Contradiction with Ezekiel 18:23
This verse questions whether God takes pleasure in the death of the wicked, emphasizing the desire for repentance rather than eternal punishment.
Ezekiel 18:23: Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Contradiction with 1 Timothy 2:4
This verse suggests that God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, contrasting the idea of eternal punishment.
1 Timothy 2:4: Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Contradiction with 2 Peter 3:9
This verse indicates God's patience and desire for everyone to repent rather than perish, countering the notion of inevitable eternal torment.
2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Contradiction with Lamentations 3:31-33
These verses express that God does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone, contrasting the perpetual torment described in Mark 9:44.
Lamentations 3:31-33: For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
Contradiction with 1 John 4:16
This verse describes God as love, which can seem at odds with the concept of unending punishment.
1 John 4:16: And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Contradiction with Romans 6:23
This verse contrasts eternal life through Jesus with the wages of sin being death, interpreted by some as finality rather than eternal suffering.
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Contradiction with John 12:47
In this verse, Jesus states he did not come to judge the world but to save it, which may seem in tension with the imagery of eternal punishment.
John 12:47: And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Paradox #1
Mark 9:44 is often noted for its repetition of a phrase about consequences for wrongdoing, which some might see as harsh or unforgiving. The contradiction or conflict could be seen in its emphasis on eternal punishment, which might seem inconsistent with views of a loving and forgiving God. This can be troubling for those who struggle to reconcile justice with compassion.