Topical Bible: Punishment: Eternal

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Topical Encyclopedia

Eternal punishment is a doctrine found within Christian theology that refers to the everlasting consequences faced by those who reject God and His salvation through Jesus Christ. This concept is primarily associated with the final judgment and the fate of the unrighteous after death.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of eternal punishment is rooted in several passages throughout the Bible. One of the most direct references is found in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus speaks of the final judgment: "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:46). This verse highlights the parallel between eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the wicked, emphasizing the perpetual nature of both outcomes.

In the Book of Revelation, the imagery of eternal punishment is vividly depicted. Revelation 20:10 describes the fate of the devil, the beast, and the false prophet: "And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" . This passage underscores the unending torment reserved for those who oppose God.

The Nature of Eternal Punishment

Eternal punishment is often associated with the concept of hell, a place of separation from God and a state of conscious suffering. Jesus frequently warned about the reality of hell, using terms such as "outer darkness" and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12). In Mark 9:48, He describes it as a place "where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched" , indicating the perpetual nature of the suffering experienced there.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the concept of eternal punishment in his letters. In 2 Thessalonians 1:9, he writes, "They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might" . This separation from God is a key aspect of the punishment, as it signifies the loss of all that is good, holy, and life-giving.

Theological Implications

The doctrine of eternal punishment serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the justice of God. It underscores the necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation. The eternal nature of the punishment reflects the infinite holiness of God and the eternal consequences of rejecting His grace.

While the concept of eternal punishment is difficult for many to accept, it is an integral part of the biblical narrative and serves as a warning to all humanity. It calls individuals to consider the state of their souls and the eternal destiny that awaits them based on their response to the Gospel.

Contemporary Discussions

In contemporary theology, the doctrine of eternal punishment is often debated, with some proposing alternative views such as annihilationism or universalism. Annihilationism suggests that the wicked will ultimately be destroyed rather than suffer eternally, while universalism posits that all will eventually be reconciled to God. However, the traditional understanding of eternal punishment as conscious, unending separation from God remains a significant and widely held belief within conservative Christian circles.

The doctrine of eternal punishment continues to be a critical aspect of Christian teaching, emphasizing the gravity of sin and the profound need for redemption through Jesus Christ.

Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 34:8-10
For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.
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Daniel 12:2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
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Matthew 3:12
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
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Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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Matthew 18:8
Why if your hand or your foot offend you, cut them off, and cast them from you: it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
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Matthew 25:41,46
Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
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Mark 3:29
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost has never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
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Luke 3:17
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
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John 5:29
And shall come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation.
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Hebrews 6:2
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
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Hebrews 10:28-31
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
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Revelation 14:10,11
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
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Revelation 19:3
And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
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Revelation 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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Greek

1685. emballo -- to cast into, subject to
... cast into. From en and ballo; to throw on, ie (figuratively) subject to (eternal
punishment) -- cast into. see GREEK en. see GREEK ballo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1685.htm - 6k

5020. tartaroo -- to cast into hell
... In Greek mythology, Tartarus was a "place of punishment under the ... From Tartaros
(the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment -- cast down to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5020.htm - 7k

Library

Against those who are of Opinion that the Punishment Neither of ...
... For they are correlative,"on the one hand, punishment eternal, on the
other hand, life eternal. And to say in one and the same ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 23 against those who are.htm

Appendix xix. On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and ...
... APPENDIX XIX. ON ETERNAL PUNISHMENT, ACCORDING TO THE RABBIS AND THE NEW
TESTAMENT. (See vol. ii. Book V. ch. vi.) THE Parables of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xix on eternal punishment.htm

The Eternal Punishment of the Wicked Reconciled with the Goodness ...
... If that punishment be eternal, it is certainly the most momentous question which
ever engaged the attention of man, and is to be lightly disposed of only by ...
/.../chapter iv the eternal punishment.htm

Whether by Divine Justice an Eternal Punishment is Inflicted on ...
... OF GOD'S MERCY AND JUSTICE TOWARDS THE DAMNED (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether by Divine
justice an eternal punishment is inflicted on sinners? [*Cf. FS, Q , AA ,4]. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether by divine justice an.htm

Whether Every Sin Incurs a Debt of Eternal Punishment?
... OF THE DEBT OF PUNISHMENT (EIGHT ARTICLES) Whether every sin incurs a debt of eternal
punishment? ... Therefore venial sin by itself deserves eternal punishment. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether every sin incurs a.htm

Whether any Sin Incurs a Debt of Eternal Punishment?
... OF THE DEBT OF PUNISHMENT (EIGHT ARTICLES) Whether any sin incurs a debt of eternal
punishment? ... Therefore it does not incur a debt of eternal punishment. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether any sin incurs a.htm

Of the Promise of Eternal Blessedness to the Saints, and ...
... Book XXII. Chapter 3."Of the Promise of Eternal Blessedness to the Saints,
and Everlasting Punishment to the Wicked. Wherefore ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 3 of the promise of.htm

Eternal Punishment not a Mere Threat.
... Chapter IX."Eternal punishment not a mere threat. And that no one may say
what is said by those who are deemed philosophers, that ...
/.../chapter ix eternal punishment not a.htm

Of the Greatness of the First Transgression, on Account of which ...
... Chapter 12."Of the Greatness of the First Transgression, on Account of Which Eternal
Punishment is Due to All Who are Not Within the Pale of the Saviour's ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 12 of the greatness of.htm

Of the Order of the Discussion, which Requires that we First Speak ...
... Chapter 1."Of the Order of the Discussion, Which Requires that We First Speak of
the Eternal Punishment of the Lost in Company with the Devil, and Then of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 1 of the order of.htm