What is the destiny of the unrighteous?  Christians over the centuries have put forward three major options: eternal conscious torment (traditionalism), temporary torment followed by salvation (universalism), temporary torment followed by destruction (annihilationism).  In this lecture we'll cover the main texts supporting the annihilation of the wicked as well as three logical problems with the traditional view.

—— Notes ——
Understanding Immortality
Gen 2.17

what was the original consequence for sin that God promised? death!
Gen 3.19, 22-23 expelled from tree of life
Gen 5.5 Adam died
from the beginning the punishment for sin was death

 proof

1 only God is immortal by nature (1 Tim 1.17;15-16)
2 humans are by nature mortal (will not by default live forever)
3 God gives the saved immortality

through the gospel (2 Tim 1.9-10)
through resurrection (1 Cor 15.52-53)


therefore damned will not be immortal (John 3.16; Rom 6.23[1]; 1 John 5.11-12)

Biblical Language of Destruction
Psalm 37 uses terms to describe the fate of the wicked




v2


wither quickly like the grass




v9


cut off




v10


be no more




v20


perish




v20


vanish like smoke




v22


cut off




v27


reward for good is to live forever




v28


cut off




v34


cut off




v36


passed away




Mal 4.1-3 day is coming that will set them ablaze, they’ll be ashes under your feet
Mat 3.12 burn up chaff [wicked] w/ unquenchable fire

unquenchable = cannot be put out until it consumes the fuel
Jer 7.20: God’s wrath is unquenchable, so he tells Jer to stop praying…but after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carried the people into exile, his wrath ended

Mat 7.13-14  narrow gate leads to life; broad way leads to destruction
Mat 10.28  destroy body and soul in hell

Hades = greek for Sheol = realm of dead (the grave)
Gehenna = valley of Hinnom = burning garbage dump where they used to sacrifice children to Moloch that Jesus used as an analogy for the final judgment

Mat 13.40-42 all law-breakers thrown into fiery furnace

“weeping and gnashing of teeth” indicates anger not suffering
see Luke 13.28: weeping & gnashing b/c you see Abr. Is. Jac. in kingdom but yourselves cast out

Mat 18.8-9 better to enter life crippled than to be thrown into eternal fire (hell of fire)

life contrasted with fire

Mat 25.46 eternal punishment vs. eternal life

punishment that lasts forever not that is experienced forever (death penalty is irreversible)
Heb 5.9 eternal salvation: process of saving was finite but outcome lasts forever
Heb 9.12 eternal redemption: process of redeeming was finite but outcome lasts forever

Gal 6.8

sow to the flesh -> reap corruption
sow to the spirit -> reap eternal life

Heb 10.26-27 those who go on sinning will get a fury of fire that will consume
2 Peter 2.6 Sodom&Gomorrah condemned to extinction as example of what happens to ungodly
2 Peter 3.6-7 future destruction is like Noah's flood
Jud 1.6-7  Sodom & Gomorrah are an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire

inhabitants of S&G were violently slain by fire

Atonement
Romans 5.6 “Christ died for the ungodly”

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