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orders to preach the gospel with his visions of Hell from his recent tour still vividly impressed
upon his mind. The gospel that he was sent to preach is Gods antidote to that fate. The ominous
words at the end of this quoted text warn that that antidote will not be available indefinitely.
2. Acts of Thomas
Previously, we quoted extensively from the Acts of Thomas the testimony of an unsaved
woman who had experienced a vision of Hell between her being murdered and her being raised
from the dead. In the light of her terrifying report, Thomas was described as giving a passionate
exhortation.
You have heard what this woman related. But there are not only these punishments, but
also others worse than these. And you also, if you do not turn to this God whom I preach,
and desist from your former works and from the deeds which you wrought without
knowledge, shall have your end in these punishments. Believe therefore in Christ Jesus,
and he forgives you the sins committed before this, and will cleanse you from . . . all your
bodily desires which remain on the earth, and will heal you from the trespasses which
follow you and depart with you and are found before you (Sixth Act: 58).
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This is an example of the urgency present in gospel preaching when there is vivid awareness of
the horrifying terrors of Hell.
3. Apocalypse of Paul
After the Apocalypse of Paul had completed its depiction of Pauls tour of postmortem
realities including those of Hell, it recorded these observations and exhortations.
. . . the angel who was with me led me out and said with great seriousness: Paul, the
mystery of this revelation has been given to you; as it pleases you, make it known and
reveal it to men. I, Paul, however, came to myself and I knew and understood what I had
seen and I wrote it in a roll. And while I lived, I did not have rest to reveal this mystery,
but I wrote it (down) and deposited it under the wall of a house of that believer with
whom I was in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia. And when I was released from this temporal life
(and stood) before my Lord, he spoke thus to me: Paul, have I shown everything to you so
that you should put it under the wall of a house? Rather send and reveal it for its sake so
that men may read it and turn to the way of truth that they may not come into these bitter
torments (51).
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Again awareness of the glories of Heaven and especially the horrors of Hell are to
motivate Christians to proclaim the gospel with great urgency. For the gospel offers people both
the opportunity to receive the marvelous blessings of Heaven and to be saved from the terrifying
endless doom of Hell. As wonderful as the former will be, it is the latter that makes gospel
proclamation crucial to handling a desperate situation, the outcome of which will have eternal
consequences.

V. MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN TOURS OF HELL: DANTE ALIEGHIERE (1265-1321)