Are there different levels of hell and degrees of sin?

by Ryan Turner and Chad Ressler

Biblically, there seems to be definite teaching that there are different levels of hell - at least in the sense that there are various degrees of punishment.  The Bible does not specifically mention higher or lower levels of hell in the location sense, but it does allude to degrees of punishment and sins:

1. More Tolerance for Certain Sins
   1. Matthew 10:15, "Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."
   2. Matthew 11:23-24, "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee," (cf. Luke 10:12).
   3. Mark 6:11, "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."
      1. The implication of those above three passages is that there is a greater punishment for rejecting Jesus than there is for even the most atrocious sins in the Old Testament.
2. Greater Punishment
   1. Matthew 23:14,  "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation," (cf., Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47).
   2. Luke 12:47-48, "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
      1. This passage appears to indicate that the greater our knowledge, the greater our responsibility.  Also, it indicates the greater our punishment if we fail in our responsibility (this is in relation to unbelievers).
3. Greater Sin
   1. John 19:11, "...He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." 
      1. Jesus specifically attributes Judas's betrayal as a greater sin than Pontius Pilate's.