Jesus' Rejection of Universal Jewish Salvation: The background of rabbinic theology about hell and forgiveness - David Instone-Brewer

I'm back home after several days in L.A. for the Rethinking Hell Conference 2015. I've taken notes on all of the plenary speakers and today's post will cover the paper presented by David Instone-Brewer titled, 'Jesus' Rejection of Universal Jewish Salvation: The background of rabbinic theology about hell and forgiveness.' 

David is strictly a biblical scholar and as such he states his findings and refuses to answer questions that go beyond them. I know this, because I tried and his answer was, "I don't know because that information isn't available to us." This was refreshing, but also seemed nearly paradoxical after his apparent agreement with the claim that he never knowingly doesn't have an opinion on anything. 

The closing remark he chose to give after the roundtable was to echo the words of the German composer Johannes Brahms saying, "If there is anyone here whom I haven't offended, I apologize." Paradoxical or polarizing, here is what he said (based on my notes):

He covered four Jewish views: Traditional, Qumran, Rabbinic, and Jesus.

Teachings on Hell from intertestamental literature

Heaven for Jews

Hell for Gentiles

Imagery/Description: Eternal Fire, Darkness, Torment, Destruction (except angels), Worms

They called it: the Valley, Gehenna, Sheol, Tartars

Qumran

Heaven for Qumran Jews

Hell for Gentiles and other Jews

Imagery/Description: Eternal Fire, Darkness, Destruction (total, no escape)

They called it:  Sheol.

Rabbinics

Heaven for Good Jews

Novel "Third Way" for Middling Jews (a holding place before possibly going to heaven)

Hell for Gentiles and Evil Jews

Imagery/Description: Eternal Fire, Torment, Destruction (Body and Soul)

They called it: Gehenna, Sheol

'Hell' was 12 months for some, but 'eternal torment' for the really bad Jews in some writings

The Gehenna tradition already existed in Jesus’ day.

Some thought the 'Middling Jews' went to heaven, but faced rebuke

Jesus has a stark contrast to this teaching (eg: Yohanan as recorded in the Talmud).

Jesus' stories most like Yohanan are in Matthew: parable of the virgins, in Luke: man with servants, and in Matthew: parable of the king’s banquet.

Yohanan’s early career was in Galilee.  He and Jesus were contemporaries and probably heard each other teaching. Jesus regularly contradicted their claims through altering the story in the parables.

Jesus' teachings on hell in the Gospels:

Those who go to hell have no hope of escape

Taught there were only two ways therefore rejecting the third way.

Heaven for the Repentant (even Roman soldiers)

Hell for the Unrepentant (even law abiding Jews)

Imagery/Description: Eternal Fire, Darkness, Torment, Destruction (body and soul), Worms

He called it: Gehenna/Hades

Jesus never says 'Eternal Torment'.

Mt 25:46 could mean torment, destruction, or torment leading to destruction.

Jesus deliberately decided to use terminology that his audience was familiar with.

He upset the Jews by including Gentiles and excluding some Jews.