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The following are quotes added to my Jesus is Jehovah unclassified quotes database in September 2008.
The date format is dd/mm/yy. See copyright conditions at end.
2008: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec.
1/09/2008
"HADES ('ades) the region of departed spirits of the lost (but including the blessed dead in periods
preceding the Ascension of Christ). It has been thought by some that the word etymologically meant the
unseen (from a, negative, and eido, to see), but this derivation is questionable; a more probable
derivation is from hado, signifying all-receiving. It corresponds to `Sheol' in the O.T. In the AV of the
O.T. and N.T., it has been unhappily rendered `Hell,' e.g., Psa. 16:10; or `the grave,' e.g.; Gen. 37:35; or `the
pit,' Num. 16:30, 33; in the N.T. the Revisers have always used the rendering `Hades;' in the O.T. they
have not been uniform in the translation, e.g., in Isa. 14:15, `hell' (marg., `Sheol'); usually they have
`Sheol' in the text and `the grave' in the margin. It never denotes the grave, nor is it the permanent region of
the lost; in point of time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna. For the
condition, see Luke 16:23-31. The word is used four times in the Gospels, and always by the Lord, Matt.
11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; it is used with reference to the soul of Christ, Acts 2:27, 31; Christ declares
that He has the keys of it, Rev. 1:18; in Rev. 6:8 it is personified, with the signification of the temporary
destiny of the doomed; it is to give up those who are therein, 20:13, and is to be cast into the lake of fire, ver.
14. Note: In 1 Cor. 15:55 the most authentic mss. have thanatos, death, in the 2nd part of the verse,
instead of Hades, which the AN. wrongly renders `grave' (`hell,' in the marg.)." (Vine, W.E., "An
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers,"
Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. II., pp.187-188. Emphasis original. Emphasis
original)
1/09/2008
"HELL A word used in the King James Version (as well as in the Catholic Douay Version and most
older translations) to translate the Hebrew she'ohl' and the Greek hai'des. In the King James Version
the word `hell' is rendered from she'ohl' 31 times and from hai'des 10 times. This version is not
consistent, however, since she'ohl' is also translated 31 times `grave' and 3 times `pit.' In the Douay
Version she'ohl' is rendered `hell' 64 times, `pit' once, and `death' once. In 1885, with the publication of
the complete English Revised Version, the original word she'ohl' was in many places transliterated into
the English text of the Hebrew Scriptures, though, in most occurrences, `grave' and `pit' were used, and `hell'
is found some 14 times. This was a point on which the American committee disagreed with the British
revisers, and so, when producing the American Standard Version (1901) they transliterated she'ohl' in
all 65 of its appearances. Both versions transliterated hai'des in the Christian Greek Scriptures in all ten of
its occurrences, though the Greek word Ge'en·na (English, `Gehenna') is rendered `hell' throughout, as is
true of many other modern translations. Concerning this use of `hell' to translate these original words from
the Hebrew and Greek, Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981, Vol. 2, p.
187) says: `HADES ... It corresponds to `Sheol' in the O.T. [Old Testament]. In the A.V. of the O.T. [Old
Testament] and N.T. [New Testament], it has been unhappily rendered `Hell.' Collier's Encyclopedia (1986,
Vol. 12, p. 28) says concerning `Hell': `First it stands for the Hebrew Sheol of the Old Testament and the
Greek Hades of the Septuagint and New Testament. Since Sheol in Old Testament times referred simply to
the abode of the dead and suggested no moral distinctions, the word `hell,' as understood today, is not a
happy translation." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1: Aaron-
Jehoshua," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1988, p.1086. Emphasis & ellipses original)
2/09/2008
"Is This Life All There Is? 1974 Simply, clearly, and persuasively this book presents the Watchtower
Society's teaching on death and the condition of the dead. It argues that `the human soul is the entire man'
(p. 41) and therefore does not live on after death. The spirit `is only a life-force that has no conscious
existence apart from a body' (p. 51). So, according to Jehovah's Witnesses, man at death ceases to exist. No
part of man survives death. The wicked receive no punishment after death. And even the righteous have no
continuity of existence but are `re- created' in the resurrection from a pattern kept in God's memory (p. 172).
For a refutation of these teachings and their biblical arguments, please see my book Jehovah's Witnesses
Answered Verse by Verse (Baker Book House, 1986). Christians may wish to give Jehovah's Witnesses a
piece of their own advice by referring them to these words on page 46 of Is This Life All There Is?: `God,
who is himself "the God of truth" and who hates lies, will not look with favor on persons who cling to
organizations that teach falsehood.... And, really, would you want to be even associated with a religion that
had not been honest with you?'" (Reed, D.A., "Jehovah's Witness Literature: A Critical Guide to
Watchtower Publications," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, 1993, pp.137-138. Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"GEHENNA ... Symbolic of Complete Destruction. It is evident that Jesus used Gehenna as representative
of utter destruction resulting from adverse judgment by God, hence with no resurrection to life as a soul
being possible. (Mt 10:28; Lu 12:4, 5) The scribes and Pharisees as a wicked class were denounced as
`subjects for Gehenna.' (Mt 23:13-15, 33) To avoid such destruction, Jesus' followers were to get rid of
anything causing spiritual stumbling, the `cutting off of a hand or foot' and the `tearing out of an eye'
figuratively representing their deadening of these body members with reference to sin. - Mt 18:9; Mr 9:43-47;
Col 3:5; compare Mt 5:27-30. Jesus also apparently alluded to Isaiah 66:24 in describing Gehenna as a place
`where their maggot does not die and the fire is not put out.' (Mr 9:47, 48) That the symbolic picture here is
not one of torture but, rather, of complete destruction is evident from the fact that the Isaiah text dealt, not
with persons who were alive, but with `the carcasses of the men that were transgressing' against God. If, as
the available evidence indicates, the Valley of Hinnom was a place for the disposal of garbage and
carcasses, fire, perhaps increased in intensity by the addition of sulfur (compare Isa 30:33), would be the
only suitable means to eliminate such refuse. Where the fire did not reach, worms, or maggots, would breed,
consuming anything not destroyed by the fire. On this basis, Jesus' words would mean that the destructive
effect of God's adverse judgment would not cease until complete destruction was attained. ... The Biblical
use of Gehenna as a symbol corresponds to that of `the lake of fire' in the book of Revelation. - Re 20:14, 15
..." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1: Aaron-Jehoshua,"
Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1988, pp.905-906. Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"The Bible says that some of the dead are in `Gehenna.' (Luke 12:5) Gehenna got its name from a garbage
dump located outside of ancient Jerusalem. Dead bodies and garbage were burned there. The dead whose
bodies were thrown there were considered by the Jews to be unworthy of a burial and a resurrection. So
Gehenna is a fitting symbol of everlasting destruction." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "What Does
the Bible Really Teach?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, 2005, pp.72-73)
3/09/2008
"All the dead who are in God's memory have the prospect of release from Hades (Greek, hai'des), or Sheol,
mankind's common grave. (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31) They will have an opportunity to demonstrate by their
deeds whether they will serve God. Then `death and Hades' will be hurled into what is called `the lake of fire,'
symbolizing complete destruction, as does the term `Gehenna.' (Luke 12:5) The common grave of mankind
itself will have been emptied and will cease to exist when the resurrection is completed. How comforting it is
to learn from the Bible that God does not torture anyone!-Jeremiah 7:30, 31." (Watchtower Bible & Tract
Society, "Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life ," [1984], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New
York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1995, pp.88-89)
3/09/2008
"Brother Russell was well aware that the majority of sensible people did not really believe the doctrine of
hellfire. But, as he pointed out, in 1896, in the booklet What Say the Scriptures About Hell?, `since they
think that the Bible teaches it, every step they progress in real intelligence and brotherly kindness ... is in
most cases a step away from God's Word, which they falsely accuse of this teaching.' To draw such thinking
people back to God's Word, he presented in this booklet every text in the King James Version in which
the word hell was found, so readers could see for themselves what these said, and then he stated: `Thank
God, we find no such place of everlasting torture as the creeds and hymn-books, and many pulpits,
erroneously teach. Yet we have found a `hell,' sheol, hades, to which all our race were condemned on
account of Adam's sin, and from which all are redeemed by our Lord's death; and that `hell' is the tomb-the
death condition. And we find another `hell' (gehenna-the second death-utter destruction) brought to
our attention as the final penalty upon all who, after being redeemed and brought to the full knowledge of
the truth, and to full ability to obey it, shall yet choose death by choosing a course of opposition to God
and righteousness.' " (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's
Kingdom," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1993, p.129. Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"Yet someone may object, saying: `The Bible does talk about hellfire and the lake of fire. Does this not
prove that hell is a place of torment?' True, some Bible translations, such as the King James Version,
speak of `hell fire' and of being `cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched.' (Matthew 5:22;
Mark 9:45) All together there are 12 verses in the Christian Greek Scriptures where the King James Version
uses `hell' to translate the Greek word Gehenna. Is Gehenna really a place of fiery torment, whereas when
Hades is translated `hell' it simply means the grave? Clearly, the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word
Hades do mean the grave." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on
Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, pp.85-86.
Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"Well, then, what does Gehenna mean? In the Hebrew Scriptures Gehenna is `the valley Hinnom.' Remember,
Hinnom was the name of the valley just outside the walls of Jerusalem where the Israelites sacrificed their
children in the fire. In time, good King Josiah had this valley made unfit to be used for such a horrible
practice. (2 Kings 23:10) It was turned into a huge garbage, or rubbish, dump. ... So during the time Jesus
was on earth Gehenna was Jerusalem's garbage dump. Fires were kept burning there by the adding of
brimstone (sulfur) to burn up the garbage. ... Knowing about their city's garbage dump, Jerusalem's
inhabitants understood what Jesus meant when he told the wicked religious leaders: `Serpents, offspring of
vipers, how are you to flee from the judgment of Gehenna?' (Matthew 23:33) Jesus plainly did not mean that
those religious leaders would be tormented. Why, when the Israelites were burning their children alive in
that valley, God said that to do such a horrible thing had never come up into his heart! So it was clear that
Jesus was using Gehenna as a fitting symbol of complete and everlasting destruction. He meant that those
wicked religious leaders were not worthy of a resurrection. Those listening to Jesus could understand that
those going to Gehenna, like so much garbage, would be destroyed forever." (Watchtower Bible & Tract
Society, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New
York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, pp.86-87)
3/09/2008
"What, then, is `the lake of fire' mentioned in the Bible book of Revelation? It has a meaning similar to that of
Gehenna. It means not conscious torment but everlasting death, or destruction. Notice how the Bible itself
says this at Revelation 20:14: `And death and Hades [hell, King James Version and Douay Version]
were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.' Yes, the lake of fire means
`second death,' the death from which there is no resurrection. It is evident that this `lake' is a symbol,
because death and hell (Hades) are thrown into it. Death and hell cannot literally be burned. But they can,
and will, be done away with, or destroyed." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "You Can Live Forever in
Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition,
1989, pp.87-88. Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"`Yet the Bible says that the Devil will be tormented forever in the lake of fire,' someone may point out.
(Revelation 20:10) What does this mean? When Jesus was on earth jailers were at times called `tormentors.'
As Jesus said of a certain man in one of his illustrations: `And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the
tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.' (Matthew 18:34, King James Version) Since those
who are thrown into `the lake of fire' go into `second death' from which there is no resurrection, they are, so
to speak, jailed forever in death. They remain in death as though in the custody of jailers for all eternity. The
wicked, of course, are not literally tormented because, as we have seen, when a person is dead he is
completely out of existence. He is not conscious of anything." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "You
Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn
NY, Second edition, 1989, p.88)
3/09/2008
"Hell Definition: The word `hell' is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses other
translations read `the grave,' `the world of the dead,' and so forth. Other Bibles simply transliterate the
original-language words that are sometimes rendered `hell'; that is, they express them with the letters of our
alphabet but leave the words untranslated. What are those words? The Hebrew she'ohl' and its Greek
equivalent hai'des, which refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the common grave of dead
mankind; also the Greek ge'en·na, which is used as a symbol of eternal destruction. However, both in
Christendom and in many non-Christian religions it is taught that hell is a place inhabited by demons and
where the wicked, after death, are punished (and some believe that this is with torment)." (Watchtower Bible
& Tract Society, "Reasoning from the Scriptures," [1985], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York:
Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, pp.168-169. Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"Does the Bible indicate whether the dead experience pain? Eccl. 9:5, 10: `The living are conscious that
they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all ... All that your hand finds to do, do
with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol,* the place to
which you are going.' (If they are conscious of nothing, they obviously feel no pain.) (*'Sheol,' AS, RS,
NE, JB; `the grave,' KJ, Kx; `hell,' Dy; `the world of the dead,' TEV.) Ps. 146:4: `His spirit goes
out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.' (*'Thoughts,' KJ, 145:4 in Dy;
`schemes,' JB; `plans,' RS, TEV.)" (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Reasoning from the
Scriptures," [1985], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989,
p.169. Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"What is the `fiery Gehenna' to which Jesus referred? Reference to Gehenna appears 12 times in the
Christian Greek Scriptures. Five times it is directly associated with fire. Translators have rendered the Greek
expression ge'en·nan tou py·ros' as `hell fire' (KJ, Dy), `fires of hell' (NE), `fiery pit' (AT), and
`fires of Gehenna' (NAB). Historical background: The Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) was outside the
walls of Jerusalem. For a time it was the site of idolatrous worship, including child sacrifice. In the first
century Gehenna was being used as the incinerator for the filth of Jerusalem. Bodies of dead animals were
thrown into the valley to be consumed in the fires, to which sulfur, or brimstone, was added to assist the
burning. Also bodies of executed criminals, who were considered undeserving of burial in a memorial tomb,
were thrown into Gehenna. Thus, at Matthew 5:29, 30, Jesus spoke of the casting of one's `whole body' into
Gehenna. If the body fell into the constantly burning fire it was consumed, but if it landed on a ledge of the
deep ravine its putrefying flesh became infested with the ever-present worms, or maggots. (Mark 9:47, 48)
Living humans were not pitched into Gehenna; so it was not a place of conscious torment." (Watchtower
Bible & Tract Society, "Reasoning from the Scriptures," [1985], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New
York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, p.173. Emphasis original)
3/09/2008
"At Matthew 10:28, Jesus warned his hearers to `be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in
Gehenna.' What does it mean? Notice that there is no mention here of torment in the fires of Gehenna; rather,
he says to `fear him that can destroy in Gehenna.' By referring to the `soul' separately, Jesus here
emphasizes that God can destroy all of a person's life prospects; thus there is no hope of resurrection for
him. So, the references to the `fiery Gehenna' have the same meaning as `the lake of fire' of Revelation 21:8,
namely, destruction, `second death.'" (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Reasoning from the Scriptures,"
[1985], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, pp.173-174)
4/09/2008
"In keeping with the Biblical evidence, then, Gehenna or the Valley of Hinnom could appropriately serve as a
symbol of destruction but not of conscious fiery torment. ... That the destruction symbolized by Gehenna is
a lasting one is shown elsewhere in the Holy Scriptures. The apostle Paul, when writing to Christians at
Thessalonica, said that those causing them tribulation would `undergo the judicial punishment of
everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength.' - 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.
Biblical evidence thus makes it plain that those whom God judges as undeserving of life will experience, not
eternal torment in a literal fire, but `everlasting destruction.' They will not be preserved alive anywhere. The
fire of Gehenna is therefore but a symbol of the totality and thoroughness of that destruction." (Watchtower
Bible & Tract Society, "Is This Life All There Is?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1974,
pp.115-116)
4/09/2008
"Thus we close our investigation of the Bible use of the word hell. Thank God, we find no such place of
everlasting torture as the creeds and hymn books and many pulpits erroneously teach. Yet we have found a
hell, sheol, hades, to which all our race were condemned on account of Adam's sin, and from which all are
redeemed by our Lord's death; and that hell is the tomb - the death condition. And we find another hell
(gehenna - the Second Death - utter destruction) brought to our attention as the final penalty upon all who,
after being redeemed and brought to the full knowledge of the truth, and to full ability to obey it, shall yet
choose death by choosing a course of opposition to God and righteousness. And our hearts say, `Amen!
True and righteous are thy ways, thou King of nations! Who shall not venerate thee, O Lord, and glorify thy
name? For thou art entirely holy. And all nations shall come and worship before thee, because thy righteous
dealings are made manifest' (Revelation 15:3,4)." (Russell, C.T., "What Say the Scriptures About Hell?,"
1881)
4/09/2008
"Gehenna The Greek word gehenna is also rendered `hell' in English. It means the condition of death,
or complete destruction, from which there is no awakening or resurrection. Gehenna is a Greek expression,
referring to the valley of Hinnom. Just on the south side of Jerusalem is a valley called the valley of Hinnom,
or the valley of Gehenna. Therein was a fire kept constantly burning. The offal from the city and the bodies
of dead animals and the like were thrown into this fire and destroyed. Under the Jewish law no living
creature was permitted to be east into that fire. The practice was to bring the offal out of the gate of the wall
of Jerusalem and cast it over the high embankment into the valley. The bodies of some of these animals
lodged on the rocks, and the worms consumed them. The valley of Hinnom therefore was a place of
destruction. It pictured the destruction of the wicked. Speaking to the Jews who would understand his
meaning, Jesus said: `If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of
God with one eve, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire [gehenna] : where their worm dieth not, and
the fire is not quenched.' (Mark 9:47, 48) The unquenchable fire and the worm represent destruction, and
Jesus was telling the Jews that that was what would come upon their nation." (Rutherford, J.F., "Creation,"
International Bible Students Association: Brooklyn NY, 1927, p.285)
4/09/2008
"In June 1912, the Reverend J. J. Ross published a pamphlet entitled, Some Facts About the Self-Styled
`Pastor' Charles T. Russell, which minced no words in its denunciation of Russell, his qualifications as a
minister, or his moral example as a pastor. Russell promptly sued Ross for `defamatory libel' in an effort to
silence the minister before the pamphlet could gain wide circulation and expose his true character and the
errors of his theology. .... In his pamphlet, Ross assailed Russell's teachings as revealed in Studies in the
Scriptures as `the destructive doctrines of one man who is neither a scholar nor a theologian.' ...
Continuing his charges in the pamphlet, Ross exposed Russell as a pseudoscholar and philosopher who
`never attended the higher schools of learning; knows comparatively nothing of philosophy, systematic or
historical theology; and is totally ignorant of the dead languages.'... Russell lost his suit against Ross when
the High Court of Ontario, in session March 1913, ruled that there were no grounds for libel; and `the case
was thrown out of Court by the evidence furnished by "Pastor" Russell himself.' Pastor Russell refused to
give any evidence to substantiate his case, and the only evidence offered was Russell's own statements,
made under oath and during cross examination by Ross's lawyer, counselor Staunton. By denying Ross's
charges, Russell automatically claimed high scholastic ascendancy, recognized theological training
(systematic and historical), working knowledge of the dead languages (Greek, Hebrew, etc.), and valid
ordination by a recognized body. To each part of Mr. Ross's pamphlet... Russell entered vigorous denials,
with the exception of the `Miracle Wheat Scandal' which he affirmed as having `a grain of truth in a sense' to
it. Pastor Russell had at last made a serious mistake. He had testified under oath before Jehovah God, and
had sworn to tell `the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.' He was soon to regret his testimony
and stand in jeopardy as a perjurer, an unpleasant experience for the pastor, which more than explains his
aversion to the witness chair." (Martin, W.R. & Klann, N., "Jehovah of the Watchtower," Bethany House
Publishers: Bloomington MN, 1953, Reprinted, 1981, pp.20-21)
4/09/2008
"The following reference quotation is taken in part from Mr. Ross's pamphlet, Some Facts and More Facts
About the Self-Styled Pastor-Charles T. Russell: `But now what are the facts as they were brought out by
the examination on March 17, 1913? As to his scholastic standing he (Russell) had sworn that what was said
about it was not true. Under the examination, he admitted that at most he had attended school only seven
years of his life at the public school, and that he had left school when he was about fourteen years of age.'
The following reproduction of the Russell vs. Ross transcript relative to the perjury charge made against
Russell is taken from a copy on file in the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. The cross examination of
Russell continued for five hours. Here is a sample of how the pastor answered.
Q: Do you know the Greek alphabet?
A: Oh yes.
Q: Can you tell me the correct letters if you see them?
A: Some of them. I might make a mistake on some of them.
Q: Would you tell me the names of those on top of the page, page 447, I have got here?
A: Well, I don't know that I would be able to.
Q: You can't tell what those letters are? look at them and see if you know.
A: My way- [He was interrupted at this point and not allowed to explain.]
Q: Are you familiar with the Greek language?
A: No. It should be noted from this record of the testimony that Russell frequently contradicted himself,
claiming first to `know' the Greek alphabet, then claiming under pressure that he might make mistakes in
identifying the letters, and then finally admitting that he could not read the alphabet at all when confronted
with a copy of it. Here is conclusive evidence; the pastor, under oath, perjured himself beyond question.
Can one sincerely trust the teachings of such a man who thought nothing of such evidence?" (Martin, W.R.
& Klann, N., "Jehovah of the Watchtower," Bethany House Publishers: Bloomington MN, 1953, Reprinted,
1981, pp.21-22)
4/09/2008
"This, however, was not all of Russell's testimony, and as counselor Staunton pressed him further, the
pastor admitted that he knew nothing about Latin and Hebrew, and neither had he ever taken a course in
philosophy or systematic theology, much less attended schools of higher learning. Bear in mind now that
Russell a short time before had sworn he did have such knowledge by denying Mr. Ross's allegations.
But there was no way out now; the `pastor' was caught in a bold-faced fabrication and he knew it. However,
all was not over yet. It will be remembered that Russell claimed `ordination' and equal if not superior status
to ordained and accredited ministers. Staunton next smashed this illusion by demanding that Russell answer
yes or no to the following questions:
Q: Is it true you were never ordained?
A: It is not true.
It was necessary at this point for Staunton to appeal to the magistrate in order to make Russell answer the
question directly. The magistrate presiding ruled that Russell must answer the questions put to him. Here is
the result of the cross-examination.
Q: Now, you never were ordained by a bishop, clergyman, presbytery, council, or any body of men living?
A: (after a long pause): I never was.
Once again, Russell's `unswerving' honesty received a rude blow; the situation was out of his hands and
Russell stood helpless as Staunton wrung statement after statement from him which established him beyond
doubt as a premeditated perjurer. The evidence was in; the case was clear; Russell was branded a perjurer
by the court's verdict, `No Bill.' As a result of the court's action, Mr. Ross's charges were proven true and
the real character of Russell was revealed, that of a man who had no scruples about lying under oath and
whose doctrines were admittedly based on no sound educational knowledge of the subject in
question." (Martin, W.R. & Klann, N., "Jehovah of the Watchtower," Bethany House Publishers:
Bloomington MN, 1953, Reprinted, 1981, pp.22-23. Emphasis original)
5/09/2008
"Annihilationism. My own position is a third possibility, called annihilationism or conditional immortality.
Being unable to discount the possibility of hell as a final irreversible condition, I am forced to choose
between two interpretations of hell: Do the finally impenitent suffer everlasting, conscious punishment (in
body and soul, either literally or metaphorically), or do they go out of existence in the second death? In
other words, does hellfire torment or consume? I contend that God does not grant immortality to the wicked
to inflict endless pain upon them but will allow them finally to perish." (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional
View," in Crockett, W.V., ed., "Four Views on Hell," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996,
p.142. Emphasis original)
5/09/2008
"Justice. The principles of justice also pose a serious problem for the traditional doctrine of the nature of
hell because it depicts God acting unjustly. Like morality, it raises questions about God's character and
offends our sense of natural justice. Hell as annihilation, on the other hand, does not. Let readers ask
themselves what lifestyle, what set of actions, would deserve the ultimate of penalties-everlasting conscious
punishment? It is easy to accept that annihilation might be deserved by those whose lives turned in a
definitive No to God, but it is hard to accept hell as everlasting conscious torment with no hope of escape or
remittance as a just punishment for anything. It is too heavy a sentence and cannot be successfully
defended as a just action on God's part. Sending the wicked to everlasting torment would be to treat persons
worse than they could deserve. Consider it on the basis of an Old Testament standard of justice, the
standard of strict equivalence: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Exod. 21:24). Did the sinner visit
upon God everlasting torment? Did he cause God or his neighbors everlasting pain and loss? Of course not;
no human has the power to do such harm. Under the Old Testament standard, no finite set of deeds that
individual sinners have done could justify such an infinite sentence. This point stands even without
invoking the higher standard from Jesus on this very issue. `You have heard that it was said .... But I tell
you' (Matt. 5:38-39). Jesus' followers are called to a higher standard of justice in the name of the Lord God,
who himself operates on a higher one. The commandment of Moses limited the vengeance of unlimited
retaliation, and Jesus limits it still more. Under gospel ethics the traditional view of hell is inconceivable. It
would amount to inflicting infinite suffering upon those who have committed finite sins and goes far beyond
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. It would create a serious disproportion between sins committed in
time and the resulting suffering experienced forever." (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional View," in Crockett,
W.V., ed., "Four Views on Hell," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996, pp.151-152. Emphasis
original)
5/09/2008
"Annihilation, on the other hand, makes better sense of hell in terms of justice. If people refuse God's
friendship, it would not be right to visit on them a punishment beyond what was deserved, such as
everlasting conscious torture would be. What would be just is not to keep totally corrupt people alive
forever. God has no obligation to keep such souls alive. Destruction is the obvious fate for them. As long as
we do not hold to the unbiblical doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the extinction and elimination of the
wicked is the obviously just solution. But if so, what about possible degrees of punishment in hell that some
texts suggest (Matt. 10:15; Luke 12:47-48)? How could extinction make room for that? I am not exactly sure
how to answer that because it requires more detailed knowledge of the precise act of damnation than we
have been given. I am sure that it is not beyond God's wisdom to figure about how degrees of punishment
might enter into this event. Maybe there will b a period of punishment before oblivion and nonbeing. What
there cannot be is what the tradition insists on: excessive punishment." (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional
View," in Crockett, W.V., ed., "Four Views on Hell," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996,
pp.153-154)
5/09/2008
"Metaphysics. A final objection to the traditional doctrine of the nature of hell is cosmological dualism.
The doctrine creates a lurking sense of metaphysical disquiet. History ends so badly under the old scenario.
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. The New Testament says that God is going to be `all in all'
(1 Cor. 15:28) and that God is going to be making `everything new' (Rev. 21:5), but the new creation turns out
flawed from day one. John Stott does not think it adds up right, asking: `How can God in any meaningful
sense be called 'everything to everybody' while an unspecified number of people still continue in rebellion
against him and under his judgment?' [Stott, J.R.W. & Edwards, D.L., "Essentials: A Liberal/Evangelical
Dialogue," Hodder & Stoughton: London, 1988, p.319] What kind of reconciliation and redemption is it if
heaven and hell coexist forever, if evil, suffering, and death all continue to have reality? In the new order
how can there be still a segment of unrenewed being, i.e., two kingdoms, one belonging to God and the
other to Satan, who reigns at least in hell? It just doesn't sound right. Surely God abolishes all that in the
new creation. Surely the biblical picture is that of Jesus completely victorious over sin and death, suffering
and Satan, and all those enemies consumed in the lake of fire and second death. Only if evil, death, devils,
and the wicked go into oblivion does history issue in unqualified victory. Victory means that evil is removed
and nothing remains but light and love. The traditional theory of everlasting torment means that the shadow
of darkness hangs over the new creation forever. ... In conclusion, it makes better sense metaphysically to
think of the nature of hell as final destruction and of the dwindling out of existence of the wicked, rather
than to posit a disloyal opposition existing eternally alongside God in an unredeemed corner of the new
creation." (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional View," in Crockett, W.V., ed., "Four Views on Hell," Zondervan:
Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996, pp.154-155. Emphasis original)
5/09/2008
"Nevertheless, the Bible does leave us a strong general impression in regard to the nature of hell-the
impression of final, irreversible destruction, of closure with God. The language and imagery used by
Scripture is so powerful in that direction that it is surprising that more theologians have not picked up on it
before now. The Bible uses the language of death and destruction, of ruin and perishing, when it speaks of
the fate of the impenitent wicked. It uses the imagery of fire that consumes whatever is thrown into it;
linking together images of fire and destruction suggests annihilation. One receives the impression that
`eternal punishment' refers to a divine judgment whose results cannot be reversed rather than to the
experience of endless torment (i.e., eternal punishing). Although there are many good reasons for
questioning the traditional view of the nature of hell, the most important reason is the fact that the Bible
does not teach it. Contrary to the loud claims of the traditionalists, it is not a biblical doctrine. .... The Bible
gives a strong impression to any honest reader that hell denotes final destruction, so the burden of proof
rests with those who refuse to believe and accept this teaching." (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional View," in
Crockett, W.V., ed., "Four Views on Hell," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996, pp.144-145)
5/09/2008
"The Old Testament gives us a clear picture of the end of the wicked in terms of destruction and supplies
the basic imagery of divine judgment for the New Testament to use. In Psalm 37, for example, we read that
the wicked will fade like the grass and wither like the herb (v. 2), that they will be cut off and be no more (vv.
910), that they will perish and vanish like smoke (v. 20), and that they will be altogether destroyed (v. 38).
One finds the same imagery in an oracle from the prophet Malachi: `"Surely the day is coming; it will burn
like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them
on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them"' (Mal. 4:1-2). While it is true
that the point of reference for these warnings in the Old Testament is this-worldly, the basic imagery
overwhelmingly denotes destruction and perishing and sets the tone for the New Testament doctrine."
(Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional View," in Crockett, W.V., ed., "Four Views on Hell," Zondervan: Grand
Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996, p.145)
5/09/2008
"Turning to the New Testament, Jesus' teaching about the eternal destiny of the wicked is bold in its
warnings but modest when it comes to precise description. Refraining from creating a clear picture of hell, he
did not dwell on the act of damnation or on the torments of the damned (unlike the Apocalypse of Peter).
Jesus' words on the subject are poised to underline the importance of the decision that needs to be made
here and now and not to deal in speculations about the exact nature of heaven and hell. He did not speak of
hell in order to convey information about it as a place beyond present human experience and then use that
data to press the decision the gospel calls for. At the same time, Jesus said many things that support the
impression that the Old Testament gives of hell as final destruction. Our Lord spoke plainly of God's
judgment as the annihilation of the wicked when he warned about God's ability to destroy body and soul in
hell (Matt. 10:28). He was echoing the terms that John the Baptist had used when he pictured the wicked as
dry wood about to be thrown into the fire and chaff about to be burned (Matt. 3:10, 12). Jesus warned that
the wicked would be cast into hell (Matt. 5:30), like garbage thrown into gehenna-an allusion to the valley
outside Jerusalem where sacrifices were once offered to Moloch (2 Kings 16:3; 21:6) and where garbage may
have smoldered and burned in Jesus' day. The wicked would be burned up just like weeds thrown into the
fire (Matt. 13:30, 42, 49-50). Thus the impression Jesus leaves us with is a strong one: The impenitent wicked
can expect to be destroyed by the wrath of God." (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional View," in Crockett, W.V.,
ed., "Four Views on Hell," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996, p.145)
5/09/2008
"The apostle Paul creates the same impression when he wrote of the everlasting destruction that would
come upon unrepentant sinners (2 Thess. 1:9). He warned that the wicked would reap corruption (Gal. 6:8)
and stated that God would destroy the wicked (1 Cor. 3:17; Phil. 1:28); he spoke of their fate as a death that
they deserved to die (Rom. 1:32), the wages of their sins (6:23). Concerning the wicked, the apostle stated
plainly and concisely: `Their destiny is destruction' (Phil. 3:19). In all these verses, Paul made it clear that hell
would mean termination." (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional View," in Crockett, W.V., ed., "Four Views on
Hell," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996, p.146)
5/09/2008
"It is no different in any other New Testament book. Peter spoke of the `destruction of ungodly men' (2 Peter
3:7) and of false teachers who denied the Lord, thus bringing upon themselves `swift destruction' (2:1, 3). He
said that they would be like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that were burned to ashes (2:6), and that they
would perish like the ancient world perished in the great Flood (3:6-7). The author of Hebrews likewise
referred to the wicked who shrank back and would be destroyed (Heb. 10:39). Jude pointed to Sodom as an
analogy to God's final judgment, being the city that underwent `the punishment of eternal fire' (Jude 7).
Similarly, the apocalypse of John speaks both of a lake of fire that will consume the wicked and of the
second death (Rev. 20:14-15). Throughout its pages, following the Old Testament lead, the New Testament
employs images of death, perishing, destruction, and corruption to describe the end of the wicked. A fair
person would have to conclude from such texts that the Bible can reasonably be read to teach the final
destruction of the wicked. " (Pinnock, C.H., "The Conditional View," in Crockett, W.V., ed., "Four Views on
Hell," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1992, Reprinted, 1996, pp.146-147)
5/09/2008
"When I was struggling with the thought of an after-life, at the age of five or six, Hell didn't come into it: the
worst discomforts would have been preferable to the thought of annihilation. In any case, I was
uncomfortable enough about the Heaven I couldn't believe in, as much as I tried. ... Lying in bed, the
thought of infinite space and time was intolerable, overwhelming; terrifying. The more I thought about it, the
more the idea of everlasting Heaven was a hell in itself. The thought of living for billions of years and still to
have billions of years to live was, finally, as appalling as oblivion. ... But when you think about it there is
simply no alternative. The answer has to be zero. ... For forty years my consciousness and my
unconsciousness have agreed on one thing. That death, dammit, is the end. And the soul does struggle
against the thought until, finally, it yields and acquiesces. There is a release of tension, a welcome relief."
(Adams, P., "Adams vs God," Nelson: Melbourne Vic, Australia, 1985, pp.56-58)
5/09/2008
"I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive. I am not young, and I love life. But I
should scorn to shiver with terror at the thought of annihilation. Happiness is none the less true happiness
because it must come to an end, nor do thought and love lose their value because they are not everlasting.
Many a man has borne himself proudly on the scaffold; surely the same pride should teach us to think truly
about man's place in the world." (Russell, B., "What I Believe," in "Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other
Essays on Religion and Related Subjects," Edwards, P., ed., George Allen & Unwin: London, 1957, Fourth
Impression, 1961, p.43)
8/09/2008
"APOLEIA (apoleia), akin to A, No. 1, and likewise indicating loss of well-being, not of being, is used (a)
of things, signifying their waste, or ruin; of ointment, Matt. 26:8; Mark 14:4; of money, Acts 8:20 (' perish');
(b) of persons, signifying their spiritual and eternal perdition, Matt. 7:13; John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2:3, where
`son of perdition' signifies the proper destiny of the person mentioned; metaphorically of men persistent in
evil, Rom. 9:22, where `fitted' is in the Middle Voice, indicating that the vessels of wrath fitted themselves for
destruction; of the adversaries of the Lord's people, Phil. 1:28 (' perdition'); of professing Christians, really
enemies of the Cross of Christ, Phil. 3:19 (R.V., `perdition'); of those who are subjects of foolish and hurtful
lusts, 1 Tim. 6:9 (for the preceding word `destruction' see No. 3, below); of professing Hebrew adherents
who shrink back into unbelief, Heb. 10:39; of false teachers, 2 Pet. 2:1, 3; of ungodly men, 3:7; of those who
wrest the Scriptures, 3:16; of the Beast, the final head of the revived Roman Empire; Rev. 17:8, 11; (c) of
impersonal subjects, as heresies, 2 Pet. 2:1, where `destructive heresies' (R.V.; A.V., `damnable') is, lit., `
heresies of destruction ' (marg., `sects of perdition'); in ver. a the most authentic mss. have aselgeiais,
`lascivious,' instead of apoleiais. See PERDITION, PERNICIOUS, WASTE." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository
Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants:
London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., pp.303-304. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"apoleia. Rare in secular Greek, this means a. `destruction,' `ruin,' b. `perishing,' c. `loss:' It is common in
the LXX in sense b. (cf. Job 26:6). In the NT the curse of Acts 8:20 has an OT ring. Eternal destruction is
signified in Mt. 7:13; Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 2 Th. 2:3; Jn. 17:12; 2 Pet. 2:1; Rev. 17:8, 11." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich,
G., eds., "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl.,
Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted, 1988, p.67. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"apollumi and apolluo [in LXX for 'obdan, etc. (38 words in all)]. 1. Act., (1) to destroy utterly,
destroy, kill: Mk 12:4; 9:22, al.; t. psuche, Mt 10:28, al.; (2) to lose utterly: Mt 10:42, al.; metaph., of
failing to save, Jo 6:39; 18:9; (3) in pf. intrans., to perish: Mt 10:6. 2. Mid., (1) to perish; (a) of things: Mt
5:29; Jo 6:12; He 1:11 (LXX), al.; (b) of persons: Mt 8:25, al. Metaph., of loss of eternal life, Jo 3:15,16; 10:28;
17:12; Ro 2:12; 1 Co 8:11; 15:18; II Pe 3:9. In oi apollumenoi, the perishing, contrasted in 1 Co 1:18, al.,
with oi sozomenoi, the ` perfective ` force of the verb, wh. `implies the completion of the process of
destruction,' is illustrated (v. M, Pr., 114 f.; M, Th., ii, 2:10); (2) to be lost: Lk 15:4; 21:18. Metaph., on
the basis of the relation between shepherd and flock, of spiritual destitution and alienation from God: Mt
10:6; 15:24; Lk 19:10 (MM, s.v.; DCG, i, 191 f., ii, 76, 554; Cremer, 451). 'Apolluon, -ontos, o (pres. ptep.
Of apolluo), Apollyon, i.e. the Destroyer: Re 9:11 (cf. 'Abaddon). (Cremer, 453; DB, i, 125, 172.)"
(Abbott-Smith, G., "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," [1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third
edition, 1937, Reprinted, 1956, p.52. My transliteration)
8/09/2008
"apollymi. A. The Literal Use. a. `To destroy,' `kill,' in battle or prison; b. `to suffer loss or lose'; c. `to
perish'; d. `to be lost' (cf. Lk. 15), not sharply distinguished from c. B. The Figurative Use. 1. In Mk. 8:35
etc., with b. and d. as a background, the soul is an object of value which is not just lost but which we
actively lose in trying to save or secure our lives, like the rich fool of Lk. 12:16ff. The ambivalent concept of
life gives the sayings their profundity. In Lk. 15 the three parables are told from God's standpoint. The lost
sheep has Ezek. 34:4 as a basis, with the idea of wandering and perishing in view. Jesus must seek what is
lost and will not lose what the Father has given him (Jn. 6:39). 2. A specific NT usage with sense a. or c. as
the basis occurs in 1 Cor. 8:11; Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Th. 2:10; 1 Cor. 15:18; Jn. 10:28, etc. The meaning is
`to be lost,' or, more likely, `to perish,' active `to destroy' with a human or demonic destroyer (Rom. 14:15), or
someone divinely commissioned (Mk. 1:24), or God himself as subject (cf. 1 Cor. 1:19; Jude 5; Jms. 4:12). In
view is not just physical destruction but a hopeless destiny of eternal death." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds.,
"Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans:
Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted, 1988, p.67. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"APOLLUMI (apollumi), a strengthened form of ollumi, signifies to destroy utterly; in Middle Voice, to
perish. The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. This is clear from its use, as,
e.g., of the marring of wine skins, Luke 5:37; of lost sheep, i.e., lost to the shepherd, metaphorical of spiritual
destitution, Luke 15:4, 6, etc.; the lost son, 15:24; of the perishing of food, John 6:27; of gold, 1 Pet. 1:7. So of
persons, Matt. 2:13, `destroy;' 8:25, `perish;' 22:7; 27:20; of the loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved
hereafter, Matt. 10:28; Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:16 (ver. 15 in some mss.); 10:28; 17:12; Rom. 2:12; 1 Cor. 15:18; 2
Cor 2:15, `are perishing;' 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10; Jas. 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:9. Cp., II, No, 1. See DIE, LOSE, MARRED,
PERISH." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings
for English Readers," Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.302. Emphasis
original)
8/09/2008
"Apollyon. In Rev. 9:11 Apollyon is a translation and personification of the Hebrew and means Destroyer
(usually seen as a play on Apollo, the god of pestilence, who was regarded as the god of the empire and had
the locust as his creature)." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds., "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament:
Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted, 1988, p.67.
Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"EXOLOTHREUO (exolothreuo), ek, out of (intensive), and No. 6, to destroy utterly, to slay wholly, is
found in Acts 3:23, R.V., `utterly destroyed,' referring to the destruction of one who would refuse to hearken
to the voice of God through Christ. This verb is far more abundantly used in the Sept. than No. 6; it occurs
35 times in Deut.; 34 in Josh.; 68 in the Psalms." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament
Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth
impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.303. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"exolothreuo. This word means `to destroy completely.' It is very rare except in the LXX, in which it refers
to God's extirpation of sinners or of the disobedient. The only NT instance is in Acts 3:23, where Peter, after
healing the lame man, quoting Lev. 23:29 and Dt. 18:19, tells the people that those who will not listen to the
predicted prophet (i.e., the Messiah) will be rooted out from among the people. The apostolic fathers often
use the term in OT quotations (cf. 1 Clem. 14.4; 15.5; 53.3)." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds., "Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans: Grand
Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted, 1988, pp.681-682. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"KATALUO (kataluo), kata, down, intensive, and No. 4, to destroy utterly, to overthrow completely, is
rendered `destroy,' in Matt. 5:17, twice, of the Law; Matt. 24:2; 26:61; 27:40; Mark 13:2; 14:58; 15:29; Luke
21:6, of the Temple; in Acts 6:14, of Jerusalem; in Gal. 2:18, of the Law as a means of justification; in Rom.
14:20 (A:V., `destroy,' R.V., `overthrow') of the marring of a person's spiritual well-being (in ver. 15
apollumi, No. 1, is used in the same sense); in Acts 5:38 and 39 (R.V., `overthrow') of the failure of
purposes; in 2 Cor. 5:1, of the death of the body (' dissolved'). See DISSOLVE, NOUGHT (come to),
OVERTHROW, THROW." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their
Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I.,
pp.302-303. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"kat-argeo, -o (< kata, causative, argos = a-ergos), [in LXX : II Es 4:21, 23; 5:5; 6:8 ... to make idle
or inactive (argos, Eur., Phoen., 753) : of soil occupied by an unfruitful tree, Lk 13:7. Metaph. (Inscr.),
to render inoperative or invalid, to abrogate, abolish: Ro 3:3, 31; I Co 1:28; 6:13; 13:11; 15:24; Ga 3:17; Eph
2:15; II Th 2:8; II Ti 1:10; He 2:14; pass., Ro 4:14; 6:6; 1 Co 2:6; 13:8,10; 15:26; II Co 3:7,11,13,14; Ga 5:11; seq.
apo (of persons), to be separated, discharged or loosed from, Ro 7:2,6; Ga 5:4." (Abbott-Smith, G., "A
Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," [1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, 1937,
Reprinted, 1956, p.238. My transliteration)
8/09/2008
"katargeo. In the NT this word has the secular meanings `to condemn to inactivity' (Lk. 13:7), `to destroy' (1
Cor. 13:11), and `to take out of the sphere of activity' (Rom. 7:2). ... The provisional disarming of demonic
powers will issue in their complete destruction at the return of Christ (1 Cor. 15:24; 2 Th. 2:8; 1 Cor. 6:13)."
(Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds., "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one Volume,"
Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted, 1988, p.76. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"KATARGEO (katargeo lit., to reduce to inactivity (kata, down, argos, inactive), is translated
`abolish' in Eph. 2:15 and 2 Tim. 1:10, in the R.V. only in 1 Cor. 15:24, 26. It is rendered `is abolished' in the
A.V. of 2 Cor. 3:13; the R.V. corrects to `was passing away' (marg., `was being done away'). In this and
similar words not loss of being is implied, but loss of well being. The barren tree was cumbering the ground,
making it useless for the purpose of its existence, Luke 13:7; the unbelief of the Jews could not `make of
none effect' the faithfulness of God, Rom. 3:3; the preaching of the Gospel could not make of none effect the
moral enactments of the Law, 3:31; the Law could not make the promise of none effect, 4:14; Gal. 3:17; the
effect of the identification of the believer with Christ in His death is to render inactive his body in regard to
sin, Rom. 6:6; the death of a woman's first husband discharges her from the law of the husband, that is, it
makes void her status as his wife in the eyes of the law, 7:2; in that sense the believer has been discharged
from the Law, 7:6; God has chosen things that are not `to bring to nought things that are,' i.e., to render them
useless for practical purposes, 1 Cor. 2:28; the princes of this world are brought to nought, i.e., their wisdom
becomes ineffective, 2:6; the use for which the human stomach exists ceases with man's death, 6:13;
knowledge, prophesyings, and that which was in part were to be `done away,' 1 Cor. 13:8, 10, i.e., they were
to be rendered of no effect after their temporary use was fulfilled; when the Apostle became a man he did
away with the ways of a child, verse 11; God is going to abolish all rule and authority and power, i.e., He is
going to render them inactive, 1 Cor. 15:24; the last enemy that shall be abolished, or reduced to inactivity, is
death, ver. 26; the glory shining in the face of Moses, `was passing away,' 2 Cor 3:7, the transitoriness of its
character being of a special significance; so in verses 11, 13; the veil upon the heart of Israel is `done away'
in Christ, ver. 14; those who seek justification by the Law are `severed' from Christ, they are rendered
inactive in relation to Him, Gal. 5:4; the essential effect of the preaching of the Cross would become
inoperative by the preaching of circumcision, 5:11; by the death of Christ the barrier between Jew and
Gentile is rendered inoperative as such, Eph. 2:15; the Man of Sin is to be reduced to inactivity by the
manifestation of the Lord's Parousia with His people, 2 Thess. 2:8; Christ has rendered death inactive for the
believer, 2 Tim. 1:10, death becoming the means of a more glorious life, with Christ; the Devil is to /be
reduced to inactivity through the death of Christ, Heb. 2:14." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository Dictionary of
New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants: London, 1940,
Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., pp.13-14. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"olethreuo. This term means `to corrupt,' `to destroy.' Philo uses it for the corruption of the soul. It occurs
18 times in the LXX in its usual sense. The only NT instance is in Heb. 11:28, where by faith Moses
sprinkles the blood so that the destroyer (olethreuon) might not touch his people." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G.,
eds., "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl.,
Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted, 1988, p.681. Emphasis original)
8/09/2008
"'olethrios, -on. (also -a, -on, as in Wi, l.c.), [in LXX : III Ki 21 (20)42 (cherem), Wi 18:15;] destructive,
deadly: diken, ii Th 1:9, L, txt (for 'olethros, q.v.)." (Abbott-Smith, G., "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the
New Testament," [1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, 1937, Reprinted, 1956, p.314. My
transliteration)
8/09/2008
"olethros, -ou, o (< ollumi, to destroy), [in LXX for sheber, etc.;] ruin, destruction, death: 1 Th
5:3; 1 Ti 6:9; aionios, II Th 1:9 (L, txt., olethrios, q.v.) ; eis o. tes sarkos, for physical discipline, to
destroy carnal lusts, 1 Co 5:5." (Abbott-Smith, G., "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament," [1921],
T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, 1937, Reprinted, 1956, p.315. My transliteration)
8/09/2008
"OLETHROS (olethros), ruin, destruction, akin to A, No. 6, always translated `destruction,' is used in 1
Cor. 5:5, of the effect upon the physical condition of an erring believer for the purpose of his spiritual profit;
in 1 Thess. 5:3 and 2 Thess. 1:9, of the effect of the Divine judgments upon men at the ushering in of the
Day of the Lord and the revelation of the Lord Jesus; in 1 Tim. 6:9, of the consequences of the indulgence of
the flesh, referring to physical ruin and possibly that of the whole being, the following word apoleia (see
No. 1) stressing the final, eternal and irrevocable character of the ruin." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository
Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants:
London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.304. Emphasis original)
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"olethros. This word means a. `corruption,' especially `death,' and b. `that which brings corruption.' It is
common in the LXX; the prophets use it often for eschatological `destruction' (Jer. 48:3). The sense is
eschatological in two NT instances. In 2 Th. 1:9 eternal destruction will come on those who reject the gospel
when Christ is revealed from heaven. In 1 Tim. 6:9 the conscience of those who seek wealth is seared, and
they are thus in danger of falling into temptations that will plunge them into complete ruin. The point is
rather different in 1 Cor. 5:5, where Paul seems to be saying that physical destruction (i.e., death) will follow
when the congregation, with whom Paul will be present in spirit and with the power of the Lord, delivers the
incestuous person to Satan (cf. Acts 5:5, 10; also Ignatius Ephesians 13.1 for the divine power at work when
the church gathers)." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds., "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament:
Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted, 1988, p.681.
Emphasis original)
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"OLOTHREUO (olothreuo), to destroy, especially in the sense of slaying, is found in Heb. 11:28, where
the R.V. translates the present participle with the article by the noun `destroyer.' See B, below. The verb
occurs frequently in the Sept., e.g., Ex. 12:23; Josh. 3:10; 7:25; Jer. 2:30; 5:6; 22:7." (Vine, W.E., "An
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers,"
Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.303. Emphasis original)
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"OLOTHREUTES (olothreutes), akin to A, No. 6, a destroyer, is found in 1 Cor. 10:10. Note: For the
construction in Heb. 11:28, `the destroyer,' see A, No. 6. Cp. apolluon, in Rev. 9:11, the present participle
of apollumi, A, No. 1, used as a proper noun." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament
Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth
impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.303. Emphasis original)
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"olothreutes. This word occurs in the NT only in 1 Cor. 10:10, where the reference is to the OT angel of
destruction. This may be a specific avenging angel (cf. the definite article), or it may be more generally an
angel of Satan (cf. 2 Cor. 12:7)." (Kittel, G. & Friedrich, G., eds., "Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament: Abridged in one Volume," Bromiley, G.W., transl., Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Reprinted,
1988, p.681. Emphasis original)
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"PHTHORA (phthora), akin to A, No. 8, denotes the destruction that comes with corruption. In 2 Pet. 2:12
it is used twice; for the A.V., `made to be taken and destroyed ... shall utterly perish (phtheiro) in their
own corruption,' the R.V. has `to be taken and destroyed (lit., unto capture and destruction, phthora) ...
shall in their destroying (phthora) surely be destroyed,' taking the noun in the last clause in the sense of
their act of destroying others. See CORRUPT, CORRUPTION." (Vine, W.E., "An Expository Dictionary of
New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers," Oliphants: London, 1940,
Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.304. Emphasis original)
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"SUNTRIMMA (suntrimma), a breaking in pieces, shattering (the corresponding verb is suntribo; see
under BREAK, BRUISE), hence, ruin, destruction, is compounded of sun, together, and trimma, a rubbing
or wearing away. The latter, and tribo, to beat, are derived from a root, signifying to rub, wear away-;
hence Eng., tribulation and trouble. It is used, metaphorically, of destruction, in Rom. 3:16 (from Isa. 59:7),
which, in a passage setting forth the sinful state of mankind in general, suggests the wearing process of the
effects of cruelty., The word is frequent in the Sept., especially in Isaiah and Jeremiah." (Vine, W.E., "An
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: With Their Precise Meanings for English Readers,"
Oliphants: London, 1940, Nineteenth impression, 1969, Vol. I., p.304. Emphasis original)
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"'ap-ollumi and 'apolluo (['apolluei Jn. xii. 25 T TrWH], impv. apollue Ro. xiv. 15, [cf. B. 45 (39) ;
WH App. p. 168 sq.]) ; fut. apoleso and (1 Co. i. 19 apolu fr. a pass. in the O. T., where often) apolo
(cf. W. 83 (80) ; [B. 64 (56)]) ; 1 aor. apolesa; to destroy; Mid., pres. apollumai; [impf. 3 pers. plur.
apollunto 1 Co. x. 9 T Tr WH]; fut. apoloumai; 2 aor. apolomen; (2 pf. act. ptcp. apololos); [fr. Hom.
down]; to perish. 1. to destroy i. e. to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, ruin: Mk. i.
24 ; Lk. iv. 34; xvii. 27, 29; Jude 5 ; ten sophian render useless, cause its emptiness to be perceived, 1
Co. i. 19 (fr. Sept. of Is. xxix. 14) ; to kill: Mt. ii. 13; xii. 14; Mk. ix. 22; xi. 18; Jn. x. 10, etc. ; contextually, to
declare that one must be put to death: Mt. xxvii. 20; metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery:
Mt. x. 28; Jas. iv. 12 ; contextually, by one's conduct to cause another to lose eternal salvation: Ro. xiv. 15.
Mid. to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed; a. of persons; α. properly: Mt. viii. 25; Lk. xiii. 3, 5, 33; Jn. xi.
50; 2 Pet. iii. 6 ; Jude 11, etc. ; apollumai limo, Lk. xv. 17; en machaira Mt. xxvi. 52 ; kataballomenoi all
suk apollumenoi, 2 Co. iv. 9. β. tropically, to incur the loss of true or eternal life; to be delivered up to
eternal misery: Jn. iii. 15 [R L br.], 16; x. 28; xvii. 13, (it must be borne in mind, that acc. to John's conception
eternal life begins on earth, just as soon as one becomes united to Christ by faith) ; Ro. ii. 12; 1 Co. viii. 11 ;
xv. 18; 2 Pet. iii. 9. Hence oi sozomenoi they to whom it belongs to partake of salvation, and oi
apollumenoi those to whom it belongs to perish or to be consigned to eternal misery, are contrasted by
Paul: 1 Co. i. 18; 2 Co. ii. 15; iv. 3 ; 2 Th. ii. 10, (on these pres. ptcps. cf. W. 342 (321) ; B. 206 (178)). b. of
things; to be blotted out, to vanish away: e euprepeia, Jas. i. 11 ; the heavens, Heb. i. 11 (fr. Ps. ci. (cii.)
27); to perish,-of things which on being thrown away are decomposed, as melos tou somatos, Mt. v. 29
sq. ; remnants of bread, Jn. vi. 12 ; - or which perish in some other way, as brosis Jn. vi. 27 ; krusion, l
Pet. i. 7 ; -or which are ruined so that they can no longer subserve the use for which they were designed, as
oi askoi: Mt. ix. 17 ; Mk. ii. 22; Lk. v. 37. 2. to destroy i. e. to lose; a. prop.: Mt. x. 42; Mk. ix. 41 (ton
misthon autou) ; Lk. xv. 4, 8, 9 ; ix. 25; xvii. 33; Jn. xii. 25; 2 Jn. 8, etc. b. metaph. Christ is said to lose any
one of his followers (whom the Father has drawn to discipleship) if such a one becomes wicked and fails of
salvation: Jn. vi. 39, cf. xviii. 9. Mid. to be lost: thrix ek tes kephales, Lk. xxi. 18; th. apo tes kephales,
Acts xxvii. 34 (Rec. peseitai) ; ta lampra apoleto apo sou, Rev. xviii. 14 (Rec. apolthe). Used of sheep,
straying from the flock: prop. Lk. xv. 4 (to apololos, in Mt. xviii. 12 to planomenon). Metaph. in
accordance with the O. T. comparison of the people of Israel to a flock (Jer. xxvii. (1.) 6 ; Ezek. xxxiv. 4, 16),
the Jews, neglected by their religious teachers, left to themselves and thereby in danger of losing eternal
salvation, wandering about as it were without guidance, are called ta probata ta apololota tou oikou
'Israel: Mt. x. 6 ; xv. 24, (Is. liii. 6 ; 1 Pet. ii. 25) ; and Christ, reclaiming them from wickedness, is likened to a
shepherd and is said zetein kai sozein to apololos: Lk. xix. 10; Mt. xviii. 11 Rec. [COMP.: sun-apolumi.]"
(Thayer, J.H., "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm's Wilke's Clovis Novi
Testamenti Translated Revised and Enlarged," T & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Fourth edition, 1901, Reprinted,
1961, pp.64-65. My transliteration)
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"olethros, -on, (ollumi to destroy [perh. (olnumi) allied to Lat. vulnus]), fr. Hom. down, ruin,
destruction, death: 1 Th. v. 3 ; 1 Tim. vi. 9 ; eis olethron tes sarkos, for the destruction of the flesh,
said of the external ills and troubles by which the lusts of the flesh are subdued and destroyed, 1 Co. v. 5
[see paradidomai, 2] ; i. q. the loss of a life of blessedness after death, future misery, aionios (as 4
Macc. x. 15) : 2 Th. i. 9 [where L txt. olethrion, q. v.], cf. Sap. i. 12." (Thayer, J.H., "A Greek-English Lexicon
of the New Testament: Being Grimm's Wilke's Clovis Novi Testamenti Translated Revised and Enlarged," T
& T. Clark: Edinburgh, Fourth edition, 1901, Reprinted, 1961, p.443. My transliteration)
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"kat-argeo,-o fut. katargeso; 1 aor. katergesa; pf. katergeka; Pass., pres. katargoumai; pf.
katergemai; 1 aor. katergethen; 1 fut. katargethesomai; causative of the verb argeo, equiv. to
argon (i. e. aergon [on the accent cf. Chandler § 444]) poio); freq. with Paul, who uses it 25 times
[elsewhere in N. T. only twice (Lk., Heb.), in Sept. 4 times (2 Esdr., see below)]; 1. o render idle,
unemployed, inactive, inoperative: ten gen, to deprive of its strength, make barren [A. V. cumber], Lk.
xiii. 7; to cause a pers. or a thing to have no further efficiency ; to deprive of force, influence, power, [A. V.
bring to nought, make of none effect]: ti, Ro. iii. 3; 1 Co. i. 28; tina 1 Co. ii. 6 [but in pass.] ; diabolic
powers, 1 Co. xv. 24 (Justin, apol. 2, 6) ; Antichrist, 2 Th. ii. 8 ; ton thanaton, 2 Tim. i. 10 (Barnab. ep. 5, 6) ;
ton diabolon, Heb. ii. 14; pass. 1 Co. xv. 26; to make void, ten epaggelian, Gal. iii. 17; pass. Rom. iv. 14.
2. to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish: ti, 1 Co. vi. 13; xiii. 11; ton nomon,
Ro. iii. 31 ; Eph. ii. 15; ton kairon tou anomou, Barnab. ep. 15, 5; pass. polemos katargeitai epouranion kai
epigeion, Ignat. ad Eph. 13, 2; ina katargethe to soma tes amartias, that the body of sin might be done
away, i. e. not the material of the body, but the body so far forth as it is an instrument of sin; accordingly,
that the body may cease to be an instrument of sin, Ro. vi. 6. Pass. to cease, pass away, be done away: of
things, Gal. v. 11; 1 Co. xiii. 8, 10; 2 Co. iii. 7, 11, 13 sq.; of persons, foll. by apo tinos, to be severed from,
separated from, discharged from, loosed from, any one; to terminate all intercourse with one [a pregn.
constr., cf. W. 621 (577); B. 322 (277)] : apo tou Christou, Gal. v. 4 [on the aor. cf. W. § 40,5 b.]; apo tou
nomon, Ro. vii. [2 (Relz om. t. v.)], 6. The word is rarely met with in prof. auth., as Eur. Phoen. 753
katarg. chera, to make idle, i. e. to leave the hand unemployed; Polyb. ap. Suid. [s. v. ,katergergekenai]
tous kairous, in the sense of to let slip, leave unused; in Sept. four times for Chald. ..., to make to cease,
i. e. restrain, check, hinder, 2 Esdr. iv. 21, 23 ; v. 5 ; vi. 8." (Thayer, J.H., "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament: Being Grimm's Wilke's Clonis Noni Testamenti Translated Revised and Enlarged," T & T. Clark:
Edinburgh, Fourth edition, 1901, Reprinted, 1961, p.336. My transliteration)
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"apollumi or apoluo; fut. apoleso, 2d aor. apolomen, perf. apololeka, 2d perf. apolola, mid.
fut. apoloumai, from apo (575) an intens., the mid. ollumi (n.f.), to destroy. The force of apo here is
away or wholly; therefore, the verb is stronger than the simple ollumi. To destroy, mid. be destroyed,
perish. Also from ollumi (n.f.): olethros (3639), rain, destruction. (I) Act. form: (A) To destroy, cause to
perish, trans.: (1) Spoken of things figuratively (1 Cor. 1:19, meaning to bring to naught, render void the
wisdom of the wise, quoted from Is. 29:14). (2) Of persons, to destroy, put to death, cause to perish. (a)
Spoken of physical death (Matt. 2:13; 12:14; 21:41; 22:7; Mark 3:6; 9:22; 11:18; 12:9; Luke 6:9 [TR]; 17:27, 29;
19:47; 20:16; John 10:10; Jude 1:5; Sept.: Gen. 20:4; Deut. 11:4; Esth. 4:9; 9:16); in a judicial sense to sentence
to death (Matt. 27:20; James 4:12). (b) Spoken of eternal death, i.e., future punishment, exclusion from the
Messiah's kingdom. In this sense it has the same meaning as apothnesko (599), to die (Matt. 10:28; Mark
1:24; Luke 4:34; 9:56). This eternal death is called the second death (Rev. 20:14). In Luke 9:25, to `destroy
himself' (a.t.) means to subject himself to eternal death, which is the opposite of eternal life (John 6:50, 51,
58). Physical and eternal death are to be distinguished (John 8:21, 24; 11:25, 26; Rom. 7:10; 8:13). (B) To lose,
be deprived of, trans. of such things as reward (Mark 9:41); a sheep (Luke 15:4); a drachma or coin (Luke
15:8, 9). See John 6:39; 2 John 1:8; Sept.: Prov. 29:3. To lose one's life or soul (Matt. 10:39; 16:25; Mark 8:35;
Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25)." (Zodhiates, S., "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament,"
AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, 1992, Third printing, 1994, p.230. My transliteration)
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"apollumi ... (II) Mid. and pass. forms as also 2d perf. apolola. (A) To be destroyed, perish, intrans.
Spoken of: (1) Things (Matt. 5:29, 30; 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37; John 6:27; James 1:11; 1 Pet. 1:7). In all
these instances the verb must not be thought of as indicating extinction, but only change from one state of
being to another. Nothing actually becomes extinct, but everything changes. In Heb. 1:11, `even these
heavens will perish ' (a.t.) quoted from Ps. 102:27; Jet. 9:11; 48:8; Ezek. 29:8; 35:7, means that these present
heavens will be qualitatively changed as well as the earth (Rev. 21:1). The new, redeemed creation and
physically redeemed creatures, especially the presently redeemed men with their redeemed bodies, will have
a congruous environment in which to live (Rom. 8:19-23). (2) Persons, to be put to death, to die, perish,
relating to physical death (Matt. 8:25; 26:52; Mark 4:38; Luke 8:24; 11:51; 13:33; 15:17; John 18:14; Acts 5:37;
1 Cor. 10:9, 10; 2 Cor. 4:9; 2 Pet. 3:6; Jude 1:11; Sept.: Lev. 23:30; Esth. 9:12). Relating to eternal death (see I,
A, 2, b), to perish eternally, i.e., to be deprived of eternal life (Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:15, 16; 10:28; 17:12; Rom.
2:12; 1 Cor. 15:18; 2 Pet. 3:9). Those who perish (hoi apollumenoi, who are perishing) means those who are
exposed to eternal death (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10). (B) To be lost to the owner, such as hair
(Luke 21:18), anything (John 6:12). Spoken of those who wander away and are lost, e.g., the prodigal son
(Luke 15:24); sheep straying in the desert (Luke 15:4, 6). Metaphorically (Matt. 10:6; 15:24; Sept.: Ps. 119:176;
Jer. 50:6; Ezek. 34:4)." (Zodhiates, S., "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG
Publishers: Chattanooga TN, 1992, Third printing, 1994, pp.230-231. My transliteration)
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"apoleia; gen. apoleias, fem. noun from apollumi (622), to destroy fully. Used trans. the losing or loss
(Matt. 26:8), intrans. perdition, ruin. In the NT, apoleia refers to the state after death wherein exclusion
from salvation is a realized fact, wherein man, instead of becoming what he might have been, is lost and
ruined. Destruction, either temporal (Acts 25:16, death; Sept.: Deut. 4:26; Esth. 7:4; Prov. 6:15; Is. 34:5), or the
second death which is eternal exclusion from Christ's kingdom, equivalent to apothnesko (599), to die
(Matt. 7:13; Acts 8:20; Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; 1 Tim. 6:9; Heb. 10:39; 2 Pet. 2:1, 3; 3:7, 16; Rev. 17:8, 11).
`Heresies of destruction' (a.t.) in 2 Pet. 2:1 means fatally destructive heresies. In John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2:3, `the
son of perdition,' an allusion to the Antichrist, means one determined to remain spiritually lost. See huios
(5207), son. Destruction or waste (Mark 14:4; Sept.: Lev. 6:3, 4). Apoleia and the verb apollumi (622), to
destroy, lose, perish, must never be construed as meaning extinction. One dies physically when his spirit
and his body separate. Neither the body becomes extinct, nor the spirit. The body decomposes and ceases
to exist in the form it was. Its constituent parts, however, continue to exist in a noncohesive form. The spirit
takes a new existence, separate from its previous existence joined with the body. The lost sheep which was
wandering away from the shepherd and the rest of the flock is called apololos (Luke 15:4, 6), also the coin
which the woman lost (Luke 15:9, apolesa [the aor. of apollumi {622}, to lose]) and the prodigal son
who was lost (Luke 15:24, 32), but none of them ceased to exist. They simply were lost to the relationship
which they had before and which was desired again by the owner. In 1 Tim. 6:9 the words olethros and
apoleia occur together referring to those who determine to be rich. In this instance, olethros refers to
the actual physical death of those who desire to be rich by any means such as Judas, Ananias and Sapphira.
Apoleia, on the other hand, refers to separation from God Himself in fulfillment of our Savior's warnings
that the rich enter the kingdom of heaven with difficulty (Matt. 19:23, 24; Mark 10:25). olethros speaks
more of the way in which destruction comes than of the state in which a lost person is found. It refers
specifically to the destruction of the flesh (1 Cor. 5:5). Apoleia, on the other hand, refers to the
destruction or the perishing of the whole personality as is indicated by the opposite of apollumi which is
sozomai (4982), to be saved, `that the spirit may be saved.' Thus we can conclude that for the flesh there
is olethros while for the spirit there is salvation. Yet salvation may be taken as the ant. of both apollumi
and olethros. In the latter case the word `salvation' must be taken as the healing of the body (James 5:15
where the word translated `saved' is the Gr. word sozo [4982], to save). In the spiritual realm, however,
sozo is also the opposite of apollumi, to perish. Thus soteria (4991), salvation or deliverance, can be
taken as the exact opposite of apoleia." (Zodhiates, S., "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New
Testament," AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, 1992, Third printing, 1994, pp.246-247. My transliteration)
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"exolothreuo; fut. exolothreuso, from ek (1537), an intens., and olothreuo (3645), to destroy. To
destroy utterly (Acts 3:23; Sept.: Ex. 30:33; 31:14; Deut. 7:10). The word and its syn. never mean extinction,
but a change of one's state involving retribution or punishment." (Zodhiates, S., "The Complete Word
Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, 1992, Third printing, 1994, p.605. My
transliteration)
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"katargeo; contracted katargo, fut. katargeso, from kata (2596), an intens., and argeo (691), to
be idle. To render inactive, idle, useless, ineffective, trans. (I) The kata gives to the intrans. argeo the
trans. meaning of to make to cease (Heb. 2:14). Paul often uses it to signify more than hindrance or cessation
from outward activity, thus to rest, as in Luke 13:7 where the idle earth does not denote unused or untilled,
but rather unfruitful land lying fallow, opposite of energes (1756), active. To abrogate, make void, do
away with, put an end to (Rom. 3:3, `make ... without effect,' 31; 4:14; 6:6). (II) To destroy, cause to cease, do
away with, put an end to (1 Cor. 6:13; 13:11; 15:24; Gal. 3:17; Eph. 2:15; 2 Thess. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:10). With Paul it
always denotes a complete cessation, not a temporary or partial ceasing (1 Cor. 1:28; 6:13). (III) Pass.
katargeomai, contracted katargoumai, to cease, to be done away (1 Cor. 2:6; 13:8, 10; 2 Cor. 3:7, 11, 13,
14; Gal. 5:11); katargeomai apo (575), from, meaning to cease from, i.e., to cease being under or connected
with any person or thing such as the Law, meaning to be freed from a law (Rom. 7:2, 6). In Gal. 5:4,
katergethete apo Christou, `ye have withdrawn from Christ' (a.t.), you do not have any fellowship with
Him. In this case, although katergethete is in the pass. voice, it has a mid. meaning." (Zodhiates, S., "The
Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, 1992, Third printing,
1994, pp.841-842. My transliteration)
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"olethros; gen. olethrou, masc. noun, from ollumi (n.f.), to destroy, kill. Ruin, destruction. Used of
divine punishment (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:3; 2 Thess. 1:9; 1 Tim. 6:9; Sept.: Prov. 21:7). The verb ollumi
(n.f.) does not occur, but its derivative, apollumi (622), to destroy, does. The fundamental thought is not
annihilation by any means, but unavoidable distress and torment." (Zodhiates, S., "The Complete Word
Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG Publishers: Chattanooga TN, 1992, Third printing, 1994, p.1036.
My transliteration)
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"apollumi for its conj. s. BI -D. § 101, p. 47; Rob. 317; fut. apolesoo Hs S, 7, 5, Att. apoloo ca 1 Cor 1:19 (Is
29:14); 1 aor. apoolesa; 1 pf. apololooleka; fut. mid. apoloumai Lk 13:3; 2 aor. apoolomen; the 2 pf. apoloola
serves as a pf. mid., ptc. apolooloos (Hom. + ; inscr., pap., LXX, En., Philo, Joseph., Test. 12 Patr.). 1. act.-a.
ruin, destroy. α. of pers. (Sir 10:3) Mk 1:24; Lk 4:34. W. ref. to eternal destruction un ekeinon
apollue do not bring about his ruin Ro 14:15. Esp. kill, put to death (Gen 20:4; Esth 9:6 v.l.; 1 Macc 2:37;
Jos., C. Ap. 1, 122) Hs 9, 26, 7. paidion Mt 2:13; Jesus 12:14; 27:20; Mk 3:6; 11:18; Lk 19:47; B 12:5; the wicked
tenants kakous kakoos a (s. kakos 1 a) he will put the evildoers to a miserable death, Mt 21:41. tous
geoorgous Mk 12:9; Lk 20:16; t. phoneis Mt 22:7; t. me pisteusantas those who did not believe Jd 5;
pantas Lk 17:27, 29. W. soosai (like Charito 2, 8, 1) Js 4:12; Hs 9, 23, 4. Of eternal death (Herm. Wr. 4, 7)
psuche k. sooma a. en geenne Mt 10:28; psuche B 20:1; t. psuche Hs 9, 26, 3 (cf. Sir 20:22). β w. impers.
obj. a. t. sophian t. sophoon destroy the wisdom of the wise 1 Cor 1:19 (Is 29:14). a.. t. dianoian destroy
the understanding Hm 11:1.g. without obj. J 10:10. b. lose (X., Pla. +; PPetr. III 51, 5; POxy. 743, 23; PFay. III,
3ff; Sir 6:3; 9:6; 27:16 et al.; Tob 7:6 BA; 4 Macc 2:14) t. misthon lose the reward Mt 10:42; Mk 9:41; Hs 5,
6, 7. drachmen (Dio Chrys. 70[20], 25) Lk 15:8f; a. a. ergasametha lose what we have worked for 2 J 8.
diatheken B 4:6, 8. ten zoon t. anthroopoon Hm 2:1; cf. s 8, 6, 6; 8, 7, 5; 8, 8, 2f and 5. ten elpida m 5, 1, 7.-W.
Semitic flavoring ina pan o dedooken moi me apolesoo ez autou that I should lose nothing of all that he has
given me J 6:39 (BI-D. §466, 3; Rob. 437; 753).a. ten psuche (cf. Sir 20:22) lose one's life Mt 10:39; 16:25;
Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; 17:33; cf. J 12:25. For this a. eauton lose oneself Lk 9:25." (Arndt, W.F. & Gingrich, F.W.,
"A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian literature," University of Chicago
Press: Chicago IL, Fourth edition, 1952, Revised, 1957, p.94. My transliteration)
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"apollumi ... 2. mid.-a. be destroyed, ruined. α. of pers. perish, die 1 Cl 51:5; 55:6; B 5:4, 12; D
16:5; Hs 6, 2, If. As a cry of anguish apollumesa we are perishing! (PPetr. II 4, 4 nuni de apollumesa) Mt
8:25; Mk 4:38; Lk 8:24. en machaire a. die by the sword Mt 26:52. limoo of hunger (Ezk 34:29) Lk 15:17. te
antilogia tou Kope Jd He (because of 11a and b it should perh.= be corrupted; cf. Polyb. 32, 23, 6). upo
tinos (Hdt. 5, 126; Dio Chrys. 13[7], 12) upo t. opeoon killed by the snakes 1 Cor 10:9; cf. vs. 10. Abs. of a
people perish J 11:50. Of individuals (Lev 23:30) Ac 5:37; 2 Pt 3:9; 1 Cl 12:6; 39:5 (Job 4:20).-Esp. of eternal
death (cf. Ps 9:6f [5f]; 36[37]:20; 67:3[68:2]; 91:10[92:9]; Is 41:11) J 3:16; 17:12. apolesthai eis ton aioona
perish forever 10:28 (Bar 3:3 emeis apollumenoi ton aioona). anomoos a. Ro 2:12; mooroos a. IEph 17:2; en
kauchesei because of boasting ITr 4:1; cf. IPol 5:2. Abs. 1 Cor 8:11; 15:18; 2 CI 17:1. - oi apollumenoi (opp.
oi soozommenoi, like Plut., Mor. 469D) those who are lost 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 2:15; . 4:3; 2 Th 2:10; 2 Cl 1:4; 2:5.
For this to apoloolos Lk 19:10 (Mt 18:11-Ezk 34:4, 16). ta apollumena 2 Cl 2:7 (cf. Dit., Syll.3 417, 9 ta te
apoloolota ek t, ierou anesoosan). &beta. of things be lost, pass away, be ruined (Jos., Bell. 2, 650 of
Jerusalem) of bursting wineskins Mt 9:17; Mk 2:22; Lk 5:37; fading beauty Js 1:11; transitory beauty of gold
1 Pt 1:7; passing splendor Rv 18:14 (w. apo as Jer 10:11; Da 7:17). Of earthly food J 6:27; spoiled honey Hm 5,
1, 5. Of the heavens which, like the earth, will pass away Hb 1:11 (Ps 101:27[102:26]). Of the end of the world
Hv 4, 3, 3. Of the way of the godless, which is lost in darkness B 11:7 (Ps 1:6). b. be lost (Antipho 54 Diels,
Vorsokr. apolomenon apyvpton; X., Symp. 1, 5; 1 Km 9:3) ISm 10:1. Of falling hair Lk 21:18; Ac 27:34; a
member or organ of the body Mt 5:29f; remnants of food J 6:12. Of wine that has lost its flavor Hm 12, 5, 3.-
Of sheep gone astray Mt 10:6; 15:24; Lk 15:4, 6; B 5:12 (cf. Jer 27:6; Ezk 34:4; Ps 118[119]:176). Of a lost son
Lk 15:24 (Artem. 4, 33 e gune ... t. uion apoolese kai ... euren auton. Schniewind, D. Gleichn. vom verl. Sohn
'40). a. theoo be lost to God Hs 8, 6, 4. M-M. B. 758; 766." (Arndt, W.F. & Gingrich, F.W., "A Greek-
English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian literature," University of Chicago Press:
Chicago IL, Fourth edition, 1952, Revised, 1957, pp.94-95. My transliteration)
12/09/2008
"[2Th 1:]9. Who (hoitines). Qualitative use, such as. Vanishing in papyri though surviving in Paul (I
Cor. 3:17; Rom. 1:25; Gal. 4:26; Phil. 4:3). Shall suffer punishment (diken tisousin). Future active of old
verb tino, to pay penalty (diken, right, justice), here only in N.T., but apotino once also to repay
Philemon 19. In the papyri dike is used for a case or process in law. This is the regular phrase in classic
writers for paying the penalty. Eternal destruction (olethron aionion). Accusative case in apposition
with diken (penalty). This phrase does not appear elsewhere in the N.T., but is in IV Macc. 10:15 ton
aionion tou turannou olethron the eternal destruction of the tyrant (Antiochus Epiphanes). Destruction (cf.
I Thess. 5:3) does not mean here annihilation, but, as Paul proceeds to show, separation from the face of
the Lord (apo prosopou tou kuriou) and from the glory of his might (kai apo tes doxes tes ischuos
autou), an eternity of woe such as befell Antiochus Epiphanes. Aionios in itself only means age-long
and papyri and inscriptions give it in the weakened sense of a Caesar's life (Milligan), but Paul means by
age-long the coming age in contrast with this age, as eternal as the New Testament knows how to
make it. See on Matt. 25:46 for use of aionios both with zoen, life, and kolasin, punishment."
(Robertson, A.T., "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume IV: The Epistles of Paul," Broadman Press:
Nashville TN, 1931, p.44)
12/09/2008
"1Tim 6:]9. Desire to be rich (boulomenoi ploutein). The will (boulomai) to be rich at any cost and in
haste (Prov. 28:20). Some MSS. have `trust in riches' in Mark 10:24.. Possibly Paul still has teachers and
preachers in mind. Fall into (empiptousin eis). See on 3:6 for en-eis and 3:7 for pagida (snare).
Foolish (anoetous). See Gal. 3:1, 3. Hurtful (blaberas). Old adjective from blapto, to injure, here
alone in N.T. Drown (buthizousin). Late word (literary Koine) from buthos (bottom), to drag to the
bottom. In N.T. only here and Luke 5:7 (of the boat). Drown in the lusts with the issue `in destruction and
perdition' (eis- olethron kai apoleian). Not annihilation, but eternal punishment. The combination only
here, but for olethros, see I Thess. 5:3; II Thess. 1:9; I Cor. 5:5 and for apoleia, see II Thess. 2:3; Phil.
3:19." (Robertson, A.T., "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume IV: The Epistles of Paul," Broadman
Press: Nashville TN, 1931, p.593. Emphasis original)
12/09/2008
"[Rom 9:22] Unto destruction (eis apoleian). Endless perdition (Matt. 7:13; II Thess. 2:3; Phil. 3:19), not
annihilation." (Robertson, A.T., "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume IV: The Epistles of Paul,"
Broadman Press: Nashville TN, 1931, p.385)
13/09/2008
"The word apollumi. The doctrine of the annihilation of the wicked is, however, not in agreement with
Scripture. In order to refute this teaching, we must first of all look at some of the more common words used
in the New Testament to describe the final punishment of the wicked. The word most commonly used for
this purpose is the verb apollumi, usually translated destroy or perish (in the middle or passive
voice). Seventh-day Adventists ... give the impression that the word apollumi when used in the New
Testament of the fate of the wicked means to annihilate. Jehovah's Witnesses give the same impression. On
page 97 of Let God Be True they quote Matthew 10:28, where the word apollumi is used to describe
what God does to both soul and body in hell (Gehenna). and conclude: `Since God destroys soul and body
in Gehenna, this is conclusive proof that Gehenna, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, is a picture or symbol
of complete annihilation, and not of eternal torment.' The implication is clear: apollumi must mean
annihilation." (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.360-361. Emphasis
original)
13/09/2008
"How can it be shown that apollumi in the New Testament never means annihilation? We note first of all
that this word never means to annihilate when it is applied to other things than man's eternal destiny. Let us
observe the range of meaning of this New Testament word: (1) Sometimes apollumi simply means to be
lost. It is so used in the three `lost' parables in Luke 15, to designate the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the
lost son. In the case of the son, his being lost meant that he was lost to the fellowship of his father since he
went against his father's purpose. (2) The word apollumi may be applied in a somewhat related way to
mean become useless. So in Matthew 9:17 it is used to show what happens to old wineskins when you
pour new wine into them: the skins `perish' or become useless. And in Matthew 26:8 a related word is used
for what the disciples thought was a waste of money - the pouring of ointment -on Jesus' head: `To what
purpose is this waste'?' (the word rendered waste is apooleia, the noun derived from apollumi). In
neither of these instances can the word or it,, derivative possibly mean annihilation. (3) Sometimes
apollumi is used to mean kill. For example, note Matthew 2:13. `for Herod will seek the young child to
destroy (apolesai) him.' Even aside from the fact that Jesus is involved here, is killing annihilation'? As we
have learned from Matthew 10:28, one is not annihilated when he is killed. Further, strictly speaking, one
does not even annihilate the body when he kills a man. The particles of a decaying body pass into other
forms of matter. (4) There is a significant type of passage in which apollumi cannot possibly mean
annihilation: Luke 9:24, `For whosoever would save his life (psuchee) shall lose it; but whosoever shall
lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.' Lose his life in the second half of the verse is a translation of
apolesee teen psucheen. One could render psuchee by soul, if he wished. In either case, annihilation is
out of the question. If apollumi meant annihilation in the second half of this text, the person who would
enter into a state of annihilation would be the saved person! To lose one's life or soul must mean something
quite different from annihilation: to be willing to subordinate one's own interests to those of the Kingdom of
God. (5) We come now to those passages in which apollumi is used to describe the future destiny of the
wicked. In the light of the usages we have noted, we certainly would not expect the word to mean
annihilation in these instances. If it did have this meaning when applied to man's future state, apollumi
would have undergone a rather abrupt change of meaning. Now in the abstract such a change of meaning
would be possible. But if this were so, there would have to be a clear indication in the relevant passages that
the meaning of the word had thus changed. If this were so, moreover, descriptions of the final destiny of the
wicked in which the word apollumi is not used should unambiguously support the idea of annihilation."
(Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day
Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.361-362)
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"The Meaning of Gehenna. Let us now examine some of these descriptions. We look, first, at a word
which occurs twelve times in the New Testament and is usually translated hell, the Greek word ge-
enna. Seventh-day Adventists understand this word to refer to the fires of destruction which shall finally
annihilate the wicked; Jehovah's Witnesses interpret the word as a symbol of annihilation. In Matthew 18:9,
however, the phrase, `the Gehenna (or hell) of fire' is parallel with the expression, `the eternal fire' (to pur to
aioonion) in verse 8. So the fire of Gehenna is not a temporary one but an eternal or endless one. If the fire
of Gehenna is eternal, we must conclude that the punishment of which the fire is symbolic will also be
eternal. For what would be the point of keeping the fire of Gehenna burning after the last individual had
been annihilated by it? Note further that in Mark 9:43 the word ge-enna occurs in parallel construction
with the expression, `the unquenchable fire' (to pur to asbeston). If the fire of Gehenna is unquenchable,
will it not be an everlasting fire? Observe also that in Mark 9:48 Gehenna is described in words quoted from
Isaiah 66:24, `where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' These expressions clearly indicate
that there is no end to the punishment of Gehenna. Jehovah's Witnesses reply that what is here said not to
die is the worms and not man. What Jesus says here, however, is, `their worm dieth not.' Since the worm
stands for the punishment suffered by the wicked, we are compelled to conclude that the symbol of the
undying worm is simply a picture of unending punishment." (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults:
Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK,
1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.362-363. Emphasis original)
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"Much is made by both Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses of the figurative nature of the
descriptions of the punishment of the wicked found in the New Testament. To be sure, these descriptions
are figurative and symbolic, but the figures are intended to convey meaning. Though we cannot apply every
detail of these figures literally, we must accept the teaching they are intended to convey, namely, that the
punishment of the wicked will be everlasting. The Biblical descriptions of Gehenna, therefore, rule out
annihilationism, for creatures who have been annihilated cannot be everlastingly punished." (Hoekema,
A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day
Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, p.363)
13/09/2008
"The Smoke of Their Torment. Let us now turn to another passage which describes the final state of the
wicked: Revelation 14: 11, `And the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest
day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name.' These
words obviously refer to the punishment of the lost.':, The smoke of the torment of these lost ones is said to
go up for ever and ever. Though we must not think of literal smoke here, the expression is meaningless if it is
not intended to picture, in a vivid way, punishment which will never end. The words `for ever and ever' read
as follows in the Greek: eis aioonas aiounoon (literally, unto ages of ages). In Revelation 4:9 God is
described as the one that liveth for ever and ever' (eis tous aioonas toon aioonoon). Except for the
addition of the definite articles, this is the same expression as that used in 14:11 of the ascending smoke of
the torment of the lost. From a comparison of these two passages, therefore, we learn that the torment of the
lost is as endless as God Himself! Moreover, the word for torment, basanismos, cannot possibly refer to
an eternal state of unconsciousness or non-existence. If these lost were reduced to non-existence, how
could the smoke of their torment go up endlessly?" (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian
Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963,
Reprinted, 1969, pp.363-364. Emphasis original)
13/09/2008
"Note further that we are told in Revelation 14:11 that the individuals here described have no rest day and
night. Annihilation cannot be pictured here, for annihilation would mean a kind of rest. The lot of these lost
ones is contrasted with the lot of the saved in verse 13: `Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from
henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors... .' The saved, therefore, will have rest
after they die, whereas the lost will have no rest day or night. Can the latter expression possibly picture a
condition of unconsciousness or nonexistence?" (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian
Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963,
Reprinted, 1969, p.364)
13/09/2008
"We return now to the question of the meaning of the word apollumi when applied in the New Testament
to the future destiny of the wicked. In the light of the usage of this word when it does not refer to man's final
destiny, of passages like Revelation 14:11 where the future state of the wicked is described as one of
endless torment, and of Biblical descriptions of Gehenna, we are compelled to conclude that apollumi
when used of the final lot of the wicked cannot mean annihilation. We must therefore not be led astray by
the sound of words like destroy or perish, when these are used in translations, as if they proved that the
wicked shall be annihilated. Apollumi when used of the ultimate destiny of the wicked means everlasting
perdition, a perdition consisting of endless loss of fellowship with God, which is at the same time a state of
endless torment or pain. This understanding of apollumi, which agrees fully with the teachings of such
passages as Mark 9:48 and Revelation 14:11, does not at all go contrary to the first usages of the word
discussed, but supplements them. For example, one could say that to `perish' in the sense of everlasting
perdition means to become useless (meaning 2), to experience eternal death in distinction from eternal life
(meaning 3; compare the expression, `the second death,' in Rev. 20:6), and to remain permanently lost as the
Prodigal Son was lost for a time - that is, permanently out of fellowship with God (meaning 1)." (Hoekema,
A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day
Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.364-365)
13/09/2008
"The word olethros. Another word used occasionally in the New Testament to describe the punishment
of the wicked is the word olethros. Though Seventh-day Adventists do not quote the Greek word, they
cite II Thessalonians 1:9, where olethron aioonion is translated `everlasting destruction,' to prove the
doctrine of the annihilation of the wicked. Jehovah's Witnesses find in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, where the
expression aiphnidios olethros is rendered `sudden destruction' in the New World Translation, a
description of the sudden annihilation which shall overtake all non-Witnesses at the time of the Battle of
Armageddon. It can readily be shown, however, that olethros can never mean annihilation when it is
applied to the final lot of the wicked. This word is used four times in the Greek New Testament. A puzzling
usage is that found in 1 Corinthians 5:5, where the Corinthian church is told by Paul `to deliver such a one
[the fornicator in their midst] unto Satan for the destruction (olethros) of the flesh, that the spirit may be
saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.' Though commentators are divided on the meaning of the word
olethros as here used, it is clear that the word does not at this place describe the final lot of the wicked,
since the hope is expressed that this man may yet be saved. In I Thessalonians 5:3 the word olethros is
used to describe what happens to the wicked on the `day of the Lord': `When they are saying, Peace and
safety, then sudden destruction (olethros) cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child... . ` If
the sudden olethros here described meant utter annihilation, it would be impossible for these individuals
to appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. But Scripture teaches plainly that all men, both good and evil,
shall appear before that judgment-seat (II Cor. 5: 10). The word olethros as here used must therefore mean
sudden ruin, sudden `loss of all that gives worth to existence.' [Moulton, J.H. & Milligan, G., "The
Vocabulary of the Greek Testament Illustrated by the Papyri," Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1957, p.445]"
(Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day
Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.365-366)
13/09/2008
"There are two passages where olethros is used to describe the final state of the wicked. One of these is I
Timothy 6:9, where we read, `But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many
foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction (olethron) and perdition (apooleian, the
noun derived from apollumi).' Since, as we have seen above, apooleia and apollumi cannot mean
annihilation, it is obvious that olethros, which is here used in apposition with apooleia, cannot mean
annihilation either. Neither can olethros mean annihilation in 1(Thessalonians 1:9, `who [those that know
not God and obey not the gospel of Jesus] shall suffer punishment (dikeen), even eternal destruction
(olethron aioonion) from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might.' The word here translated
punishment, dikee, cannot mean annihilation; it is used in Jude 7, in fact, to describe the eternal
punishment of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah: `suffering the punishment (dikeen) of eternal fire.'
olethros cannot, therefore, mean annihilation either, since it stands in apposition to dikee. Furthermore,
how could there be an eternal annihilation? Annihilation, by definition, must take place in a moment; what
sense does it make to speak of `endless annihilation'? The doom of the wicked, as here described, means a
ruin which is everlasting, a punishment which will never end." (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults:
Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK,
1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.366-367)
13/09/2008
"The word kolasis. A third word used in the New Testament to describe the final state of the wicked is
kolasis. This word is used in Matthew 25:46, `And these [those on the left hand] shall go away into
eternal punishment (kolasin aioonion); but the righteous into eternal life (zooeen aioonion).' This
passage occurs at the end of the section in which Jesus describes the judgment of the sheep and the goats.
Jehovah's Witnesses translate the first part of this verse as follows: `And these will depart into everlasting
cutting-off' (NWT). By means of this translation they give the impression that kolasis means annihilation.
Though it is true, as their footnote on page 112 of the 1951 edition of the New World Translation of the
Christian Greek Scriptures indicates, that the stem kolazoo originally meant pruning, there is no
justification for the above translation. The word kolasis is rendered `punishment' by Thayer, Arndt-
Gingrich, and Moulton-Milligan. Josephus, who lived from A.D. 37 to 100, indicates that the Pharisees of his
day believed in the eternal punishment of the wicked; [Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII, I, 3; cf. Jewish
Wars, II, 8, 14] if Jesus had felt it necessary to correct them (as He did correct the Sadducees on the matter
of the resurrection of the body), he certainly should have done so." (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major
Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter
UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, p.367. Emphasis original)
13/09/2008
"The people of Jesus' day, however, understood the word kolasis as meaning not annihilation, but
punishment. In the First Epistle of Clement, written in A.D. 96 or 97, section 11, the following expression
occurs: `... He forsaketh not them which set their hope on Him, but appointeth unto punishment (kolasin)
and torment (aikismon) them which swerve aside.' Had the writer understood kolasis as meaning
annihilation, how could he have placed it first? Surely one cannot torment an annihilated person! Moulton
and Milligan quote a fragment from an uncanonical gospel written during the early centuries of the Christian
era in which the word kolasis is used in apposition with basanos, which means torment. The passage
reads, in part, `for the evil-doers among men ... await punishment (kolosin) and much torment (polleen
busanon).' If kolasis was thought to mean annihilation, one would have expected the writer to use
basanos first and kolasis later, for the reason mentioned above. It is therefore clear beyond doubt that
kolasis at the time the New Testament was written meant punishment, not annihilation." (Hoekema, A.A.,
"The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism,"
Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.367-368)
13/09/2008
"We may further observe that in the only other New Testament passage where kolasis occurs, I John 4:18
the New World Translation renders the word as follows: `fear exercises a restraint' (kolasin echei) . To be
consistent, the Witnesses should have translated: `fear has cutting-off' (which, of course, makes no sense).
Certainly restraint is not annihilation. We can further check the meaning of kolasis by noting the two
instances in which the verb from which kolasis is derived, kolazoo, is used in the New Testament : Acts
4:21 and II Peter 2:9). In the former passage even the New World Translation has: `they did not find any
ground on which to punish (kolassoontai) them.' The latter passage, as we saw above, can best be
rendered, `The Lord knoweth how ... to keep the unrighteous being punished (or under punishment, ASV;
the Greek has kolazomenous) unto the day of judgment.' Since the verb kolazoo is used in both
instances in the sense of punish, and since kolasis in 1 John 4:18 means restraint (NWT), punishment
(ASV), or torment (KJ), it is clear that kolasis in Matthew 25:46 cannot by any stretch of the imagination
mean annihilation, but must mean punishment. This punishment is there described as being everlasting or
eternal." (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism,
Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, p.368)
13/09/2008
"The word aioonios. This leads us to consider the meaning of the word aioonios, usually rendered
eternal or everlasting in our translations. We have already seen that this word is applied to God in
Revelation 4:9, where God is said to live eis tous aioonios toon aioonoon (literally, into the ages of the
ages). In Romans 16:26 Paul speaks about the commandment tou aiooniou Theou, of the eternal God.
Surely no annihilationist would wish to deny that God is without end! When the word aioonios is used to
describe future time, moreover, it denotes time without end. The word is therefore frequently used in the
New Testament to describe the endless future blessedness of God's people. We find it so used in Matthew
25:46, quoted above. We also find it so used in John 10:28, `And I give to them eternal life (zooeen
aioonion), and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.' Besides, we find
aioonios used to describe the eternal glory which awaits believers in II Timothy 2:10, the eternal weight of
glory in II Corinthians 4:17, an eternal inheritance in Hebrews 9:15, and an eternal heavenly building in II
Corinthians 5:1. In II Corinthians 4:18, in fact, the word aioonios Corinthians used to modify `the things
which are not seen,' in contrast to `the things which are seen,' called temporal (proskaira, lasting only for a
time). No annihilationist would, one may be sure, care to deny that the future blessedness of God's people
will be without end. Neither Seventh-day Adventists nor Jehovah's Witnesses do in fact deny that the
future glory of the saints, described in the Scriptures as aioonios, is endless. If, however, the word
aioonios means `without end' when applied to the future blessedness of believers, it must follow, unless
clear evidence is given to the contrary, that this word also means `without end' when it is used to describe
the future punishment of the lost. Aioonios is so used in Matthew 25:46 and in II Thessalonians 1:9.
Since the word kolasis, used in the former passage, and the word olethros, used in the latter, do not
mean annihilation, but punishment, as has been shown, it follows that the punishment which the wicked will
suffer after this life will be as endless as the future happiness of the people of God." (Hoekema, A.A., "The
Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism,"
Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.368-369)
13/09/2008
"Seventh-day Adventists admit that the word kolasis in Matthew 25:46 does mean punishment. Since
they also grant that aioonios as used in this verse means endless, it would seem to follow that they
should accept the doctrine of the endless punishment of the lost. They have found a way out, however.
Referring to such expressions as `eternal redemption' (Heb. 9:12) and `eternal judgment' (Heb. 6:2), they
affirm, `In the expression `eternal punishment,' just as in 'eternal redemption' and `eternal judgment,' the Bible
is referring to all eternity - not as of process, but as of result. It is not an endless process of
punishment, but an effectual punishment, which will be final and forever (aioonios).' ['Seventh-day
Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine,' Review & Herald: Washington DC, 1957, pp.540,506n] By way
of refutation, it must be said that in the parallel expression, eternal life (zooeen aioonion), the word
aioonios is used to picture a life which is not just everlasting in its result, but everlasting in its duration or
continuance. ... If aioonios in the last part of Matthew 25:46 means endless in duration, what right do
they have to restrict the meaning of aioonios in the first part of this verse to endless in result?"
(Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day
Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.369-370)
13/09/2008
'Degrees of Punishment. A further consideration against annihilationism is the fact that the New
Testament speaks of degrees in the punishment of the wicked: Luke 12:47, 48, `And that servant, who knew
his lord's will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he
that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.' It is here clearly taught
that not all the lost will be punished in the same way. If, however, the wicked are annihilated, how can there
be degrees of punishment? Can there be degrees of annihilation? We may well challenge Jehovah's
Witnesses to show how their view of the destiny of the wicked leaves any room for the variation in
punishment taught by Jesus in the above passage. Seventh-day Adventists try to answer this objection by
contending that there will be degrees of punishment previous to annihilation, some suffering longer than
others. ... Satan, it is said, will suffer the longest, and will therefore be the last to perish in the flames.' In
reply, it should be noted that it is specifically stated in the context of the passage which describes the
descent of fire from heaven (Rev. 20:9) that the devil shall be tormented (basanistheesontai, not just for a
long period of time, but `day and night for ever and ever' (eis tous aioonas toon aioonoon) [Rev. 20:10. It
will he recalled that precisely the same expression is used in Rev. 4:9 to describe the eternity of God]. "
(Hoekema, A.A., "The Four Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day
Adventism," Paternoster: Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.369-370)
13/09/2008
"In conclusion, we may well take note of I. M. Haldeman's comment on Christ's words about Judas, recorded
in Matthew 26:24, `Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man
if he had not been born.' While Russell was still living, Mr. Haldeman, then pastor of the First Baptist
Church of New York City, wrote a brochure against the `Russellites' entitled Millennial Dawnism. The
following words, taken from that brochure, are a devastating refutation not only of the teachings of
presentday Jehovah's Witnesses on the future life, but of the eschatology of Seventh-day Adventism as
well: If death means the extinction of being, why should life be worse for him [Judas] than any other wicked
traitor`? No matter how great his guilt, death would end it all.... Never to have been born means never to
have come into existence. If death means going out of existence, then never to have been born and to die are
equivalent conditions; they mean the same thing - non-existence. Why, then, did the Lord say it would have
been good not to come into existence? Why did he not say (seeing the man was born and there was no use
in wasting regrets over his birth) - why did he not say, `It will be good for that man when he dies, for when
he dies he will then he just as if he had never been born non-existent'? If death means non-existence, this is
what he ought to have said. To say anything else - if death means non-existence -- was utterly meaningless.
But if death does not mean the end of existence; if death means an eternity of condition; if in this
conditioned eternity of being Judas is to suffer for his deed of betrayal, then it is comprehensible why the
Son of God should say it would have been good for that man if he had never been born -- if he had never
come into existence. On no other basis is the `Woe to that man' of any intelligent force.' [Haldeman, I.M.,
"Millennial Dawnism,' Charles C. Cook: New York, 1910, pp.29-30] We conclude that the teaching of both
Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses on the annihilation of the wicked is contrary to Scripture
and robs the proclamation of the Christian gospel of its deepest earnestness." (Hoekema, A.A., "The Four
Major Cults: Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism," Paternoster:
Exeter UK, 1963, Reprinted, 1969, pp.370-371)
13/09/2008
"apoleia, -as, e (< apollumi), [in LXX (Cremer, 797) for etc.; destruction, waste, loss, perishing (in
p, of money, v. MM, s.v.) : Mt 26:8; Mk 14:4, Ac 8:20; Ro 9:11; 1 Ti 6:9; II Pe 2:1; in special sense of ...
the loss of eternal life, perdition, the antithesis of (soteria: Mt 7:13; Jn 17:12; Phl 1:28; 3:19; II Th 2:3; He
10:39; II Pe 2:3; 3:7,16; Re 17:8,11 (DB, iii, 744)." (Abbott-Smith, G., "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New
Testament," [1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, 1937, Reprinted, 1956, pp.56-57. Emphasis original.
My transliteration)
13/09/2008
"apoleia, -as, e, (fr. apollumi q. v.); -1. actively, a destroying, utter destruction as, of vessels, Ro.
ix. 22; tou murou, waste, Mk;. xiv. 4 (in Mt. xxvi. 8 without a gen.), (in Polyb. 6. 59, 5 consumption, opp.
to teresis); the putting, of a man to death, Acts xxv. 16 Rec.; by meton. a destructive thing, or opinion: in
plur. 2 Pet. ii. 2 Rec.: but the correct reading aselgeiais was long ago adopted here. 2. passively, a
perishing, ruin, destruction; a. in general: to argurion sou sun soi eie eis ap. let thy money perish with
thee, Acts viii. 20; buthizein tina eis olethron k. apoleian, with the included idea of misery, 1 Tim. vi. 9;
airesias apolesias destructive opinions, 2 Pet. ii. 1; epagein eautois apolesian, ibid. cf. vs. 3. b. in
particular, the destruction which consists in the loss of eternal life, eternal misery, perdition, the lot of
those excluded from the kingdom of God: Rev. xvii. 8, 11, cf. xix. 20; Phil. iii. 19; 2 Pet. iii. 16; opp. to e
peripoinsis tes psuches, Heb. x. 39; to e zoe, Mt. vii. 13 to soteria, Phil. i. 28. o uios tes apoleias a
man doomed to eternal misery (a Hebraism, see uios, 2): 2 Th. ii. 3 (of Antichrist); Jn. xvii. 12 (of Judas, the
traitor); emera kriseos k. apoleias ton asebon, 2 Pet. iii. i. (In prof. auth. fr. Polyb. u. s. [but see Aristot.
probl. 17, 3, 2, vol. ii. p. 916a, 26; 29, 14, 10 ibid. 952b, 26; Nicom. eth. 4, 1 ibid. 1120a, 2, etc.]; often in the
Sept. and O. T. Apocr.)" (Thayer, J.H., "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm's
Wilke's Clovis Novi Testamenti Translated Revised and Enlarged," T & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Fourth edition,
1901, Reprinted, 1961, pp.70-71. My transliteration)
14/09/2008
"[Jn 17:]12. I kept (eteroun). Imperfect active of tereo, `I continued to keep.' I guarded
(ephulaxa). First aorist (constative) active of phulasso_. Christ was the sentinel (phulax, Acts 5:23) for
them. Is he our sentinel now? But the son of perdition (ei me ho huios tes apoleias). The very phrase
for antichrist (II Thess. 2:3). Note play on apoleto, perished (second aorist middle indicative of
_apollumi). It means the son marked by final loss, not annihilation, but meeting one's destiny (Acts 1:25). A
sad and terrible exception (Mark 14:21). The scripture (he graphe). It is not clear whether this is John's
own comment or the word of Jesus. Not in 18:9. The Scripture referred to is probably Psa. 41:9 quoted in
13:18 with the same formula hina plerothei which see there." (Robertson, A.T., "Word Pictures in the New
Testament: Volume V: The Fourth Gospel & the Epistle to the Hebrews," Broadman Press: Nashville TN,
1932, p.278. Emphasis original)
14/09/2008
"[Mt 10:]28. Destroy both soul and body in hell (kai psuchen kai soma apolesai en geennei). Note `soul'
here of the eternal spirit, not just life in the body. `Destroy' here is not annihilation, but eternal punishment
in Gehenna (the real hell) for which see on 5:22." (Robertson, A.T., "Word Pictures in the New Testament:
Volume I: The Gospel According to Matthew & The Gospel According to Mark," Broadman Press: Nashville
TN, 1930, pp.82-83)
19/09/2008
"The first Greek to put myths in writing in a systematic way was Hesiod, who wrote his Theogony in the
eighth century B.C.E. He explains how the gods and the world began. He starts off with Gaea, or Gaia
(Earth), who gives birth to Uranus (Heaven). What follows is explained by scholar Jasper Griffin in The
Oxford History of the Classical World: `Hesiod tells the story, known to Homer, of the succession of sky
gods. First Uranus was supreme, but he suppressed his children, and Gaia encouraged his son Cronos to
castrate him. Cronos in turn devoured his own children, until his wife Rhea gave him a stone to eat in place
of Zeus; the child Zeus was brought up in Crete, compelled his father to disgorge his siblings, and with
them and other aid defeated Cronos and his Titans and cast them down into Tartarus.' From what source did
the Greeks get this strange mythology? The same author answers: `Its ultimate origin seems to have been
Sumerian. In these eastern stories we find a succession of gods, and the motifs of castration, of swallowing,
and of a stone recur in ways which, though varying, show that the resemblance with Hesiod is no
coincidence.' We have to look to ancient Mesopotamia and Babylon as the source of many myths that
permeated other cultures." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Mankind's Search for God," Watchtower
Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1990, pp.43,44)
19/09/2008
"The Bible lets us know when it says: `The sons of the true God began to notice the daughters of men, that
they were good-looking; and they went taking wives for themselves, namely, all whom they chose.' (Genesis
6:2) Yes, the angels put on fleshly bodies, and they came to earth to have sexual relations with beautiful
women. But such love affairs were wrong for angels. This was an act of disobedience. The Bible indicates
that what they did was just as wrong as the homosexual acts of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Jude 6,
7) What resulted? Well, babies were born to these angels and their wives. But the babies were different.
They kept growing bigger until they became giants, yes, wicked giants. The Bible calls them `mighty ones
who were of old, the men of fame.' These giants tried to force everyone to be bad as they were. As a result,
the Bible says that `the badness of man was abundant in the earth and every inclination of the thoughts of
his heart was only bad all the time.' (Genesis 6:4, 5) So Jehovah brought the Flood. The giants, or `Nephilim,'
and all the wicked people were drowned. But what happened to the angels that had come to earth? They did
not drown. They put aside their fleshly bodies and returned to heaven as spirit persons. But they were not
allowed to become part of God's organization of holy angels again. Instead, the Bible says that `God did not
hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits
of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.'-2 Peter 2:4. These wicked angels were not thrown into a
literal place called Tartarus. Rather, Tartarus, which is mistranslated `hell' in some Bibles, refers to the
abased or fallen condition of these angels. They were cut off from the spiritual light of God's organization,
and they have only everlasting destruction awaiting them. (James 2:19; Jude 6) Since the time of the Flood,
God has not permitted these demon angels to take on fleshly bodies, so they cannot directly satisfy their
unnatural sexual desires. Yet they can still exercise dangerous power over men and women. In fact, with the
help of these demons Satan is `misleading the entire inhabited earth.' (Revelation 12:9)" (Watchtower Bible
& Tract Society, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of
New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, pp.93-95. Emphasis original)
19/09/2008
"Revelation 12:3, 4. This dragon is Satan, `the original serpent.' (Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:15) He is a
ferocious destroyer-a seven-headed dragon, or devourer, that can completely swallow his prey. How
strange he looks! Those seven heads and ten horns indicate that he is the architect of the political wild
beast soon to be described in Revelation chapter 13. This beast also has seven heads and ten horns. Since
Satan has a diadem on each head-seven in all-we can be sure that the world powers represented in that wild
beast have been under his rulership. (John 16:11) The ten horns are a fitting symbol of the completeness of
the power that he has exercised in this world. The dragon has authority also in the spirit realm. With his tail,
he `drags a third of the stars of heaven.' Stars can represent angels. (Job 38:7) Mention of `a third' would
emphasize that a considerable number of angels have been misled by Satan. Once these came under his
control, there was no escape for them. They could not return to God's holy organization. They became
demons, dragged along, as it were, by Satan their king, or ruler. (Matthew 12:24) Satan also cast them down
to the earth. This no doubt refers to Noah's day before the Flood, when Satan induced the disobedient sons
of God to go down to earth and cohabit with the daughters of men. As a punishment, these `angels that
sinned' have been thrown by God into the prisonlike condition called Tartarus.-Genesis 6:4; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude
6." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Revelation: Its Grand Climax At Hand!," Watchtower Bible & Tract
Society: Brooklyn NY, 1988, p.178. Emphasis original)
19/09/2008
"The apostle Peter continues: `As for them, the judgment from of old is not moving slowly, and the
destruction of them is not slumbering. Certainly if God did not hold back from punishing the angels that
sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for
judgment; and he did not hold back from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of
righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people; and by
reducing the cities Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly
persons of things to come; and he delivered righteous Lot, who was greatly distressed by the indulgence of
the law-defying people in loose conduct-for that righteous man by what he saw and heard while dwelling
among them from day to day was tormenting his righteous soul by reason of their lawless deeds-Jehovah
knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of
judgment to be cut off, especially, however, those who go on after flesh with the desire to defile it and who
look down on lordship.'-2 Peter 2:3-10. The executional judgment that God has decreed `from of old' against
all who come to belong to the `serpent's seed' will without fail be carried out. (Genesis 3:15; John 8:44; Jude
14, 15) Though originally stated about 6,000 years ago and repeated since then, this judgment is `not
moving slowly' as if it will never arrive. The destruction is sure to come, for it is not dormant. It is still very
much alive in God's purpose. As Peter noted, even angels who had enjoyed being in the very presence of
God but who later became unfaithful were not spared being `thrown into Tartarus,' that is, debased to the
lowest degree. Cut off from all divine enlightenment, debarred from their original position in the heavens and
limited in their activities, the disobedient angels find themselves in a condition comparable to `pits of dense
darkness,' awaiting executional judgment at the hands of Jesus Christ. (Compare Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10.) "
(Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Choosing the Best Way of Life," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society:
Brooklyn NY, 1979, pp.152-153)
19/09/2008
"Directing the words really to the symbolic Serpent, Jehovah said: `Because you have done this thing, you
are the cursed one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon your belly
you will go and dust is what you will eat all the days of your life. And I shall put enmity between you and
the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in
the heel.' (Genesis 3:14, 15) ... Jehovah likened the Devil to a serpent that crawls on its belly and eats food
dusted with particles of soil. Thus he indicated the deep abasement into which the cursed Devil was now
thrown down. As it was the lowest station in existence, it was compared to the place that came to be called
Tartarus. In course of time the Devil came to be joined in this place by other spirits, by other angels who
renounced the Fatherhood of God and adopted the fatherhood of the Devil. These spirits became his `seed.'
In reference to this spiritual seed of the original Serpent, the Christian apostle Peter wrote: `God did not hold
back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of
dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.' (2 Peter 2:4) The Christian disciple Jude refers to the same
angelic `seed' of the Serpent, when he writes: `The angels that did not keep their original position but
forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the
judgment of the great day.'-Jude 6. ... The other angel rebels against God, who became the `seed' of the
Serpent, share the Tartarean darkness with him, like cursed serpents. They no longer have the light of God's
favor and counsel. At their rebellion God took his holy spirit away from them." (Watchtower Bible & Tract
Society, "Holy Spirit: The Force Behind the Coming New Order," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society:
Brooklyn NY, 1976, pp.41-42)
19/09/2008
"And Jehovah God proceeded to say to the serpent: `Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed
one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon your belly you will go
and dust is what you will eat all the days of your life. And I shall put enmity between you and the woman
and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.'-
Genesis 3:14, 15, NW ... This was not a curse upon the whole serpent family. Seemingly God's words were
addressed to that one literal serpent, but He knew that it had only been victimized to serve as an instrument
of a superhuman, invisible spirit person, one who had hitherto been an obedient heavenly son of God. This
one had also let himself be drawn out and enticed by a desire of a selfish kind. It was a desire for
sovereignty over mankind, independent of Jehovah's universal sovereignty. This desire he had let take root
in his heart and had cultivated it, till it became fertile and produced transgression, rebellion against the
Sovereign Lord Jehovah. This spirit transgressor then made himself a liar, slanderer or Devil and a resister or
Satan, right there at the Paradise of Pleasure. As suggested by the abasement that was pronounced upon
that victimized serpent, God abased this newly risen Liar, Devil, Satan. One first-century Bible commentator
likens this abasement to a `throwing of Satan into Tartarus,' a disapproved state of spiritual darkness with
no enlightenment from God.-2 Peter 2:4." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "God's `Eternal Purpose' Now
Triumphing for Man's Good," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1974, pp.59-60)
19/09/2008
"But the first-century Bible commentators are more specific as to how Jehovah God dealt with those
disobedient spirits, saying: `The angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper
dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.'
(Jude 6) `The spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient when the patience of God was waiting in
Noah's days, while the ark was being constructed, in which a few people, that is, eight souls, were carried
safely through the water.' (1 Peter 3:19, 20) `God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned,
but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.'-2
Peter 2:4. So the dematerializing of the disobedient `sons of the true God' and their return to the spirit realm
did not transform them into holy angels once again. They found themselves on the side of Satan the Devil,
the original rebel against Jehovah God. They were no longer fit for a place in Jehovah's wifelike heavenly
organization of holy, obedient `sons of the true God.' For this reason they were degraded to the status of
`demons.' This low, dishonored state was appropriately spoken of as Tartarus, a name borrowed from the
Greek language. The Syriac Bible version speaks of it as `the lowest places.' (See also Job 40:15; 41:23 in the
Greek Septuagint Version.) Those disobedient spirits were no more favored with spiritual enlightenment
such as God saw fit to bestow upon his faithful angelic sons. In this way they were plunged into dense
darkness and were held there as if by `eternal bonds,' to be reserved for the `judgment of the great day.' So
they can impart no real enlightenment to mankind. Such disobedient spirits became the invisible `seed' of the
Great Serpent, Satan the Devil. Their being put into Tartarean `pits of dense darkness' along with Satan the
Devil was not a bruising of the serpent's head by the promised `seed' of God's heavenly `woman.' The holy
`seed' had not yet been produced, and those imprisoned wicked spirits were anxious to know who it would
be in order that they might join in bruising the `heel' of that `seed.' (Genesis 3:15)" (Watchtower Bible &
Tract Society, "God's `Eternal Purpose' Now Triumphing for Man's Good," Watchtower Bible & Tract
Society: Brooklyn NY, 1974, pp.77-79)
19/09/2008
"This happened before the global deluge in the days of Noah. Numerous angels, contrary to God's purpose,
`forsook their own proper dwelling place' in the heavens, materialized human bodies, lived as husbands with
women and fathered hybrid offspring known as Nephilim. Of this, we are told: `Now it came about that when
men started to grow in numbers on the surface of the ground and daughters were born to them, then the
sons of the true God began to notice the daughters of men, that they were good-looking; and they went
taking wives for themselves, namely, all whom they chose... . The Nephilim proved to be in the earth in those
days, and also after that, when the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of
men and they bore sons to them, they were the mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame.'-Genesis 6:1-
4. During the Flood these sons of God lost their wives and their hybrid offspring. They themselves had to
dematerialize. Respecting what happened to them thereafter, the Bible reports: `God did not hold back from
punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense
darkness to be reserved for judgment.' (2 Peter 2:4) And at Jude 6 it adds: `The angels that did not keep their
original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under
dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.'" (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Is This Life All
There Is?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, 1974, pp.83-84)
19/09/2008
"As these descriptions relate to spirit creatures, it is evident that the `pits of dense darkness' and `eternal
bonds' are not literal. These expressions simply convey to us a picture of restraint, a condition of
debasement separated from all divine enlightenment. There is no Scriptural basis for concluding that these
disobedient angels are in a place like the mythological Tartarus of Homer's Iliad, that is, in the lowest
prison where Cronus and the other Titan spirits were said to be confined. The apostle Peter did not believe
in any such mythological gods. So there is no reason to conclude that his use of the Greek expression
`throwing into Tartarus' even hinted at the existence of the mythological place referred to by Homer some
nine centuries earlier. In fact, in Greek the expression `throwing into Tartarus' is only one word, a verb,
tar·ta·ro'o. It is also used to mean debasing to the lowest degree. ... the Greek verb rendered `throwing into
Tartarus' need not be viewed as suggesting the existence of an actual place, but as suggesting a condition."
(Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Is This Life All There Is?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society:
Brooklyn NY, 1974, pp.84-85)
19/09/2008
"Clearly, references to Sheol and Hades in the Scriptures do not support the doctrine of a fiery hell.
Admitting that it is not Christian and even contradicts the spirit of Christianity, the Catholic periodical
Commonweal (January 15, 1971) notes: `For many people, some philosophers included, hell answers a
need of the human imagination - a sort of Santa Claus in reverse... . Who among the righteous doesn't like to
see the unjust get punished with some equity? And if not in this life, why not in the next? Such a view,
however, is not compatible with the New Testament, which invites man to life and to love.' Then this
magazine goes on to show probable sources of this doctrine, saying: `Another element that might have
contributed to the traditional Christian concept of hell can be found in the Roman world. Just as intrinsic
immortality was a premise in a major part of Greek philosophy, justice was a primary virtue among the
Romans, particularly when Christianity began to thrive... . The wedding of these two minds - the
philosophical Greek and judicial Roman - might well have brought about the theological symmetry of heaven
and hell: if the good soul is rewarded, then the bad soul is punished. To confirm their belief in justice for the
unjust, the Romans merely had to pick up Virgil's Aeneid and read about the blessed in Elysium and the
damned in Tartarus, which was surrounded by fire and overflowing with the panic of punishment.'"
(Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Is This Life All There Is?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society:
Brooklyn NY, 1974, pp.95-96)
19/09/2008
"'Tartarus' is found only in 2Pe 2:4. It is included in the Greek verb tar·ta·ro'o, and so in rendering the verb,
the phrase `by throwing them into Tartarus' has been used. In the Iliad, by the ancient poet Homer, the
word tar'ta·ros denotes an underground prison as far below Hades as the earth is below heaven. Those
confined in it were not human souls, but the lesser gods, spirits, namely, Cronus and the other Titans who
had rebelled against Zeus (Jupiter). It was the prison established by the mythical gods for the spirits whom
they had driven from the celestial regions, and it was below the Hades where human souls were thought to
be confined at death. In mythology tar'ta·ros was the lowest of the lower regions and a place of darkness.
It enveloped all the underworld just as the heavens enveloped all that was above the earth. Therefore, in
pagan Greek mythology tar'ta·ros was reputed to be a place for confining, not human souls, but Titan
spirits, and a place of darkness and abasement. ... The inspired Scriptures do not consign any human souls
to tar'ta·ros but consign there only spirit creatures, namely, `the angels that sinned.' Their being cast into
tar'ta·ros denotes the deepest abasement for them while they are still living. This serves as punishment
for their sin of rebellion against the Most High God. The apostle Peter associates darkness with their low
condition, saying that God `delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.'-2Pe 2:4.
The pagans in their mythological traditions concerning Cronus and the rebellious Titan gods presented a
distorted view regarding the abasement of rebellious spirits. In contrast, Peter's use of the verb tar·ta·ro'o,
`cast into Tartarus,' does not signify that `the angels that sinned' were cast into the pagan mythological
Tartarus, but that they were abased by the Almighty God from their heavenly place and privileges and were
delivered over to a condition of deepest mental darkness respecting God's bright purposes. Also they had
only a dark outlook as to their own eventuality, which the Scriptures show is everlasting destruction along
with their ruler, Satan the Devil. Therefore, Tartarus denotes the lowest condition of abasement for those
rebellious angels. In the inspired Scriptures, Tartarus bears no relationship to Hades, which is the common
grave of the human dead. The sinful angels and the dead human souls are not associated together in
tar'ta·ros as a place of eternal conscious torment of creatures. Tartarus will pass away when the Supreme
Judge destroys the rebellious angels presently in that condition of abasement." (Watchtower Bible & Tract
Society, "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures: With References," [1961], Watchtower Bible &
Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, 1984, p.1575)
19/09/2008
"Those unfaithful angels became devils, in that they joined renegade Lucifer in slandering Jehovah God and
bringing reproach upon his name. They became demons who were later worshiped by men, but whose
worship Jehovah God forbids his chosen people to practice, saying: `So shall they no more offer their
sacrifices unto demons after whom they are unchastely going away.' (Leviticus 17:7, Roth.) `They
sacrificed to mischievous demons, to a No-God, gods whom they knew not, new ones lately come in.'
(Deuteronomy 32:17, Roth.; also 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37) Lucifer, of cherub rank, thus became
the `prince of the demons', also called `Beelzebub'.-Matthew 12:24, 27, 28, A.R.V. The angels that so
sinned came under sentence from Jehovah God. He degraded them from their blessed position in his lofty
organization of light and truth, and debased them to the state or condition symbolically called `Tartarus'.
Not having the light of the truth of God's purposes, they are not free, but are under God's continual
surveillance as his opponents. Thus they are as in chains. They can never break free from His sentence of
destruction upon them, but in their state of Tartarean degradation they await the execution of that sentence
with Satan the Devil at the judgment day. The inspired revelation concerning this says: `Whose sentence
now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. For if God spared not angels when they
sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto
judgment.' (2 Peter 2: 3, 4, A.R.V., margin) `And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their
own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.'-
Jude 6." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "The Truth Shall Make You Free," Watchtower Bible & Tract
Society: Brooklyn NY, 1943, pp.131-132)
19/09/2008
"When the Flood came, those disobedient sons of God could not get into Noah's ark, and so, to escape from
the floodwaters, they dematerialized, dissolved their assumed human bodies, and turned to the spirit realm.
They were not admitted back to the heavenly family of God's perfect, sinless sons. They were degraded to a
very low state that the Bible calls `Tartarus.' Of this we read: `God did not hold back from punishing the
angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be
reserved for judgment; and he did not hold back from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher
of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people.' (2
Peter 2:4, 5) `And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling
place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.'-Jude 6.
For this reason the apostle Peter speaks of them as the `spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient
when the patience of God was waiting in Noah's days, while the ark was being constructed, in which a few
people, that is, eight souls [psykhe], were carried safely through the water.' -1 Peter 3:19, 20. In view of
this form of imprisonment those disobedient spirit `sons of the true God' cannot materialize anymore and live
like husbands with women. But they still keep as close as they can to mankind, especially to women, whom
they prevail upon to serve as spirit mediums, fortune-tellers, clairvoyants, and so forth. They are no longer
counted among the sons of God, because they have made demons of themselves. They have become the
angels of the great symbolic dragon, Satan the Devil, the first demon. As 'the leader in demon activities, he
has become their prince or ruler. The Bible speaks of him as `the ruler of the demons.' As such, he was given
the name Beelzebub. (Matthew 9:34; 12:24; Luke 11:15) In the Tartarean darkness of God's disfavor they are
held reserved for the `judgment of the great day.' To prove ourselves the friends of God and gain everlasting
life, we must resist the demons and avoid all forms of demonism.-1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 9:20; Ephesians
6:11-18." (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, "Things in Which it is Impossible for God to Lie," Watchtower
Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, 1965, pp.167-169)
19/09/2008
2Pet 2:4-9 (NIV) 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell [tartaroo],
putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he
brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven
others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an
example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was
distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was
tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)- 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows
how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing
their punishment."
19/09/2008
"tartaroo, -o: aor. ptcp. tartarosas; (tartaros, the name of a subterranean region, doleful and dark,
regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil
deeds; it answers to the Gehenna of the Jews, see geenna); to thrust down. to Tartarus (sometimes in
the Scholiasts) [cf. W. 25. (24) n.] ; to hold captive in Tartarus: tina seirais [q. v.] zophou, 2 Pet. ii. 4
[A. V. cast down to hell (making the dat. depend on paredoken)]." (Thayer, J.H., "A Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm's Wilke's Clovis Novi Testamenti Translated Revised and
Enlarged," T & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Fourth edition, 1901, Reprinted, 1961, p.615. My transliteration)
19/09/2008
"tartaroo; contracted tartaro , fut. tartaroso, from Tartaros (n.f.), the subterranean abyss of Greek
mythology where demigods were punished. It is mentioned in the pseudepigraphical book of Enoch as the
place where fallen angels are confined. It is found only in its verbal form in 2 Pet. 2:4 meaning to cast into or
consign to Tartarus. It is part of the realm of death designated in Scripture as She'ol (7585, OT) in the OT
and Hades (86) in the NT. These angels are being held in this netherworld dungeon until the day of final
judgment. Peter's usage of this term is not evidence either that Christianity was a syncretistic religion or that
Peter himself believed in the pagan myths about Tartarus. Peter has adapted a word and not adopted a
theology." (Zodhiates, S., "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament," AMG Publishers:
Chattanooga TN, 1992, Third printing, 1994, p.1367. My transliteration)
19/09/2008
"tartaroo, -o (< Tartaros, a Greek name for the; under-world, esp. the abode of the damned), to cast
into hell : II Pe 2:4 (v. Mayor, in l.)." (Abbott-Smith, G., "A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament,"
[1921], T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh, Third edition, 1937, Reprinted, 1956, p.440. My transliteration)
20/09/2008
"2Pet 2:]4. For if God spared not (ei gar ho theos ouk epheisato). First instance (gar) of certain doom,
that of the fallen angels. Condition of the first class precisely like that in Rom. 11:21 save that here the
normal apodosis (humon ou pheisetai) is not expressed as there, but is simply implied in verse 9 by
oiden kurios ruesthai (the Lord knows how to deliver) after the parenthesis in verse 8. Angels when they
sinned (aggelon hamartesanton). Genitive case after epheisato (first aorist middle indicative of
pheidomai) and anarthrous (so more emphatic, even angels), first aorist active participle of hamartano,
`having sinned.' Cast them down to hell (tartarosas). First aorist active participle of tartaroo, late
word (from tartaros, old word in Homer, Pindar, LXX Job 40:15; 41:23, Philo, inscriptions, the dark and
doleful abode of the wicked dead like the Gehenna of the Jews), found here alone save in a scholion on
Homer. Tartaros occurs in Enoch 20:2 as the place of punishment of the fallen angels, while Gehenna is
for apostate Jews. Committed (paredoken). First aorist active indicative of paradidomi, the very form
solemnly used by Paul in Rom. 1:21, 26, 28. To pits of darkness (seirois zophou). Zophos (kin to
gnophos, nephos) is an old word, blackness, gloom of the nether world in Homer, in N.T. only here,
verse 17; Jude 13; Heb. 12:18. The MSS. vary between seirais (seira, chain or rope) and seirois
(seiros, old word for pit, underground granary). Seirois is right (Aleph A B C), dative case of
destination. To be reserved unto judgment (eis krisin teroumenous). Present (linear action) passive
participle of tereo. `Kept for judgment.' Cf. 1 Pet. 1:4. Aleph A have kolazomenous terein as in verse 9.
Note krisis (act of judgment)." (Robertson, A.T., "Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume VI:
General Epistles, Revelation and John," Broadman Press: Nashville TN, 1933, p.162. Emphasis original)
20/09/2008
"Tartarooo 1 aor. etartarosa (Acusilaus Hist. [V BC] 8 ed. AJC. I p. 50; Philodemus, p. euseb. 32, 19
Gomp.; Jo. Lydus, Men. 4, 158 p. 174, 26 W.; cf. Sext. Empir., Pyrrh. Hypot. 3, 24, 210 o Zeus ton Kronon
katetartarosen. Tartarus, thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades where divine
punishment was meted out, was so regarded in Jewish apocalyptic as well: Job 41:24; En. 20, 2; Philo, Exs.
152; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 240; Sib. Or. 2, 302; 4, 186) hold captive in Tartarus 2 Pt 2:4." (Arndt, W.F. & Gingrich,
F.W., "A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian literature," University of
Chicago Press: Chicago IL, Fourth edition, 1952, Revised, 1957, p.813. Emphasis original. My transliteration)
20/09/2008
"[2Pet 2:]4. The angels. No article. Angels. So Rev. Compare Jude 6. Cast them down to hell
(tartarosas). Only here in New Testament. From Tartaros, Tartarus. It is strange to find Peter using
this Pagan term, which represents the Greek hell, though treated here not as equivalent to Gehenna, but as
the place of detention until the judgment. Chains of darkness (serais zuphou). Zeira is a cord or
band, sometimes of metal. Compare Septuagint, Prov. v. 22 Wisd. of Sol. xvii. 2, 18. The best texts,
however, substitute sirois or seirois, pits or caverns. Ziros originally is a place for storing corn.
Rev., pits of darkness. Of darkness (zuphou). Peculiar to Peter and Jude. Originally of the gloom of
the nether world, So Homer: ...Odyssey, xx., 355 ... , xi., 155. Compare Jude 13. " (Vincent, M.R., "Word
Studies in the New Testament: Volume I: Synoptic Gospels; Acts of the Apostles; Epistles of Peter, James,
and Jude," Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1887, Reprinted, 1969, p.691. Emphasis original. My transliteration)
20/09/2008
"[2Pet 2:4] Cast them down to hell is a single word in the Greek, occurring only here in the Bible, and
meaning, 'consign to Tartarus'. Tartarus, in Greek mythology was the place of punishment for the departed
spirits; of the very wicked, particularly rebellious gods like Tantalus. Just as Paul could quote an apt verse
of the pagan poet Aratus (Acts xvii. 28), so could Peter make use of this Homeric: imagery. Curiously
enough, Josephus does the same, and talks of heathen gods chained in Tartarus. [c. Apion. ii. 34] The evil
angels are in the place of torment now, although they must await the final Judgment. Peter's eschatology is
characteristic of the whole New Testament, which sees God's future judgment as finalizing the choices men
are making all their lives. There is a close parallel in Revelation xx. 10, where the devil, though bound now, is
destined for final judgment hereafter." (Green, E.M.B., "The Second Epistle General of Peter, and the General
Epistle of Jude: An Introduction and Commentary," Tyndale New Testament commentaries, Inter-Varsity
Press: Leicester UK, 1968, Reprinted, 1983, pp.98-99. Emphasis original)
21/09/2008
"[2Pet 2:]4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned. The apostle now proceeds to the proof of the
proposition that these persons would be punished. It is to be remembered that they had been, or were even
then, professing Christians, though they had really, if not in form, apostatized from the faith, (vers. 20-22;)
and a part of the proofs, therefore, are derived from the cases of those who had apostatized from the service
of God. He appeals, therefore, to the case of the angels that had revolted. Neither their former rank, their
dignity, nor their holiness, saved them from being thrust down to hell; and if God punished them so
severely, then false teachers could not hope to escape. ... But cast them down to hell. Gr., tartarosas -
`thrusting them down to Tartarus.' The word here used occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, though it
is common in the classic writers. It is a verb formed from Tartaros (Tartarus,) which in Greek mythology
was the lower part, or abyss of hades, where the shades of the wicked were supposed to be imprisoned and
tormented, and answered to the Jewish word Geena -Gehenna. It was regarded, commonly, as beneath the
earth; as entered through the grave; as dark, dismal, gloomy; and as a place of punishment. ... And
delivered them into chains of darkness. `... The meaning seems to be, that they are confined in that dark
prison-house as if by chains. We are not to suppose that spirits are literally bound; but it was common to
bind or fetter prisoners who were in dungeons, and the representation here is taken from that fact. ... To be
reserved unto judgment. Jude 6, ` to the judgment of the great day,' They will then, with the revolted
inhabitants of this world, be brought to trial for their crimes. That the fallen angels will be punished after
the judgment is apparent from Rev. xx. 10. The argument in this verse is, that if God punished the angels who
revolted from him, it is a fair inference that he will punish wicked men, though they were once professors of
religion." (Barnes, A., "Barnes' Notes on the New Testament," [1832], Cobbin, I., ed., Kregel: Grand Rapids MI,
1962, Fifth printing, 1970, pp.1449-1450. Emphasis original)
21/09/2008
"2Pet 2:]4. For if. We have said how much it helps us to know that the ungodly who corrupt the Church
by their wicked teachings cannot escape the vengeance of God. He gives evidence of this by three notable
examples of divine judgment-that He did not even spare the angels, that He once obliterated the whole world
at the Flood, and that He reduced Sodom and other neighbouring cities to ashes. ... As far as angels are
concerned, the argument is from the greater to the less. Although they were far more exalted, yet their
dignity did not save them from the hand of God. Much less, therefore, will mortal men who have followed
their impiety escape. ... To chains of darkness. This metaphor means that they are held bound in darkness
to the last day. This comparison is drawn from criminals, who, after they are condemned, suffer half their
punishment in the harshness of imprisonment until they are dragged out for the final penalty. Hence we may
conclude not only what punishment the wicked endure after death, but also what is the condition of the
children of God. They rest peacefully in the sure hope of blessedness, even though they do not yet enjoy it,
just as the others endure terrible torture at the thought of the vengeance in store for them." (Calvin, J., "The
Epistle to the Hebrews and the First and Second Epistles of St. Peter," [1549], Johnston, W.B., transl.,
Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1963, Sixth reprinting, 1980, pp.347-348. Emphasis original)
21/09/2008
"[2Pet 2:4] If God spared not the angels that sinned. See notes on Jude 6-8. There is no specific reference
in the Old Testament to a fall of angels unless Gn. vi. 1-4 be interpreted in this way. There are, however,
frequent references in the book of Enoch to such a fall and descriptions of its nature. These may themselves
be derived from an interpretation of the Genesis passage which regards the `sons of God' as angels.
Plummer, in Ellicott's Commentary, suggests that the false teachers may have used this book in their corrupt
teaching and that Peter introduces the reference here as a kind of argumentum ad hominem against them.
Then Jude, recognizing the allusion, adopted it and made it more plain. But cast them down to hell; Gk.
tartarosas. 'Tar-tar-us' was the name given to the deepest abyss of the lower world and was regarded as
being far below Hades, although sometimes the term was used as being synonymous with it. And
delivered them into chains of darkness. Authorities are divided between this translation and that of the RV,
`pits of darkness'; i.e. between the Greek seirais and seirois. Probably the term `pits' is more in keeping
with the thought of Tartarus immediately preceding. In either case the meaning is clear. To be reserved
unto judgment. In the apocalyptic book of Enoch vi-xix (Translations of Early Documents Series) an
account is given of the fallen angels and Enoch's relation to them. Enoch is shown the darkness and there
he saw `the prisoners (the angels) suspended, reserved for and awaiting the eternal judgment'." (McNab, A.,
"II Peter," in Davidson, F., ed., "The New Bible Commentary," [1953], Inter-Varsity Fellowship: London,
Second edition, 1954, Ninth printing, 1968, p.1147. Emphasis original)
21/09/2008
"[2Pet ]2:4-10a Their condemnation. Peter now develops the theme of v. 3 more fully, drawing on early
incidents in the history of God's people to show how His purposes both of salvation and of condemnation
are sure and will be completed. Noah and Lot are cited as examples of how God can deliver His own when
their ungodly contemporaries are destroyed, while the fate of the fallen angels is a pointer to the fact of a
final judgment, when man's rebellion, culminating in the unbridled indulgence of self and rejection of God's
authority, will be duly punished. Together the three examples show God's punishment of pride,
disobedience and immorality. ... 4 Angels: see Gn. 6:1-4 and Jude 6, where the writer draws attention to
pride as being the cause of their downfall. Hell here is a Greek concept (see RSV mg.) and refers in Greek
mythology to Tartarus, the lowest and most terrible part of hell, reserved especially for those superhuman
beings who rebelled against the supreme God. Pits of nether gloom may fill out the picture with an
allusion to the underground granaries of the day: alteration of one letter may give us another word meaning
`chains' (as AV, RV mg.) and this is then parallel to Jude 6. The imagery appears to be drawn from
apocryphal writings. " (Wheaton, D.H., "2 Peter," in Guthrie, D., et al., eds., "New Bible Commentary,"
[1953], Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester, Third Edition, 1970, Reprinted, 1987, p.1255. Emphasis original)
22/09/2008
"Eschatology. In Homer [c. 850 BC] only the gods were immortal, but Elysium was reserved for their
favoured sons-in- law, who were also exempt from death. Heracles alone gained a place on Olympus by his
own efforts. The ordinary hero hated death, for the dead were regarded as strengthless doubles who had to
be revived with drafts of blood, mead, wine, and water in order to enable them to speak. They were
conducted, it was believed, to the realm of Hades by Hermes; but the way was barred, according to popular
accounts, by the marshy river Styx. Across this, Charon ferried all who had received at least token burial,
and coins were placed in the mouths of corpses to pay the fare. Originally only great sinners like Ixion,
Sisyphus, and Tityus, who had offended the gods personally, were punished in Tartarus. But the doctrines
of the Orphics influenced Pindar, Empedocles, and, above all, Plato [c. 428-347 BC]. According to the latter,
the dead were judged in a meadow by Aeacus, Minos, and Rhadamanthus and were consigned either to
Tartarus or to the Isles of the Blest. Long periods of purgation were required before the wicked could regain
their celestial state, while some were condemned forever. The dead were permitted to choose lots for their
next incarnation, but usually their choice was unwise. Subsequently they drank from the stream of Lethe, the
river of oblivion, and forgot all." (Pollard, J.R.T., "Greek Religion," in "Encyclopaedia Britannica," Benton:
Chicago IL, 15th Edition, 1974, Reprinted, 1984, Vol. 8, p.408. Emphasis original)
22/09/2008
"In classic Greek mythology, below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros (Greek Tartaros,
deep place). It is either a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering
that resides within Hades (the entire underworld) with Tartarus being the hellish component. In the Gorgias,
Plato (c. 400 BC) wrote that souls were judged after death and those who received punishment were sent to
Tartarus. As a place of punishment, it can be considered a hell. The classic Hades, on the other hand, is
more similar to Old Testament Sheol." ("Tartarus," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008)
22/09/2008
"Tartarus in Greek Mythology In Greek mythology, Tartarus is both a deity and a place in the underworld
even lower than Hades. ... It is a dank and wretched pit engulfed in murky gloom. ... While, according to
Greek mythology, Hades is the place of the dead, Tartarus also has a number of inhabitants. ... Originally,
Tartarus was used only to confine dangers to the gods of Olympus. In later mythologies, Tartarus became
the place where the punishment fits the crime. ... According to Plato (c. 400), Rhadamanthus, Aeacus and
Minos were the judges of the dead and chose who went to Tartarus. Rhadamanthus judged Asian souls;
Aeacus judged European souls and Minos was the deciding vote and judge of the Greek. Plato also
proposes the concept that sinners were cast under the ground to be punished in accordance with their
sins." ("Tartarus," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008)
22/09/2008
"Roman Mythology's Tartarus In Roman mythology, Tartarus is the place where sinners are sent. Virgil
describes it in the Aeneid as a gigantic place, surrounded by the flaming river Phlegethon and triple walls
to prevent sinners from escaping from it. It is guarded by a hydra with fifty black gaping jaws, which sits at a
screeching gate protected by columns of solid adamantine, a substance akin to diamond - so hard that
nothing will cut through it. Inside, there is a castle with wide walls, and a tall iron turret. Tisiphone, one of
the Erinyes who represents revenge, stands guard sleepless at the top of this turret lashing a whip. There is
a pit inside which is said to extend down into the earth twice as far as the distance from the lands of the
living to Olympus. At the bottom of this pit lie the Titans, the twin sons of Aloeus and many other sinners.
Still more sinners are contained inside Tartarus, with punishments similar to those of Greek myth." ("Roman
Mythology's Tartarus," Wikipedia, 15 September 2008)
22/09/2008
"New Testament The term `Tartarus' is found only once in the Bible, at 2 Peter 2:4: `God did not hold back
from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them into pits of
dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.' The Book of Enoch, chapter XX, verse 2 specifically states
that Tartarus is the place in which the angels who cohabited with women in Genesis 6 are to be reserved for
judgment. It would seem to be a synonym of the `Abyss'. In Luke 8:31, the Legion of demons beg Jesus not
to send them to the Abyss. `The Beast' of Revelation, will come up out of the Abyss (Revelation 11:7; 17:8).
Satan will be thrown into the Abyss for 1000 years (Revelation 20:3). The term `Hades' appears in the
religious texts of New Testament times as a translation of the Old Testament Sheol. In most English Bibles,
the word Tartarus is simply translated as Hell, even though early Christian writers usually used the term
Gehenna, the fiery pit, to mean hell. In some sense, this dark place matches the term's traditional meaning, a
dark pit in which the Supreme God has cast his spirit enemies. But it is separate from the Lake of Fire, which
is the place of eternal fiery punishment that most people think of when they think of `Hell'. This is evidenced
in Revelation 20, where Satan is released from the Abyss (v. 3) and later thrown in the `Lake of Burning
Sulfur' (v. 10), where he will be `tormented day and night forever and ever'." ("Tartarus: New Testament,"
Wikipedia, 15 September 2008) [top]
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Created: 1 September, 2008. Updated: 8 November, 2008.