Board index ‹ Heaven and Hell

[DJ Jones]

Was Pontius Pilate condemned to hell? If so, why? Jesus was able to do good(dying for our sins) because PP did something bad (Crucifying Jesus)

I'm not advocating doing bad things, just curious about why he might be punished for doing something that he was destined by fate to do. I feel like there is always a balance to these things: People donate to charities because of a cause, like these hurricanes. I can't seem to think of a situation where people are able to do good things without something bad happening first.

This keeps me awake at night! Sorry if this doesn't make any sense.

[jimwalton]

Your post shows a foundational misunderstanding. No one goes to heaven because they're a good person, and you don't end up in hell because you're a bad person. That's not how it works, and the Bible is very clear about that. Salvation (and therefore heaven) is based on a love relationship with God, submitting to his Lordship, and inviting him to do a miracle in you to change your nature from a sin nature to the nature of Jesus.

The Bible paints human nature as binary, in a sense: you can have only one of two natures. You either have the nature of sin or the nature of Jesus. We are all born with a nature of sin, and each and every one of us is offered the free gift of the nature of Jesus. By turning away from our sins, believing in Jesus, and submitting to His Lordship, we can have the free gift of the nature of Jesus, which is not dependent on our works, our goodness, or anything we do. We merely have to accept his offer of salvation.

There were two occasions where Jesus was asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (i.e., to get into heaven). On those two occasions, Jesus offered his criteria (since we're going to go by Jesus' words):

1. Love God with all that you are.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
3. Do God's will by obeying his moral commands.
4. Be willing, if he asks you, to drop everything and leave it behind to follow him.

It is also said in many places in Scripture that one must "believe" (John 1.13) in Jesus: recognize who He is and put one's faith in him (mental assent plus heart attitude [Matt. 5] plus behavioral obedience [John 14.15]). John also teaches in John 1.12 that one must "receive him."

People go to heaven who have received the nature of Jesus in them, and who live in a love relationship with him. People go to hell who remain in their sin nature and do not accept God's free gift of salvation.

So we can't evaluate PP because he did a "bad thing" (crucifying Christ). Badness has nothing to do with it, and being the prefect at the time has nothing to do with it. Pilate wasn't punished for crucifying Christ (whether he was "destined by fate to do" it is a different conversation, but immaterial in this one). Donating to charities doesn't earn anyone points with God.

We go to heaven if we have the nature of Jesus on the basis of a miracle God did in us (2 Cor. 5.17 and others), and we don't go to heaven if we refuse that free gift and persist in our sin nature. If Pilate went to hell (and we're given no information that leads us to believe that he ever gave his life in commitment to Jesus) it would be because of his remaining in his sin nature, not because he happened to be in charge when Christ was brought to trial.

[DJ Jones]

Okay, I think I get it now! Thanks for the detailed response!