Affirms
Hell is a real place of eternal conscious separation from God
Calvary Chapel affirms the traditional Protestant teaching that hell is a real place of eternal, conscious punishment for those who reject God's offer of salvation. This is treated as the sobering counterpart to the gospel's good news and provides urgency to Calvary Chapel's evangelistic calling.
Calvary Chapel does not promote annihilationism or universalism. The reality of hell is regularly preached to motivate both personal commitment and outreach. Chuck Smith's expository approach meant that passages like Revelation 20 and Matthew 25 were taught in their plainest sense as referring to a literal, eternal separation from God.
Key Distinctions
- Hell nature:
- eternal conscious torment — place of unending suffering for the damned
- Duration:
- eternal — without end
- Who faces hell:
- all who die unrepentant without faith in Christ
Scripture References
Sources
- Calvary Chapel Statement of Faith
- Calvary Chapel Distinctives (Chuck Smith)