What do you think about fire and brimstone preaching?

[Meowzltov]

Our High Priest preached "the bad news," and so did His Mother in the video I featured. If there is no "bad news," what's the point of the Good News?

It's not that there is nothing bad that can be said. But it's not the gospel (good news).

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

This type of preaching plays up the law and often down-plays or over looks the Gospel.

 

[Dave-W]

Whatever mainstream churches are doing today in the way of evangelism, it don't appear to be working so well. They should think about doing something else.

Agreed. That is why this group of Presbyterian ministers and pastors developed this and other course work - to revitalize their efforts. Here is the description of that particular course:

https://www.prmi.org/program-descriptions/the-dunamis-project/listening-evangelism-dp6

 

[disciple1]

I love it, it is powerful, but it is missing from our Churches today. Why?
The answer to this is deeper than expected and rooted in the enemy's plans. If the enemy can make us forget about him then he has a tactical advantage. If we refuse to acknowledge that we have an enemy that completely hates us and desires our down fall, then he can ambush us. We MUST keep our eyes open and see the movement of the enemy.

Fire and brimstone preaching remind me of all the hypocrites that do it, I once met a pastor that said he didn't sin, he was one of those.
1 John chapter 1 verse 8
If anyone claims to be without sin they deceive themselves and the truth is not in them.
James chapter 2 verse 10
If anyone keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
1 Peter chapter 4 verse 8
Love covers many sins.
I think 1 Peter sums up my beliefs, since no one but Christ ever obeyed the law, and he wasn't a fire and brimstone preacher.

 

[All4Christ]

Fire and brimstone has a different meaning in Eastern Christianity. As St Isaac the Syrian said:

It is totally false to think that the sinners in hell are deprived of God’s love. Love is a child of the knowledge of truth, and is unquestionably given commonly to all. But love’s power acts in two ways: it torments sinners, while at the same time it delights those who have lived in accord with it. (Homily 84)

We aren't separated from God's love upon death - no matter whether we will experience "hell" or "paradise". To experience the full presence of God's love when a person rejects Him is pure torment. To those who love Him, it is pure joy. Nothing, however, can separate us from the Love of God.

 

[dzheremi]

I did not watch the video, as I'm not Roman Catholic so it's not my place to say anything about the visions that their church accepts. All4Christ's view is closest to my own, and that of my Church as far as I have been able to apprehend it. We do preach on subjects of hell and judgment in the Coptic Orthodox Church, but not in the way that is meant to terrify people, but to remind them of how valuable our time is now, as all of the fathers taught that this life is given for repentance.

 

[hedrick]

In the US we currently have quite a range of people. However I think the number of people who are going be helped by fire and brimstone preaching is a lot smaller than it used to be. It was most useful, I think, for those who had a traditional Christian understanding and had become lax. Hence it tended to be associated with revivals.

But today the issue that concerns me the most is people who are falling into agnosticism. Fire and brimstone preaching is probably worse than useless for them, because they don’t find the God it assumes plausible.

We have to find some way to talk about judgement. It was a major theme in Jesus’ preaching. And in some sense it’s good news. We don’t want evil to continue. It needs to be judged. But how?

There’s currently a range of views on judgement, with universalism and conditional immortality being increasingly popular. But even the traditional view is now described more carefully. Fire was surely intended as a symbol. It’s now understood as a symbol of rejection from God’s presence. Whether God will accept a good chunk of his creation as being eternally alienated is itself a question. But even the traditional view is no longer being presented as God torturing people forever. The time when people could conceive of a God of love doing that is largely gone.

 

[All4Christ]

In the US we currently have quite a range of people. However I think the number of people who are going be helped by fire and brimstone preaching is a lot smaller than it used to be. It was most useful, I think, for those who had a traditional Christian understanding and had become lax. Hence it tended to be associated with revivals.

But today the issue that concerns me the most is people who are falling into agnosticism. Fire and brimstone preaching is probably worse than useless for them, because they don’t find the God it assumes plausible.

We have to find some way to talk about judgement. It was a major theme in Jesus’ preaching. And in some sense it’s good news. We don’t want evil to continue. It needs to be judged. But how?

There’s currently a range of views on judgement, with universalism and conditional immortality being increasingly popular. But even the traditional view is now described more carefully. Fire was surely intended as a symbol. It’s now understood as a symbol of rejection from God’s presence. Whether God will accept a good chunk of his creation as being eternally alienated is itself a question. But even the traditional view is no longer being presented as God torturing people forever. The time when people could conceive of a God of love doing that is largely gone.

Do you adhere to a view similar to what I mentioned above?

 

[hedrick]

Do you adhere to a view similar to what I mentioned above?

I think your explanation is a good one from a moderately traditional point of view. What I think is the most likely understanding of the Biblical texts isn't permitted here.

 

[Yarddog]

WARNING: As the name implies, this thread talks about sin and damnation, and possibly one of the most scariest and unpopular doctrines of the Catholic Church!

Below is the video that got me to revert to the Catholic Faith, I highly recommend that everyone watch it!

That part about Wisdom 11:21 is really what got me to revert!

So, yeah fire and brimstone really worked for me! However, it's not that simple, I actually fell away from the faith due to an unhealthy fear of hell, I had a messed up childhood and when I thought about hell, I fell into the sin of despair and thought for sure I was going there, and that eventually led to me falling away. So it was an unhealthy fear of hell that led me away from the faith, but a healthy fear of hell that brought me back!

So what do you think? Does fire and brimstone preaching work? How did it work for you and your faith? And what of think of the Catholic doctrine about hell, sin and damnation (particularly what the Fathers and Doctors of the Church say about Wisdom 11:21? does your denomination hold a similar doctrine?) present in the video above?

I was raised as a Baptist. I didn't have a problem until a fire and brimstone style minister was hired. After listening to that I left.

Years later, after attending the Catholic mass with my 1st wife, I found the great message of love without judgment. This brought me closer and was called into the Catholic Church.

33+ years ago I was baptized as a Catholic.

 

[ViaCrucis]

We are called to preach the Gospel, it is the Gospel that brings people into the Church; it is the Gospel that gives people faith.

"Fire and brimstone" isn't Gospel.

Preaching of the Law is important, but it doesn't bring people to faith; it mortifies the flesh, it terrorizes the conscience ridden by sin--but it doesn't produce faith, not faith in Christ anyway.

If one is interested in keeping people in fear and never hearing the good news of what our God has done for us in and by Christ--then fire and brimstone preaching is a good way to do that. It's certainly a good way to keep people away from Christ as well.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Gnarwhal]

I think it's important to put forth the historic and orthodox position on what hell is, and what can lead a person there. But "fire and brimstone preaching" as we understand it in our American cultural context, is not a very helpful strategy.

My priest has mentioned hell in his homilies before, but it's done in a very pragmatic way. He doesn't gloss over the facts or soften the blows by any means, but he doesn't devote every homily to it either.

Shoot, the Act of Contrition I pray in Confession acknowledges hell, so it's really at the front of our mines quite often in that sense.

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee,
and I detest all my sins because I dread to the lost of heavens and the pains of hell,
But a good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace,
to do penance,
and to amend my life. Amen

 

[Ron Gurley]

OP: Post #1: "Does fire and brimstone preaching work? How did it work for you and your faith? And what of think of the Catholic doctrine about hell, sin and damnation.

A:Q1: Does "fire and brimstone" preaching "work"?
Because it part of the "word of God", He can use it to DRAW mankind to Him. The various words translated "HELL" and Revelation's "lake of fire" = same and represent a spiritual realm eternally separated from God and His heavenly realm which is eternally in the spiritual presence of the TRI-UNE GOD + angels + saved believers.

Here are a few vivid verses:

Revelation 19:20 [ Doom of the Beast (anti-christ) and False Prophet (anti-spirit) ]
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence,
by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the "lake of fire" which burns with brimstone.

Revelation 20:10
And the devil (satan/dragon/serpent) who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (not annihilated!)

Revelation 20:14-15
Then death and Hades (2 metaphors) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.(UNbeleivers)

SEE ALSO: "furnace of fire"

Matthew 13:50
and will throw them (tares=unbelievers) into the furnace of fire;
in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

[Ron Gurley]

B.Q2: How did it work for you and your faith?

There many denominations, many sermons, many evangelists...who use FEAR as a tool. The Bible teaches reverential awe of God who does not want to "scare" Mankind...Warn = YES!...Frighten = NO!

 

[Ron Gurley]

C.Q3: "And what (do you) think of the Catholic doctrine about hell, sin and damnation.

Please teach us all that stuff! And THEN I will tell you what I "think" !

I note that of the 7 RCC Sacraments, 5 of them deal with sin/sin(s)/sin nature (aka "original sin")