6.4 What do Christians believe about heaven and hell?

to begin…

What points gave you new insight to this topic? 

What ideas caught your attention in this episode? 

What did you have a strong reaction to? 

What surprised you? 

What’s new for you? 

What points reinforced your own understanding about this topic? 

What do you have questions about? 

going deeper…

Ask some people about the nature of heaven and they’ll mention white robes, wings, living in the clouds and harps. Where do these ideas come from? 

Where do you hear the words “heaven” and “hell” in everyday life? What are the usual assumptions attached to those situations? 

One very shy person took comfort in the idea offered by John 14:2-3. Her own room! What gives you comfort about the ideas offered by Christian understandings about Heaven? 

What is your understanding of being close to God? What does that look like in your life/experience, or in the lives of faithful people around you? 

Sometimes the idea of hell is used as a threat to induce belief. Is this helpful? Would you do this?  

There are four words translated as hell in our Bible [Sheol (Hebrew), Hades (Greek), Tartarus (Greek)and Gehenna (Greek)]. Gehenna is used much more than any of the others. Look this word up online. Therefore, what does the Bible actually say about hell? How is this in contrast with common cultural beliefs?  

 

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