Pastor Terrie Beede's "Studies in Theology" series, grounded in the anchor text of 1 Timothy 4:16, continued its exploration with The Final State of Man Part 1: The Final Judgment of Unbelievers and the Reality of Hell. Pastor Beede reiterated Paul's charge to Timothy to "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine" and "continue in them," emphasizing that faithful conduct and accurate teaching ensure both the minister's own salvation and that of their hearers, by preaching "the pure word of God" and "not the ideas and the doctrine of men".
This session marked a shift towards the concluding topics of the systematic theology series, with only two major subjects remaining: the final state of man and the return of Jesus Christ. Beede noted that the order of presentation would be inverted to end the study with the glorious return of Christ, aligning with future teachings in the book of Revelation. The previous lengthy study had concluded the "Doctrine of the Church," including ecclesiology, sacraments, the five-fold ministry, and the "priesthood of the believer"—a role emphasizing the believer's responsibility to introduce others to God.
This session began to address the final judgment or judgments and the final state of man. The guiding article from the Calvary Chapel Milwaukee's statement of faith states: "We believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell. And all those who place their faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ will spend an eternity in heaven with the Lord while those who reject Jesus free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord in hell".
The primary focus was the judgment of unbelievers, depicted in Revelation 20:11-15 as the Great White Throne Judgment. At this judgment:
• "Every deed will be considered," with "every word that a person speaks in this life, every thought that they think, everything that is vocalized out of their mouth, and every intention of their heart" being judged.
• "Every heart will be revealed," displaying motivations for all to see.
• God will judge "the secret of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel".
• The purpose of this judgment is to "display before all rational creatures the glory of God in one act which magnifies both his holiness and his righteousness and his grace and his mercy".
• "All will be without excuse" and speechless, recognizing the opportunities they had to accept Christ.
• Believers will have a role, potentially participating as judges or standing as witnesses against the world, thereby functioning as a standard by which unbelievers are judged (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).
The session also introduced the doctrine of hell as the eternal consequence for those judged unworthy of eternal life. The term "Gehenna" in the New Testament was explained as a symbol for "everlasting torment and everlasting punishment and irredeemable damnation," serving as a "powerful forceful argument against the whole idea of universalism". Beede noted that the "word eternal or everlasting" is applied to both the punishment of the wicked and the life of the righteous, implying that neither can be temporary. Future sessions would delve deeper into the nature of hell, addressing objections to its literal and eternal nature. The reality of hell, though not to be feared by the redeemed, should motivate believers to witness to the unsaved, acting as the "kingdom of priests" they are called to be.