At the link, below, you’ll find N.T. Wright talking about Hell.  It’s a great example of why Christians ought to take seriously the need to know what we believe and why we believe it.  Fr Wright makes the point that Hell, as we conceive it, was a middle ages invention.  Yet, Chrysostom wrote:

This is no trivial subject of inquiry that we propose, but rather it concerns things most urgent, and about which many inquire:  namely, whether hell fire has any end.  For that is has no end Christ indeed declared when he said, “Their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die.”

Clearly Chrysostom is teaching that Hell is 1) Real, 2) Eternal, 3) Involves some sort of fire (which, I believe, he took as God’s Wrath).  Now, you might ask, “When did this Chrysostom guy live?”  To which, I would respond, “Around 347-407 AD.”

Hmmm.  That doesn’t sound like a middle ages invention to me.

Ur Video: NT Wright on Hell | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders.