The Punishment of Sin in Hell

When we speak of heaven and hell, we should not speak in generalities, but in as much detail as the Scriptures allow, including those of good and necessary consequence (Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6; cf. Matthew 22:32). This is precisely what Goodwin does in his treatment of the punishment of sin in hell. Preachers may refer to the horrors of hell or the happiness of heaven in a sermon, but with little effect because they do not explain why hell will be so horrible and heaven will be so happy. The idea that hell is simply “separation from God” is misleading and wrong. Readers will quickly notice how Goodwin's work corrects such a misunderstanding. What Goodwin shows is the opposite of “mere separation.” Hell is a place where God-hating sinners, who have no mediator, remain in the presence of a holy, righteous, and mighty God, who is, according to Goodwin, “the immediate inflictor of that punishment or destruction of the souls of men in hell.”

- Mark Jones
Pastor of Faith Vancouver Presbyterian Church