Do you, as Christians, believe that followers of other faiths (like Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism) could go to Heaven too? Especially since so many people grow up in those faiths from childhood and genuinely try to live good, moral lives?
And what about those who never really had a chance to hear about God or the gospel, like people in poverty-stricken areas or places where Christianity isn’t known?
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Greek ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) asserts divine identity. The phrase οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται (oudeis erchetai) means no one comes, establishing total exclusion of alternative paths.
Acts 4:12 – “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Greek σωτηρία (sōtēria) means deliverance or preservation. The negation οὐδενί ἄλλῳ (oudeni allō) and οὐκ ἔστιν ἕτερον ὄνομα (ouk estin heteron onoma) make the exclusivity absolute, no parallel name, no equivalent faith.
John 3:18 – “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already.”
The verb πιστεύει (pisteuei) is present active, implying continuous trust, not a one-time notion. Condemnation (κέκριται, kekritai) is already a standing condition outside of Christ.
John 3:36 – “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
The contrast between πιστεύων (pisteuōn) and ἀπειθῶν (apeithōn) - believing versus disobeying, reveals that disbelief is active rebellion, not innocent ignorance.
Romans 1:18–23 – “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”
Here Paul teaches universal accountability. The verbs φανερόν ἐστιν (phaneron estin) and ἐφανέρωσεν (ephanerōsen) mean made evident. Even those who never heard the gospel have suppressed general revelation. No one is guiltless before God’s revelation in creation.
Romans 2:14–16 – “When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do instinctively the things of the law… their conscience bearing witness.”
Paul shows that conscience itself testifies to divine moral expectation. The verb συμμαρτυρούσης (symmartyrousēs) means bearing witness together. The issue is not ignorance but disobedience to known light.
Romans 10:13–17 – “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?”
Faith comes by hearing (ἐξ ἀκοῆς, ex akoēs) and hearing by the word of Christ (ῥήματος Χριστοῦ, rhēmatos Christou). Paul’s chain of verbs, believe, hear, preach, shows salvation requires explicit response to the proclaimed Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5–6 – “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.”
Greek εἷς μεσίτης (heis mesitēs) means one and only mediator. Other religions have priests and prophets, but none mediate reconciliation with the Father.
1 John 5:11–12 – “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
The verb ἔχει (echei) means to possess, to hold as one’s own. Eternal life is ontologically tied to the Son. There is no salvific life outside that possession.
Ephesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Greek πίστεως (pisteōs) and χάριτί (chariti) exclude human moralism. The phrase not of yourselves negates any merit-based religion.
Matthew 7:13–14 – “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction.”
The verbs εἰσέλθατε (eiselthate) and ἀπάγουσα (apagousa) express deliberate movement. Jesus defines the kingdom way as singular and exclusive—many roads, one salvation path.
Matthew 7:21–23 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father.”
Greek ποιῶν (poiōn) means doing, practicing continually. Even nominal Christians are excluded if they lack obedient trust.
Revelation 20:11–15 – The Great White Throne Judgment.
Those “not found written in the book of life” (οὐχ εὑρέθη, ouch heurethē) are judged according to their works. No second covenant or alternative path appears here.
Acts 17:30–31 – “God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world by the Man He has appointed.”
Greek παραγγέλλει (parangellei) means He commands authoritatively. There is no allowance for other belief systems; repentance toward Christ is universally mandated.
Matthew 28:18–20 – “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
The universal mission implies universal lostness. If other faiths saved, the Great Commission would be unnecessary.
So, to answer your question @JennyLynne
Scripture allows no parallel path. Faith (pistis) in Christ alone, received through hearing the gospel, is the exclusive means of salvation. Other religions, no matter how moral or sincere, do not reconcile sinners to God. Romans 1–3 shows all humanity guilty and accountable; Acts 4:12 and John 14:6 show one Redeemer; Romans 10:17 shows one means of access, hearing and believing the Word of Christ. Those who live morally in other systems still fall short of the righteousness of God, which is imputed only through Christ.
J.
Some Christians have a binary view such that one either goes to heaven forever or suffers in hell forever.
This view may not be entirely accurate. There are graduations in judgment;
Rev_20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
If there is punishment, it is not likely to be eternal as those are said to perish. Also the bible says that the gift of God is eternal life without which one could not be punished forever (although the effect of punishment would last forever). Being thrown into the lake of fire is called “the second death”.
However, there are hints that ignorance is excused.
Act_17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Jesus said that no one could come to the father except through him.
Joh_14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Using the bible the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ. However, the fate of the lost might not be eternal conscious torment as many believe.
So eternal is not really eternal, correct @timf ?
The biblical languages are very exact when describing what is eternal. Both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures use strong words that express unending duration, timeless continuance, and permanence without interruption or decay. These words prove that eternal life, judgment, and God Himself are not temporary realities but everlasting truths.
In Hebrew, the most common word is olam which means everlasting or perpetual. Its root idea is something beyond the horizon, a duration that cannot be measured or seen to its end. In Genesis 21 verse 33 Abraham called upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God, in Hebrew El Olam. The word is used again in Psalm 90 verse 2, where it says from everlasting to everlasting You are God, a phrase that spans pre-creation to unending futurity. In Daniel 12 verse 2 the same word appears when it says some will awake to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt. The same word olam describes both destinies, which shows that both life and judgment are eternal. Jeremiah 10 verse 10 calls Him the living God and the everlasting King, and Isaiah 45 verse 17 speaks of an everlasting salvation. The plural form olamim there intensifies the sense of duration, meaning ages upon ages.
Another Hebrew word is netsach which means perpetuity or unending glory. It appears in Psalm 9 verse 6, where the enemy is said to come to an end in perpetual ruin, while in 1 Samuel 15 verse 29 it describes the unchanging endurance of God. The word ad also conveys permanence, meaning forever or continuously. In Isaiah 9 verse 7 it says there shall be no end to the increase of His government and peace, to establish it from now even unto forever. The combination ad olam expresses absolute eternity.
In the Greek of the New Testament the key term is aion, meaning an age or an eternal duration. When used in the plural or compounded form it means forever and ever. Ephesians 3 verse 21 uses this formula, saying to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Hebrews 1 verse 8 also says Your throne O God is forever and ever, which is the strongest Greek expression for endless duration.
The adjective aionios comes from the same root and means eternal or everlasting. It appears in Matthew 25 verse 46 where Jesus says these shall go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life. The same word describes both punishment and life, which means both are equally without end. John 3 verse 16 promises everlasting life to whoever believes in Him. Second Thessalonians 1 verse 9 speaks of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord. Romans 16 verse 26 calls Him the eternal God, and Hebrews 9 verse 12 says that Christ obtained eternal redemption.
Another word is aidios which means everlasting or perpetual. Romans 1 verse 20 speaks of God’s eternal power and divine nature, and Jude 6 says that the fallen angels are kept in eternal chains. The sense here is of unbreakable and unending duration.
The Greek phrase eis tous aionas ton aionon, which means unto the ages of the ages, appears throughout Revelation such as in 1 verse 6 and 22 verse 5. This phrase is the strongest possible expression for infinite duration, not just long time but endless existence.
Putting these together, the Hebrew words olam, netsach, and ad, together with the Greek words aion, aionios, and aidios, all describe unending, continuous duration. They do not mean a temporary age when used of God, of life, or of judgment. In Daniel 12 verse 2 the same olam defines both destinies, and in Matthew 25 verse 46 the same aionios defines both reward and punishment. The symmetry is deliberate. If life is eternal, so is judgment. If God is El Olam, He is also Theos Aionios, and His being defines eternity itself.
The words of Scripture do not present eternity as symbolic or finite. They describe an absolute, irreversible, and permanent reality that reflects the eternal nature of God. His life, His kingdom, and His judgments stand beyond all temporal boundaries.
Correct?
J.
The Greek word often translated as “eternal” is aion which means “age”. Like the English word “tall” (a man can be tall and a mountain can be tall) an age cab be a bit variable.
I hear you @timf but I find your explanation a bit problematic in the sense that-
Many claim that the Greek word aion simply means an age, as if it referred to a limited period that may come to an end. However, Scripture itself defines the word’s range by the actions, verbs, and contrasts attached to it. When aion or its adjective aionios describes God, life, or punishment, the context consistently expresses unending duration rather than a temporary phase.
In Matthew 25 verse 46 (LEB), Jesus says, “And these will go away (apeleusontai) into eternal punishment (kolasin aionion), but the righteous into eternal life (zōēn aionion).” The verb apeleusontai means “they will depart” and describes a final, completed movement. The same adjective aionion modifies both punishment and life, and the parallel structure leaves no linguistic room for one being temporal while the other is permanent. The force of the verbs and nouns together shows the permanence of both destinies.
In John 3 verse 16 (LEB), “For in this way God loved (ēgapēsen) the world, so that he gave (edōken) his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes (pisteuōn) in him will not perish (mē apolētai), but will have (echē) eternal life (zōēn aionion).” The verbs of action and possession, loved, gave, believes, will not perish, will have, carry future, continual, and enduring sense. The object of that possession is zōēn aionion, life belonging to the eternal order. Nothing in this construction implies temporary existence.
Paul uses the same term in Romans 16 verse 26 (LEB), calling God Himself “the eternal God (tou aioniou theou).” Here aioniou cannot mean limited, since it describes God’s own nature.
To call God an “age-long God” would contradict every other description of His unchanging being. The Greek participle phanerōthentos (“having been revealed”) in the same verse shows that this eternal God actively revealed His plan within time but remains Himself outside it.
In Hebrews 9 verse 12 (LEB), “He entered (eisēlthen) once for all into the holy places, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, and so obtained (heuramenos) eternal redemption (lutrōsin aionian).” The verb heuramenos means having obtained or secured permanently. The redemption that Christ obtained is called aionian, and since His priestly work is said to be “once for all” (ephapax), the eternal result cannot end with any coming “age.”
In 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 9 (LEB), “Such people will pay the penalty (dikēn tisousin) of eternal destruction (olethron aionion) away from the presence of the Lord.” The verb tisousin means “they will pay” and indicates ongoing consequence, not an age-limited period. The same adjective aionion modifies destruction, just as it modifies life in John 3 verse 16.
In Hebrews 13 verse 20 (LEB), “Now may the God of peace, who brought up (anagagōn) from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant (diathēkēs aiōniou), equip you.” The verb anagagōn is aorist participle, showing divine action completed in history, yet the covenant is called aionios, meaning the agreement’s validity is without termination.
The Hebrew foundation for this concept appears in Daniel 12 verse 2 (LEB), “And many from those sleeping in the dusty ground will awake (yāqîṣū), some to everlasting life (leḥayyē olām), and others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” The verb yāqîṣū means “they will awake,” a future resurrection act, and the noun phrase ḥayyē olām means “life everlasting.” The same olām describes both outcomes. Thus, the Hebrew and Greek parallel each other precisely in duration and meaning.
When Paul describes God’s invisible attributes in Romans 1 verse 20 (LEB) he says, “For his invisible attributes, both his eternal power (aïdios autou dynamis) and divine nature, have been clearly seen (kathoratai) since the creation of the world.” The verb kathoratai is present passive and means “are clearly perceived,” indicating ongoing visibility of what is eternal. The adjective aidios means everlasting by essence, confirming that God’s eternal nature is inherently endless.
In Revelation 22 verse 5 (LEB), “And night will not exist any longer, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give light (phōtisei) to them, and they will reign (basileusousin) forever and ever (eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn).”
Both verbs are future active, He will give light, they will reign, and the phrase “forever and ever” literally means “unto the ages of the ages,” the strongest expression in Greek for infinity without end.
The cumulative evidence shows that aion and aionios may describe a segment of time in some secular Greek uses, but in Scripture, where the verbs and objects concern God, life, redemption, covenant, or punishment, the sense is unending. The duration is as eternal as God Himself. The verbs connected to these terms express completed or continuous actions that do not imply any closure or expiration.
Are we in agreement brother?
J.
Some suggest that the idea of infinite eternality was inject into Christianity through Augustine and his Neo-platonism experience.
There are several problems. For example is eternity the end of time or time unending? We are both lacking information and probably unable to fully understand the eternal state. Another problem is differentiating between the punishment lasting forever or the person being punished experiencing punishment for ever.
Jud_1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
The “eternal fire” has effects that last eternally, but the fire does not still burn.
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who awake to contempt may be thrown into the lake of fire even though the contempt is everlasting, they may not be.
There is plenty of room to question the establishment view.
So you wouldn’t agree with this then? Type @Johann so I can be notified re your arguments.
Comparison of Hebrew and Greek Terms for Eternal Duration and Action
Passage Key Verb and Form Term for Eternal (Hebrew/Greek) Object or Result Translation (LEB) Linguistic and Contextual Note
Daniel 12:2 yāqîṣū (יִקִּיצוּ) – Qal imperfect plural “they will awake” ʿolām (עוֹלָם) – everlasting, perpetual Life or Contempt “Many from those sleeping in the dusty ground will awake, some to everlasting life, and others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” The imperfect verb shows future action; the same noun ʿolām defines both destinies, proving symmetrical and unending duration.
Matthew 25:46 apeleusontai (ἀπελεύσονται) – future middle “they will go away” aionion (αἰώνιον) – eternal, everlasting Punishment or Life “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The identical adjective aionion describes both punishment and life; parallel syntax and the future verb demand permanence for both.
Revelation 14:11 anabainei (ἀναβαίνει) – present active “goes up” eis aionas aionōn (εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων) – forever and ever Smoke of Torment “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image have no rest day or night.” Present tense anabainei marks continuous action; the phrase “forever and ever” is the strongest Greek idiom for infinite duration.
Revelation 20:10 basanisthēsontai (βασανισθήσονται) – future passive “they will be tormented” eis tous aionas tōn aionōn (εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων) – forever and ever Torment in Lake of Fire “And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” The verb is future passive continuous; combined with “day and night forever and ever,” it grammatically enforces unending duration.
Summary of the Table
Every passage links an action verb with a noun or adjective of eternal duration.
In both Hebrew and Greek, the eternal term applies equally to life and to punishment.
The verbal aspect (imperfect, present, or future) expresses continuous or ongoing reality, not a temporary state.
The expressions ʿolām in Hebrew and aionios or eis tous aionas tōn aionōn in Greek are never used of limited duration when referring to divine life, covenant, or final judgment.
These verbs and adjectives together form an unbroken linguistic chain showing that the eternal state is not age-bound but infinite and permanent.
J.
Here is my counter rebuttal to your post @timf
Your argument assumes that the concept of eternity entered Christian theology through Augustine’s Neoplatonism, but that assumption collapses once we see that the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures used centuries before Augustine already contained the same unending categories. Eternity did not come from philosophy but from the revelation of the God who is eternal.
In Genesis 21 verse 33 (LEB) Abraham called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God (El Olam). This divine title existed a thousand years before Greek philosophy. The Hebrew word olam here means boundless, beyond the horizon, and it is used in Daniel 12 verse 2 (LEB) where “many from those sleeping in the dusty ground will awake, some to everlasting life (leḥayyē olam) and others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” The same noun olam defines both destinies, and the verb yāqîṣū (they will awake) marks a literal resurrection. No allegorical or philosophical influence explains that. The parallelism demands symmetrical duration. If the life is everlasting, the contempt is also everlasting.
Now to Matthew 25 verse 46 (LEB) where Jesus says, “And these will go away (apeleusontai) into eternal punishment (kolasin aionion), but the righteous into eternal life (zōēn aionion).” The verb apeleusontai is a future middle, meaning “they will depart” or “go away permanently.” The adjective aionion is the same in both clauses. The grammar makes no distinction between temporary and perpetual. If eternal life is unending, so is eternal punishment. The only way to deny one is to deny both, and that would dissolve the entire promise of salvation.
The suggestion that aionion fire merely has effects that last forever but does not burn forever confuses category and verb. In Jude 1 verse 7 (LEB) it says that Sodom and Gomorrah “are exhibited (prokeintai) as an example by undergoing (hupechousai) the punishment of eternal fire (puros aioniou).” The verbs prokeintai and hupechousai are both present participles, meaning their example stands ongoing before all generations. The fire that fell on Sodom was temporal, but the text is not describing that ancient flame. Jude uses them as a visible type of a future reality whose fire is truly eternal, the same puros aioniou that appears in Matthew 18 verse 8 (LEB) and Revelation 20 verse 10 (LEB). There the verb basanisthēsontai (they will be tormented) is future passive continuous, showing unending action. The example of Sodom points to that final judgment, not to a temporary burning.
You asked whether eternity means time unending or the end of time. Scripture answers both. God is eternal without beginning or end, which transcends time altogether, yet the life and punishment described as aionios unfold without cessation once time’s framework gives way to the age of consummation. In Revelation 22 verse 5 (LEB) the text says, “They will reign (basileusousin) forever and ever (eis tous aionas tōn aionōn).” The double phrase literally means “unto the ages of the ages.” This is the Greek language’s strongest expression for infinity. The same phrase describes the smoke of judgment in Revelation 14 verse 11 (LEB), “The smoke of their torment goes up (anabainei) forever and ever (eis aionas aionōn).” The present tense anabainei marks continuous rising, not a completed event with residual effects.
If you argue that eternal punishment refers only to the lasting result and not to the ongoing experience, you must apply the same hermeneutic to eternal life. You would then have to say that believers do not live eternally, but that their influence merely lasts forever. Such inconsistency cannot stand. The same grammar, same adjective, same parallel structure refute the notion of asymmetrical duration.
Paul anchors this in 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 9 (LEB) saying, “Such people will pay (tisousin) the penalty of eternal destruction (olethron aionion) away from the presence of the Lord.” The verb tisousin is future active indicative, expressing an actual ongoing state of consequence. This destruction is relational, not annihilative, since it takes place “away from the presence of the Lord.” The same epistle uses aionios for glory and comfort, showing both to be everlasting.
The claim that the fire does not still burn ignores the verbs used of the lake of fire itself. In Revelation 20 verse 10 (LEB) “They will be tormented (basanisthēsontai) day and night forever and ever (eis tous aionas tōn aionōn).” The future passive form basanisthēsontai means “they will continue to be tormented.” The phrase day and night combined with forever and ever gives double emphasis of unending continuity.
The supposed influence of Augustine’s Neoplatonism is irrelevant because the Jewish writers of the Old Testament and the Jewish apostles of the New used olam and aionios centuries earlier. Moses, Daniel, and Jesus all spoke of realities without end long before any philosophical system attempted to define eternity. When God revealed Himself as El Olam, He revealed that His nature defines the meaning of eternal. Augustine did not invent what Scripture already proclaimed.
Therefore the so-called room to question the established view disappears when the text itself is allowed to speak. The verbs describing the fate of the wicked and the verbs describing the life of the righteous use the same grammatical forms, the same adjectives, and the same continuous or future aspects. The everlasting God grants everlasting life and executes everlasting judgment. The eternity of both is grounded not in philosophy but in the unchangeable nature of the living God.
J.
Simple answer No.
The bible consistently teaches that there is only one way to God and the prophet regularly denounced the Isrealites Syncretism and there being Sent into exile was because of their disobedience to God’s laws.
Is God unjust in how he deals with non christians?
Well is God perfectly Just?
If he isn’t, then is God really God?
Jesus clearly stated that there was only one way to God.
In contrast, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, are also exclusive, and also have contradictory ways to there god(s).
I have zero theological training so I’m just jumping in with FAITH..and math..I guess. Infinity is the stuff of wet dreams for mathematicians and physicists. They lose sleep over trying to define eternity. As humans, with our puny brains infinity is beyond our comprehension. All I DO know is that God stated that He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. I questioned this when I was 11 years old at winter Bible camp. The only explanation they could give me was that God is like a ring, circular, no beginning and no end. To this day I still struggle with this but I rely on FAITH and the word of God. So, if punishment isn’t eternal then I guess the non-believers have nothing to worry about, and can “work” their way out of hell. Is that what this means? Is that what that verse in Revelation means? That even if a sinner, one who completely rejects God..let me take it further..one who worships Satan..that they can get out of hell for “good behavior”? Again, I’m no theologian. I’m just a human being who is in awe of God, and how He moves in my life, and how I see His hand in everything, and how I continue to gaze at the stars with child-like wonder..and absolute love, and a follower of Christ, who speaks to my heart, even when it’s an angry, bitter, resentful heart and He redeems it daily, and someone who feels the Holy Spirit convicting me..sometimes harshly..so I find it really difficult to believe that eternity, or forever and for ever don’t actually mean that. Please correct me if you think I’m way off..but do it in simple language. Thanks for reading.
How do you study the Scriptures, @Joanne.1966? Do you ever look into early church history, Jewish background sources, or listen to reputable biblical podcasts? Do you have any Bible study software on your phone or computer? If not, I can point you to some solid options.
By the way, Jesus is also called the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
Shalom.
J.
What would you consider “reputable”? After the death of Charlie Kirk I tried to listen to different podcasts and just felt more confused. So, when I went outside that night to let my dog out I looked up (as I do every night) and said “Lord? I’m so confused! I don’t know what to believe any more!” His response?
READ THE BIBLE
I swear He used all caps too. So..I did exactly that. It’s the only truth as far as I’m concerned.
And yes, I do use reference materials, enjoy learning about the history, time lines, places, and look into other history, such as Roman history, and I have a concordance to research the different translations of words used in verses, translations of verses, context etc. I’d rather just read, pray, read some more, and try to listen to what God is saying to me. The absolute beauty and wonder of the Word is that it’s for everyone, and personal to each one of us. God’s personal message to me might be very different from His personal message to you.
I was considering formally studying theology..but that isn’t what God layed on my heart.
I’m always open to learning though.
You are doing a remarkable work @Joanne.1966, and I deeply admire your hunger and passion for our Messiah Yeshua. I have a great love for apologetics and hermeneutics, and I rejoice that we have the precious gift of the Bible.
Shalom to you and family.
J.
Thank you! You’re very encouraging! I feel like a child when it comes to scripture and theology and do love learning. Thank you for being patient with obstinate, argumentative me 
Jesus said quite unambiguously, “These will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). The same Greek word (aiōnios) is used for eternal life and eternal punishment. If one is everlasting, so is the other. Scripture gives us no warrant for one ending and the other not.
In fact, Revelation 20:10 puts it even more strongly: “The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.” No “possibility of parole,” no expiration date, no “time served” or “good behavior” clauses. Eternal. In fact, eternal punishment is the natural consequence of the believer’s decision.
God’s judgments remain over the soul that has rejected Christ, whether by cold indifference or hot rebellion (John 3:18). This life is all there is. When it is over, so is the opportunity to repent (Hebrews 9:27). Hell is the place of retribution and not of reformation, because the sinner’s guilt in the sight of a holy God is infinite, not according to the number of sins, but according to the One sinned against.
But you are absolutely right on one count. Our finite minds can never fully comprehend the infinite. That is why we cling to what God has revealed to us in His Word, not what we reason out. God alone is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). He is the beginning and end of all things. Time and creation, life and judgment are all subject to His sovereignty.
Hell isn’t unjust—it’s the final confirmation of a person’s lifelong “No” to God. But the beauty of the gospel is that no one has to go there. But the glory of the gospel is that not one of us need go there. Christ has already borne the eternal wrath of God for us on the cross. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is why the offer is so urgent: “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
So no, you’re not off at all. You’re exactly right to believe that eternity means forever. You’re also right that God is utterly beyond us and yet profoundly personal. Faith is not blind; it is trust in the One who spoke truth when we cannot see the whole picture.
I leave it into God’s hand because humanity cannot decide who can enter heaven and who cannot.
@Joanne.1966, I saw someone ask you this:
“How do you study the Scriptures, @Joanne.1966? Do you ever look into early church history, Jewish background sources, or listen to reputable biblical podcasts? Do you have any Bible study software on your phone or computer? If not, I can point you to some solid options.”
Now, that question is written in an exceedingly polite, very “scholarly” way, but it’s a very dangerous question. The implication in that question is that the Bible isn’t enough, that you need other resources or man-made interpretations to really study God’s Word. That is how deception begins.
Paul said, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). The second someone is directing your eyes off of Scripture alone, onto the history of man, or cultural theories, or “experts,” they are softly and silently devaluing the sufficiency of God’s Word.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching… that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Complete. God’s Word doesn’t need human commentary to make it true or make it make sense.
Believers are taught by the Holy Spirit Himself. “The Helper, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). You don’t need scholars or traditions to unlock truth, the Author of Scripture is already indwelling you.
God does uses godly teachers to bring understanding and learning in our lives. “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints” (Ephesians 4:11–12).
However, here’s the main point, a true teacher is not someone who adds to or subtracts from the Word of God or tries to mold it to fit culture, emotion, or tradition. They’re under the Scripture, not above it. The danger in that question you were asked is that it directs you to human sources, history, traditions, or “reputable” voices, as if truth is someplace other than the Bible. That’s where false teaching starts.
A faithful teacher is one who teaches the Bible itself, verse by verse, in context, letting Scripture interpret Scripture. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). When a teacher brings their own ideas or has to fall back on worldly sources of information or knowledge instead of God’s revelation, they’re not leading people to Jesus, they’re leading people away from Jesus.
So, it’s good to learn from solid teachers, but only if what they’re teaching lines up 100% with the Word of God. “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Don’t let anyone take the place of the Holy Spirit as your chief Teacher (John 14:26).
The safest teachers are the ones who constantly say, “Don’t take my word for it— open your Bible and see for yourself.” The Bible not someones opinion.
It’s not curiosity that’s the problem, it’s where your curiosity takes you. Any teacher, any question, any pursuit that takes you away from the Bible as final authority is not of God. Remain rooted in the Word, test every spirit (1 John 4: 1), and fix your eyes on Jesus alone. His voice is found in the Bible.
Just remember the Bible’s first recorded lie starts with Satan deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). He didn’t start by blatantly denying God’s Word, he started by casting doubt on it: “Did God really say…?” That’s how deception always works. The serpent’s objective was to get Eve to question God’s truth and trust her own reasoning in its place. Every false teaching since then follows the same pattern, twisting or adding to what God has already said. The safest place to stand is still where Eve should have stood: on the Word of God alone. Don’t fall for the same old tricks.
Only God knows the eventual end result. But the question of this post stokes many others.
Just a few questions here, possibly many more elsewhere. I believe it is always wise to question those who claim to know absolute truth, who say to never question.
The teachings of Christ forced people to confront and question what they knew and believed to be true. It did not settle easily for some. And He knew this. But he did not force Himself on others. He did not come with an army to wage war and force His Way. He allowed people to come freely to Him, to taste the Living Water. And there was a Wisdom in what He said. It made sense though it countered common belief. Wisdom is always obviously Wise while man’s belief and understanding is not Wise sometimes.
2 plus 2 does not equal 5 unless someone is trying to decieve you and control you. And if someone tells you to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, that curtain needs to be ripped open. You don’t have to be fed a line over and over again until you believe something in order to make it true. If it is actually true. But you do need to freely give a lie power if it is to have power over you.
Yes, I hear you @bdavidc, in your view I am a heretic and a false teacher, so I suppose lexicons and study tools are also on your list of forbidden things?
I’ll leave you with this brother, since you are my brother.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 – “But test all things, hold fast to what is good.” The verb dokimazete (δοκιμάζετε) means to examine, prove, or scrutinize for authenticity, the same word used for testing metals. Believers are to weigh teachings and spirits to discern truth from error.
1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” The same verb dokimazō appears again, demanding rational and spiritual evaluation, not blind acceptance, because false prophets abound.
Hebrews 5:14 – “But solid food belongs to the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” The verb diakrisis (διάκρισις) means the ability to distinguish or separate, implying habitual moral and doctrinal testing shaped by Scripture.
Here, I want to pause, Selah.
Hebrews 5:14 reads literally,
“The solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained for the discernment (πρὸς διάκρισιν) of both good and evil.”
The term διάκρισις (diakrisis) comes from the root krinō (κρίνω), meaning to judge, separate, or distinguish, with the prefix dia- intensifying it to mean “to distinguish thoroughly” or “to discriminate rightly.” It occurs only three times in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 12:10, Hebrews 5:14, and Romans 14:23 (variant usage).
In this passage, the participle γεγυμνασμένα (gegymnasmena), from gymnazō (γυμνάζω) meaning “to train or exercise,” pairs with διάκρισις to indicate spiritual perception refined by continual practice in the Word. This is not mere intellectual testing but moral and spiritual discrimination, the cultivated ability to perceive truth from error, righteousness from sin, purity from defilement.
Philippians 1:9–10 – “And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent.” The verb dokimazō again means to test and recognize what truly pleases Christ.
Romans 12:2 – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the will of God.” Dokimazō again expresses discernment by transformation, meaning only a renewed mind can rightly evaluate God’s will.
Matthew 7:15–16 – “Beware of false prophets… You will know them by their fruits.” The verb epiginōskō (ἐπιγινώσκω) means to recognize clearly or fully know, emphasizing that discernment comes by observation and comparison with the fruit of righteousness.
Ephesians 5:10–11 – “Testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” The participle dokimazontes means continually discerning what aligns with God’s moral will.
Proverbs 14:15 – “The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers his steps.” The Hebrew verb biyn (בִּין) means to separate mentally, to understand with insight, contrasting naivety with spiritual intelligence.
1 Corinthians 2:15 – “The spiritual person judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one.” The verb anakrinei (ἀνακρίνει) means to investigate or discern thoroughly, the work of the Spirit-enlightened believer assessing all things by God’s wisdom.
2 Timothy 2:15 – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” The verb orthotomounta (ὀρθοτομοῦντα) means to cut straight, to interpret accurately, requiring careful discernment of Scripture in doctrine and practice.
Discernment is not suspicion but spiritual accuracy, born from the Word and the Spirit. To refuse discernment is to walk blind in a world of deception, but to practice it is to walk as children of light, proving what is good and acceptable in the sight of God.
Would you agree with me here re the Scriptures?
J.
