Does burning in hell mean burning bodily or spiritually?

Burning in hell is a metaphor used to describe the spiritual suffering that can occur when a person is separated from God. It does not refer to a literal burning of the body, but rather an intense spiritual suffering.

The Bible speaks of hell as a place of “unquenchable fire” (Mark 9:43) and “eternal fire” (Matthew 25:41). However, the Bible also speaks of hell as a place of “eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46) and “eternal destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). These descriptions suggest that the suffering of hell is spiritual rather than physical.

Theologians have long argued that the fire of hell is metaphorical rather than literal. They point to Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), which speaks of the rich man being in “torments in Hades”, yet does not mention any physical burning. This parable suggests that the suffering of hell is spiritual rather than physical.

In addition, the Bible speaks of hell as a place of “darkness” (Matthew 8:12), “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12), and “eternal separation from God” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). These descriptions suggest that the suffering of hell is spiritual rather than physical.

In conclusion, burning in hell does not refer to a literal burning of the body, but rather an intense spiritual suffering. The Bible speaks of hell as a place of “unquenchable fire” and “eternal fire”, yet also speaks of it as a place of “eternal punishment” and “eternal destruction”. Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus suggests that the suffering of hell is spiritual rather than physical. The Bible also speaks of hell as a place of “darkness”, “weeping and gnashing of teeth”, and “eternal separation from God”. All of these descriptions point to the fact that burning in hell means burning spiritually, not bodily.