A Word on the Weeping & Gnashing of Teeth Texts
Before proceeding onward to our discussion of the parable of the wheat and the tares, I believe a word should be said regarding the phrase that occurs at the end of Jesus' explanation of the parable to his disciples (13:42b).
It worth noting that none of the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" texts we find in the Gospels indicate the duration of suffering the lost will undergo in "hell". The expression occurs six times in Matthew (8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30), once in Luke (13:28). In its first occurrence in Matthew, Jesus warns the unbelieving Jews (i.e., "the sons of the kingdom") that they will be cast out of the kingdom while the nations will find a seat with the Patriarchs (8:11,12). In this passage, the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" denotes the emotional anguish of those banished from the kingdom. Similarly, in the one instance where this phrase occurs outside Matthew, it is set in the context of Jesus exhorting his disciples to strive to enter through the narrow door into the kingdom (Luke 13:24-30). Jesus describes the sharp emotional response of those who are not allowed into the master's house after the door has has been shut with the familiar phrase: "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out" (13:28 ESV). First, it is evident that we are told nothing of how long the lost will endure or exist after having been excluded from the kingdom in this text. Such a consideration is foreign to the text. Second, we have observed that the expression "weeping and gnashing of teeth" relates to the internal emotional affliction of the unrighteous, not any external infliction of pain by God or some other party.
The Parable of the Wheat & the Tares & its Explanation
Jesus parallels the fate of the weeds (13:30) with the fate of the lawless (13:40).
Earlier in Matthew's Gospel John the Baptist issued a similar warning:
Insofar as it pertains to the fate of the unrighteous, the main thrust of Jesus' explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares is that everything in opposition to the kingdom of the Father will be purged and destroyed. It should be evident that this text appears to be extremely problematic to the conventional view of final punishment understood as endless conscious torment (ECT). To put it bluntly, there is no similitude or symmetry between unwanted weeds being burned up in order to clear a farmer's field and the wicked being sustained forever in fiery torment (as in ECT).1 Notice that Jesus alludes to the furnace of fire of Daniel 3:6 in Matthew 13:42a (cf. 13:50a). A furnace of fire is not intended to perpetuate pain or inflict ongoing torment, but to consume or destroy that which is cast in it. Not only does Jesus depict human agents (i.e., "those who commit lawlessness" [v.41 NASB]) as being thrown into a fiery furnace at the end of the age in his explanation of the parable of the wheat and the weeds, but stumbling blocks/causes to sin (skandalon, v.41) as well. This is significant. It is impossible for stumbling blocks to undergo torment, much less unending torment. David Powys aptly observes
In light of the foregoing considerations, the expression "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:42b) likely points back to the preceding verse: "The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers" (v.41 ESV). The sadness and anger of the lawless is a result of their being gathered out of the kingdom by the angels of God in order to be destroyed. When the wicked are gathered out of the kingdom, in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is similar to how the expression is employed elsewhere.
It is highly unlikely that we are to envisage the "the weeping and gnashing of teeth" of the unrighteous as actually taking place inside the fiery furnace, whether for a short or prolonged period of time. As we noted earlier, the expression is not used to denote externally inflicted pain or torment.
Throughout Matthew, fire serves as an agent of purgation and destruction (3:10-12; 7:19; 13:30,40-42,49,50). The righteous will only shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father after the kingdom is purged of all that is contrary to Christ (13:43; cf. Daniel 12:3).5 Ongoing torment simply doesn't factor into this text.
Notes
1 This observation stands regardless of whether the fire in Matthew 13:42a (cf. 13:50a) is to be understood as literal or metaphorical in nature.
2 D.J. Powys, 'Hell': A Hard Look at a Hard Question: The Fate of the Unrighteous in New Testament Thought ([Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 1997] Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007), p.287.
3 Kim Papaioannou, The Geography of Hell in the Teaching of Jesus: Gehenna, Hades, the Abyss, the Outer Darkness Where There Is Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013), pp.204,205.
4 Ibid., p.205.
5 See ibid.
Before proceeding onward to our discussion of the parable of the wheat and the tares, I believe a word should be said regarding the phrase that occurs at the end of Jesus' explanation of the parable to his disciples (13:42b).
It worth noting that none of the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" texts we find in the Gospels indicate the duration of suffering the lost will undergo in "hell". The expression occurs six times in Matthew (8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30), once in Luke (13:28). In its first occurrence in Matthew, Jesus warns the unbelieving Jews (i.e., "the sons of the kingdom") that they will be cast out of the kingdom while the nations will find a seat with the Patriarchs (8:11,12). In this passage, the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" denotes the emotional anguish of those banished from the kingdom. Similarly, in the one instance where this phrase occurs outside Matthew, it is set in the context of Jesus exhorting his disciples to strive to enter through the narrow door into the kingdom (Luke 13:24-30). Jesus describes the sharp emotional response of those who are not allowed into the master's house after the door has has been shut with the familiar phrase: "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out" (13:28 ESV). First, it is evident that we are told nothing of how long the lost will endure or exist after having been excluded from the kingdom in this text. Such a consideration is foreign to the text. Second, we have observed that the expression "weeping and gnashing of teeth" relates to the internal emotional affliction of the unrighteous, not any external infliction of pain by God or some other party.
The Parable of the Wheat & the Tares & its Explanation
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"
36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 NASB)
Jesus parallels the fate of the weeds (13:30) with the fate of the lawless (13:40).
"'Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned [katakaio], but gather the wheat into my barn.'" (13:30 ESV)
"Just as the weeds are collected and burned up [katakaio] with fire, so will it be at the end of the age." (13:40 NRSV)
Earlier in Matthew's Gospel John the Baptist issued a similar warning:
"His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up [katakaio] the chaff with unquenchable fire." (3:12 NASB; cf. Luke 3:17)
Insofar as it pertains to the fate of the unrighteous, the main thrust of Jesus' explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares is that everything in opposition to the kingdom of the Father will be purged and destroyed. It should be evident that this text appears to be extremely problematic to the conventional view of final punishment understood as endless conscious torment (ECT). To put it bluntly, there is no similitude or symmetry between unwanted weeds being burned up in order to clear a farmer's field and the wicked being sustained forever in fiery torment (as in ECT).1 Notice that Jesus alludes to the furnace of fire of Daniel 3:6 in Matthew 13:42a (cf. 13:50a). A furnace of fire is not intended to perpetuate pain or inflict ongoing torment, but to consume or destroy that which is cast in it. Not only does Jesus depict human agents (i.e., "those who commit lawlessness" [v.41 NASB]) as being thrown into a fiery furnace at the end of the age in his explanation of the parable of the wheat and the weeds, but stumbling blocks/causes to sin (skandalon, v.41) as well. This is significant. It is impossible for stumbling blocks to undergo torment, much less unending torment. David Powys aptly observes
[T]he concept of 'causes of sin' being thrown into 'the furnace of fire' must be figurative. This suggests that the passage ought not be interpreted with rigid literalism. Whatever destiny is discerned here for the unrighteous must be one to which the 'causes of sin' can also be assigned. Things cannot sensibly be said to be assigned to retribution, suffering or even exclusion. Things can only be destroyed.2
In light of the foregoing considerations, the expression "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:42b) likely points back to the preceding verse: "The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers" (v.41 ESV). The sadness and anger of the lawless is a result of their being gathered out of the kingdom by the angels of God in order to be destroyed. When the wicked are gathered out of the kingdom, in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is similar to how the expression is employed elsewhere.
[The phrase] does not need to fit neatly with the details of the parable, but rather serves as a solemn conclusion to connect the parables that revolve around the theme of the final judgment. The ἐκεῖ [ekei] therefore need not be understood to imply the the weeping and gnashing of teeth will take place "in" the fiery furnace. If the parable intended to describe any feelings in a fiery furnace, pain and anguish would have been much more appropriate and these could not last long. The emphasis here as elsewhere is on the exclusion or removal from the kingdom of everything that causes offence. The phrase is, therefore, justified since those excluded will feel the disappointment and anger already encountered in previous descriptions of the exclusion of the wicked from the kingdom.3
It is highly unlikely that we are to envisage the "the weeping and gnashing of teeth" of the unrighteous as actually taking place inside the fiery furnace, whether for a short or prolonged period of time. As we noted earlier, the expression is not used to denote externally inflicted pain or torment.
[T]he phrase weeping and gnashing of teeth seems out of place with the flow of the parable and interpretation, but is appended in order to link to this parable to other parables and/or sayings in the Gospel of Matthew that deal with the judgment at the end of the age. As such, it retains its meaning as an expression of sorrow and anger at exclusion from the kingdom.4
Throughout Matthew, fire serves as an agent of purgation and destruction (3:10-12; 7:19; 13:30,40-42,49,50). The righteous will only shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father after the kingdom is purged of all that is contrary to Christ (13:43; cf. Daniel 12:3).5 Ongoing torment simply doesn't factor into this text.
Notes
1 This observation stands regardless of whether the fire in Matthew 13:42a (cf. 13:50a) is to be understood as literal or metaphorical in nature.
2 D.J. Powys, 'Hell': A Hard Look at a Hard Question: The Fate of the Unrighteous in New Testament Thought ([Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 1997] Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007), p.287.
3 Kim Papaioannou, The Geography of Hell in the Teaching of Jesus: Gehenna, Hades, the Abyss, the Outer Darkness Where There Is Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013), pp.204,205.
4 Ibid., p.205.
5 See ibid.
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