There are denominations that believe if you die by suicide, God will automatically send you to hell, regardless of anything else you’ve ever believed. Does the Bible back this up?
There is only one passage in Scripture where this argument is made from.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. ESV
Beyond the inconsistency of this view, let’s look deeper at the 1 Corinthians text itself. Paul’s temple analogy here doesn’t begin in verse 16, it begins in verse 9:
For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. ESV
Paul then talks about how the Church has been built, with him laying the foundation, and how others, including the readers, are building upon that foundation. Here’s the key: every time the word “you” or “your” is found in verses 9-17, it is plural.
This is not an abstract, Bible-nerd trivia fact. This is why there is no way verses 16-17 can be referring to God sending someone to hell for suicide.
Instead of reading verses 16 and 17 as “You are that temple,” as if one individual is God’s temple so if that one individual is destroyed, God’s temple was destroyed, and now God is really mad because his temple is gone and now is going to send whoever did it to hell. We must read the text as, “You ALL are that temple,” or “You ALL collectively make up that temple,” which is the living Church. So whoever tries to destroy the Church, will be destroyed.
I’m also not sure how “destroyed” became to be understood as “and automatically sent to hell,” since that’s not in the text at all, but I digress. The greater point is what the Greek says about the word “You.” For those who aren’t following me with the Greek reference, the New Testament was not written in English, it was written in Greek. And in Greek, they had two ways of saying “you,” whereas in English we only have one. “You” can mean, “Hey you guy, get out of my way.” Or “You” could mean, “Hey you Americans, you need to vote.” In English, it’s the same word, in Greek it’s not (I think those Greeks were on to something). The biblical text states with no ambiguity whatsoever that the “you” used throughout 1 Corinthians 3:9-17 is plural and thus has nothing to do with killing an individual person, therefore has nothing to do with suicide.
Don’t believe me? The 2011 NIV has updated the English translation of this passage to a more accurate understanding of what the Greek text says:
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
It is tragic and biblically unfounded to believe suicide trumps the truth of the gospel that any sinner who repents and puts their faith in Jesus will be saved. This has huge theological ramifications.
If you believe this about suicide, you do not believe the gospel.
I know that is a strong statement, but how can you believe the gospel, that Jesus’ death on the cross was strong enough to cleanse us from all our sins, when you are saying there is a sin stronger than Jesus’ power to do that? That is a small and weak Jesus. That is not the Jesus, or the gospel, of the Bible.
Depression is real. I’ve struggled with it for many years, as have many close Christian friends of mine. The statement, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” is false and is certainly not a quote from the Bible. Jesus himself had more than he could handle! In the Garden of Gethsemane he cries out to the Father in agony, praying that he wouldn’t have to die on the cross (Luke 22:42). It was more than he could handle, which peaked on the cross when he cries out in exasperation, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Suicide is not the answer when we are feeling overwhelmed or in despair, but what is the purpose of creating shame-filled dogma that is no where to be found in Scripture?
If you are considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline immediately at 1-800-273-8255.
If you are considering suicide, know that there is hope for you in the gospel. That in the gospel, you are a beloved son or daughter of God and he will see you through your storms. Reach out to a Christian friend, counselor, or pastor.
If you have a loved one who has has died by suicide, do not believe any false doctrines that they were automatically sent to hell because of their act. My heart breaks for you, and so does God’s.
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Good article and clarification of God’s word on suicide.
no suicide is not an unforgivable sin! When Christ died he died for all past present and future sins. salvation is a free gift you just have to receive it. You may have loss of rewards but you are still saved if you are a believer
What sin is greater than another to receive less rewards? ALl are forgiven who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! It’s not for us to judge in life of death. Could we be judged and loose rewards because we didn’t listen, support one who was emotionally temporarily desire peace?
Suffering emotionally, mentally … Nobody filled out an application.
A lot of loose rewards, based off your statement, as statistics show ONLY 3% have, show compassion before suicide.
Thank you, Noah, for making this clear. You cannot lose your salvation. Yes, suicide is a sin, but like all other sins, it is under the blood of Jesus for all who have received Him. The errant belief that those who commit suicide lose their salvation puts undo additional pain upon the family and loved ones of the person who has died. A person who commits suicide is in terrible emotional pain, and is most likely struggling with depression or other mental illness. We should have compassion about this struggle, as well as doing everything we can to be there for people who are suffering emotional pain.
Well said Becky, thank you.
It is a hard, hard road. Most have an addiction. Very few know God, according to Pine Rest. The interesting tool for mental illness, ptsd, stress is based on the Bible for therapy. Is “How to become the person you were meant to be”. I really don’t know if this therapy book is identified by therapist as spiritually driven, yet they use it. Thank God!
Thank you Noah! This really spoke to me. From someone who has attempted suicide three times… I have always struggled with where I stood. This is some of what kept me out of church for so long. Then I hear of a pastor who openly talks about depression and admits depression. Sign me up. We are all human. You are what got me to come back to church. Only a few sermons on you being you and your story being out there for everyone. I was hooked. I needed someone who preached truth of the Bible and truth of himeself. Thank you.
Oh Megan, that is so encouraging to me. Thank you. I’m so glad you are back in church. Through the ups and downs, we can always be real before God and he will always be there to hold us and accept us, because of what he already did on the cross for us. You’ve been such a great encouragement to me, especially in my writing pursuits, thank you so much for that. It has had a great impact on me and continues to keep me motivated.
Suicide is like a bad answer to the wrong question. Maybe it’s a sin since it’s a personal answer to unbearable burdens, but Jesus said there was only one sin that’s not forgiven men. I couldn’t find the quote, but Bonhoeffer said we shouldn’t treat those who commit suicide harshly since in some circumstances, like concentration camps, it may be the most rational response to living in hell. Tbh, isn’t Jesus’ call to follow him taking up our cross a voluntary suicide, of the self life rather than the body? The Greek for ‘deny’ and ‘lose’ is extreme. The other side, maybe bad theology has its place, if it keeps someone from taking their life out of fear of hell I’m thinking second and third chances are often places of grace.
And gotta say, that pic at the top, dude, you are so blessed. You got a beautiful wife and your kids are awesome. God bless you guys.
Thanks Alan, sorry it took me so long to reply. I would push back against the silver lining idea of bad theology being a motivator for someone to not commit suicide because of a fear of hell. I see your point and I suppose that has been the case for certain people, but I think the shame that has been piled onto loved ones of those who have died by suicide is even moreso true and/or the peril of such a thought that these loved ones carry with them. But most importantly, it just makes grace and Jesus weak and ineffective, so it drives me nuts. I know you don’t disagree with any of this, just wanted to offer it as interaction with your comment.
Yeah, you’re right, bad theology is just bad. And being crushed by it is all kinds of wrong. But that pause at that moment of going thru with it, man, that’s worth so much. A couple friends couldn’t see past the moment, but for those who have, they take it as grace from God afterwards.
Another interesting point:
Apostle Paul himself oversaw the murders of many members of the Church before his conversion. He tried his best to destroy the Church before his dramatic conversion. The very writer of the verse in question committed these very sins and was forgiven and renewed. Why not any Christian who is broken by mental illness and commits suicide?
Thank you for your explanations Noah, but I am not convinced. I am still unsure of what happens to someone who commits suicide. Please hear my reasoning and help me understand.
First of all, I call suicide a sin solely because one of the 10 commandments forbids us to kill. Given that suicide is the act of taking one’s own life, killing oneself, it is also forbidden by the Bible.
Also, in 1John 1:9, the Bible says “if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.” The verse implies that God will forgive us when we confess our sins. Several other verses like Proverbs 28:13 and Psalm 69:5 clearly (i believe) reiterate the same message: God will forgive when we confess.
So, my concern is, the Christians committing suicide, do they have enough time to repent and confess their sin so that God may forgive them before they die? If not, how can we boldly affirm that they still went to heaven?
I also struggle with the “you can’t lose your salvation” idea because although Jesus died once and for all (meaning that His sacrifice is strong enough to erase any sin and stand against any claiming on our lives from the devil), some Bible verses hint that many believers, those of us who accepted Him as our Lord and Savior will still be left out of God’s glory. What I want to say is I’m perplexed about all of this…I need help, basically.
Coming back to the topic of suicide, I would say, with caution, that it is unforgivable, not because it is stronger than the blood of Christ (because it’s not), but because one does not get a chance to repent, confess and get God’s forgiveness before dying. And in such a situation, I don’t know what happens
Hi Rebecca, thank you for the great questions. I apologize it has taken me so long to reply. I’ll organize my thoughts with three points:
1. The new language with suicide is “died by suicide,” rather than “committed suicide.” This helps bring clarity to the idea that someone “killed themselves.” In one sense, yes they killed themselves and killing is a sin. In another sense, in many cases suicide is now understand as the final act of mental illness. People are overcome by suicide, rather than simply choose it like one might choose to rob a bank. I think there is some grey area and room for debate here, but I do think this new mindset helps families grieve and it helps someone who is tempted by suicide to reach out and receive help before it’s too late.
2. The idea that we have to confess each and every sin before we die or we go to hell is one I would 100% reject as opposite to the gospel of grace. For one, I can’t imagine living in that kind of fear and terror. It also assumes that “sin” is always something very obvious. What about the sins in my heart of pride and greed and idolatry that I am essentially committing on a second-by-second basis, even as I type this? There’s no way I could confess of these things right before I died in many cases of death, like a car accident, etc. Plus I’d be committing them even as I prayed my confession. It seems you have a genuine interest in growing and learning from Scripture and Jesus, which is awesome, and that you have a heart sensitive to Jesus. As a brother in Christ, I beg you to reject this belief. I’m not sure if this is a Catholic doctrine or where it comes from, but it is definitely contrary to the gospel of grace. As I already mentioned, it would be impossible for anyone to do, not just someone who died by suicide. But it also makes the “work” of confessing the act that brings salvation. God isn’t going to say “You’re going to hell because you only confessed 945 times and it was supposed to be 946 times.” I read the Scriptures you gave, I don’t see any of them referring to each and every individual sin, or that Jesus’ blood only covers you temporarily, then you outsin it. Yes we are to confess our sins for salvation, this is a one-time confession when we put our faith in Jesus –but we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9), not by confessing a whole bunch of times. We put our faith in Jesus’s grace and we are saved, period. And yes we are to continue to confess our sins as we live out our Christian faith, as this draws us closer to Jesus. And we want to root out sin in our lives because it keeps us from experiencing communion with God and the blessing of intimacy with him. But it’s not a confession to keep my salvation. Let me know if this resonates, I can try to explain further or differently. I am so thankful Romans 8:15-17 is true and Colossians 1:22 is true. Once I put my faith in Jesus, I am adopted into his family as his son (or daughter), and the Father sees me as perfect because of what Jesus did on my behalf.
3. There are big theological debates about if you can lose your salvation or not. And even what is salvation: is someone who prays a little prayer for forgiveness but has no real heart change toward Jesus saved? Is someone still saved who once lived for Jesus, but now doesn’t? Different theological persuasions will explain these things differently. I agree with you there are Scriptures that seem to say someone can walk away from their faith. But committing a sin, suicide or otherwise, is not walking away from your faith. As I’ve studied this topic in depth in Scripture, and heard theological arguments from both sides, I’ve concluded that: “You cannot lose your salvation, but you can choose to leave it.” But again, this is not the same as suicide or any other conscious sin. This is making the conscious choice that you no longer believe that Jesus is your savior. Or you choose that God no longer exists. Etc.
Let me know if/how this helps, and please feel free to push back. Thank you for reaching out with a desire to challenge, as well as learn and grow.