In Matt 8:12, the Lord refers to certain people who will experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Many grace people have pointed out that this does not refer to people in the lake of fire. Instead, it refers to unfaithful believers who will lose rewards in the kingdom. Those who hold this view correctly maintain that some “sons of the kingdom” are included in the group who weep and gnash their teeth. Unbelievers are not sons of the kingdom. Weeping and gnashing of teeth is said to refer to profound regret and sadness over the loss of eternal rewards and of a life wasted.
Most Evangelicals consider such a view of Matt 8:12 preposterous. They often mock such teaching. The idea that gnashing one’s teeth can refer to anything other than excruciating torment in an eternal fire is considered laughable. The Grace view is often seen as a joke.
I think more would accept the Grace view if the Lord had simply said weeping. It would be a lot easier to describe the loss of rewards as an occasion for weeping. But to many, gnashing of teeth seems too strong a phrase for mere regret, no matter how deep that regret might be. Flames coming out of every pore of one’s body would more accurately paint a picture of a situation in which one would gnash his teeth.
The problem is that the Bible never uses the phrase to mean torment in the lake of fire, unless we automatically assume it means that in the Gospels. In Job 16:9, Job says that God “gnashes His teeth” at him. Evidently, Job felt that God was angry with him and had therefore caused all the suffering Job was experiencing. I feel confident that Job was not saying that God was in flames of torment.
In Ps 35:16, David describes ungodly mockers who reveled in the afflictions David experienced. These mockers “gnashed at [him] with their teeth.” While doing so, they were not in pain. In fact, they rejoiced (v 15). Gnashing their teeth showed disdain and anger towards David.
In Acts 7:54, the Jews who killed Stephen gnashed their teeth at him. They felt anger at what he had said to them. They were not in flames.
These examples show that gnashing one’s teeth does not refer to eternal torment in fire. It is an expression meaning that one is in conflict, regrets something, or does not like what they hear. Two thousand years ago, the Jews who heard Jesus use the phrase likely understood it to mean what it meant in their OT Scriptures (e.g., Job 16:9; Ps 35:16); Evangelicals of today may lack that understanding.
In theological discussions, the Grace view of gnashing one’s teeth is often laughed at. But that is only because of traditions that developed long after the Lord used the phrase. This shows the danger of religious traditions. Such traditions can actually promote error and mock the truth.
The Grace view of the phrase is that it does not refer to people’s burning in hell. Those who weep and gnash their teeth at the Judgment Seat of Christ will experience the emotional pain, regret, self-anger, and internal conflict of knowing they will experience great loss because of their past actions. They will lose the rewards that could have been theirs. That will be no joke.
