The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum The Doctrine of "H-E-double hockey sticks"

geomic1,

It isn't a matter of "casting stones" but rather one of not putting a screen door in a submarine. Annihilationism is heresy, pure and simple, for to deny "eternal punishment" is to of necessity to deny "eternal life".

Matthew 25:46 (ASV) "And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life."

In this text, the Lord Christ compares the end of the "goats" (reprobate) from the "sheep" (elect). The telos of the reprobate is eternal (Grk: aionios) punishment but the telos of the elect is eternal (Grk: aionios) life. Thus, using your theory, if the reprobate are eventually annihilated; cease to exist, then the elect must also be annihilated; cease to exist. Otherwise, the text is incomprehensible in regard to the end of men.

Secondly, Annihilationism cannot be bifurcated from the atonement and the punishment suffered by the Lord Christ for the elect. With annihilationism, it would have to be said that 1) His suffering was limited, 2) the resurrection is a myth, for how can one who has been annihilated be resurrected? If Christ suffered the punishment that which was due to the elect, which is identical to that which is due to the reprobate (all mankind), which according to you is limited and then comes obliteration, then that must have been what Christ also experienced; limited punishment and then annihilation. Nowhere in Scripture is such a novel idea entertained.

Lastly, I posted links to 3 articles here: My last reply. Did you bother to read any of them? If so, why not interact with them instead of copy/pasting large sections from a heretical author?

And here is yet another article that totally refutes the heresy of Annihilationism: Do the Flames Ever Stop in Hell?.

In His grace,