# Degrees of blessing in Heaven/Degrees of Torment in Hell



## Smeagol (Dec 21, 2019)

I have read a couple of reformed writers to hint at degrees of reward in heaven and degrees of torment in hell.

I have never really thought much about it before. I know the Mormons believe in a “level” system in heaven based on merit.

Thoughts?


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## PuritanCovenanter (Dec 21, 2019)

Here was a study I did on that based upon a discussion I had at the local pub about 5 years ago. 

https://rpcnacovenanter.wordpress.c...cerning-degrees-of-sin-punishment-and-reward/



> Last Evening I got into a discussion with a Sales Representative from a local Wine Distributor at a Cafe’ / Bar where my son is the General Manager. The sales rep told me he was not a Christian. But he was a very nice man who had attended a Wesleyan University here in Indiana. He contested that all sin was equal and that sin is only more heinous in the sight of men. He contested that all sin is equally detestable in the sight of God whether it be murder or lying. He believed that all men who deserve and go to Hell suffer the same whether they be mass murders or just the local man who stole something from his neighbor. There are no degrees of sin or punishment in Hell. He also contested that the Righteous who enter heaven all receive the same level of blessedness. I agree that all sin is detestable to God but I also believe the Scripture points out that there are sins that are more heinous in God’s sight than other sins. (John 19:11) So I set out to look at some passages today concerning God’s judgment and if there might be scripture to support his claim.
> 
> I believe he was basing his assumption on something that James wrote. James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. That passage is not speaking about degrees of sin though. It is just pointing out that when you sin you are a law breaker and if you break one of the commandments you actually break the whole system.
> 
> ...

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## Regi Addictissimus (Dec 21, 2019)

Below is a sampler of the Historical Reformed stance on Degrees of Punishment:

_The correspondence there will be between their sin and punishment. God will write every ungodly sinner’s sin in his punishment. Oft-times it is so here with them, as in the case of Adonibezek, Judg. 1:7; but always so hereafter, as in the case of the rich man, Luke 16:19, with 24. Hence the worm is said never to die; signifying the eternal remorse they shall have for their evil works. And the degrees of punishment will be suited to the degrees of their sin. They that have committed many sins, shall have many stripes._

Boston, T. (1849). The Whole Works of Thomas Boston: Sermons and Discourses on Several Important Subjects in Divinity. (S. M‘Millan, Ed.) (Vol. 6, p. 522). Aberdeen: George and Robert King.

_Obj. 4. Sins which are different in their character are not punished with an equal punishment. Therefore all sins are not punished with eternal punishment. Ans. There is more in the conclusion than in the premises. This is all that legitimately follows; therefore all sins are not punished with equal punishment, which is true. But all sins, even the smallest, deserve eternal punishment, because all offend the infinite and eternal good. Hence all sins are punished equally as to duration, but not as to the degrees of punishment. Great sins will be punished eternally, with severe punishment, whilst smaller ones will be punished eternally, with lighter punishment._

Ursinus, Z., & Williard, G. W. (1888). The Commentary of Dr. Zacharias Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism (p. 68). Cincinnati, OH: Elm Street Printing Company.
_
There are different degrees of punishment in that day. All the pains of hell will be intolerable; but some will be more so than others. Some sinners sink deeper into hell than others, and are beaten with more stripes. [3.] The condemnation of those that reject the gospel, will in that day be severer and heavier than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom is said to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude 7. But that vengeance will come with an aggravation upon those that despise the great salvation. Sodom and Gomorrah were exceedingly wicked (Gen. 13:13), and that which filled up the measure of their iniquity was, that they received not the angels that were sent to them, but abused them (Gen. 19:4, 5), and hearkened not to their words, v. 14. And yet it will be more tolerable for them than for those who receive not Christ’s ministers and hearken not to their words. God’s wrath against them will be more flaming, and their own reflections upon themselves more cutting. _

Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1661). Peabody: Hendrickson.
_
We believe that from a common zero point there will be all degrees of reward and all degrees of punishment, and that a person’s reward or punishment will, to a certain extent, be based on the opportunity that he has had in this world. Jesus Himself declared that in the day of judgment it would be more tolerable for the heathen city of Sodom than for those cities of Palestine which had heard and rejected His message (Luke 10:12–14); and He closed the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants with the words: “And that servant, who knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom they commit much, p 121 of him will they ask the more,” Luke 12:47, 48. So while the heathens are lost, they shall suffer relatively less than those who have heard and rejected the Gospel._

Boettner, L. (1932). The Reformed doctrine of predestination (pp. 120–121). Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.
_
The Scripture teaches, that the wicked will suffer different degrees of torment, according to the different aggravations of their sins. Matt. 5:22. “Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.” Here Christ teaches us, that the torments of wicked men will be different in different persons, according to the different degrees of their guilt.—It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, for Tyre and Sidon, than for the cities where most of Christ’s mighty works were wrought.—Again, our Lord assures us, That he that knoweth his Lord’s will, and prepareth not himself, nor doth according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knoweth not, and committeth things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.—These several passages of Scripture infallibly prove, that there will be different degrees of punishment in hell; which is utterly inconsistent with the supposition, that the punishment consists in annihilation, in which there can be no degrees._

Edwards, J. (1974). The works of Jonathan Edwards (Vol. 2, p. 85). Banner of Truth Trust.

_It is our constant doctrine, that sins and their punishments are unequal, though all sins are mortal. We teach, Though all sins deserve eternal punishment, yet not the same degree of eternal punishment; but some a lesser degree than others. Though all sins deserve a punishment extensively infinite, yet not intensively equal. We agree to that old expression of Aliis mitiùs ardent nonnulli; “The flames of hell shall be less torturing to some than to others:” for some it will be more tolerable at the day of judgment than for others: some are beaten with more, others with fewer, stripes. (Luke 12:47, 48.) As among the Jews there were several degrees of capital punishment for several offences, so are there in hell several degrees of punishment suited to the degrees of sin. Of which truth the words of Christ are a clear proof; (Matt. 5:22) which tell us of the punishment inflicted by “the judgment,” which was the consessus singularum civitatum, “the assembly belonging to every city,” consisting of three-and-twenty; by whom the punishment inflicted was, according to the best writers, killing with the sword. In the same scripture next we read of the punishment inflicted by “the council,” or sanhedrim, consisting of seventy elders, for greater offences; which punishment was stoning. And, lastly, there is mentioned the punishment of γεεννα ῶυρος, called “hell-fire,” which was by the old idolaters exercised upon their infants, who were sacrificed in the valley of Hinnom: Christ, by the similitude of these earthly punishments, which passed one another in sharpness and severity, setting forth the degrees of punishments in the place of the damned.*_

Nichols, J. (1981). Puritan Sermons (Vol. 6, pp. 156–157). Wheaton, IL: Richard Owen Roberts, Publishers.

_And we must remember that though hell be but one word, it signifieth divers degrees of punishment: and Christ who best knew, tells us, that they who “knew not their Lord’s will, shall be beaten with few stripes:” and even to “Sodom in the day of judgment it shall be easier” than to those that refuse the Gospel: and it is an airy, active life of misery that the devils themselves have now._

Baxter, R., & Orme, W. (1830). The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter (Vol. 11, p. 497). London: James Duncan.

_Ex parte Dei, on God’s part, who is the righteous Judge of the whole earth; and will therefore render unto every man according as his work shall be; For shall not the Judge of the whole earth do right? He will judge the world in righteousness, and righteousness requires that difference be made in the punishment of sinners, according to the different degrees of their sins. Now that there are different degrees of sin, is abundantly clear from what we have lately discoursed under the former head; where we have shewed, that the light under which men sin, puts extraordinary aggravations upon their sins, answerable whereunto will the degrees of punishment be awarded by the righteous Judge of heaven and earth. The Gentiles who had no other light but that dim light of nature, will be condemned for disobeying the law of God written upon their hearts: but yet, the greater wrath is reserved for them who sin both against the light of nature, and the light of the gospel also: And therefore it is said, Rom. 2:9. “Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.” Impenitent Jews and Gentiles will all be condemned at the bar of God; but with this difference, to the Jew first, i.e. principally and especially, because the light and mercies which he abused and violated were far greater than those bestowed upon the Gentiles, “because unto them were committed the oracles of God:” And God hath not dealt with any nation as with that nation. Indeed, in the rewards of obedience, the same reason doth not hold; he that came into the vineyard the last hour of the day, may be equal in reward with him that bare the heat and burthen of the whole day; because the reward is of grace and bounty, not of debt and merit: But it is not so here, justice observes an exact proportion in distributing punishments, according to the degrees, deserts, and measures of sin: And therefore it is said concerning Babylon, Rev. 18:7. “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously; so much torment and sorrow give her.”_

Flavel, J. (1820). The Whole Works of the Reverend John Flavel (Vol. 2, p. 445). London; Edinburgh; Dublin: W. Baynes and Son; Waugh and Innes; M. Keene.

_Now the capacities of men are different, according to the different temperament of their bodies, their different education, opportunities, advantages, and stations in life; but in the other world, where this difference will be no more, every vessel of mercy being prepared for glory, will be equally capable of receiving it: and though there will be degrees of punishment in hell, proportionate to the sins of men, which the justice of God requires, yet it follows not, that there will be degrees in glory; since that is not proportioned to the works of men, but springs from the grace of God, and yet in a way of justice too, through the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ: and since the saints have an equal interest in these things, it seems that upon the foot of justice, they should equally enjoy all that happiness which these entitle them to._

Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 223–224). London: Mathews and Leigh.

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## Smeagol (Dec 21, 2019)

Degrees of reward?

This one is harder for me because if we are judged on the merit of Christ how can the degree of reward differ?


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## Regi Addictissimus (Dec 21, 2019)

G said:


> Degrees of reward?
> 
> This one is harder for me as if we are judged on the merit of Christ how can the degree of reward differ?



Hopefully the following answers some questions. It is from Dr. Venema's _Promise of the Future._
*
A REWARD OF GRACE, NOT MERIT*

_If Christ rewards the works of the righteous, does this not reintroduce the idea of merit into the Christian life? How can we say that believers are saved by grace alone, apart from any meritorious good works done in obedience to the law, if we say that the good works of believers have their reward and that this reward varies according to the quality of the works performed?
Broadly speaking, at least three approaches to this question could be — and often have been — taken in the history of the Christian church. One approach insists that because the Scriptures teach the granting of diverse rewards to the people of God (depending upon the quality and extent of their good works), some notion of merit must be appropriate. In the Roman Catholic tradition, for example, a distinction has been drawn between two kinds of merit in the Christian life, each of which is legitimate. The first, or 'congruent merit' (meritum de congruo) is a 'half-merit'. In the case of congruent merit, God grants as a reward to the righteous more than their works, strictly considered, deserve. Though the believer, co-operating with God's grace and doing what lies within him or her, performs works of obedience, these works are imperfect and not strictly deserving of the reward God grants to them. The second or 'condign merit' (meritum de condigno) is a 'true merit'. In the case of condign merit, the believer's works truly measure up to the requirements of God's law and, by virtue of the working of God's grace as it is infused into believers, genuinely merit the reward that God grants to them. In this understanding, the biblical teaching that God rewards the works of the righteous demands the conclusion that merit plays a legitimate role in the Christian life. God's people, in this respect, receive from God what they deserve or are due._

_A second approach opposes the whole idea of a diversity of rewards because it is incompatible with the doctrine of grace. This approach assumes the legitimacy of the argument just presented that if God variously rewards the righteous for their good works, then merit must play a role in the Christian life. So this approach rejects the idea of a diversity of rewards because it requires merit as its corollary and salvation is wholly by grace. Those who take this second approach frequently appeal to the parable of the labourers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. This parable, it is argued, clearly shows that there is no place in the Christian life for the idea of a diversity of rewards corresponding to the diversity of works performed by the righteous. In this parable, all of the labourers in the vineyard are rewarded equally for their labour, whether they began work earlier or later in the day. This parable teaches, then, that the law of the kingdom is a law of grace, not of merit. God, according to this parable, subverts the ordinary law of justice by graciously granting the same wages to all of the labourers. The emphasis upon God's grace militates against any suggestion that in the kingdom of heaven, God's people will receive varying rewards according to the nature of their service._

_The third approach, and the one favoured here, maintains that the idea of rewards is consistent with the biblical teaching regarding salvation by grace alone, provided the rewards are of grace and not of merit. In this approach, it is readily acknowledged that the believer receives all things from God's grace in Christ. Nothing the believer receives from God is deserved, either in the strict or the lesser sense of condign or congruent merit. When God rewards the righteous for their good works, he only adds grace to grace, rewarding believers for those deeds which he himself works in them by his Spirit
(John 15:1-17). In no sense whatsoever does any believer receive from God what he or she deserves. The Christian who obeys God perfectly — which, of course, cannot be the case — would be no more than an 'unprofitable servant' who had only done his or her duty (Luke 17:7-10). That person would not be deserving of any special praise or commendation from God. All of the gifts of God's grace are just that — 'gifts', unmerited favours granted for the sake of Christ. The wonder of God's grace in the life of the believer includes God's gracious reward of those (still imperfect and undeserving) good works that the believer does by the powerful working of the Spirit. Like a father who loves his children and who accepts not only them but also their works, so the believer's heavenly Father takes pleasure in the deeds of his children. These deeds are acceptable and pleasing to him, not because they strictly merit his praise, but because of his delight in his children and what they have done, however far short this may fall of what his law demands. To show how God graciously receives us and even deigns to reward our inadequate good works by his grace, I have sometimes used the illustration of my wife's piano students at their annual recital. It is remarkable to observe how parents, in spite of the often clumsy performance of their children at the piano bench, invariably beam with delight at their performance. Do they measure their children's performance by some strict rule of justice? Do they respond like overbearing perfectionists, quick to find fault with every defect in their child's performance? Not at all! They love their children. And because they love them and find them acceptable, they graciously praise and smile upon their less-than-perfect playing. In the same manner, the heavenly Father, who loves and accepts his children for the sake of his Son, Jesus Christ, also delights to graciously reward them for their good works — no matter that these works are themselves the gifts of his grace and of themselves fall far short of deserving anything like the praise they receive from him. _Cornelis P. Venema. The Promise of the Future. Banner of Truth. Pg. 411-45

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## Regi Addictissimus (Dec 21, 2019)

I pasted the wrong section. My apologies. I will leave it as I believe it is still relevant to this discussion.


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## Smeagol (Dec 21, 2019)

Reformed Bookworm said:


> Hopefully the following answers some questions. It is from Dr. Venema's _Promise of the Future._
> *
> A REWARD OF GRACE, NOT MERIT*
> 
> ...


Thanks Robert. So even if there are somehow greater degrees of blessing for some believers in heaven (ex. A martyr)... the blessing is still given to reward the measure of faithfulness which only GOD provided by His spirit, so even then it is on Christ’s merit and not mans?


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## Regi Addictissimus (Dec 21, 2019)

G said:


> Thanks Robert. So even if there are somehow greater degrees of blessing for some believers in heaven (ex. A martyr)... the blessing is still given to reward the measure of faithfulness which only GOD provided by His spirit, so even then it is on Christ merit and not mans?


That is correct, sir. There is nothing in a fallen man worth rewarding. If rewarded for our own merit, we would deserve nothing less than the full cup of God's wrath! It is solely for Christ's sake through the faith that is wrought in the elect by the Spirit. It is as Bernard of Clairvaux said, "My merit is nothing but the mercy of the Lord."

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## Jeri Tanner (Dec 21, 2019)

I have a neat little booklet on heaven which is an excerpt of Jonathan Edwards from some of his writings- he expresses how the saints will rejoice at the rewarding of their fellow brethren with no jealousy, only praise and wonder at God’s goodness and grace in it.

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## Jerusalem Blade (Jan 18, 2020)

This is the text of what Jeri is referring to, Edwards' _Heaven, a World of Love_. It is found in many places on the internet.

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