Warnings
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 9:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:6
As a seminary student, I was one of the first to buy a computer to type term papers. Later, I logged into “the internet” using my modem that made all sorts of squeaks, beeps, and hissing sounds prior to connecting. I’d enter a religious chat room bought a “modem!” , and talk with people about God. I met Jewish people who wanted to debate Christianity, Hindu religion students, and some seekers looking for truth. That’s who I really wanted to meet, but often they’d wait to see if I was “for real” meaning knowledgeable enough and reasonable enough to risk engaging.
Some seekers struggled with spiritual oppression. Others feared they’d committed the unpardonable sin. Their real fear was that if they had, there was no forgiveness for them. That meant . . . they faced . . . Hell! All of them recognized in varying degrees that hell was a reality. None of them wanted to face it. They wanted to avoid it.
Remembering is a good thing. And, remembering Hell reminds us that the only thing standing between us and that fearful fire is . . . Jesus.
Remembering Hell
When we turn to Paul’s letters, we actually notice something even more startling than lines in a chat room. Regularly throughout his writings, the apostle not only reminds the churches of their formerly hopeless state; he also warns them not to drift away from Christ. He says not only, “You deserve hell,” but also, “Make sure you don’t end up there.”
Consider just a few of Paul’s warnings to the churches:
“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die” (Romans 8:13).
“Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?” (1 Corinthians 6:9).
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 5:6).
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” (Col 3:5-6)
“and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.” (1 Thess 4:6).
Paul thought the Romans were “full of goodness,” the Corinthians were “sanctified in Christ Jesus,” the Ephesians were already seated with Christ, the Colossians faith was firm, and the Thessalonians were chosen. Yet, he still warned. In fact, Paul places his warnings near the heart of his apostolic calling:
“[Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” Col 1:28. Our church seeks to grow God’s family into fully devoted followers of Christ.
So, Paul still spoke frankly and directly to believers. He warned everyone!
Why Did Paul Warn Believers?
Why did Paul warn his beloved churches, sometimes rather sternly?
I see three purposes that are not limited to Paul’s apostolic calling, or even to a pastoral call today. Pastors, as God’s watchmen, have a special responsibility to blow eternity’s trumpet. Paul and the other apostles expected all Christians to play their part in admonishing, exhorting, warning (Col 3:16; 1 Thess 5:14; Heb 3:13).
So, as we consider when and why Paul warned of hell, we (pastors especially, but also all of us) learn when and why we should too.
1. To Alarm the Presumptuous
First, Paul warned of hell to alarm the presumptuous or spiritually indifferent. Hell was the siren to awake spiritual sleepers, a large “Danger” sign for those mindlessly floating down the river to the waterfall leading to their death.
Despite Paul’s overall positive attitude toward the churches, he knew that some in these communities were in danger of spiritual presumption or apathy. In Corinth, some acted arrogantly when they should have felt fear and trembling (1 Cor 5:2). Some treated sexual immorality with frightful indifference (1 Cor 6:12-20), and some sued their church brothers in court (1 Cor 6:1-8). They were growing numb and didn’t know it. So, Paul sounded the warning:
Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9-10)
If a brother seems spiritually indifferent; if teaching and preaching seem to yield little impact; if his sin has become habitual, and his hand of determination seems raised higher and higher — he may need to hear a word about hell. At first, “hell” would be as welcomed as a loud alarm waking him from a deep sleep. But if he is in Christ, that kind of warning will have its God-intended impact—in time. His initial response, “SHUT THAT THING OFF!” eventually gives way to the realization that—his house is on fire! He must escape!
So, take courage from Paul, and believe that sometimes, love sounds a loud alarm.
2. To Protect the Vulnerable
Often when Paul warns of hell, these stern words come to beloved brothers and sisters whose faith seems firm, like the Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. Why does he warn them? He does, because as long as we are in this world, we are vulnerable to becoming deceived with what Paul calls “empty words” (Eph 5:6). “God forgives everyone.” “I think I’m a good person.” “I’ve been a Christian all my life.” “Cleanliness is next to godliness” and “I believe God helps those who help themselves.” Empty Words!
First-century societies, like ours, had their widely acceptable sins, or celebrated evils. They had scoffers and false teachers too. And Paul knew that, over time, such a society could subtly dull the Christian conscience. God’s people could slowly become swayed by “plausible arguments,” Col 2:4 such as, “You really think God cares about what consenting adults do in their bedroom?” Or, “How could so many people be wrong?” “You seriously expect God to judge something that so many do?” “Aka shingo demo, minna ga watereba, shimpai shinaide.”
Statements or questions like these suggest that society can create an atmosphere where hell is somewhere off in the distance — where eternity is a vague idea, a peripheral thought. It holds little power against popular sins of the day. That is, unless we regularly hear Paul or your pastor or a Christian friend say, “Let no one deceive you” (Eph 5:6). No matter how commonly accepted or publicly repeated, Paul emphasized “The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.” 1 Thess 4:6
We need warnings today, especially from the pulpit. What sins seem normal, typical, or characteristic of our own pasts that we are in danger of becoming numb to their hell-deserving guilt? The internet? Pornography? Adultery? Drunkenness? Love of money and luxuries?
If the vulnerable among us, and to some degree we’re all vulnerable, if we’re going to see the deep pit at the end of these well-traveled paths, then we need to point it out sounding the alarm— and not only once.
3. To Humble the Mature
Finally, Paul warned of hell not only to alarm the presumptuous and protect the vulnerable, but also to humble the mature. No matter how strong others seemed, Paul did not think they were too strong for danger, too firm to fall. He knew the most established believer stands just a few yards away from spiritual peril, and just a few more yards from spiritual ruin. So, he writes, “Do not become proud, but fear” Romans 11:20b. Paul counted himself as one who needed warnings.
“Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Cor 9:26-27)
Can you imagine Paul disqualified? Can you fathom the mighty missionary, the bold church planter, the zealous apostle barred from heaven? He could. Because, he knew the paradoxical nature of Christian perseverance.
John Owens wrote:
We are never more in danger than when we think we are not. And we are never safer than when we feel our weakness, distrust our strength, and lean hard upon the arm of our Lord Jesus. Also, “He that walketh humbly walketh safely,” (Works 6:217).
And he who remembers hell walks humbly.
Him We Proclaim
Consider again Paul’s description of his apostolic calling in Col 1:28, “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Hell was not the main theme of Paul’s ministry. He did not write, “Hell we proclaim!” Instead, Paul said, “He [Christ] is the one we proclaim”
Why, ultimately, did Paul warn of hell? Because Jesus was too wonderful too marvelous of a Savior that He could save us from that awful end. Warnings were his way of casting us into the arms of Christ, the safest place in all the world.
So he warned. And so, the wise remember, in one way or another, that we deserve hell. Read it in Scripture. Say it to your soul. Share it in a chat room online. Think of hell long enough and often enough to keep you close to Jesus.
David Ronan, Ph.D.