Do you have a problem with the idea of a loving God condemning people to an eternity in hell? Chabwino, you should. Because no-one ever had a bigger problem with this idea than God himself. In this series of articles we will examine Jesus’ teaching on this subject, in an effort to understand the nature of this problem. Have we misunderstood and exaggerated what Jesus said, or have we seriously under-estimated the near-impossibility of eradicating evil without eliminating ourselves?

This is a highly controversial and, in places, speculative subject; and we are not claiming to know all the correct answers. We ask only that you prayerfully weigh the evidence presented, whilst seeking fresh insights into the nature and ways of God that may surprise your current understanding. Space has been included for comments at the end of each chapter: so it is hoped that these will lead in time to further insights from which we may all learn.

The following is a brief summary of the topics covered. We have attempted to organize these so that you can either read them ‘book-fashion’, from beginning to end, or else dive directly into the topics that most interest you.

Click Pano to start at the beginning, kapena pamutu uliwonse uli pansipa:

Kaonedwe ka Anthu

N’zoonekeratu kuti zimene timasankha kukhulupirira zidzakhudza kwambiri mmene timaonera moyo wathu komanso wa anthu ena. M’mitu yoyambilira iyi tiyamba ndi kuona mbali imene moyo wathu waumunthu watithandiza kuti timvetse bwino chiphunzitso cha Baibulo pankhaniyi..

• Kodi Mulungu Akunena Chiyani, kapena Kodi Timaganiza Chiyani?
  Ngati palibe chilungamo chapamwamba, anthu amphamvu angawerengedwe bwanji? Koma ngati alipo, pamenepo tiyenera kuzindikira kuti malingaliro athu aumunthu opereŵera amakhoterera ku tsankhu lalikulu.
• Mbiri Yakale
  Man began by knowing God: but having broken faith he faced death not knowing what would happen next. God promised restoration: but how He would do it remained a mystery.
• Mawu a Yesu
  Pofika nthawi imene Yesu ankabwera, mfundo zina zinali zitakhazikika m’maganizo achiyuda; but their contemporary meanings did not always tally with the explanations that Jesus gave…

Ubale Pakati pa Chikondi ndi Choipa

We humans can also be surprisingly naïve concerning the nature of the relationship between ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ In these chapters we explore the real nature and interrelationships of goodness, chikondi, ufulu, kudzikonda ndi ziphuphu kuti zitithandize kumvetsa chifukwa chake nkhani za makhalidwe abwino zimenezi zili ndi zotsatirapo zazikulu chonchi tikaganizira za umuyaya..

• N’chifukwa chiyani Mulungu ndi Wokhwimitsa zinthu?
  So much is said about Jesus’ love and forgiveness that we often suppose Jesus has a more liberal attitude towards sin than God had in the past. Pamenepo, his standards are much tougher.
• Kutheka kwa chikondi chokakamiza
  No English word has ever been more dangerously devalued than ‘love.’ To ask, ‘Ngati Mulungu ndi wamphamvuyonse, why can’t He make us more loving?’ turns out to be a logical self-contradiction.
• Mtundu Waukali Waukali
  Chifukwa chiyani?, nthawi yopatsidwa, sitingathe kuchita bwino? Don’t most of us really want to simply love and be loved? So why does evil tend to multiply in a downward spiral?

Uthenga wa Yesu

We now take an in-depth look at Jesus’ own descriptions of what will happen when we die and how God will ultimately intervene to put a stop to all the evil in this world.

• Kodi Yesu anali kukokomeza? Aphunzitsi achirabi nthawi zambiri ankakokomeza mwadala kuti afotokoze mfundo. Kodi Yesu sanali kuchita chinthu chomwecho?
• Kodi tikudziwa chiyani mpaka pano?
  Musanapitirire kulingalira za chiphunzitso cha nkhaniyi m'malo ena mu Chipangano Chatsopano, kungakhale kothandiza kufotokoza mwachidule zimene tinganene motsimikizirika pamaziko a chiphunzitso cha Yesu mwiniyo.
• Kuvuta Kumvetsetsa
  Mawu a Yesu mwini, kuphatikizanso mafunso ena osayankhidwa okhudza tanthauzo lake lenileni, kutisiya tikukumana ndi vuto laluntha komanso lamalingaliro kuti timvetsetse ndi kuvomereza uthenga wake.

Dilem ya Mulungu

Palibe amene anali ndi vuto lalikulu ndi lingaliro la kuweruza anthu ku chiwonongeko chamuyaya kuposa Mulungu mwiniyo. M’mitu yomalizirayi tipenda zowawa zopambanitsa zimene Iye wapirira kotero kuti palibe aliyense wa ife amene ayenera kukumana ndi tsoka loterolo..

• Chisoni cha Mulungu
  Ndisanamalize phunziroli ndikufuna kuti tiyese kumvetsetsa momwe Mulungu amaonera zolakwa zomwe tachita..
• Helo kuti apambane?
  Mbiri yakale yadzala ndi mabwinja a zitukuko zomwe kale zinali zazikulu komanso zooneka ngati zosagonjetseka.. Mpaka pano moyo wa munthu wapulumuka. Koma kodi ‘mwayi’ wathu watsala pang’ono kutha?
• Kapena Kumwamba Kulipira?
  We are accustomed to being told that if we fail to “win through” there will be “hell to pay!” But the truth is that we can never win or earn a place in heaven, ziribe kanthu momwe tingayesere.

Zowonjezera

• Zowonjezera A – Nthawi yayitali bwanji Aeon?
  Does eternity ever end?
• Zowonjezera B – Buck Imayima Pomwe?
  How can there be a permanent end to guilt and shame?
• Zowonjezera C – Ndi Imfa Yosatha?
  Can there be any end to a person’s suffering in Hell?
• Zowonjezera D – Tchimo Losakhululukidwa
  What is this, and why is it unforgivable?