Pastor Q&A
Our pastor has addressed some commonly asked questions with Bible based proof. We have a weekly question as well as other questions for you to examine.
Why Does God Send People to Hell?
It may surprise you, but nowhere in Scripture does it say that God sends people to hell. Jesus did say, “… fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Jesus did teach that God has the power of eternal destruction on a soul; but He nowhere taught that God sends people to hell.
God desires men to live and be forgiven. In fact, “… As I live, saith the LORD GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die …” (Ezekiel 33:11).
Furthermore, Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Some say that Romans 9:22 teaches otherwise – God does send people to hell. But listen to the verse they use: “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.”
Their error can be found in the phrase “fitted to destruction.” They commit two grave errors with this phrase: first, they take out of context vv. 1-29; and second, they misinterpret the phrase. Their position is that God has determined to send some to hell – they are fitted for it. But that is not what that phrase means at all.
The phrase “fitted to destruction” means they “are ripe for destruction because of their own actions.” Scholars of the Greek language tell us that the verb here is passive and God isn’t even in on it. These people are fitted to destruction because of their own rejection of the truth.
One writer said it like this, “God accepts the responsibility of salvation and gives man all the responsibility of damnation. Always in Scripture that’s man’s responsibility.”
I think Jesus said it best:
“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40).
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not” (Luke 13:34).
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:18-21).
It isn’t God sending people to hell; man does that himself. When men refuse Jesus Christ they are sending themselves to hell.
Jerry W. Arnold
All Rights Reserved - Free for Personal Use
Posted: 08/09/2026
Jesus did teach that God has the power of eternal destruction on a soul; but He nowhere taught that God sends people to hell.
God desires men to live and be forgiven. In fact, “… As I live, saith the LORD GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die …” (Ezekiel 33:11).
Furthermore, Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Some say that Romans 9:22 teaches otherwise – God does send people to hell. But listen to the verse they use: “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.”
Their error can be found in the phrase “fitted to destruction.” They commit two grave errors with this phrase: first, they take out of context vv. 1-29; and second, they misinterpret the phrase. Their position is that God has determined to send some to hell – they are fitted for it. But that is not what that phrase means at all.
The phrase “fitted to destruction” means they “are ripe for destruction because of their own actions.” Scholars of the Greek language tell us that the verb here is passive and God isn’t even in on it. These people are fitted to destruction because of their own rejection of the truth.
One writer said it like this, “God accepts the responsibility of salvation and gives man all the responsibility of damnation. Always in Scripture that’s man’s responsibility.”
I think Jesus said it best:
“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40).
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not” (Luke 13:34).
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:18-21).
It isn’t God sending people to hell; man does that himself. When men refuse Jesus Christ they are sending themselves to hell.
Jerry W. Arnold
All Rights Reserved - Free for Personal Use
Posted: 08/09/2026
Other Questions to Investigate and Print:
| Are Jesus and Satan Brothers? |
| Are Miracles a Norm for Today? |
| Are We Basically Good? |
| Are We Missing the Mark When it Comes to Righteousness? |
| Are We Silencing God |
| Are We Too Emotional? |
| Can Anger Destroy Us? |
| Can My Christian Growth Seem Dormant? |
| Can the Ungodly Be Justified? |
| Can We Call God Our Father? |
| Can We Really Overcome Temptation? |
| Can Women be Leaders in the Choir? |
| Did the Pharisees Blaspheme? |
| Does Doctrine Matter? |
| Do All Religions Lead to God? |
| Do We Need to Defend God's Honor? |
| Does God Hate? |
| How Can I Grow Spiritually? |
| How do I Avoid Sinning When Angry? |
| How Do I Deal With Depression? |
| How do I Teach my Family the Things that will Benefit them the Most? |
| How Do I Live By Faith? |
| How Do the Gospels Compare Christ's Resurrection? |
| How Do You Build a Strong Marriage? |
| How Do You Honor Your Wife? |
| How Do We Cope With Worry? |
| Is Compassion a Thing of the Past? |
| Is Contentment Possible? |
| Is Jealousy Really That Bad? |
| Is Jesus Christ God? |
| Is Presumption a Sin? |
| Is Reincarnation Real? |
| Is the Supernatural Real? |
| Is Tradition the Same as Truth? |
| Is Purgatory a Biblical Doctrine? |
| The Many Religions: Do All Religions Lead to God? |
| Was Jesus Really Dead? |
| What Are the Marks of a True Church? |
| What Causes Church Division? |
| What Do We Do About Our Sins? |
| What Does the Bible Say About Cremation? |
| What Is Discernment? |
| What Happened to the Dinosaurs? |
| What is Evil? |
| What Is Evolutionary Atheism? |
| What Is God's Will For My Life? |
| What Is Idolatry? |
| What is Heresy? |
| What Is Love? |
| What is Pretribulational? |
| What is Saving Faith (Part 1) |
| What is Saving Faith (Part 2) |
| What is Saving Faith (Part 3) |
| What is the Fatal Flaw of Evolution? |
| What Is the Final Test of Truth? |
| What Should We Teach Our Children? |
| What is the Real Meaning of Christmas? |
| What Makes Jesus Unique? |
| What Should My Priority Be as a Christian? |
| What Was the Nature of Jesus' Resurrection Body |
| Who Does God Use and In Whom Is God Well Pleased? |
| Who Shall Have the Authority? |
| Why Am I Here? |
| Why Do We Go to Church? |
| Why Do We Pray? |
| Why Does God Send People to Hell? |
| Why Does the World Hate the Church? |
| Why Is Prayer Difficult? |