Terry Mitchell

Two Arguments Against Eternal Punishment



Posted: Friday, October 03, 2008

by
http://commenterry.blogs.com

One of the great mysteries of the Bible surrounds the question of whether or not it actually teaches the concept of eternal punishment. While the Bible clearly informs us that there is a Hell, it is a little ambiguous as to how long people will stay there. Many people believe that Hell is a place of eternal punishment, and there are some passages in the Bible that seem to support this position. However, other parts of the Bible would seem to argue against it. I would like to present two of the major arguments in favor of the latter.

First, the Bible often uses words like ‘destroy' or ‘destruction' to refer to the ultimate fate of people who die in their sins, i.e., without having accepted Jesus as their savior. However, many will argue that the words ‘destroy' and ‘destruction' have a special meaning when used to describe what will happen to a lost person's soul. Normally the word ‘destroy' means to put to an end to, wipe out, or annihilate. But those who believe in eternal punishment will say the destruction of the soul refers to something totally different -- damnation that will have no end.

However, there's a passage in Matthew that shoots down this explanation. In Matthew 10:28 (KJV), Jesus says the following, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both the soul and body in hell." One doesn't have to know Greek to see that the same word is being used here when Jesus refers to destroying both the soul and body. According to Jesus, the soul and body of the unbeliever will meet the same fate, but what is it?
 
If one argues that this use of the word ‘destroy' means what it usually does, then he or she must conclude that both the body and soul are subject to being snuffed out. Conversely, if one believes that ‘destroy' in this context refers to eternal damnation, then he or she must conclude that the body is just as immortal as the soul. At least in this particular passage, the word ‘destroy' cannot be divided up into two different meanings.
 
The second argument against eternal punishment is a mathematical one. As Christians, we believe that Jesus paid the full price for our sins when he went to the cross; hence hymns like "Jesus Paid it All." We believe that His suffering and death was an adequate substitute for the punishment we would have had to endure without the sacrifice he made. However, there is a problem with this concept for those who believe in eternal punishment.
 
Jesus suffered through an unimaginably horrible sacrifice to pay for the sins of the entire world. However, within three days, he had conquered death, Hell, and the grave -- and his sacrifice was judged by God to be both sufficient and complete. It did not continue for eternity. Why then would one be required to suffer eternally to pay for his or her own individual sins? Something doesn't add up here. I don't have the answer, of course, but it does seem to me like the concept of eternal punishment throws the salvation equation a bit out of proportion.
 
Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, amateur political analyst, and blogger from Virginia, USA. He posts a least one article a day to his blog - http://commenterry.blogs.com - on subjects such as current events, politics, technology, society and culture, religion, health and well-being, self improvement, personal finance, trivia, and sports. Terry is also the owner and operator of a website that is dedicated to allowing U.S. citizens to find all types of insurance at reasonable prices.  
 
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Noah
from Switzerland 3 years 95 days ago.
Hey Terry!
 
Thanks for your article, I liked it.
 
I'm from Switzerland, Europe. So we are not really religious here but I wanted to say something: didn't Jesus pay the price only for those who accept his forgiveness? I mean if you don't want his free offer won't you burn in hell??
 
Well I've got something more...
 
1) Without God there is nothing
 
2) God created everything
 
3) What did God use to create stuff like angels, earth, water, .... and finally us? if there is nothing else than God???
 
4) I guess he used his own energy, he used part of himself
 
5) God created Satan
 
6) Where did He created him from??? From Himself, from His own "Energy"
 
7)that's why, I think there will be no eternal punishement for satan, he will be saved aswell, (as all human beings too)
 
8) If you do not agree, then you must agree with the idea that God will punish a part of Himself for eternity... ha ha ha and that would really be funny and ridiculus
 
What do you think?
 
See ya, n
» left by Terry Mitchell 3 years 94 days ago.
88 fans.
Someone from Europe who's "not really religious"? Geez, what a suprise!  :-)
 
I'll take your comments/questions one at a time.
 
1) Agree.
 
2) Agree.
 
3) Don't know. And who said there was nothing else other than God? You won't find it in the Bible.
 
4) Possibly.
 
5) Agree.
 
6) Don't know. Don't care.
 
7) Wrong answer! The Bible specifically says that Satan and all of his angels will be punished eternally. Jesus did not die for them. And not all humans will be saved -- only those who accept Jesus as their savior. The remainder will go to hell to be punished for however long God deems just. God is just and His justice is perfect -- and it's far above anything we humans could possibly understand.
 
8) Disagree. Who said that everything is part of God? You've been listening to too much of that New Age clap trap.
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