This list breaks them all down and looks at some of the problems with the alternatives to the first and most popular one.
1. Hell “Counterpass”
This is “divine retribution” for all you “non-theomological” friends.
A contrapasso is a law of divine retribution where the punishment is said to match the crime; Furthermore, it is the most popular view that is presented in many different religions.
Found in Jewish Psalms (7, 35, 55, 58, 69, 79, 83, 109, 137), Old Testament
Prophets that speak of God punishing his people and the nations around him in timeless terms, and the New Testament. It’s a hard sight to miss, and one that people naturally don’t like the sound of!
Some say we shouldn’t feel bad about it. Tertullian especially longed for the day in Heaven when he could laugh at his opponents burning in hell. (Tertullian; De Spectaculis, Chapter XXX)
2. Universalism
Some Christian thinkers have always been unable to accept the idea of Hell at all. A vengeful God, who eternally tortures sinners, is unable to reconcile with the loving God who sends his Son to die in the place of sinners.
Lacking the easy “proof text” or cultural currency of fire and brimstone, universalism has expanded with fewer borders. So it’s a bit subjective to give it a definition.
Still, mainstream contemporary universalism is typified by writers like Ted Peter.
In his article, “Where Are We Going?” He takes the position that God has unlimited love and that the saints who reflect that love would have mercy on those in hell. Peter feels that God must, in fact, tear apart any hell; heaven would be too busy mourning hell otherwise.
The only problem with such views is often what about people who are just plain bad? Or the devil himself? Why send Jesus if Hitler gets a free pass?
3. Apokatasis
Origen was the first great theologian who attempted to form a balanced half-counterpart and a universalist Hell.
For this he made a temporary Hell.
The apokatasis, “or the universal restoration of all things” in Origen’s thought made Hell a nasty purgatory where lost souls, exposed to not having the grace of Jesus at all, would quickly turn to the only source of salvation. .
The problem with this is that if you commit the crime and serve the time… is the result “salvation”? If Jesus is a substitutionary atonement, what is the substitution for an already damned soul? Haven’t you served your sentence?
In fact, this is where we have purgatory. A temporary hell in which you must also have some Salvation. I’m not sure Gregory V has done us many favors here…
4. Annihilationist
His final position attempts to say that God is merciful, that the horrors of hell are not eternal, but avoids the questions raised by universalism or apokatasis.
These people point to the ability of the text “Hell” to be taken more as “burnt” than forever. The damned simply cease to exist.
While the Annihilation option has more support than the other alternatives to a pass-through scheme, not all texts agree or are easy to make them agree on.
For example, the Book of Revelation speaks of “and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” (Rev 14, 10-11). The writer makes it clear that this is the fate of whoever meets ‘[a] name not written in the book of life’ (Rev 20:15).
Still, Revelation is such a difficult book that it’s hard to take it as evidence against any other argument.
Do you really want to find out?
Even the good ones can be hell!
Personally, I lean a bit between trendy fire pit and annihilationism; I’ve thought about it a lot.