By 
Is hell the same for everyone? A student of mine essentially asked this question after a Bible study a number of weeks ago. Here’s his exact question, and my response:
“Hey Patrick, there’s been a question on my mind for a while. It’s when you rescinded a statement that you made earlier when you said “sin is sin.” You said God would be harsher on a murderer than someone who lied, even if they’re both sin. Could you explain that to me? I’m not trying to call you out; I am genuinely curious.”
Good question. First let me clarify: I don’t think I rescinded my statement “sin is sin.” If I did, or I made it sound like I did, that was not my intent. I meant to qualify it, not rescind it. In what sense is all sin the same? In the categorical sense. Lying and murder are both against the will and law of God. Sin is a fundamentally vertical phenomenon. By that, I mean that all sin is against God first and foremost; sin is between God and man. As David confesses in Psalm 51:4, he sins “against You [God] only” (emphasis mine). One who is guilty of lying to their friend is just as deserving of God’s wrath as one who murders their brother because both are treason against Him. The liar and murderer both declare “Not Thy, but my will be done.” They are equal in the sense that they both warrant—indeed, demand—punishment. That’s what I mean when I say they are categorically the same.
Now, they are far from equal when we talk about degree. Obviously, one of those sins has far worse consequences than the other. The verticality of sin doesn’t deny the horizontal effects; sin still has consequences here and now. When a student lies to a friend (lets say in the context of “embellishing” a story about a prank they supposedly pulled on someone in high school), that might result in disappointment and a slight loss of trust when the truth comes out. Even after amends have been made, the friend who was lied to might be hesitant to fully believe the next story his friend tells. Outside of that, there’s no real consequence. However, when a brother murders his sibling in cold blood, that results in the loss of a life, the fracturing of a family, the disruption of civil order, and the deep disturbance of friends and family. Even if the murderer comes to repent and seek reconciliation, no amount of apologizing brings his brother back to life.
Herman Bavinck, an early twentieth-century theologian and author of one of the best systematic theologies in history, wrote this:
“The law of retribution does not demand the same thing from all but demands that to each be given his or her due; it does not demand a precise payment in kind but punishment proportionate to the seriousness of the offense. To the degree that a person is guilty, to that degree he or she deserves punishment.” (Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 3, 166)
Can we see this in Scripture? Certainly. In the Old Testament, punishments widely vary for different trespasses. Consider Deuteronomy 17:2-3. Notice the incredible practicality of the law: God recognizes that it is impossible for one book to speak to every possible circumstance and intricacy of real life. The people must depend on God and trust those who pursue His will to conduct justice. Here’s a more clear cut example: God differentiates between premeditated murder and manslaughter. First, God declares in the Ten Commandments that “You shall not murder.” Brilliant, but what does that mean? Exodus 21:12 says simply enough “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.” Murder warrants the death penalty. What if someone unintentionally kills another person? Deuteronomy 19:1-7 addresses this nuance. Check it out…
“When the Lord your God cuts off the nations, whose land the Lord your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses, you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the Lord your God gives you to possess. You shall prepare the roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God will give you as a possession, so that any manslayer may flee there.
“Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously— as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live; otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities for yourself.’”
There’s a lot of other nuances and complexities that can be drawn out with just this one example, but hopefully you can see the main point. While sin is sin, the punishment must fit the crime.
What about the New Testament? Well, there are fewer examples as obvious as the ones I cited above, but there are a few we can look to. First, consider Luke 12:41-48. All of Luke 12, and especially its second half, focuses on the end of days. Christ will return at an unexpected hour; His servants must be ever vigilant. The slave who does this will be rewarded. The one who takes advantage of the Master’s slow return and lives immorally will be caught in his wickedness and damned. Then, Jesus distinguishes between two types of damned slaves. Jesus states that “that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few” (Luke 12:47-48).
At face value, this makes sense. Even when the behavior is the same, the posture of the heart matters and actually results in a different degree of punishment. At a deeper level, this seems to distinguish between reprobate gentiles and apostate Israelites/Jews/Christians. Those who understand the Gospel and still refuse, deny, and/or attack it will face worse judgement than those who never heard the Gospel message. The implications this has for evangelism and mercy are too numerous and complex to address here, but that’s another topic I’d love to explore with you.
We can also look to John 19:9-11. Jesus declares that those who handed Him over to Pilate are guilty of “the greater sin” compared to Pilate. Though this does not explicitly say the Jews who plotted to kill Jesus will face a fiercer punishment in hell, the implication is obvious.
Admittedly, there is no one passage in the New Testament clearly stating that hell “has different levels” and that while all sins are categorically the same, they differ in degree and therefore earn varying punishments. Luke 12 provides the strongest single passage to this argument in the New Testament, but when the whole of Scripture is taken into consideration, the conclusion seems necessary and unavoidable. All sinners not redeemed by Christ will be sent to hell. The destination is the same. Hell is not the same for everyone, though. God does not show mercy to sinners in hell by punishing them less for a lesser sin. He deals precisely what is due. The experience is comprehensively miserable for all, void of mercy, and totally just. That’s the real key here: hell is totally just. Integral to justice is that every sin will be paid for exactly. One reaps what one sows—no more, and no less.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.”
Psalm 19:7-9
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Helpful articles…
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/is-everyone-punished-the-same-in-hell
https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/advocacy/sentencing/the-death-penalty/
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/are-all-sins-equal-before-god
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/yes-leading-others-to-sin-brings-greater-punishment/
dear Pat,
Glad to get your new “episcal”. I will mull it over as I fall asleep and hope it brings wise thoughts. I miss your presence up here and hope you enjoy the summer there. keep in touch.
Love, Grandma
Hello, I am not sure you read this, as it is 7 years after your article, but I have a question: God does not show mercy for a lesser sin in hell,snd punish them less you say.
How is it just to punish someone with the worst kind of suffering, for eternity, for something bad ( little or really bad)that you have done for lets say 5 years( lets say you died a young adult, or 70 years? How is that logically just ?
With eternal suffering?
I want to understand, but I dont, yet
Bless you,
Anton
Hi Anton, thanks for the question! I’m not sure I understand it completely, but let me try to answer by pointing you to the Westminster Larger Catechism. This is a document created by pastors and scholars a few hundred years ago which attempted to explain Christianity’s core beliefs in a “question and answer” format. Here’s four relevant questions and answers to the topic at hand:
Q. 149. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No man is able, either of himself, or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God; but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
Q. 150. Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?
A. All transgressions of the law are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Q. 151. What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?
A. Sins receive their aggravations,
1. From the persons offending; if they be of riper age, greater experience or grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others.
2. From the parties offended: if immediately against God, his attributes, and worship; against Christ, and his grace; the Holy Spirit, his witness, and workings; against superiors, men of eminency, and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto; against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many.
3. From the nature and quality of the offence: if it be against the express letter of the law, break many commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation: if against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments; and our prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men: if done deliberately, willfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly, maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance.
4. From circumstances of time, and place: if on the Lord’s day, or other times of divine worship; or immediately before or after these, or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages: if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.
Q. 152. What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God?
A. Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous law, deserveth his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come; and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Christ.
If you’d like to see Scripture passages which support these claims, you can find a copy of the Larger Catechism via this link: https://www.pcaac.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/03-LCLayout2.pdf
Coming back to your question: Question 152 especially speaks to this. While some sins are certainly worse than others and will result in a greater punishment in hell, because sin is an offense against an infinitely holy and righteous God, all sin warrants eternal punishment. We think of our own sin as something so small, like a single momentary lapse of judgement. Or perhaps we recognize our sin was a destructive pattern over the course of years. But then we wonder, “how can something I did for a few years warrant ETERNAL judgment?” It’s because the wrongdoing was against an ETERNAL, infinitely good God. That explains the duration of hell, and the generally miserable state of those under God’s wrath. But again, some sins are more heinous than others, so the judgment some experience will be worse.
The good news is that God has given us a way to escape the wrath due to us! All he requires is faith in Jesus Christ and genuine repentance. Those two things will lead us away from sinning and toward heartfelt obedience.