Francis Chan - Stop Erasing Hell: An Interactive Workbook for Individual or Small-Group Study

Praise for

Erasing Hell

Erasing Hell is an extraordinarily important book. Francis Chan speaks with trembling and compassion. He recognizes this debate is about God, His nature, and His authority. At stake is whether or not we will trust Him. Francis lays his heart on the table; I was not only informed, but moved. Its rare that a book mixes straight-from-the-heart talk with diligent citation of Scripture. Erasing Hell is highly readable yet goes deep and into detail exactly when it needs to. Preston Sprinkles research and Francis Chans presentation are a dynamic combination. This remarkable book embraces not what, in pride, we want to believe, but what, in humility, we must believe. My heartfelt thanks to Francis Chan for taking us to Gods Word in a Christlike spirit of grace and truth. And for calling on us not to apologize for God, but to apologize to God for presuming to be wiser and more loving than our Savior.

Randy Alcorn, author of Heaven and If God Is Good

Its time for the H word. A lot of people go through hell on earth, but what if there is also a hell after earth? Hells stock has fallen off lately from lack of public confidence, but how can thousands, perhaps millions, reject hell as a myth and yet still believe in heaven and cherish fond hopes of going there? Surely if we hate suffering, God must hate it worse and could never have founded an institution as horrible as described in Dantes Inferno. But the same Jesus who gave heaven a five-star rating also described an otherworldly chamber of horrors. Who goes there and why? And for how long? In Erasing Hell, my good friend Francis Chan takes a close look at some tough, frightening questions and his answers may honestly surprise you!

Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

Everyone needs to read Erasing Hell by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle. Chan and Sprinkle accurately and clearly reflect the biblical teaching on heaven, hell, and eternal destiny. They provide a timely reminder that we dont define God, but He reveals Himself to us in the pages of Scripture.

Tremper Longman, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College and author of Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind

Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle raise the questions we all have about this very critical topic and respond with biblical integrity and a commitment to truth, as well as incredible compassion for people. Erasing Hell is an extremely important and much-needed book.

Dan Kimball, pastor and author of They Like Jesus but Not the Church

Francis holds the fine line between committed biblical faithfulness and a deep compassion for people and refuses to create a false dichotomy between the two. He feels the weight and horror of the reality of hell and yet avoids the error of lapsing into mere humanism, all the while providing a well-reasoned defense for the view of Scripture on the subject. I am so thankful for this book, as will you be.

Britt Merrick, pastor of Reality Santa Barbara

Recent works by evangelicals on the postmortem future(s) of humanity have raised important questions and brought some sobering and uncomfortable issues to the fore. Chan and Sprinkle provide a remarkable service to the church by engaging these issues with courage, clarity, and grace. This book is a model of careful biblical scholarship, providing fresh light from the Jewish context of the New Testament. They also write as pastors seeking to provide wisdom for ministry, enabling the people of God to embody the love of God for the world.

Timothy Gombis, associate professor of New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary

Contents

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Session 7:

Getting Started

Most Christians believe in hell. They believe that hell is a place of never-ending punishment for those who dont love Christ. They believe that its real, that its not a myth, and that many people will go thereeven some of their loved ones.

But few of these same Christians live in light of this belief. In all honesty, much of my own daily routine shows little evidence that I believe in a place of torment called hell. I come into contact with many people throughout my day. Sometimes I speak to thousands of people at a time. But rarely does the reality of hell shape the way I live and speak in any significant way.

I pray that this workbook will help change thisboth in you and in me. So this workbook is intended to do two things:

One: to help you understand what the Bible actually says about hell. Many people have presuppositions about hell, so itll be important to dig into the Bible to see what it actually says. At times this will take hard work, since some passages arent as clear as many people think. To get the most out of this study, you will need to approach each session with a desire to think long and hard through some of these passages. Paul told Timothy to be a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). Ezra set his heart to study the Law of the L ORD (Ezra 7:10). The same zeal to understand what the Bible says is necessary for studying the doctrine of hell.

Two: to help you live differently in light of what the Bible teaches. Ezra didnt just set his heart to study the Law of the L ORD according to the rest of the verse, he studied it in order to do it (Ezra 7:10). Obedience must flow from studying the Bible. This may seem kind of weird in a study of hell . How do we obey this doctrine? But as you will quickly see, the reality of hell has many implications for how we as Christians are to live. Like all doctrines, the biblical teaching on hell is designed to affect not just our minds butmost of allour hearts and lives. After Paul gave his most intense description of hell (2 Thess. 1:510), he turned right around and prayed that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power (2 Thess. 1:11). Obedience should flow from doctrine.