After reading Moses Lard’s biography (preacher during the Restoration Movement), one of his ideas struck me. In short, he came to believe that God would not punish to the same degree those who are scarcely saved as those who are hopeless and never make an attempt to follow his rules.
He dissects the word ‘eternal’ and shows that in some cases it does not mean everlasting (as in the children of this age).
But the final verse of Matthew 25 seems to disprove his idea. The righteous are sent to eternal goodness and the unrighteous to eternal punishment, with eternal being the exact same word in Greek.
Any help in understanding this will be greatly appreciated. I do not speak or read Greek.
Thanks.
I don’t speak or read Greek either but generally the concept of Eternity has two meanings. Infinite duration, but also a sense of timelessness; being outside or beyond time in some sense. Timelessness is rather harder to imagine than infinite duration I think. But even infinite duration boggles.
I find the concept of eternal punishment to be completely immoral. I was brought up to believe that someone would be sent to Hell just because thy didn’t agree with the doctrines of the church I was raised in. At some point I realized that the logic of the position was that the vast majority of the human race would be condemned to eternal torment while this small group of fanatics would enjoy eternal “bliss” shouting hosannas to the Almighty. How could you enjoy eternal bliss knowing that the vast majority of the human race were being tortured at the same time? Would you want to spend eternity with people who could?
Sodom was said to be destroyed by eternal fire as an example.
Sodom has been located. The cause of the fire is known – and it hasn’t burned in a long time.
Prophecy also speaks of the enemies of God being ashes under the feet of the saints.
I’m not going to disagree with Jesus or God – but obviously some cases of “eternal fire” might well mean utter destruction by fire – and not some imagined spiritual location?? But what of Tartarus? the fate of the fallen ones? and who God said was to join them?
Your’s is a good question, but I’d rather seek to understand the instruction of God and know His declarations than muse any judgment on Him – that would be foolish on my part.
BDEhrman
FreedomBen
evgendob
Robert
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