Theological term
Retribution
3 sermons · All terms
Ask FGBC #36: Is Hell Eternal?
The eternal duration of hell is defended from Scripture and theology against the common objection that finite creatures cannot deserve infinite punishment. The Greek word for 'eternal' is the same in 'eternal life' and 'eternal death,' establishing the symmetry of the two destinies. The objection that a finite sinner cannot warrant eternal punishment is answered by the infinite dignity of the God sinned against: sin is transgression against divine majesty, and the measure of punishment is calibrated to the offended party, not the offending creature. The doctrine calls the church to evangelism and the unbeliever to reckon seriously with the implications of unbelief.
Genesis 30:25-31:21
Genesis 30:25–31:21 narrates Jacob's negotiation with Laban over wages, his departure from Haran, and his flight toward Canaan after twenty years of servitude. The central question the passage presses is whether Jacob's prosperity arose from his own shrewdness or from the sovereign God of the covenant — and the narrative answers decisively in favor of divine providence, paralleling the earlier mandrakes episode in chapter 30 and anticipating the Exodus. The sermon traces Jacob's spiritual maturity, the covenantal logic that ties the Abrahamic land-and-seed promise to this one family's preservation, and God's faithfulness to His people in both prosperity and affliction.
Capital Punishment, Part 2
Capital punishment is examined through Scripture, addressing both biblical and pragmatic objections to the state's God-ordained authority to execute criminal offenders. Drawing on Genesis 9:6, Romans 13:1–4, and several New Testament texts, the study demonstrates that the sixth commandment prohibits murder — not all killing — and that covenant theology maintains continuity between the Testaments on this point. Matthew 5:38–42 and John 8 are answered in turn, showing that neither the call to personal forbearance nor Christ's compassion toward the adulterous woman overturns the civil magistrate's duty to execute justice. Christians are called to govern their interpersonal relationships by a spirit of longsuffering while trusting God-appointed authorities to bear the sword faithfully.