What does the Bible say about hell?

Hell is a subject most people would rather avoid, but it appears repeatedly in the New Testament — and most of the references come from Jesus himself. Whether one takes these passages literally or metaphorically, the Bible is clear that human choices carry ultimate consequences.

This guide examines the biblical language about hell, traces how the concept developed, and presents the three major Christian interpretations: eternal conscious torment, annihilationism, and universalism.

The Old Testament has no developed doctrine of hell. Sheol is the abode of all the dead, not a place of punishment. The concept of differentiated afterlife — reward for the righteous and punishment for the wicked — develops in the intertestamental period and is assumed in the New Testament.

Jesus used the word Gehenna, which refers to the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem where child sacrifices had been offered and which served as a burning rubbish dump. He spoke of "outer darkness," "weeping and gnashing of teeth," and "the worm that dieth not." Whether these are literal descriptions or vivid metaphors for spiritual ruin is the central interpretive question.

Luke 16 describes a rich man in torment and a beggar named Lazarus in "Abraham’s bosom." The rich man can see Lazarus but cannot cross the "great gulf" between them. This is the most detailed picture of post-death punishment in the Gospels.

Scholars debate whether this is a literal description of the afterlife or a parable using conventional Jewish imagery to make a point about justice and compassion. Either way, it communicates that how we treat the poor in this life has eternal consequences — a theme Jesus returned to repeatedly.

The traditional view (held by most Christians historically) is eternal conscious torment: the wicked suffer forever in separation from God. Annihilationism holds that the wicked are ultimately destroyed — they cease to exist rather than suffering eternally. Universalism holds that all people will eventually be reconciled to God, though perhaps through a period of purifying suffering.

Each view appeals to Scripture. Traditionalists cite "everlasting fire" and "eternal punishment." Annihilationists note that the Bible’s language of destruction implies cessation. Universalists point to passages like 1 Timothy 2:4 ("God will have all men to be saved") and Colossians 1:20 (God reconciling "all things" to himself). The debate is genuinely open among serious scholars.