Question 80: What are the words for “grave” in Hebrew and Greek? Does the Hebrew word “Sheol” or the Greek word “Hades” ever mean the grave?
Answer: You do not need to be a Hebrew or Greek scholar to perceive the modern infidelity about a place of punishment. Any English reader may see in such a book as “Dr. Young’s Analytical Concordance”, that the Hebrew word “qeber” or “qeburah”, means “grave”, “tomb”, or “sepulcher”, and that the translators have improperly translated “Sheol” as meaning the grave in the following scriptures: Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31; 1 Sam. 2:6; 1 Kings 2:6, 9; Job 7:9; 14:13; 17:13; 21:13; 24:19; Psa. 6:5; 30:3; 31:17; 49:14, 15; 88:3; 89:48; 141:7; Prov. 1:12; 30:16; Eccl. 9:10; Sol. 8:6; Isa. 14:11; 38:10,18; Ezek. 31:15; Hos. 13:14.
The Greek word for “grave” is “mnema” or “mnemeion”. 1 Corinthians 15:55 is “hades,” not “grave.”
“Sheol” or “Hades” mean the unseen state in every place where either word occurs. The unseen state is the separation of the soul from the body, without determining where; but Scripture shows that the body is in the grave, and that the soul or spirit is either in bliss or woe. When the Lord Jesus died, He commended His Spirit to His Father, so that He was absent from the body, present with the Father; and the saved thief was absent from the body and present with the Lord who had saved him; and this is paradise, the garden of delights, not a prison underneath the earth, but in heaven above (2 Cor. 12:2,4).
The Lord Jesus did not go into any prison to preach, or to free captives when He was dead. He was for the time in death, but could not be holden of it (Acts 2:24).
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), the body goes into the grave; Lazarus is seen in the place of bliss (Abraham’s bosom is that to the Jews): the rich man is in torments; both are in the unseen state.
We do not speak now of either the wicked who die without Christ, or the Christian, washed in the blood of Christ, as being in Hades; for the truth enables us to speak with certainty of those who are lost as awaiting judgment, while the Christian is with Christ, which is “far better” than being here; but he is still waiting for Christ’s coming, when he will receive his body, glorified with Christ — glory belongs to the body.
“Hell” is “Hades” — the unseen — in Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27,31; Revelation 1:18;6:8; 20:13-14.
“Hell” is “Gehenna” — the place of suffering — in Matthew 5:22,29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43, 45,47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6.
“Hell” is Tartaroo” — the prison, awaiting the judgment (2 Peter 2:4).
Question 81: What is the difference between brotherly kindness and charity, rendered in the New Translation “brotherly love” and “love”? N. F. C.
Answer: Brotherly love is a precious fruit of grace. It has Christians in view, because they belong to the Lord. When genuine and pure, it flows from grace.
It is apt to avoid all that is painful to its objects, not to mar the mutual pleasantness of intercourse, and thus make them the measure of its conduct. If love of the brethren is our first object, we are apt to conform to them. We are therefore enjoined to put on love, which is the bond of perfectness (Col. 3:14). In 2 Peter 1:7, we have, “In brotherly love, love.” This love will cause genuine brotherly love, but it brings in God — love is His nature. “Hereby know we that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:2). This love is exercised as in the presence of God, and therefore rejects what is inconsistent with His presence. It is the spirit of love working, but the Spirit of God — the Spirit of truth — is the power, and therefore rejects and rebukes what is against the truth. It rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
If our brotherly love is not springing from this fountain, it easily sinks down to natural kindness, so that man may be given the prominent place instead of God, and evil, that should be rebuked, may be covered up for peace’s sake. Love gives to God what rightly belongs to Him, for it is the activity of His nature. His love was shown at the cross in judging evil. Christ bore the judgment for our sins.
There can be no true love in indifference to evil, yet it covers a multitude of sins, for it goes after the one who is gone astray or is in danger of going astray, and by its activity the sins never come to view. We should not be careless about sin, nor should we be careless about our brother’s real good.
Divine love abhors evil, but rises over it, dealing with it in needed chastisement. Our brotherly love should flow from divine love having its true place in our hearts.