Lesson 3 - Hell's Illusion

Understanding Hell’s Illusion

Introduction

• Recap of Lessons 1 & 2:

  • Lesson 1: The concept of hell was ingrained in us because it was central to Calvinist and Arminian theology.

  • Lesson 2: The word "hell" is not in the Bible—it was mistranslated from Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus.

• Lesson 3 Focus:

  • The mistranslation of key Greek words used to justify hell.

  • Today’s focus: Ion (Aion)—a word that has been falsely translated as “eternal” or “everlasting.”

How Did We Come to Believe in Hell?

1. We were indoctrinated from birth.

   • 99.9% of Christians come from either Calvinism (predestination: some go to heaven, some to hell) or Arminianism (free will: you must choose salvation or go to hell).

   • Both heavily emphasized hell to scare people into obedience.

2. The church spread the fear of hell.

   • Ask random people at a mall about God’s love, and they likely won’t know much about it.

   • But they will have a concept of hell—because that’s what the church has emphasized for centuries.

3. We never questioned it.

   • Pastors taught it. Their teachers taught it. Their seminaries taught it.

   • No one studied the origins of hell doctrine—we just accepted it.

The Evolution of the Hell Doctrine

• Mistranslations:

  • Jerome (Latin Vulgate) inserted “hell” where no such word existed in Greek or Hebrew.

  • The King James Version (KJV) then repeated the same mistakes.

• Theologians Who Shaped Hell:

  1. Tertullian (200s AD): First to say hell was for the wicked.

  2. Augustine (400s AD): Expanded hell to include everyone who wasn’t a Christian.

  3. Dante (1300s AD): Wrote Dante’s Inferno, which cemented hell imagery in Western thought.

  4. Milton (1600s AD): Paradise Lost further ingrained hell into Christian culture.

Before the 5th century, hell was NOT mainstream Christian doctrine.

Protestants & Catholics: The Hypocrisy of Hell Doctrine

• Protestants reject Catholic traditions—but their entire doctrine of hell comes from Catholicism.

• Evangelicals often say Catholics aren’t “true Christians”, yet they embrace:

  • Doctrines that came from Catholic councils.

  • Hell, which originated from Catholic mistranslations.

• Hell is not an "orthodox" teaching—it was developed over time.

Key Word Study: "Ion" (Aion) – Mistranslated as "Eternal"

• The Greek word “ion” (Aion) is mistranslated as:

  • Eternal

  • Everlasting

  • Forever

• What does "ion" actually mean?

  • It does NOT mean eternity—it means an age, an indefinite period of time.

  • English word "eon" comes from ion—and eons are not infinite.

  • The meaning depends on the subject:

    • Tied to God → Without end (because God has no end).

    • Tied to human life, punishment, or judgment → Temporary (because human existence is temporary).

Examples of Ion (Aion) in the Bible

1. Ion Used Correctly (When Referring to God)

📖 1 Timothy 1:17 – Now to the King eternal (ion), immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever (ion) and ever (ion).
✔ Correct translation: Because God is eternal, ion here means without end.

2. Ion Used as a Temporary Age

📖 Matthew 24:3 – Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age (ion)?
✔ Correct translation: Jesus is referring to the end of a period of time—not the end of eternity.

3. How Bible Translators Twisted Ion

📖 2 Peter 2:17 (KJV) – These are wells without water... for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever (ion).
❌ Incorrect translation: The KJV says “forever”, but that’s NOT what ion means here.
✔ Correct translation (Young’s Literal Translation) – For whom is reserved the blackness of darkness until the end of the age (ion).

• Ion in this context is temporary, but KJV twisted it to fit hell doctrine.

Biggest Mistranslation: Matthew 25:46

📖 Matthew 25:46 (KJV) – And these will go away into everlasting (ion) punishment, but the righteous into eternal (ion) life.

• The same word (ion) is used for both punishment and life, yet translators changed the meaning to fit doctrine.
  ✔ Correct translation:

  • And these will go away into age-enduring correction, but the righteous into eternal life.

  • Ionian punishment is temporary, while ionian life is tied to God’s eternal nature.

Why Did They Mistranslate Ion?

• The Catholic Church inserted "eternal torment" to control people.

• Purgatory was created so people would pay money for prayers to escape judgment.

• King James translators followed the Latin Vulgate, repeating errors.

The Impact of These Mistranslations

1. People live in fear of eternal hell.

   • Some have panic attacks, anxiety, or depression because they fear being tortured forever.

2. Christianity became about avoiding punishment instead of love.

   • God is love (1 John 4:8)—not a tyrant.

3. If hell is real, then God loses the majority of His creation.

   • If billions of people go to hell, then darkness wins over light—which contradicts the Bible.

4. Romans 11:32 says God will have mercy on all.

   • “God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so that He may have mercy on all.”

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

• Ion (Aion) was twisted to make hell appear eternal.

• Jesus and Paul never taught eternal conscious torment.

• The early church for 500 years did NOT believe in hell.