In this article, we consider the question: Does the degree of Punishment in Hell differ depending on how evil a person was during their life on earth?

We examine various passages in the Bible and infer from the passages that the punishment is more severe if the person was more evil.

See below for relevant passages from the Bible, and associated discussion...

LK 12:42 The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, `My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

LK 12:47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

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Discussion

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Note: the "coming of the Master" is often used as a metaphor for the second coming of Christ (and for the Judgment).

Note that both servants are punished; but one servant is punished more than the other. Why? Because he knowingly disobeyed...

We infer, for instance: unbelievers who are in Christian churches (and sometimes in Christian pulpits) will be punished more than unbelievers who never heard the gospel (but who disobeyed their conscience). Also, unbelievers in a country that has a Christian heritage (where the gospel is commonly available) will be punished more than an unbeliever in some country who never ever heard the gospel (but who disobeyed their conscience).

And if we chose to extend this principle, then unbelievers who live more evil lives (are more disobedient to the conscience that God has given them, and to the rules of right and wrong provided them by society) will be punished more (than one who is less disobedient).

MT 10:11 "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

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Discussion

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The towns of Sodom and Gomorrah (and their inhabitants) were destroyed because the great extent of their depravity. We infer that the inhabitants from those cities are in hell.

At the day of judgment, the future eternal destiny of people is pronounced by God. Jesus is saying that if people in a particular home or town reject the disciples (and the gospel) it will be worse for those people on the day of judgment, than for Sodom and Gomorrah (whose inhabitants are in hell/ destined for hell, anyway)... How can this be, of the people of the rejecting-town, and of Sodom are both destined for the same hell (and if the punishment is the same for both)... So, we infer that the punishment is greater for some than for others (in hell, a.k.a. negative afterlife).

MT 11:20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

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Discussion

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Tyre and Sidon, in the Old Testament were known for their sinfulness, and their worship of false gods (idols). Here Jesus, says it will be better for them, than for Korazin and Bethsaida, at the day of Judgment (when the judgment of their eternal destiny in hell is pronounced on them)... Since inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon (because of their wickedness) are to end up in the same hell as the inhabitants of Korazin and Bethsaida, how is this possible (that it will be worse for some people in hell)? We infer therefore that the punishment is greater for some people than for others (in hell, a.k.a. negative afterlife). And the punishment is greater depending on the degree of evil (extent of rejection of God, of the gospel, of the rules of right and wrong that God has given us in our conscience, and in the 10 commandments, and in society's laws - to the extent that they conform to God's laws).

MT 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

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Discussion

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Here we have a similar situation (as with Tyre-Sidon versus Korazin-Bethsaida) except it is with Capernaum vs Sodom. And we come to a similar inference as discussed in the case of Tyre-Sidon versus Korazin-Bethsaida, i.e., that the punishment in hell will be greater for the inhabitants of Capernaum than for those of Sodom (because Capernaum had a more direct revelation of God, through Jesus Christ and his miracles, and yet they chose to reject him)...

LK 10:8 "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, `The kingdom of God is near you.' 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 `Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.' 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

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Discussion

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Same discussion as for the Matthew 10:11-15 passage. Worse punishment for the inhabitants of the town (that rejects the disciples of Christ) than for Sodom...

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

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Discussion

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This just states that anyone who rejects Jesus Christ has the wrath of God remaining on him; let's look at a couple of additional passages of Scripture, to see if the amount of wrath (and therefore we infer, punishment) is more for greater evil (compared to a life of lesser evil/disobedience)...

RO 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done."

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Discussion

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i) Note that Paul says (to the person who is stubborn and unrepentant) -- "you are storing up wrath against yourself"; note that this is present tense, continuing action. In other words, the person is storing up wrath, and (we infer) continuing to store up more wrath by their continuing unrepentance (despite God calling them to repentance)... We infer that since the person stores up more wrath (of God, against them) there will be more punishment for them...

ii) Note in verse 6, Paul says, "God will give to each person according to what he has done"... We infer that a person who has "done more evil" will be "given more punishment, according to what he has done"...

The Bible does not explicitly tells us that a person's punishment in hell will be greater or smaller depending on whether that person's life (on earth) was more evil or less evil. However, we infer from various passages in the Bible that the person's punishment is more severe if the person was more evil (more disobedient to God's laws).