Does the Nicene Creed Mention Hell?
The Nicene Creed never mentions hell. Its focus is Christ’s death, resurrection, and victory, no eternal torment, no annihilation. “He descended into hell” appears only in the later Apostles’ Creed, and meant “Hades,” not a place of fiery torture. The...
Augustine the Heretic
Augustine shaped Western theology toward Eternal Conscious Torment, twisting Revelation and relying on Jerome’s Vulgate. Early Christians largely expected restoration, not endless punishment. His innovations, combined with mistranslation, turned hope into fear, Universal Reconciliation preserves God’s true plan.
Should We Trust the Targums to Define the Afterlife?
The Targums are non-canonical Aramaic paraphrases, not inspired Scripture. Using them to support Annihilationism ignores God’s revealed Word. Judgment in the Bible is purifying, corrective, and redemptive, pointing to Universal Reconciliation, not final obliteration or eternal torment.
Did the Early Church Fathers Believe in Eternal Torment?
Most early church fathers rejected eternal torment. Augustine admitted the majority expected restoration, while Basil, Clement, Gregory, Origen, and Isaac affirmed that God’s judgment is corrective, purifying, and reconciliatory. Eternal punishment was never the universal faith of the church.
Justinian's Condemnation of Origen
The condemnation of Origen by Justinian’s council was political, not Spirit-led. Bishops were coerced, writings censored, and decrees enforced by fear. Scripture, not imperial power, reveals God’s truth: Christ will save all, and mercy endures forever.
Jerome's Corrupted Latin Vulgate
Jerome’s Latin Vulgate transformed “aionios” (age-lasting) into “aeternus” (eternal), merging Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna into hell. This Latinized imagination cemented Eternal Conscious Torment in the West, obscuring Scripture’s promise of Universal Reconciliation.
