What is the Calvinist/Reformed solution to the Problem of Hell?

Question

How could a loving and just God condemn people to eternal conscious torment, a punishment that seems disproportionate to any finite sins committed in a limited human lifetime? If God desires all to be saved, why would He create souls knowing they would end up suffering forever, and why make salvation dependent on beliefs that many people never have a fair chance to accept? How can eternal damnation be reconciled with perfect divine justice when humans have such limited knowledge, varied cultural contexts, and finite lifespans to make the right choices? What kind of loving parent would allow their children to suffer eternally when they have the power to save them, and how could any finite sins warrant infinite punishment?

Answer 1

This article from a Reformed perspective addresses some of the questions: Universalism and The Reality of Eternal Punishment: The Justice and Mercy of God.

A good starting point is Romans. It is true that people have varying amounts of knowledge of God’s ways, but Romans says that all people are given, through nature, sufficient knowledge.

As to the extreme degree of punishment, your logic is backwards. Instead of looking at our crimes and saying by our logic eternal punishment is too harsh, we must flip it around. God is all knowing and superior at logic, as well as being just. If he sets the punishment as eternal torment, then our sins must be worse than we can imagine. Remember, the cost of our sin includes the crucifixion of His infinitely beloved Son. Just try weighing that in the scales of justice.

Answer 2

Hell is only a problem to those who try to justify before God their actions (which includes sinful actions). Hell is a problem to those who consider their sin to be 'finite', despite the fact that their infinite Creator disagrees with that view. Hell is a problem to those who think they can 'balance' the scales of justice in their favour by doing more 'good' deeds than 'bad' deeds. Hell is only a problem to sinners who try to make light of their sin, disagreeing with God's righteous verdict.

Hell is not a problem to 'Calvinists' / Reformed Protestants because they have come to agree with the just punishment God will render to all who obstinately refuse to repent before him, for their many sins. They have humbly repented, agreeing that even their deeds which are viewed from the human perspective as 'righteous' are actually as filthy rags in God's holy sight (Isaiah 64:6). They recognise that they deserve hell for their myriad offenses against their Creator, but that God has gracious provided the way of total pardon, undeservedly so, and have put faith in that wonderful gift of grace.

They are no longer stubborn children, refusing to take parental counsel to save themselves grief, blaming their parents for what is actually their own foolishness. They have learned that salvation has nothing to do with "limited knowledge, varied cultural contexts, and finite lifespans to make the right choices". It has to do with believing God who says, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22). But some refuse to even look to God.

Hell is not a problem for 'Calvinists' / Reformed Protestants, because those who want God to judge them on the basis of their own merit, and supposed righteousness, will be so judged, and found guilty. That's because nobody can merit God's free pardon. But pride causes many to insist that they have to do something to complete what they think is a transaction, an offer, which God cannot complete: he is waiting helplessly for people to accept an offer. Oh, really?

Calvinists / Reformed Protestants know from the Bible that salvation from sin, death and hell was wrought and completed by what Jesus did. Salvation is all of God, so that nobody can say they contributed towards it, or deserved it to some degree. Pride is a great sin, which is why the Bible is clear that our works will not save us, for if they could, we would boast in our works, but all the glory has to go to God (Ephesians 2:9). Hell is not a problem for us, for we know God has saved us from the curse of sin, which results in hell - and we simply point others to Christ, what he has done, that they might trust in his finished work on the cross, and be freely pardoned because Christ bore our punishment, in our stead. Salvation is not dependent on having to believe a set of doctrines; it is about putting faith in Christ.

The bottom line is this: "Christ Jesus came to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:5). But if you don't think you are a sinner, or that your sins are transient, fleeting, and not all that bad, really... then Christ will not save you. Only those who are cut to their hearts at their sins, will come to Christ. The Holy Spirit brings people to that conviction of sin.

EDIT: Due to many comments re. my answer, which I did not see until the suggestion was made that they all be moved to Chat, I just want to thank everyone for their comments. I will not respond as I'm not here to get into 'Chat', nor to defend myself, plus some comments are going off-topic now. Many of those points have already been asked about, and answered on this site. I appreciate all interest shown, however.

Answer 3

I will solely address the issue of Calvinism, as it seems none of the other answers (as of writing this) do. Likely because it is indefensible.

I however must say that I believe strict calvinism is heresy. I will do my best to answer as to their perspective on this subject. This includes considering hell as a kind of "place" and at the end... well you will see.

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Historical context

So, the reformation happened because the Catholics were doing some shady dealings and many disagreed with those practices. They rightly pointed out that only God forgives sins, and that selling forgiveness was wrong. Out of this environment John Calvin arose.

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Related Calvinist doctrine

John Calvin was a prolific writer who composed the first set of New Testament Bible commentaries. Calvin looked at Biblical terms like predestination, election, chosen, called and foreknew and interpreted these verses to mean that somewhere in eternity past God elected, or predestined, some people to go to Heaven and some to go to Hell. Individuals had no say-so in the matter of their eternal destiny.

I will not go into great detail about the fundamental pillars of this, but if you want to review it the acronym is TULIP.

The important ones for this question are L and P.

• Limited atonement
• Perseverance of the Saints

Basically God has only deigned to save some people and because God's will is impossible to be stopped anyone who is destined to be saved remains saved and will never fall.

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What does that mean?

The only reason some are in heaven and some are in hell, is because it pleased God for them to be there.

A consistent Calvinist believes that God actively predestined some to hell (as Calvin does) or he did so by choosing not to offer what would have surely delivered them from hell to heaven, which is unconditional election and selective regeneration. This reality is the product of God's wish, pleasure, and counsel.

that God by his eternal and immutable counsel determined once for all those whom it was his pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, it was his pleasure to doom to destruction. We maintain that this counsel, as regards the elect, is founded on his free mercy, without any respect to human worth, while those whom he dooms to destruction are excluded from access to life by a just and blameless, but at the same time incomprehensible judgment. (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol. 2, bk. 3, chap. 21, sec. 7)

Calvin classifies God’s good pleasure to doom this innumerable group of people, whom he created, to such a ghastly and unalterable fate, which he did not have to choose, as "incomprehensible judgment."

Article 15: What peculiarly tends to illustrate and recommend to us the eternal and unmerited grace of election, is the express testimony of sacred Scripture, that not all, but some only are elected, while others are passed by in the eternal election of God; whom God, out of his sovereign, most just, irreprehensible and unchangeable good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common misery into which they have willfully plunged themselves, and not to bestow upon them saving faith and the grace of conversion; but leaving them in his just judgment to follow their own ways, at last for the declaration of his justice, to condemn and punish them forever, not only on account of their unbelief, but also for all their other sins. And this is the decree of reprobation which by no means makes God the author of sin (the very thought of which is blasphemy), but declares him to be an awful, irreprehensible, and righteous judge and avenger thereof. (Canons of Dordt. FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination)

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Thought experiment: Afterlife and Eternity

The thought experiment worth considering now is... fast forward to the afterlife. The elect holy gazing from heaven into hell at the endless masses enduring unimaginable, unquenchable, unparalleled agony and torment. One of the elect exclaims "God is Holy" and all of the elect immediately roar amen and hallelujah. Regardless of redeemed or damned, God's perfect and unlimited righteousness and holiness are irrefutably evident.

One of them then proclaims "God is love"... but who would look from heaven at those who had 0% of a chance to avoid their fate and believe it? Who would see the evidence in front of them and believe in the clearly arbitrary, whimsical, uneven love of God? (That is assuming they have free will to contemplate such a blasphemy)

While God clearly dealt with the elect and the damned in holiness, and the elect in love, it is impossible to truthfully say God dealt with the damned, the reprobate, in perfect love, salvific love. Seeking to explain how God is perfect love and yet withholds his salvific love from those he created and predetermined for eternal torment... is something Calvinism cannot do.

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Short and direct answers.

How could a loving and just God condemn people to eternal conscious torment, a punishment that seems disproportionate to any finite sins committed in a limited human lifetime?

• Those in hell deserve it! We do not understand how bad sin is.

If God desires all to be saved, why would He create souls knowing they would end up suffering forever, and why make salvation dependent on beliefs that many people never have a fair chance to accept?

• This is a mystery, we do not comprehend God's judgement.

How can eternal damnation be reconciled with perfect divine justice when humans have such limited knowledge, varied cultural contexts, and finite lifespans to make the right choices?

• God did not elect them to be saved, they did not receive the selective salvation of God. Just as in the old testament only some were the chosen people of God.

What kind of loving parent would allow their children to suffer eternally when they have the power to save them, and how could any finite sins warrant infinite punishment?

• This is something we cannot comprehend, God's judgement is holy, perfect and incomprehensible.

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I will here omit many of the fictions which foolish men have devised to overthrow predestination. There is no need of refuting objections which the moment they are produced abundantly betray their hollowness. I will dwell only on those points which either form the subject of dispute among the learned, or may occasion any difficulty to the simple, or may be employed by impiety as specious pretexts for assailing the justice of God. -John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Section 21 closing statement)

Answer 4

First of all we don’t understand the magnitude of our sins against God because we don’t understand the magnitude of God’s holiness. Our sins aren’t small—they’re infinitely sinful. See the parable of the unmerciful servant for biblical support for this idea, along with Romans 3:

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!e 23Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.f 25Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned. 26Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.

(Matthew 18:21-27)

Note that the ten thousand talents was a sum of money estimated to be worth at least millions if not billions or more in USD today—an infinite sum!

9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”c 13“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”d “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”e 14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”f 15“Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery lie in their wake, 17and the way of peace they have not known.”g 18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”h 19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. Righteousness through Faith in Christ
> (Philippians 3:1–11) 21But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25God presented Him as the atoning sacrificei through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

(Romans 3:9-26)

Also see Romans 9 for Paul’s Spirit-inspired answer to this question about God’s right to make people as he chooses and still judge them:

19One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?” 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”h 21Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use? 22What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction? 23What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory— 24including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

(Romans 9:19-24)

This isn’t a matter of one theology or another, but of Scripture. We err greatly when we make God out to be only loving or only holy, just, and judging. God is all of these to a degree far beyond limit or our understanding. I understand that the idea of eternal punishment, of some being eternally lost makes us uncomfortable. And it should! But this should drive us to witness to and pray for the lost and to serve the church in its mission to the lost, not deny the truth! But to deny the truth of Scripture that there is eternal punishment and there are those who unfortunately will justly receive it is to make God a liar because this doctrine is throughout Scripture. God is love, but God is also holy and just and righteous. Consider God’s declared name to Moses or the words in Jeremiah of how were to boast:

5And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD. 6Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, 7maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations,a forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshiped.

(Exodus 34:5-8)

23This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. 24But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD,d who exercises loving devotion,e justice and righteousness on the earth— for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

(Jeremiah 9:23-24)

In response to a comment, Evangelicals absolutely have the answer for this question because it’s in the Bible as noted above. We may not like the message in our own human understanding. We may want it not to be there in our sinful weakness. But it’s there by God’s sovereign wisdom. Will we fully comprehend the answer in our minds in this life? No, no more than Peter and the other core disciples comprehended how Jesus’ command to “eat his flesh and drink his blood” could be true and good, yet unlike his other disciples they didn’t rely on their understanding and leave him, they trusted, proclaiming him to have the words of life and staying with and in him (see John 6:22-66)! They did what Proverbs 3:5-6 (“5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight”) tells us to do, the opposite of what Eve did in the garden, deceived by Satan:

1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ” 2The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden,3but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. 5“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

(Genesis 3:1-6)

Eve was deceived into trusting Satan’s false accusation against God when it sounded good and true to her in her own understanding rather than trust the God whom she knew and walked in the garden with, who made her. We can likewise be deceived.

At the end of the day will we trust God at his word, believe him, and worship him in faith, including faith in his character and goodness, or reject his word and along with it him? The choice is ours. And so is the consequence whatever we choose.