Temporary Hell...?

[WanderingKaiser]

Do Lutherans believe in a temporary Hell?

As in, do Lutherans believe that all non-Christians will go to Hell, be cleansed, and then go to Heaven?

[Studeclunker]

What you are referring to as Temporary Hell is the R.C. doctrine of Pergatory. No, we don't.

Either one is a child of God, saved through the blood of Christ, therefore bound for Heaven, or one is lost and condemned to Hell or Sheol. There is no middle ground.

[Zecryphon]

Do Lutherans believe in a temporary Hell?

As in, do Lutherans believe that all non-Christians will go to Hell, be cleansed, and then go to Heaven?
No, that's universalism and it's a heresy.

[DaRev]

No.

[RevCowboy]

Do Lutherans believe in a temporary Hell?

As in, do Lutherans believe that all non-Christians will go to Hell, be cleansed, and then go to Heaven?

The whole doctrine of purgatory comes from one obscure verse in the book of Maccabees. It talks about people praying for martyrs being burned alive. Somehow this praying for someone as they die turned into the idea that if we pray for the dead, they must be in a place where our praying can release them to heaven.

Since Maccabees is apocryphal we don't hold to purgatory, but if Lutherans did accept the apocrypha a scriptural, I still think we would believe that praying for someone who is dying would be the same as praying for the dead to get our of purgatory.

[DaRev]

Even if Macabees were considered canonical, it would have to be interpreted in the context of Scripture as a whole, which does not support at all the doctrine purgatory.

[BabyLutheran]

I like to think of our earth as temporary hell sometimes.

[porterross]

I like to think of our earth as temporary hell sometimes.


No doubt! Don't we suffer enough while we're here? :D

[DailyBlessings]

Some Lutherans do, particularly in liberal and emergent communities. It isn't the traditional belief of our church, however.

[cerette]

Do Lutherans believe in a temporary Hell?

As in, do Lutherans believe that all non-Christians will go to Hell, be cleansed, and then go to Heaven?
No Lutherans don't believe that because it is not taught in the Bible.
Sounds more like wishful thinking, which is understandable, since the reality of hell is a horrible thing and makes me panic when I think of friends and family who are not believers.

[Melethiel]

That's not even purgatory (RC teaches that only believers who still have uncleansed sin go to purgatory.) That's universalism and is not taught because it's not Scriptural.

[WanderingKaiser]

Thank you for all your answers.