Active Discipleship

This page will be dedicated to my continuing effort of gaining a better understanding of the definition of 'eternal', as in 'eternal punishment', where it concerns the fate of those whose names are 'not found written in the book of life', and in 'eternal life' for those who are.

See also Revelation 21:8. The context for this passage concerns the New Jerusalem

The following (2) paragraphs are excerpts from an article by Bert Thompson, Ph.D. published in the July, 2000 Issue of Reason & Revelation (A Monthly Journal of Christian Evidences), beginning at (paragraph)

Hell is a Place of Punishment for Bodies
and Souls of the Disobedient Wicked

1. "In discussing gehenna in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Geerhardus Vos addressed the verses that deal with hell, and then stated: “In all of these it designates the place of eternal punishment of the wicked, generally in connection with the final judgment.... Both body and soul are cast into it” (1956, 2:1183). E.M. Zerr commented: “Gehenna is the lake of unquenchable fire into which the whole being of the wicked (body, soul and spirit) will be cast after the judgment” (1952, p. 17). Hell is a place of contempt and shame (Daniel 12:2), as well as torment and anguish (Luke 16:23-24). It is a place of “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12; 25:30) where punishment and suffering occur (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 14:11) ....

.... that will involve both body and soul (Matthew 10:28)." << NOTE! "destroy"

2. "The Scriptures speak with clarity and precision on the topic of hell as a place of punishment appointed for the disobedient wicked. The psalmist wrote by inspiration: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). Jesus taught that at Judgment, the wicked will “depart” into punishment “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41-46) where Jesus employed the Greek term kolasis, which means punishment, torment, suffering, and chastisement [see Brown, 1999, p. 173]). When John described those who would join the devil in hell’s horrible abyss, he referred to “the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and liars” (Revelation 21:8). Paul said that those who inhabit hell with Satan will be those who “know not God” and who “obey not the gospel of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

These are my comments:

Whereas I do believe that there is an 'everlasting fire' where Satan and his angels will abode eternally (since they were created from the beginning as eternal beings - and God will not ever take back that which He, by His own Law, has given), I have found, in reading the Scriptures, no conclusive evidence, that the loving, merciful and just God I believe in will continually or perpetually torment those of his (temporal) children to whom, by His own Law, He gave the ability to choose and who in their hearts did willfully decide not to acknowledge Him as their creator.

I have found evidence, however, that those who willfully reject God will be judged according to God's Law and as a consequence will be cut off from God's mercy, in which state they will continue to exist in spite of their own desire ,

.... before they finally will be permanently extinguished . << NOTE! "second death"

This, in contrast to what those who acknowledge the Love of God and accept the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ already have received.

It is my intent, at some time in the future, under the prayerfully requested tutelage of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate the apparent non-equivalence of the terms 'outer darkness', 'death and hell', 'second death', ' unquenchable fire', as they are found in the Holy Scriptures.

The purpose of this quest is not to sow discord among my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, but rather to redirect the focus of some of us to the task given to us by Jesus and not be distracted by emotional and judgmental attitudes toward the very people we are called upon to bring toward the Kingdom.