Hell and Evangelism

In a Western world that has left its Judeo-Christian foundation, the doctrine of Hell and eternal judgment is not popular whatsoever. Sometimes this mindset infects certain American churches, and we would rather discuss any other topic than God’s wrath. We leave it buried in the footnotes of our doctrinal presentation (if it has to be present at all), and choose to highlight other aspects of God and the Gospel.

This would be a grave mistake, because Hell is featured prominently in the Bible (specifically, the gospels). It goes by several different names throughout Scripture, such as sheol (“grave”) and tehom (“deep sea”) in the Old Testament to geena (“burning garbage dump outside of Jerusalem”), abyssos (“abyss”), to skotos to exoteron (“outer darkness”), and abbadon/apollyon (“realm of the dead”) in the New Testament.* The New Testament describes Hell as a real place. It is a place of unending fire (Matthew 5:22), eternal corruption (Mark 9:43), “darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12, 13:42, Luke 13:28).* Sometimes, however, well-intentioned Christians see all the Scriptural support and descriptors of Hell and run in the opposite direction: We overemphasize this very real place and have an ungodly fear of it. Christians do not need to fear Hell because Jesus Christ has saved us.

With this backdrop (a culture that hates the idea of Hell and some Christians who are obsessed with it), I’ve been thinking about an interesting question: “What role should Hell play in motivating us to evangelize?” Should it feature prominently in an evangelist’s heart, play a secondary role, or be an afterthought?

Prominent Protestant Historical Examples

One example of Hell as a motivator for Protestant missions is in the life and legacy of John Wesley (1700s). He was a ferocious evangelist, going across England even though he was not an ordained clergyman.* Some questioned his methods of preaching and his use of unconventional practices, but he was adamant that he was responsible for saving as many people from Hell as he possibly could. If he could stop anyone, be it one or a thousand, he would. God would not accept any of his excuses about laws and restrictions: “Were I to do otherwise, were I to let any soul drop into the pit whom I might have saved from everlasting burnings, I am not satisfied God would accept my plea, ‘Lord, he was not of my parish.’”* Eschatology, to John Wesley, was clearly a driving factor for his undying passion for missions.

Continuing up to the 20th century, the doctrine was still a prominent feature of Protestant evangelism. Paul Varg writes the following:

The argument that the heathen were going to Hell had served as a stimulus to missionary work and it was feared that to surrender it was to rob the missionary enterprise of its chief motive. Why send missionaries to the heathen if they were to be spared damnation anyway?… [A future missionary] should be as sure of the eternal punishment of the unconverted as he was of the existence of God.*

Hudson Tayler and the Student Volunteer Movement were greatly motivated by the doctrine. Tayler, who started the influential China Inland Mission, used passionate, gut-wrenching imagery to discuss the fate of countless unbelievers who die every day without knowledge of the Gospel to save them.* This was extremely effective in stirring up missionaries for the work of “saving souls.”

While the existence of Hell has been both a holy motivator in the past for Protestants traditionally and effective methodologically, this doesn’t mean it’s good or right for the Christian. For that, Protestants turn to Scripture. For two of the great evangelists of the New Testament (Paul and Peter), what motivated them to evangelize after Jesus ascended and the Gospel spread globally?

Biblical Examples: Paul and Peter

Paul’s motivation for evangelizing unbelievers in the New Testament is rooted in a variety of reasons. His divine calling to preach to the Gentiles was central, as he felt specifically chosen by God for this mission (Galatians 1:15-16, Acts 9:15). He often emphasized his sense of duty and obligation (1 Corinthians 9:16-17, Romans 1:14-15) to share the gospel, driven by his experience of Christ’s love (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) and a desire to see others saved (1 Corinthians 9:22). Paul also sought to glorify God (Romans 15:16) through his work and expand God’s kingdom.

The theme of judgment and eternal life (Romans 6:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) is present in Paul’s writings but is not his dominant motivation for evangelism. While Paul certainly warns about the reality of judgment and eternal consequences (2 Corinthians 5:10-11), this tends to be a supporting motivator rather than a central focus. For instance, Paul includes these concepts as part of the broader gospel message, offering eternal life to those who believe in Christ while warning of judgment for those who do not.

Paul’s primary emphasis in his evangelism, however, is typically more positive—focused on God’s grace, salvation through faith (Romans 1:16), and the transformative power of Christ’s love. Judgment is used as a warning to encourage repentance but is less frequently highlighted compared to the hope and promise of salvation (Philippians 3:20-21) that Paul offers to both Jews and Gentiles.

Concerning Peter, judgment is an occasional theme of his writing and speaking, but it is featured arguably even less than in Paul’s works. Peter’s evangelism to unbelievers in the New Testament is driven primarily by obedience to Christ’s command, the desire for people’s salvation, and his role as a witness to the resurrection. While Peter does not emphasize Hell or divine judgment as a dominant motivation, he does reference judgment as a reality, which underscores the seriousness of accepting the gospel.

Peter’s evangelistic efforts were rooted in Christ’s commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) and divine revelation that salvation was for all people, not just Jews (Acts 10:34-35). He desired that all people repent and be saved, as reflected in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is… not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (NIV). His role as a witness to Christ’s resurrection also gave him a sense of urgency in proclaiming the gospel (Acts 2:32).

Regarding judgment, Peter does touch on this theme, though it is not often heavily emphasized. He acknowledges that Christ is appointed as judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). In 1 Peter 4:5-6, he warns that everyone will have to give an account to God, while 2 Peter 3:7 speaks of the coming judgment and destruction of the ungodly. Peter also draws on past judgments, such as the flood and Sodom, to warn of future judgment (2 Peter 2:4-9). Though judgment is present in Peter’s message, his focus tends to be on repentance, salvation, and the hope found in Christ’s return.

What about Us?

Hell is real. For the unbeliever, this is very bad news. For the faithful Christian seeking to share the good news with the lost, it definitely should motivate us to evangelize. There is historical and biblical support, and it has been methodologically effective for certain missionaries. Hell should not be an afterthought when evangelizing.

Hell, instead, belongs as a secondary motivator. God’s wrath in its fullest form would be terrifying to experience. The various descriptions and words for Hell in the Bible are brutal and haunting. This should not be minimized or overlooked, and this reality should motivate us on to evangelize to those around us. Our sin has consequences, as Paul eloquently writes in Romans (3:23, 6:23, etc.). These consequences, apart from Christ’s atoning blood upon the cross, lead to an eternal separation from God. This should cause us to grieve, for sin grieves our Father in Heaven.

Having said this, there should be a greater evangelism motivator for the believer than Hell. Our primary motivation should come from the overwhelming, infinite glory of God (Psalm 104:1). Our motivation should originate with who God is and what he has done for us (the good news of the Gospel), and our godly response should be to love and obey him. In the Great Commission, we are called to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Evangelism should come from a heart of love and obedience to God’s nature and his commands. 

*Footnotes in order 

Jaime Clark-Soles, “The Afterlife: Considering Heaven and Hell.” Word & World 31, no. 1 (Winter 2011): 65-66.

Michael Jenson, “The Genesis of Hell: Eternal Torment in the Consciousness of Early Christianity.” The Reformed Theological Review 65, no. 3 (Dec 2006): 138-139.

Ron Creasman, “Why Do Missions?” Wesley Theological Journal 38, no. 1 (Spring 2003): 211-212.

Ibid., 212.

Paul Varg, “Motives in Protestant Missions, 1890-1917.” Church History 23, no. 1 (Mar 1954): 71.

Ibid.