Does the ELCA Believe in Hell?

2/12/2014

(by Pastor Tom Brock)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's official magazine The Lutheran has printed more than one article poo-pooing the idea of hell.

This week on the ELCA's website, they ask two pastors that question. Looks like the first one says "Who knows, but because of grace we probably shouldn't", whereas the second one says "Yes."

Here are their responses:

Monica: .... I don’t know that the ELCA has an “official” theological position on heaven or hell other than the Lutheran church affirms the power of the resurrection for eternal life. We also affirm in the Apostles’ Creed that Jesus himself descended into hell (death) and on the third day he rose and ascended into heaven. Luther’s Small Catechism speaks of Christ’s descent into hell not for the purpose of suffering but to proclaim victory over death and enemies. Christ’s ascent into heaven shows God’s will for life. Not even death by crucifixion can keep God’s love from shining in the darkness of our world.

Brian: I think it's fair to say that the ELCA’s “official” position is that heaven and hell exist. It would be impossible to go much further in articulating any description of either. Even the Bible doesn’t offer a single clear description or definition of either.

Add to this that many professors at ELCA seminaries are universalists (the teaching that all people will be saved, regardless of faith in Christ) and you get a mixed bag. But I think it is safe to say many ELCA professors and pastors do not believe in eternal punishment for those who reject Christ.

The problem is that when one becomes a pastor in the ELCA, one makes an oath to uphold the teaching of the Scriptures, the Creeds and the Lutheran Confessions--all of which teach the reality of hell. Jesus taught hell on a number of occasions, that should settle it. But sadly, not in the ELCA.

(link to the ELCA article here)

7 Comments

Janet Muldoon

2/13/2014 05:22:10 am

If it is believed that every one who dies goes to heaven, there is not need to believe that hell exists. However, we are not to be the judge of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. That role is for God alone. He will come to judge the living and the dead. That is my take on it.

Gerald Wendt

2/14/2014 06:17:17 am

If everyone goes to heaven, regardless of the individual's moral character, how would this "heaven" populated by unrestrained scoundrels and criminals be any different from hell?

Chuck Braun

2/24/2014 10:11:19 am

Hold on, folks. There are some very kind atheists whom I know, who are headed for eternal punishment. And there are Christians whom I know, who struggle with anger management issues. We're all scoundrels, sinners by nature. Only those trusting in Christ, covered by His Righteousness, by His grace alone, shall be saved. All our personal righteousness, all our good deeds, are tainted with sin.

As hard as it is to accept the fact that a loving God would have to consign many people to eternal punishment, I suppose that I'd rather face my earthly father's wrath apart from him than in his presence. In like fashion, I believe that, were it possible for a person in hell to be transported to heaven, that they would flee from the presence of God and return to hell, since His wrath would be more keenly felt in His holy Presence than in the eternal outer darkness. But I believe that God will punish fairly. And I believe that if Satan were in charge of hell, it would be much worse.

But make no mistake, hell is real and eternal punishment. Jesus said so, and I dare not question Him. For any church leaders to dismiss the doctrine of hell, to do so is to call God a liar. And that's taking the side of the serpent...

3/8/2014 06:57:13 am

But the Bible tells us that in heaven, thieves do NOT break in and steal (Matthew 6:20).

The Rev. George T. Rahn

3/15/2014 01:09:23 pm

From The Gospel of St. John 5: Jesus says, "...for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
[29] and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment."

Scott Nix

11/19/2017 04:15:20 am

I am a member as well as Council member and Vice President of a small Lutheran Church in the upstate area of SC presently a member congregation of the ELCA. I am extremely concerned over the direction that the ELCA appears to be moving, one more towards worldliness and away from Christ-centered, biblically sound theology and teaching in line with the truth of the Gospel, the good news initiated by the Father, completed fully in Christ and in Christ alone, and spread throughout the world by the leading of the Holy Spirt moving and working in and through all belonging to Jesus Christ all for the glory of our triune God. Salvation is not of any human work but divinely given by God’s great mercy and grace through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. God’s gracious gift of salvation, forgiveness of sin, declaration of righteousness, justification and redemption is realized in the life of a Christian though faith alone in the One who saves, Christ Jesus our Lord by unmerited grace.

Within the ELCA, I am seeing the truth of God’s Word consistently being undermined and watered down for fear of offending rather than adhering to Truth and teaching that Truth in love. I cannot sit quietly any longer and be complicit to blatant and egregious mishandling of the most important message needing to be heard and seen in our world today and through all eternity, God’s love for a fallen humanity shown through grace unearned and unmerited by any human means in and through Jesus Christ and that the justice demanded of a Holy God was also fully satisfied in and through Jesus Christ and divinely imparted to us as a gift of God. While we have been made free from the bondage of sin, that is not of our work but that of God. In our humanity, even as His children we continue to fall short in this life as God continues to forgive us and sanctify us anew each day. However, let it never be thought that sin is ok. I may be very wrong, but more and more this seems to be the intended message the ELCA wants to promote, that sin is indeed ok. I acknowledge that I am and always will be a sinner saved by grace and will remain both saint and sinner in my humanity and until made into the perfect likeness of Christ when God calls me home exchanging mortality for immortality by the will and power of Christ. But, I cannot and will not accept teaching in the name of Christ wherever it may occur that sin is ok. The judgement for my sin and God’s full wrath for my sin, what I deserved, was removed from me by God and willingly and purposely taken by my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ so that I may know true life. That is too precious a gift from God to be minimized as I see happening within the ELCA.

Ted Scheuermann

1/21/2019 01:59:01 pm

Yes, brother, I share your concern. I was involved at many levels in several ELCA churches for almost 20 years. I finally left the ELCA in February of last year.
My concerns are two fold. The first is very well covered by your statement above. The second regards the presumptive nature of membership in the ELCA. One needs not be a real follower of Christ to become a member. Possibly not even being aware of what being a Follower of Jesus Christ is, one can simply say yes at the altar and be received into membership.I have had occasion to ask fundamental questions regarding Jesus of fellow members and discovered that they were painfully ignorant of even basic Gospel knowledge. Membership, numbers, are what are important.
Currently a group of ELCA churches in my area have begun a program on Friday early evenings called, "Coffee and Jesus for the Busy Woman." I suppose we have come to the sad place where we need to "squeeze" Jesus into our busy lives. FYI, these groups are 90 minutes long,
Having read much about Luther's desires for the church that sprung from his initiation of the Reformation, I can only feel sad and heart-sick for the church that bears his name.

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Does the ELCA Believe in Hell?

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