The backstory.

Al Mohler in response to Brian McLaren’s defense of Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins, identifies the interpretive scalpel that will shape an individuals belief regarding the nature of God’s love and the reality of everlasting punishment in hell. In his response Mohler makes the statement:

“We do not know who God is by knowing what love is. We understand love by knowing who God is.”

Carefully consider this statement – it is not trite nor is it simply cleaver. The essence of it’s meaning points to a fundamental way of defining life and viewing the role of Biblical truth in shaping our worldview.

Here is an example of a pastor who failed to get it right.
Here is an example of a pastor who got it right. See first 5:05 of the interview.
Here is an example of Rob Bell trying to extinguish the orthodox view of hell through emotional water and expositional gymnastics. Don’t let Rob’s “this is how the word is used in the Bible” argument fool you. The bottom line is that this “truth” is ages old and has been regularly and soundly defeated through a well-rounded examination of the entire Biblical record. Rob’s notions are about as new as dirt.