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Erasing Hell
by Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle
Reviewed by Dale Lewis
"More about eternal destinies than theological doctrine alone, Erasing Hell pushes beyond an academic approach to this easily ignored topic."
With a humble respect
for God’s Word, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle tackle the tough
questions we all have about eternal destiny . . . but would rather not
have answered because denial or ignorance works better for most people.
Erasing Hell is a direct response to Rob Bell's Love Wins. I have chosen
not to read Bell’s thesis regarding Hell at this point but may reconsider
that later. Chan and Sprinkle refer to the former work more than often,
addressing with concerted care the significant issues raised in its pages.
Reading Erasing Hell, you will be challenged by the authentic transparency
and passionate conviction the authors bring to the table. More about eternal
destinies than theological doctrine alone, Erasing Hell pushes beyond an
academic approach to this easily ignored topic. I will certainly continue
to wrestle with what I believe about hell . . . and what that means practically
as l live life each day.
Moving succinctly from “What Jesus actually said about Hell” to “What
Jesus Followers said about Hell” in the middle is both fascinating
and factual. The bibliography and footnotes are rock solid. Reading the
footnotes is necessary and helpful to absorb the full context of the content.
Sprinkle is one of the young New Testament scholars worth keeping an eye
on in the immediate future.
In one of the best chapters in the book, “What does This Have to
Do with Me?” Chan shoots straight from the hip. He pulls himself
from further dissection of the scriptures choosing to pen only his raw
and transparent thoughts on this study of Hell. It is an authentic, no-holds-barred
exhortation to the church.
Chan and Sprinkle’s consistent return to the questions, “Do
you want to love a God who would do this?” and “Could you love
a God like this?” are such poignant reminders that we are the clay
and He alone is the potter. To question a God whose ways and intellect
are beyond our finiteness is an exercise in futility to say the least.
In Chan’s own words, “It’s time to stop apologizing for
Him and start apologizing to Him.”
My personal preference is the publisher wouldn’t have put an excerpt
from Forgotten God at the end of the book. It seems to take away from the
other content. The promotional one page ad would have been enough. I also
would have appreciated a few pages of discussion questions.
Urgent pleas for repentance permeate Chan and Sprinkle’s tone and
approach to the impending judgment. It is refreshing to read from authors
who believe, "while hell can be a paralyzing doctrine, it can also
be an energizing one, for it magnifies the beauty of the cross."
There may be some hesitation in picking up a copy. You may wonder if you’re
spending too much time thinking about hell and neglecting other “important” areas
in your faith walk. Don’t worry because there will be plenty of "Oh
yeah . . ." moments as you are reading Erasing Hell.
