Paradise and Hell According to Orthodox

Tradition
Fr. George Metallinos
On the Last Sunday of Lent "we commemorate the Second and Incorruptible Coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ". The expression in the Synaxarion "we commemorate" confirms that our Church as the !ody
of Christ re"enacts in its worship the Second Coming of Christ as an "e#ent" and not $ust something
that is historically expected. The reason is that through the %oly &ucharist we are transported to the
celestial 'ingdom to meta"history. It is in this orthodox perspecti#e that the sub$ect of paradise and
hell is approached.
In the (ospels )*atthew ch.+, mention is made of "'ingdom" and "eternal fire". In this excerpt which
is cited during the Liturgy of this Sunday the "'ingdom" is the di#ine destination of man'ind. The
"fire" is "prepared" for the de#il and his angels )demons, not because (od desires it but because they
are without repentance -i.e. unwilling to turn to re"thin' and participate in redemption.. The
"'ingdom" is "prepared" for those who remain faithful to the will of (od. The uncreated glory is
/aradise )the "0ingdom",. "&ternal fire" is hell )#.12,. 3t the beginning of history (od in#ites man
into paradise into a communion with %is uncreated (race. 3t the end of history man has to face both
paradise and hell. 4e shall see further down what this means. 4e do howe#er stress that it is one of the
central sub$ects of our faith 5 it is Orthodox Christianity6s "philosopher6s stone."
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*ention of paradise and hell in the 8ew Testament is fre9uent. In Lu'e :; 1; Christ says to the
robber on the cross< "Today you will be with me in paradise". %owe#er the robber also refers to
paradise when he says< "=emember me Lord>in your 'ingdom". 3ccording to Theofyla'tos of
!ulgaria )/( 7:; 77?2, "for the robber was in paradise in other words the 'ingdom". The 3postle
/aul ):Cor.7:<;"1, confesses that while still in this lifetime he was "swept up to paradise and heard
unspo'en words which are impossible for man to repeat." In =e#elations we read< "To the #ictor I
shall gi#e him to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of my (od" ):<@,. 3nd 3rethas of
Caesaria interprets< "paradise is understood to be the blessed and eternal life" )/( 7?2 +:A,. /aradise
eternal life 'ingdom of (od are all related.
=eferences on hell< *atthew :+<12 )"to e#erlasting torment", :+<17 )"e#erlasting fire", :+<;? )"the
outermost dar'ness", +<:: )"the place of fire",. 7John1<7B )">for fear contains toment",. These are
ways that express what we mean by "hell".
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/aradise and hell are not two different places. Such an idea is an idolatrous concept. =ather they signify
two different conditions -ways or states of being. which originate from the same uncreated source and
are percei#ed by man as two differing experiences. *ore precisely they are the same experience
except that they are percei#ed differently by man depending on his internal state.
This experience is the sight of Christ in the uncreated light of %is di#inity of %is "glory". Crom the
moment of %is Second Coming through to all eternity all people will be seeing Christ in %is uncreated
light. That is when "those who wor'ed good deeds in their lifetime will go towards the resurrection of
life while those who wor'ed e#il in their lifetime will go towards the resurrection of $udgment"
)Jn.+<:A,. In the presence of Christ man'ind will be separated )li'e "sheep" and "'idgoats" to %is
right and %is left,. In other words they will be discerning in two separate groups< those who will be
behold Christ as paradise )the "exceeding good the radiant", and those who will be loo'ing upon
Christ as hell )"the all"consuming fire" of %ebrews 7:<:A,.
/aradise and hell are the same reality. This is what is depicted in the portrayal of the Second Coming.
Crom Christ a ri#er of fire flows forth. It is radiant li'e a golden light at the upper end of it where the
saints are. 3t its lower end the same ri#er is fiery and it is in that part of the ri#er that the demons and
the unrepentant )"the ne#er repentant" according to a hymn, are depicted. This is why in Lu'e :<;1 we
read that Christ stands "as the fall and the resurrection of many". Christ becomes the resurrection into
eternal life for those who accepted %im and who followed the means gi#en for the healing the heart. To
those who re$ected %im howe#er %e becomes their separation and their hell.
3mong the patristic testimonies Saint John of Sinai )of the Ladder, says that the uncreated light of
Christ is "an all"consuming fire and an illuminating light". Saint (regory /alamas )&./.&. II 1AB,
obser#es< "Thus it is said %e will baptiDe you by the %oly Spirit and by fire< in other words by
illumination and $udgment depending on each person6s predisposition which will in itself bring upon
him that which he deser#es." &lsewhere )&ssays /. Christou /ublications #ol.: page 71+,< The light
of Christ "albeit one and accessible to all is not parta'en of uniformly but differently".
Conse9uently paradise and hell are not a reward or a punishment )condemnation, but the way that we
indi#idually experience the sight of Christ depending on the condition of our heart. (od doesn6t punish
in essence although for educati#e purposes the Scripture does mention punishment. The more
spiritual that one becomes the better he can comprehend the language of the Scripture and Sacred
Tradition. *an6s condition )clean"unclean repentant"unrepentant, is the factor that determines the
acceptance of the Light as "paradise" or "hell".
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The anthropological issue in Orthodoxy is -to pro#ide. that man will eternally loo' upon Christ as
paradise and not as hellE that man will parta'e of %is hea#enly and eternal "'ingdom". This is where we
see the difference between Christianity as Orthodoxy and the #arious other religions. The other
religions promise a certain "blissful" state e#en after death. Orthodoxy howe#er is not a 9uest for bliss
but a cure from the illness of religion as the late father John =omanides so patristically teaches.
Orthodoxy is an open hospital within history )a "spiritual infirmary" according to Saint John the
Chrysostom, which offers the healing )catharsis, of the heart in order to finally attain theosis 5 the
only desired destination of man. This is the course that has been so comprehensi#ely described by
father John =omanides and the =e#. *etropolitan of 8afpa'tos %ierotheos )Flachos,E it is the healing
of man'ind as experienced by all of our Saints.
This is the meaning of life in the body of Christ )the Church,. This is the Church6s reason for existence.
This is what Christ6s whole redemptory wor' aspired to. Saint (regory /alamas )1th %omily on the
Second Coming, says that the pre"eternal will of (od for man is "to find a place in the ma$esty of the
di#ine 'ingdom" 5 to reach theosis. That is the purpose of creation. 3nd he continues< "!ut e#en %is
di#ine and secret 'enosis %is Theanthropic conduct %is redemptory passions and e#ery single
mystery )in other words all of Christ6s wor' on earth, were all pro#identially and omnisciently pre"
determined for this #ery end -purpose..
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The important reality howe#er is that not all people respond to this in#itation of Christ and that is why
not e#eryone parta'es in the same way of %is uncreated glory. This is taught by Christ in the parable of
the rich man and LaDarus )Lu'e ch.72,. *an refuses Christ6s offer he becomes (od6s enemy and
re$ects the redemption offered by Christ )which is a blasphemy against the %oly Spirit because it is
within the %oly Spirit that we accept the calling of Christ,. This is the "ne#er repentant" person referred
to in the hymn. (od "ne#er bears enmity" the blessed Chrysostom obser#esE it is we who become %is
enemiesE we are the ones who re$ect %im. The unrepentant man becomes demoniDed because he has
chosen to. (od does not desire this. Saint (regory /alamas says< ">for this was not *y pre"existing
willE I did not create you for this purposeE I did not prepare the pyre for you. This undying pyre was
pre"fired for the demons who bear the unchanging trait of e#il to whom your own unrepentant opinion
attracted you." "The co"habitation with mischie#ous angels is #oluntary" )1th %omily on the Second
Coming., In other words it is something that is freely chosen by man.
!oth the rich man and LaDarus were loo'ing upon the same reality i.e. (od in %is uncreated light. The
rich man reached the Truth the sight of Christ but could not parta'e of it as LaDarus did. The poor
LaDarus recei#ed "consolation" whereas the rich man recei#ed "anguish". Christ6s words for those still
in this world that they "ha#e *oses and the prophets" signifies that we are all without excuse. Cor we
ha#e the Saints who ha#e experienced theosis and who call upon us to accede to their way of life so
that we too might reach theosis as they ha#e done. 4e therefore conclude that those who ha#e chosen
e#il ways )li'e the rich man, are without an excuse.
Our orientation toward our fellow man is indicati#e of our inner state and that is why this will be the
criterion of Judgment Gay during Christ6s Second Coming )*atthew ch.:+,. This does not imply that
faith or man6s faithfulness to Christ is disregardedE faith is naturally a prere9uisite because our stance
toward each other will show whether or not we ha#e (od within us. The first Sundays of the Triodion
preceding Lent re#ol#e around relationships with our fellow man. On the first of these Sundays the
outwardly pious /harisee $ustifies himself and denigrates the Tax"collector. On the second Sunday the
older brother )a repetition of the seemingly pious /harisee, is sorrowed by the sal#ation of his brother.
Li'ewise seemingly pious he too had false piety which did not produce lo#e. On the third Sunday this
conditions reaches Christ6s seat of $udgment and is e#idenced as the criterion for our eternal life.
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The experience of paradise or hell is beyond words or the senses. It is an uncreated reality and not a
created one. The Latins in#ented the myth that paradise and hell are both created realities. It is a myth
that the damned will not be able to loo' upon (odE $ust as the "absence of (od" is e9ually a myth. The
Latins had also percei#ed the fires of hell as something created. Orthodox Tradition has remained
faithful to the Scriptural claim that the damned shall see (od )li'e the rich man of the parable, but will
percei#e %im only as "an all"consuming fire". The Latin scholastics accepted hell as punishment and
the depri#ation of a tangible #ision of the di#ine essence. !iblically and patristically howe#er "hell" is
understood as man6s failure to cooperate )synergy, with Gi#ine (race in order to reach the illuminating
#ision of (od )which is paradise, and unselfish lo#e )following 7Cor.7;<B,< "lo#e>.. does not demand
any reciprocation",. Conse9uently there is no such thing as "(od6s absence" only %is presence. That is
why %is Second Coming is dire )"O what an hour it will be then" we chant in the /raises of *atins,.
It is an irrefutable reality toward which Orthodoxy is permanently oriented )"I anticipate the
resurrection of the dead>",
The damned 5 those who are hardened at heart li'e the /harisees )*ar' ;<+< "in the callousness of
their hearts", 5 eternally percei#e the pyre of hell as their sal#ationH It is because their condition is not
susceptible to any other form of sal#ation. They too are "finaliDed" I they reach the end of their road 5
but only the righteous -sincerely pious. reach the end as redeemed persons. The others finish in a state
of condemnation. "Sal#ation" to them is hell since in their lifetime they pursued only pleasure. The
rich man of the parable had "en$oyed all of his riches". The poor LaDarus uncomplainingly endured
"e#ery suffering". 3postle /aul expresses this )7Cor.;<7;"7+,< "&ach person6s wor' whate#er it is will
be tested by fire. If their wor' sur#i#es the test then whate#er they built will be rewarded accordingly.
If one6s wor' is burnt by the fire then he will suffer lossesE he shall be sa#ed thus as though by fire."
The righteous and the unrepentant shall both pass through the uncreated "fire" of di#ine presence
howe#er the one shall pass through unscathed while the other shall be burnt. %e too is "sa#ed" but
only in the way that one passes through a fire. &fthimios Jiga#inos )7:th century, obser#es in this
respect< "(od as fire that illuminates and brightens the pure and burns and obscures the unclean." 3nd
Theodoritos 0yrou regarding this "sa#ing" writes< "One is also sa#ed by fire being tested by it $ust as
when one passes through fire. If he has an appropriate protecti#e co#er he will not be burnt otherwise
he may be Ksa#ed6 but he will be charredH"
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Conse9uently the fire of hell has nothing in common with the Latin "purgatory" nor is it created nor is
it punishment or an intermediate stage. 3 #iewpoint such as this is #irtually a transferal of one6s
accountability to (od. !ut the accountability is entirely our own whether we choose to accept or re$ect
the sal#ation the healing that is offered by (od. "Spiritual death" is the #iewing of the uncreated light
of di#ine glory as a pyre as fire. Saint John Chrysostom in his Ath homily on Cirst Corinthians notes<
"%ell is ne#er"ending>...sinners shall be brought into a ne#er"ending suffering. 3s for the Kbeing burnt
altogether6 it means this< that he does not withstand the strength of the fire." 3nd he continues < "3nd
he )/aul, says it means this< that he shall not be burnt li'e his wor's into nothingness but he shall
continue to exist but within that fire. %e therefore considers this as his Ksal#ation.6 Cor it is customary
for us to say Ksa#ed in the fire6 when referring to materials that are not totally burnt away."
Scholastic perceptions and interpretations which through Gante6s wor' )Inferno, ha#e permeated our
world ha#e conse9uences that amount to idolatrous concepts. 3n example is the separation of paradise
and hell as two different places. This has happened because they did not distinguish between the
created and the uncreated. &9ually erroneous is the denial of hell6s eternity with the idea of the
"restoration" of all or the concepts surrounding the idea of !on Gieu. (od is indeed "bene#olent"
)*t.B<7@, since %e offers sal#ation to e#eryone< )"%e desires that all be sa#ed>.." 7Tm:<1,. %owe#er
the words of our Lord as heard during the funeral ser#ice are formidable< "I cannot do anything on my
ownE as I hear thus I $udge and my $udgment is $ust")Jn.+<;?,.
&9ually manufactured is the concept of theodicy which applies in this case. &#erything -all
responsibility. is ultimately attributed to (od alone without ta'ing into consideration man6s
cooperation )synergy, as a factor of redemption. Sal#ation is possible only within the framewor' of
cooperation between man and di#ine grace. 3ccording to the blessed Chrysostom "the utmost almost
e#erything is (od6sE %e did howe#er lea#e something little to us." That "little something" is our
acceptance of (od6s in#itation. The robber on the cross was sa#ed "by using the 'ey re9uest of
Kremember me6>"H 3lso idolatrous is the perception of a (od becoming outraged against a sinner
whereas we mentioned earlier that (od "ne#er shows enmity". This is a $uridical perception of (od
which also leads to the prospect of "penances" in confessions as forms of punishment and not
-epitimia. as medications as means of healing.
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The mystery of paradise"hell is also experienced in the life of the Church in the world. Guring the holy
mysteriesLsacraments there is a participation of the faithful in di#ine grace so that grace may be
acti#ated in our li#es by our course towards Christ. &specially during the %oly &ucharist the uncreated
)%oly Communion, becomes either paradise or hell within us depending on our condition. /rimarily
our participation in %oly Communion is a participation in either paradise or hell in our own time and
place. That is why we beseech (od prior to recei#ing %oly Communion to render the /recious (ifts
"not as $udgment or condemnation" within us "for the healing of soul and body" not as
"condemnation. "
This is why participation in %oly Communion is lin'ed to the o#erall spiritual course of life of the
faithful. 4hen we approach %oly Communion uncleansed and unrepentant we are condemned )burnt,.
%oly Communion inside us becomes the "inferno" and "spiritual death" )see 7Cor.77<;? etc.,. 8ot
because it is transformed into those things of course but because our own uncleanliness cannot accept
%oly Communion as "paradise." (i#en that %oly Communion is called "the medicin of immortality"
)Saint Ignatius the (od"bearer :nd century, the same thing exactly occurs as with any medication. If
our organism does not ha#e the prere9uisites to absorb the medication then the medication will
produce side"effects and can 'ill instead of heal. It is not the medication that is responsible but the
condition of our organism. It must be stressed that if we do not accept Christianity as a therapeutic
process and its holy mysteriesLsacraments as spiritual medication then we are led to a "religionisation"
of ChristianityE in other words we "idolatriDe" it. 3nd unfortunately this is a fre9uent occurrence when
we percei#e Christianity as a "religion."
!esides this lifetime is e#aluated in the light of the twin criterion of paradise"hell. "See' first for the
'ingdom of (od and %is righteousness" Christ teaches us )*t.2<;;,. Saint !asil the (reat says in To
The Mouth )ch.;, "&#erything we do is in preparation of another life." Our life must be a continuous
preparation for our participation in paradise I our communion with the Nncreated )Jn.7@<;,. &#erything
begins from this lifetime. That is why 3postle /aul says< "!ehold now is the opportune time. !ehold
now is the day of redemption." ):Cor.2<:, &#ery moment of our li#es is of redempti#e importance.
&ither we gain eternity the eternal community with (od or we lose it. This is why oriental religions
and cults that preach reincarnations are in$uring man'ind< they are #irtually transferring the problem to
other )nonexistent of course, lifetimes.
The thing is howe#er that only one life is a#ailable to each of us whether we are sa#ed or condemned.
This is why !asil the (reat continues< "4e must proclaim that those things therefore that lead us
towards that life should be cherished and pursued with all our strengthE and those that do not lead us to
that destination we should disregard as something of no #alue." Such are the criteria of the Christian
life. 3 Christian continuously chooses whate#er fa#ours his sal#ation. 4e gain paradise or lose it and
end up in hell already during our lifetime. That is why John the &#angelist says< "Cor (od sent not his
Son into the world to condemn the worldE but that the world through him might be sa#ed. %e that
belie#eth on him is not condemned< but he that belie#eth not is condemned already because he hath not
belie#ed in the name of the only begotten Son of (od )Jn;<7@"7B,.
Conse9uently the wor' of the Church is not to "send" people to paradise or to hell but to prepare them
for the final $udgment. The wor' of the clergy is therapeutic and not moralistic or character"shaping in
the temporal sense of the word. The purpose of the theraphy offered by the Church is not to create
"useful" citiDens and essentially "usable" ones but citiDens of the celestial )uncreated, 'ingdom. Such
citiDens are the Confessors and the *artyrs and the true faithful the saints...
%owe#er this is also the way that our mission is directed< 4hat are we in#iting people toO To the
Church as a -spiritual. hospitalLtherapy Centre or $ust an ideology that is labelled "Christian"O *ore
often than not we stri#e to secure a place in "paradise" instead of stri#ing to be healed. That is why we
focus on the rites and not on therapy. This of course does not signify a de#aluing of worship. !ut
without ascesis )spiritual exercise ascetic lifestyle acts of therapy, worship cannot sanctify us. The
grace that pours forth from it remains inert inside us. Orthodoxy doesn6t ma'e any promises to send
man'ind to any sort of paradise or hellE but it does ha#e the power 5 as e#idenced by the incorruptible
and miracle"wor'ing relics of our saints )incorruptibilityPtheosis, 5 to prepare man so that he may
fore#er loo' upon the Nncreated (race and the 0ingdom of Christ as /aradise and not as %ell.
FOOTNOTES
7. -&d 8ote<. This exposes one of the critical heresies in both the doctrine of purgatory and the
doctrine of the "aerial toll houses." This alone is sufficient cause to struggle against the heresies
of the "toll house religion."
:. -&d. 8ote<. 4here then would the demons of the toll"house theologians "drag the soul" of those
who could not satisfy their demonic desires with excess merits of elders or sufficient excusesO
;. -&d. 8ote<. The teaching of "apo'atastasis" or the ultimate deli#erance of all no matter how
wic'ed from hell. This teaching of Origen has been condemned by the Church. It is predicated
on the notion of a created geographical "hell." The heresy locates hell literally "in the depths of
the earth" whereas such expressions as "the nethermost parts...." etc are used only
metaphorically in some hymnology. 4hene#er one literalises a metaphor one automatically
creates an idolatry.
1. -&d. 8ote<. Theodicy is the attempt by man to "$ustify" (od6s actions or what one might
percei#e as %is "inaction." 3n example might be the 9uestion "If (od desires that all be sa#ed
why does %e not $ust sa#e e#eryone automatically rather than gi#ing man a choiceO"
+. -&d. 8ote<. In essence we per#ert Christianity into an ideology and reduce it from a means of
spiritual assent into a religion of fallen human concepts.
2. -&d. 8ote<. 3nd not in some "aerial toll booths" after death.
@. -&d. 8ote<. The "proper performance" of the Liturgy according to the rubrics without
awareness or concern for the meaning and the way in which it ser#es for our sanctification.
Posted: 22-Jan-2009
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