Some Thoughts on Gehenna

GEHENNA - is strictly "the valley of Hinnom" (Jos 15:8; Ne 11:30); "the valley of the children of Hinnom" (2Ki 23:10); "the valley of the son of Hinnom" (2Ch 28:3); "the valley of dead bodies," or Tophet, where malefactors' dead bodies were cast, S. of the city (Jer 31:40). A deep narrow glen S. of Jerusalem, where, after Ahaz introduced the worship of the fire gods, the sun, Baal, Moloch, the Jews under Manasseh made their children to pass through the fire (2Ch 33:6), and offered them as burnt offerings (Jer 7:31; 19:2-6). So the godly Josiah defiled the valley, making it a receptacle of carcass and criminals' corpses, in which worms were continually gendering. (Fausset’s Bible Dictionary)

“The LXX does not have γέεννα. Joseph. mentions neither the term nor the matter, probably because he was a Pharisee and thus denied the resurrection of the ungodly (Bell., 3, 374 f.; Ap., 2, 218). Philo does not know the word and uses τάρταρος instead (Exsecr., 152).7...It is significant that the oldest Rabbinic reference to Gehenna (T. Sanh., 13, 3 and par.) tells us that the disciples of Shammai, as distinct from those of Hillel, ascribe to Gehenna a purgatorial as well as a penal character, namely, in the case of the שְׁקוּלִים or בֵּינוֹנִים, i.e., those whose merits and transgressions balance one another. It may be that this conception of a purificatory character of the final fire of judgment underlies such passages as Mk. 9:49; 1 C. 3:13–15; cf. 2 Pt. 3:10." (Kittel TDNT)

The Greek Old Testament, which was completed some 150 years before the Birth of Jesus Christ, does not have the word "gehenna". The Jewish Philosopher, Philo (25 B.C.-A.D.50), never used the word. Nor does the Jewish historian Josephus, who lived just after the death of Jesus (A.D.37-100).

“Intertestamental Period, One product of the development of a concept of the afterlife during the Hellenistic Period was the notion of a fiery judgment (1 En. 10:13; 48:8–10; 100:7–9; 108:4–7; Jdt 16:17; 2 Bar. 85:13), a judgment usually in a fiery lake or abyss (1 En. 18:9–16; 90:24–27; 103:7–8; 2 En. 40:12; 2 Bar. 59:5–12; 1QH 3). The‎ Valley‎ of‎ Hinnom,‎ often ‎referred‎ to‎ simply ‎as‎―the‎ accursed ‎valley or‎―abyss, then‎ came ‎to‎ represent the place of eschatological judgment of the wicked Jews by fire (1 En. 26–27; 54:1–6; 56:1–4; 90:24–27) ...By at least the 1st century C.E. there emerged a metaphorical understanding of Gehenna as the place of judgment by fire for all wicked everywhere (Sib. Or. 1.100–103; 2.283–312). The judgment of the wicked occurred either as a casting of their soul in Gehenna immediately upon death or as a casting of the reunited body and soul into Gehenna after the resurrection and last judgment (2 Esdr 7:26–38; 4 Ezra 7:26–38; Ascen. Is. 4:14–18; cf. Sib. Or. 4.179–91). This understanding divorced Gehenna from its geographical location, but retained its fiery nature. Gehenna had become hell itself” (Anchor BD)

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES

Matthew 5:22, 29, 30

"But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca !' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna... If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna"

Addressed to "His Disciples... He opened his mouth and taught them, saying..." (verses 1-2). Also, "You are the salt of the earth" (v.13), and, "You are the light of the world" (v.14), "Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (v.16), "But I tell you" (v.22). All of which can only have been spoken to those who are "saved", and not to the "unsaved" world.

Matthew 10:28

"Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna"

In verse 1 we read, "He called to Himself His Twelve Disciples". In verse 5, "Jesus sent these Twelve out, and charged them, saying". In verse 16, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves". And verse 20, "For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you". Verse 22, "You will be hated by all men for My Name's sake". None of this can have been spoken to those who are not "believers".

Matthew 18:9

"If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire".

Same language used in Matthew chapter 5, which is clearly addressed to "believers" only. Verse 1 of chapter 18 also shows that these words of Jesus are addressed to His Disciples. "In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven" In verse 8 Jesus uses the term, "eternal fire", which is connected to verse 9.

Matthew 23:15, 33

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of Gehenna as yourselves... You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?"

In these two verses "Gehenna" is used for those who are not "believers".

Mark 9:43, 45, 47

"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire... If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched... If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire"

Like Matthew 5 and 18, the words are addressed to "believers", and not to the "unsaved" world. Mark 9:35 says, "He sat down, and called the Twelve; and He said to them". Verse 50 also is addressed to "the Twelve"; "Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another"

Luke 12:5

"But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him". In verse 1 we read, "He began to tell His Disciples"

Same as Matthew 10:28, which is clearly spoken to Jesus' Disciples.

James 3:6

"And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna"

"Gehenna" is here used with reference to its "fire". The context clearly is "metaphorical", and not "literal", as it is used for "illustration".

The greater majority of times "Gehenna" is used when addressing "believers", as did Jesus when speaking to His Disciples.

My question is, would Jesus have used these warnings/threats when speaking to His Disciples, who were saved, when in fact they could never have ended up in Gehenna, as a place of "eternal torment"?

Does this mean that Gehenna does not necessarily mean "eternal hell fire" in every time it is used? I myself am not altogether sure on how to understand this, and would like some feedback from others, as I believe this is an important subject which must be looked at deeply.