Name: Tim Jeffries

Eternal Punishment or Annihilation: What Should We Believe?

Due Date: 19/05/2005

Word Count: 3300

Subject: Theology 403Grace and Eschatology

Lecturer: Peter Adam

- 2 -

Whether hell is eternal punishment or annihilation has been a hotly debated

topic among evangelicals in recent years.1 This essay will seek to show the

differing views on a biblical, historical and systematic level while engaging

with a range of scholars from both perspectives. Finally this essay will draw its

own conclusions based on the information presented.

The Old Testament says very little specifically about hell. It does more

frequently speak of ‘sheol’ which appears to refer of the grave or possibly at

times an intermediate state.2

John F. Walvoord, a traditionalist appealing to texts such as Deuteronomy

32:22, Job 21:30-34, Psalm 94:1-2, 23, Isaiah 33:14-15 and Isaiah 66:24,

believes that the Old Testament clearly teaches divine judgement and

punishment for the wicked and that there ‘is no intimation that this punishment

should not be taken literally and continue eternally.’3 A thorough assessment

of these passages shows that they do point to judgement, but their reference

to eternal conscious punishment is so weak, that they could equally be

appealed to by annihilationists.

1 It is important to state that both these views are seeking to uphold the evangelical tradition by seeing the bible as the ultimate authority in matters of doctrine. In the debate, advocates of the traditional view (eternal punishment) have sought to point the finger at those who hold the view of annihilation and say that they are not taking their bible seriously. However as this essay will show, that is nothing more than an emotive tactic employed by the traditionalists and should not affect people’s judgement on the issue. As Clark H. Pinnock states ‘The fact of the matter is that the issue concerning the nature of hell does not involve the doctrine of biblical inerrancy at all but is entirely a matter of the valid interpretation of texts and of sound theological reasoning.’ (W.V. Crockett, [et al.] Four View on Hell (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) 39)2 W.V. Crockett, [et al.] Four View on Hell (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) 14-17.3 Ibid. 18.

Tim Jeffries

- 3 -

Robert Peterson, another traditionalist, sees two key passages in the Old

Testament. The first is Isaiah 66:22-24, where he finds eternal punishment in

verse 24 where it says that ‘their worm shall not die; their fire shall not be

quenched, and they shall be abhorrent to all flesh.’ Peterson’s view is that the

bodies of those who have rebelled against the Lord are being shamed by

being left on the battlefield, that the worm not dying and the fire not being

quenched point to their fuel not ever being consumed; the destructive work of

the worm and the fire is never complete.4 Annihilationist Edward Fudge

interprets this text differently. He believes ‘the righteous view the “dead

bodies” of the wicked. They see corpses, not living people. They view

destruction, not conscious misery.’5 He understands that the worm does not

die, nor is the fire quenched until their task is done. The point is not that they

last forever, but that they do not die or go out before the body is completely

destroyed. His understanding of this scripture is that it ‘says nothing about

conscious suffering and certainly nothing about suffering forever.’6

Daniel 12:1-2 is Petersons other key passage and he takes verse 2, ‘Many of

those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,

and some to shame and everlasting contempt’, to mean that those who are

awoken to shame and everlasting contempt will experience eternal

punishment. The word eternal is used for both life and contempt, pointing to

this contempt continuing forever.7 Fudge understands the shame and

contempt to be the destruction of those who rebelled against God, it is eternal

4 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, Two Views of Hell: A Biblical & Theological Dialogue (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000) 130-133.5 Ibid. 32.6 Ibid. 32.7 Ibid. 133-137.

Tim Jeffries

- 4 -

in the sense that it will never be reversed, not that it is a process which

continues eternally.8

Fudge claims that as we come to understand the symbols of judgement in the

Old Testament we will be better able to interpret their usage in the New

Testament. He points to the use of fire that none can endure (Nahum 1:6),

God pursuing his enemies into darkness (Nahum 1:8) and his enemies being

consumed like dry straw (Nahum 1:10). He also refers to the total destruction

seen in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and sees this as shaping the usage

of the image in future texts in the Old and New Testaments.9 Pinnock makes a

similar point referring to Psalm 37 where the wicked ‘fade like the grass, and

wither like the green herb’ (v2), the wicked are also ‘cut off’ (v9) are ‘no more’

(v10), ‘like smoke they vanish away’ (v20) and finally they are altogether

destroyed (v38).10

Fudge highlights two other Old Testament passages worth noting. Isaiah

33:10-2411 and Malachi 4:1-312 where there is prophesy about the end times

that points to the wicked being burned up.13

There are some writings relevant to this discussion found in the Apocrypha

and other extra biblical material but space and time do not allow this essay to

assess such material. It would appear anyway that ‘there was no single

Jewish view of hell. Many sources present the destruction of the wicked (e.g.,

8 Ibid. 33.9 Ibid. 26-29.10 W.V. Crockett, [et al.] Four View on Hell (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) 145.11 Note that verse 15 answers the question of verse 14, only ‘those who walk righteously and speak uprightly.’12 Fudge points out that ‘this all-consuming fire will leave them without “a root or a branch,” an expression which removes any hope of a remnant or a survivor’.13 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 31 + 33.

Tim Jeffries

- 5 -

Wisd. Sol. 4:18-19; 5:14-15), while others speak of everlasting conscious

torment (e.g., 1 Enoch 27:1-3).’14

The New Testament contains many more explicit references to hell, although

again there are a variety of interpretations as to the meaning of these

passages. We turn now to examine the main passages quoted by both the

annihilationists and the traditionalists.

Throughout the New Testament there is much ‘destruction’ language used for

those who have rebelled against God, the annihilationists argue that this

creates a clear picture of annihilation in hell. In Matthew 3:10 John the Baptist

talks of trees being ‘cut down and thrown into the fire.’ In Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus says that the wide gate leads to destruction. In Matthew 7:15-23 it is

Jesus this time speaking of trees that are cut down and thrown into the fire. In

Matthew 10:28 Jesus says of God, ‘fear him who can destroy both soul and

body in hell.’ In Romans 6:23 Paul warns that the ‘wages of sin is death.’ In

Galatians 6:8 (NIV) Paul speaks of reaping destruction. In Philippians 3:18-19

Paul speaks of those who are enemies of the cross of Christ, that ‘their end is

destruction’. Again we have very strong destruction language in 2

Thessalonians 1:5-10, ‘those who do not know God’ and ‘those who do not

obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus’ will ‘suffer the punishment of eternal

destruction’. 2 Peter 3:7 speaks of the ‘destruction of the godless.’ And finally

Revelation 11:18 speaks of the time for judging the dead and God ‘destroying

those who destroy the earth.’15

14 W.V. Crockett, [et al.] 138.15 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 37-79.

Tim Jeffries

- 6 -

Jude 7 and 2 Peter 2:6 present a strong case for annihilation. Jude 7 says

‘Sodom and Gomorrah … serve as an example by undergoing a punishment

of eternal fire.’ And 2 Peter 2:6 concurs when reflecting on how God

condemned those cities to extinction, making them an example of what is

coming to the ungodly. Those cities were totally annihilated, these passages

point to that as an example of what will happen to the ungodly. Fudge goes as

far as to say that ‘this passage defines ‘eternal fire’. It is a fire that destroys

sinners totally and forever.’16

Matthew 8:11-12, Matthew 13:40-43 and Matthew 13:48-50 all speak of

weeping and gnashing of teeth which to the traditionalists refers to an eternal

punishment. However Fudge comments that ‘weeping is a common biblical

symbol for fear, misery or extreme grief- often because of God’s judgement on

sinners.’17 Gnashing of teeth, or grinding of teeth, also has other biblical

appearances that can be used to help its interpretation. We see people

gnashing their teeth who are so angry they are compared to wild beasts who

could devour their victims (Job 15:9; Ps 37:12; Lam 2:16) and in the story of

Stephen we see people become enraged and grind their teeth at him (Acts

7:54). But possibly the most helpful passage from the bible in understanding

these images is Psalm 112:1-10. Verse 10 says, ‘The wicked see it and are

angry; they gnash their teeth and melt away’. So the wicked are angered,

gnashing their teeth and they ‘disintegrate and waste away until nothing of

them is left.’18 Using the background of these images to make his point, Fudge

believes they point to annihilation.

16 Ibid. 71.17 Ibid. 39.18 Ibid. 40.

Tim Jeffries

- 7 -

The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is a classic traditionalist passage,

however John Stott points out that this parable is most likely referring to ‘the

so-called intermediate (or interim) state between death and resurrection.’19 It

does not refer to hell or the time of God’s judgement, but Hades or Sheol as it

is referred to in the Old Testament.

Matthew 18:6-9 is a key traditionalist passage. Peterson takes the terms

eternal fire and hell of fire to mean eternal punishment. He comments that the

two destinies are contrast and that ‘Jesus paints a picture of hellfire to warn

his listeners of the pain of God’s judgement. When he speaks of ‘eternal fire’,

he means that the torments of hell will have no end.’20 Opposing this view

Fudge sees the fire as eternal for two reasons; firstly because it is from the

age to come, not this age. Secondly because ‘those who go into it suffer

everlasting destruction. When the unquenchable fire finally destroys the lost,

they will be gone forever.’21

In Matthew 25:31-46 traditionalists see a clear indication that the wicked will

suffer eternal punishment. Verse 41 has the Son of Man sending them into

the ‘eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ Rev 20:10 speaks of

the devil being thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur and tormented day and

night forever and ever with the beast and the false prophet. The eternal

torment of the devil, beast and prophet causes traditionalists to believe that

the wicked who are also sent to this eternal fire will suffer the same fate.

Another key element of this view is the apparent balance of the wording in

19 D.L. Edwards and J.R.W. Stott, Essentials: A liberal-evangelical dialogue (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988) 31720 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 138.21 Ibid. 44.

Tim Jeffries

- 8 -

verse 46, ‘And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous

into eternal life.’ Annihilationists point out that the nature of the punishment is

not made clear by this passage. It is clear that the punishment will be eternal,

but not exactly what that punishment will look like.22

Mark 9:42-48 picks up the Old Testament imagery of the worm that doesn’t

die and the fire that cannot be quenched. The traditionalist appeals to this as

evidence for eternal punishment, the idea that the ‘forces of destruction will go

on and on acting on the lost.’23 The annihilationist response is that those

seeking to prove eternal punishment are taking this image and using in ways

Jesus did not mean it (see above for the annihilationist reading of this

passage). John Stott notes that ‘the worm will not die and the fire will not be

quenched … until presumably their work of destruction is done.’24

Revelation 14:9-11 is understood as a crucial passage for the traditional view.

Verse 11 says that ‘the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.

There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast …’ Peterson

points to the smoke going up forever and ever and that there is no rest day or

night as signs of eternal punishment.25 On the image of smoke going up

Fudge refers back to Genesis 19:28, here we see Abraham looking out to

where God had recently destroyed Sodom, he ‘saw the smoke of the land

going up like the smoke of a furnace.’ Fudge argues that in the original image

we see something totally annihilated and smoke rising from where it was, he

believes we should see that here also. This image is used again in Isaiah

22 Edwards D.L. and Stott J.R.W., 31723 Fernando A., Crucial Questions About Hell (Eastbourne: Kingsway Publications, 1991) 38.24 D.L. Edwards and J.R.W. Stott, 317.25 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 161.

Tim Jeffries

- 9 -

34:10 where we also see a night and day reference. Fudge argues that the

night and day imagery ‘does not require us to understand that the suffering

lasts all day and all night … or that it lasts for an infinite number of days and

nights. It requires that we understand only that the sufferers are not immune

to their torment at any time of the day or night so long as the torment may

last.’26

Our final biblical text is Revelation 20:10-15. As noted above Peterson

understands that the devil, the beast and the false prophet who are tormented

forever prescribes that anyone else who is thrown into the lake of fire will

suffer the same fate. He understands the second death to mean eternal

punishment.27 Stott however sees the devil, the beast and the false prophet as

‘not individual people but symbols of the world in its varied hostility to God.’28

As the genre of Revelation is a apocalyptic and so full of imagery Stott

encourages us ‘that the most natural way to understand the reality behind the

imagery is that ultimately all enmity and resistance to God will be destroyed.’29

Finally Fudge points to the term second death and comments that ‘rather than

the wicked experiencing a ‘deathless death”, John tells us that there will be a

second death – and that that death itself will die and be no more.’30

It is important to recognise the genre of the book of Revelation at this point in

our study. As a piece of apocalyptic literature one has to be very careful when

trying to draw specific details and clear messages from the text. It is worth

26 Ibid. 76.27 Ibid. 164-165.28 D.L. Edwards and J.R.W. Stott, 318.29 Ibid. 318.30 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 79.

Tim Jeffries

- 10 -

noting that the traditional view is quite reliant on specific direction and details

from the book of Revelation.

Given its name it is not surprising that the traditional view has been the

dominate understanding throughout church history. Major historical

proponents of this view began with Tertullian. His work On the Resurrection of

the Flesh written in A.D. 208 is quite clear that it is biblical for eternal

punishment to last forever. Augustine (354-430 A.D.) also taught that hell was

eternal punishment and coming across the problem of how a body could burn

endlessly without being consumed he decided that God could overcome this

with miracles to keep people alive while being punished. A text from

Constantinople from A.D. 543 declared that ‘If anyone says that the

punishment of devils and wicked men is temporary and will eventually cease,

let him be anathema’.31 Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) refuted the idea that the

punishment of the wicked would cease after some time and believed that it

was just for God to deliver eternal punishment to people for their sins. In his

work Summa Theologiae he responded to the claims of injustice on God’s

behalf of eternal punishment for sins that were committed by finite beings.

Aquinas said that ‘the magnitude of the punishment matches the magnitude of

the sin. … Now a sin that is against God is infinite; the higher the person

against whom it is committed the graver the sin … and God is of infinite

greatness. Therefore an infinite punishment is deserved for a sin committed

against him.’32 Martin Luther (1483-1546) was also an advocate of the eternal

punishment view. He understood that hell to be worse than anyone could

imagine. John Calvin (1509-1564) understood that the bible uses figurative

31 W.V. Crockett, [et al.] 138.32 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 121.

Tim Jeffries

- 11 -

language and imagery to describe the horrors of hell and believed that the

wicked in hell would never know relief. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is well

know for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and his work

gives the understanding that it was a pleasure for God to torture those who

have rebelled against him forever and that the saved would enjoy it. John

Wesley (1703-1791) believed that hell included both an eternal punishment of

removal from God’s presence resulting in total loss of joy and eternal

punishment by torment of the body and soul.33

Some significant modern advocates of eternal punishment are Francis Pieper,

Louis Berkhof, Lewis Sperry Chafer, Millard Erickson34, G. Bray, K. S.

Harmon, D. Pawson and R. A. Peterson.35

Historically the view of annihilation has not received much attention. Pinnock

believes that the idea of annihilation can be found in the Didache.36 It is

possible that 16:11 refers to annihilation when it says, ‘Then all created

mankind shall come to the fire of testing, and many shall be offended and

perish’37. ‘It was first explicitly defended by Arnobius of Sicca (c. AD 310),

though scholars have detected it earlier, at least in outline.’38 Regardless, the

view didn’t become in any way popular until more recently; ‘it emerged

seriously in English-language theology in the late 19th century and in

evangelical theology in the late 20th century, and has recently been defended

33 Ibid. 124.34 Ibid. 125-126.35 New Dictionary of Biblical Theology Ed T.D. Alexander and B.S. Rosner, (Leicester: Intervarsity Press, 2000) 543.36 W.V. Crockett, [et al.] Four View on Hell (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) 138.37 Didache English Translation by J.B. Lightfoot.38 New Dictionary of Biblical Theology Ed T.D. Alexander and B.S. Rosner, (Leicester: Intervarsity Press, 2000) 544.

Tim Jeffries

- 12 -

in detail by E. W. Fudge, J. W. Wenham, E. E. Ellis and D. Powys’39 as well as

John Stott.

It is worth noting that while the bulk of historical evidence points towards the

view of eternal punishment, Fudge finds some supporting data for annihilation

from these historical figures (although it is always refuted by the

traditionalists). On the subject of punishment he notes that Augustine

conceded that ‘where a very serious crime is punished by death and the

execution of the sentence takes only a minute, no laws consider that minute

as the measure of the punishment but rather the fact that the criminal is

forever removed from the community of the living.’40 In this quote Fudge sees

room for annihilation in Augustine’s thinking. Fudge also looks to Jonathan

Edwards for support when he ‘concedes that irreversible extinction would

properly be called “eternal punishment.”’41

Finally we turn to systematic theology and look at the implication that these

opposing views of hell have on other theological ideas.

Stott believes that God’s character of justice fits better with the view of

annihilation. He believes that ‘God will judge people ‘according to what they

have done’ (e.g. Revelation 20:12), which implies that the penalty inflicted will

be commensurate with the evil done.’42 He questions whether an

understanding of hell as eternal punishment is just. ‘Could sins committed in

time really warrant torment consciously experienced throughout eternity?’43

39 Ibid. 544.40 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 45.41 Ibid. 46.42 D.L. Edwards and J.R.W. Stott, 318.43 Ibid. 318.

Tim Jeffries

- 13 -

Fudge has a similar question along the lines of morality, ‘are we to believe

that God, who “so loved” the world that he gave his only Son to die for our

sins (John 3:16), will also keep millions of sinners alive forever so he can

torment them endlessly throughout all eternity?’44 In the doctrine eternal

punishment we see a division between God’s character of justice and of love

that the rest of sound Christian theology can hold together. John Walvoord

argues for the traditional case by saying that those asking these questions

above God’s love and justice have a ‘lack of understanding of the infinite

nature of sin as contrasted to the infinite righteousness of God. If the slightest

sin is infinite in its significance, then it also demands infinite punishment as a

divine judgement.’45

Another systematic concern that annihilationists have with the traditional view

is in the area of metaphysics, Charles Pinnock calls it cosmological dualism.

Essentially the problem is that in ‘what is supposed to be the victory of Christ,

evil and rebellion continue in hell under conditions of burning and torturing. In

what is supposed to be a resolution, heaven and hell go on existing alongside

each other forever in everlasting cosmological dualism.’46 Stott makes the

point that ‘the eternal existence of the impenitent in hell would be hard to

reconcile with the promises of God’s final victory over evil’.47

Another systematic concern with these views arises when linking Christ’s

death on the cross with an understanding of what eternal punishment means.

There are problems for both perspectives here if Christ’s death is a window

44 E.W. Fudge and R.A. Peterson, 81.45 W.V. Crockett, [et al.] 27.46 Ibid. 154.47 D.L. Edwards and J.R.W. Stott, 319.

Tim Jeffries

- 14 -

into the punishment for the wicked. For the traditional view, Christ doesn’t

experience eternal punishment on behalf of believers. For the annihilation

perspective, could the God-Man be annihilated? Could a member of the

Trinity cease to exist and then be recreated by God? Perhaps we should not

draw a direct understanding of the punishment of the wicked from Christ’s

experience on the cross. He was after all quite different from the average

sinner who will be separated from God in judgement.48

To decide whether we should believe in eternal punishment or annihilation is

a task that must be approached with care and humility. There are many

important factors to consider; a strong historical tradition of eternal

punishment, a broad range of biblical material which comes from many

genres making interpretation complex and systematic concerns for both

perspectives. This essay has been swayed predominately by the argument

made for annihilation due to its biblical weight and handling of Old Testament

imagery used in the New Testament. Also a realistic engagement with hard

texts is something that seems to be found only among the scholars presenting

an annihilationist view and finally the systematic issues raised against the

annihilationist view seemed less convincing than those surround the

traditional perspective.

48 Drawn from a theology lecture by David Powys at Ridley College 18/5/05.

Tim Jeffries

- 15 -

Bibliography

Crockett W.V., [et al.] Four View on Hell (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992)

Didache English Translation by J.B. Lightfoot

Edwards D.L. and Stott J.R.W., Essentials: A liberal-evangelical dialogue

(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988)

Erickson M.J., Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1985)

Fernando A., Crucial Questions About Hell (Eastbourne: Kingsway

Publications, 1991)

Fudge E.W. and Peterson R.A., Two Views of Hell: A Biblical & Theological

Dialogue (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000)

New Dictionary of Biblical Theology Ed Alexander T.D. and Rosner B.S.,

(Leicester: Intervarsity Press, 2000)

New Dictionary of Theology Ed Ferguson S.B. and Wright D.F., (Leicester:

Inter-Varsity Press, 1998)

The IVP Dictionary of the New Testament Ed Reid D.G., (Downers Grove:

InterVarsity Press, 2004)

Bible versions used NRSV and NIV

Tim Jeffries