The Myth of Everlasting Torment

Death and Judgment in the Bible

　　

　

Preachers warn about hellfire and brimstone. The Bible is clear: all rise to face judgment and those who reject God face unimaginable horror. There is no disputing this fact.

Preachers also say this suffering will never end. Are they correct? Many religions base their beliefs on the Bible, yet disagree with each other. They can show whatever they want if they only look at a few verses. We must examine the entire Bible, comparing Scripture with Scripture. Eternal torment is false doctrine. This is the conclusion based on rigorous analysis of the Word of God. You do not need 300 pages of commentary to see the truth. The Scriptures speak for themselves, so little commentary is needed. The case is clear. We analyze the Bible - what it says, and what it does not say. We can reject everlasting torment without rejecting the Word of God. In fact, we must reject this doctrine if we accept all Scripture.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE (02/11/01)

PART ONE: ESSENTIALS OF STUDY

1. QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR DESTINY (01/24/03)
Death and the Afterlife; Target Audience; Faith in Christ; Eternal Life Verses Spiritual Death

2. BELIEFS AND EVIDENCE (01/24/03)
Eternal Life for Believers; The Intermediate State; Belief in Everlasting Torment; Universalism and Conditional Immortality; The Inspired Word of God; Bible Translations; The Septuagint; Other Writings; Early Christian History; The Shift to Everlasting Torment; Roman Catholic Dominance; The Reformation

3. EXAMINING THE BIBLE (01/24/03) 　
Individual Responsibility; Prayer and Work Required; Interpreting the Bible; Preconceived Ideas; The Weight of Scripture; Responding to Opposing Views; Avoidance Tactics; Scripture Above Human Reasoning; Conditionalism Remains

　

PART TWO: FROM BEGINNING UNTIL JUDGMENT

4. CREATION, SIN AND DEATH (12/21/01)
The Miracle of Life; The Soul; Human are Mortal Because of Sin; Made in the Image of God; The Nature of the Soul; ; The Soul Can Die; Death and Separation; In the Day you Eat of it you Shall Surely Die; Matthew 10:28 and Luke 12:4-5; Death: Reversal of Creation; Death: the Opposite of Life; The Soul at Death

5. SHEOL AND HADES (12/21/01)
Sheol and the Pit; No Distinction at First Death; Rephaim; Isaiah 14:9-11 and Ezekiel 32:21; The Mistranslations of Peter; Sheol is a Place of Sorrows; The Rich Man and Lazarus; Using Real Names; Lesson of the Parable; A Possible Interpretation; Better Case for Trees Talking

6. THE BIBLICAL CASE FOR SOUL SLEEP (07/28/02)
Death and Sleep; Soul Sleep; Unconsciousness Implied in the Old Testament; 1 Corinthians 15; Awakening at the Resurrection; Rewards and Punishments at the Resurrection; No Legitimate Response to Soul Sleep; Enoch and Elijah; Saul and the Witch of Endor; The Transfiguration; Saints Resurrected at Christ抯 Death; Near Death Experiences; Apparitions

7. CASE FOR CONSCIOUS BELIEVERS (07/28/02)
Assuredly I Say to You Today You will be with Me in Paradise; Old Testament Believers Resurrected After Christ Died ?Setting Captives Free; Whoever Believes in Me Shall Never Die (John 11:26); Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Living; Souls in Revelation; Spirits of Just Men Made Perfect (Hebrews 12:23); God Will Bring With Him Those Who Sleep (1 Thessalonians 4:14); Absent from the Body and to be Present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8); To Depart and be with Christ (Philippians 1:21-23); A Need for Consistency; Conclusion Concerning the Intermediate State

　　

PART THREE: JUDGMENT AND ETERNITY

8. CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY (07/28/02)
All Rise to Face Judgment; Paying the Penalty; The First Resurrection; The Second Resurrection; Nonbelievers Remain Mortal; Careful Use of Revelation; Apples and Oranges; Other Scriptures Against Eternal Existence; The Wages of Sin

9. DESTRUCTION, RUIN AND ANNIHILATION (11/02/01)
The Unfaithful Suffer; More Profitable that One of Your Members Perish than Your Whole Body; Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth; Better if He Had Not Been Born (Matthew 26:24); Degrees of Punishment; They will Perish; Consumed, Devoured and Burned Up; Destroyed and Forgotten; Extinct or Still Suffering?; The Bible Compared to Other Writings; Arguments Against Annihilation

10. HELL IN THE BIBLE (11/02/01)
Words Translated Hell in the Bible; Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:43-48; Their Worm does not Die; The Fire is not Quenched; Gehenna; Matthew 10:28 Revisited; The Lake of Fire; Beast and False Prophet in the Lake of Fire 1,000 Years; Revelation 21:8

11. FOREVER AND EVERLASTING (07/21/02)
Owlam in the Old Testament; Shame and Everlasting Contempt (Daniel 12:2); Aion and Aionios in the New Testament; Eternal Condemnation; Everlasting Fire; Everlasting Punishment; Paul抯 Warning of Everlasting Destruction; Is Everlasting Redundant?; Same Words and Phrases for Believers and Nonbelievers;　 Matthew 25:46 is not the Only Verse in the Bible; Summary of Aionios; The Only Challenge is Revelation; Day and Night; Forever and Ever; Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20:10; Conclusion Concerning the Fate of Nonbelievers

　

PART FOUR: COMING TO A CONCLUSION

12. THE BIBLICAL CONCLUSION (07/21/02)
Denying the Obvious Meaning; Nature Determines Destiny; Future Age is Everlasting; Everlasting Warnings Prove the Soul is Eternal; Distinction from Greek Views; The Bible is Silent; Spiritual Death is the Second Death; A Question of Loyalty

13. JUSTICE, REASON AND COMPASSION (09/29/02)
Justice and Mercy; Reason and Human Error; God Chooses; Impossible Commands; A Tie Breaker; Jehovah抯 Witnesses and Christadelphians; Extinction as a Deterrent to Sin

14. COMPARING DOCTRINES (08/18/02)
Preponderance of the Evidence; Resolving Conflicts; My Decision; Your Decision

　

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