Introduction: What did the Apostolic Fathers believe about Hell?
The doctrine of final judgment and hell is not one I spent a whole lot of time studying while in college. It wasn’t really something brought up in class, beyond the basic understanding that those who didn’t follow Christ would be eternally separated from God.
When I first journeyed into the writings of the Pre-Nicene Church Fathers, nothing really stood out to me on their view of hell and final judgment (except Origen’s infamous take). But last year, I was challenged when given a serious introduction to Conditional Immortality, otherwise known sometimes as the Annihilationist view.
Conditional Immortality is, “the view that human beings are mortal, that we depend entirely on the grace of God for our existence, that eternal life is made possible only through the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, and that immortality—endless life—is the gift of God that he will bestow upon those who are saved through Christ, at the resurrection of the dead.” (Peoples, 2014, Pg. 10)
Eternal Conscious Torment, known commonly as the Traditional view, believes that those not saved by Christ will be judged and punished in hell forever. They will be in constant torture without end. Conditional Immortality does not neglect or deny what the Bible says about judgment, punishment, and hell. CI does affirm those not saved by Christ will be judged in the last days, and they will be punished in hell. However, the difference is that the punishment itself will be permanent death. They will be judged, punished, and cease to exist.
So, when the Bible warns that the wicked will perish, cease to exist, be destroyed, and so on, CI understands it to mean just that. When Jesus promises those who are saved will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16), it is understood that Jesus promises life that doesn’t end, but only to those who believe in Him. The penalty in Genesis 3 was death for humans, but under Jesus there is New Life. As for those who perish, they eternally perish without hope to see life again, hence, “eternal punishment”.
“This is a punishment which is eternal, but not because the lost themselves will live forever. Instead, the punishment is eternal insofar as what the lost will miss out on is eternal.”
When I first heard this view, it seemed a bit off. I had a kneejerk defense to think this is some “New Age” or “Progressive” thinking because hell is generally uncomfortable to talk about. But as my mind went through the different passages of Scripture describing God’s punishment, it dawned on me that this view wasn’t as crazy or modern as I originally thought. The majority of passages in the Old and New Testament warn of destruction and death, not endless torture.
I then briefly skimmed over some quotes from the Pre-Nicene Church Fathers. With this view in mind, I was shocked to see their understanding of final judgment was more diverse in opinion than I originally thought. Yes, many Pre-Nicene Fathers like Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria held to ECT, but other leaders like Irenaeus held to CI. So now, not only did I realize Conditional Immortality has a lot of Scripture to support it, but it seems there were at least some early Christians who held to this view.
Reading over some books that argue for this view, it is commonly argued that the Apostolic Fathers believed in the doctrine of Conditional Immortality, or at the very least, didn’t hint of believing in Eternal Conscious Torment. (Constable, 1875, Pg. 207; Fudge, 2011, Pg. 255; Froom, 2014, Pg. 260)
“When the apostolic fathers spoke about final punishment, they spoke largely in biblical language. As a result, they are claimed by traditionalists and conditionalists alike, just as both groups claim to represent the Bible’s own teaching.”
Since the Apostolic Fathers are my favorite church history group to study, I thought I would do a deeper dive into the subject. I will spend the next blogs examining each writing of the Apostolic Fathers and what they have to say about judgment, punishment, and life after death. I plan on examining each writing in the following order:
· The Seven Epistles of Ignatius
· Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians
Now, I’m going to lay my cards on the table. I have begun leaning toward the doctrine of Conditional Immortality, not because I don’t want to accept ECT, but because I have found it be far more consistent with what the Bible teaches and promises. But with that said, I will try to critically examine the Apostolic Fathers from both sides. If there’s anything that can hint toward a doctrine of ECT, I will mention it and let it speak for itself. After going through all writings, I will end the series with a conclusion blog.
I also want to recognize how sensitive this subject is. I want to follow God’s truth, no matter where it takes me. I also want to be extremely humble to those who find the doctrine of hell triggering. I will try to present this information honestly but with grace, gentleness, and humility.
Before diving into 1st Clement, I will briefly introduce some of the interpretations of the Bible given by Conditional Immortality. If this doctrine is new to you, you may understandably have several objections or at least questions on how this is consistently understood. How do you understand phrases like “eternal fire”, “eternal punishment”, or passages like Revelation 20? We’ll go over that in the next blog, then jump into 1st Clement.
Bibliography
Peoples, G.A. (2014). Introduction to Evangelical Conditionalism. In C.M. Date, Rethinking Hell: Readings in Evangelical Conditionalism. Eugene, OR. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Constable, H. (1875). The Duration and Nature of Future Punishment. London. Kellaway & Company.
Froom. L.E. (2014). Conditionalism in the Early Church. In C.M. Date, Rethinking Hell: Readings in Evangelical Conditionalism. Eugene, OR. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Fudge, E. (2011). The Fire that Consumes: A Biblical and Historical Study of the Doctrine of Final Punishment (3rd ed.). Eugene, OR. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
For further introduction to Conditional Immortality
Remnant Radio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzsqowrTFmU
Preston Sprinkle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nemKBJoCoKI