people in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum had this great revelation of Christ with them and they rejected it, they are more accountable in the day of judgment. The ‘day of judgment’ is once again talking about the Great White Throne judgment when unbelievers will be judged. The phrase ‘more tolerable’ is the word ‘anektoteron,’ in Greek which literally means ‘bearable,’ or ‘endurable.’ It is used as a comparative in the Greek, as also seen in the context. In brief, it is comparing something to another in the Day of Judgment.
Luke 12: 41-48 (Matthew 24:45-51)
The context of this Parable is within the second coming of Christ. Verses 47-48 drive the point of greater knowledge coming with greater condemnation home when Jesus says,
"And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,
but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” [Emphasis Added]
This passage is primarily talking about unbelievers. The reason is that we see punishment (lashes) in this judgment on the slave. It would be inconsistent with other Scripture passages for it to be talking about believers, because when believers come before the Lord, their judgment is going to be one of rewards, not punishment. The believer’s punishment has already been met by Christ when He suffered on the cross. Matthew 24 goes into greater detail on this passage and describes the place the slave is sent to as one where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:51). This clearly is talking about unbelievers.
Having said that, to those who have known more and still not been faithful to do God’s will as unbelievers, there is a higher degree of judgment.
Hebrews 10
Perhaps the caviar of passages talking about the degrees of punishment is that of Hebrews 10, which needs little to no explanation.
“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY " And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE."
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:26-31) [Emphasis Added]
The phrase, ‘how much severer a punishment’ is comparative in construction. Who is this being compared to? It is the one who never ‘received the knowledge of the truth’ (Romans 1). The context here is that of judgment once again. The point is that to whom has received knowledge (specific) of the truth, in this case of the Son of God, and has rejected it, he is more accountable than the one who hasn’t received the same specific knowledge.
As to the Evaluation
God is just. His justice is interwoven in the whole of Scripture as He is the one who will punish for eternity those who have not honored Him. His justice also demands that there be no partiality, or ‘respect of persons.’ To whom much has been given, much will be required. To those who have tasted, or experienced of the truth (Hebrews 6:4) and rejected it, there stands before them greater condemnation than the one who has not had the same advantage. Scripture also affirms that to the one who has not received Special Revelation, God has put enough light in that person’s heart and in creation to be held accountable (Romans 1). Both groups will be condemned to hell, but with different degrees on that Day of Judgment. As noted at the beginning of this article, this encourages me not to be complacent or indifferent too quickly towards those who have heard the gospel but have not responded. My heart should burn more for them to be saved, knowing that they are more accountable, and therefore they will receive a greater punishment. As to what exactly that will look like, I do not think Scripture reveals. But as to what it reveals, it is enough for me to want to continue to pursue them and pray for them continually.
