WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURES?

Let God’s inspired writers be heard in opposition to heathenized church traditions, and let reason judge which is the sensible and Godlike view, and which the unreasonable and devilish. The prophets of the Old Testament do not mention a word about eternal torment, but they do repeatedly mention destruction as the sinners’ doom, and declare over and over again that the enemies of the Lord shall perish. The Law given to Israel through Moses, never hinted at any other penalty other than death, in case of its violation.

The warning to Adam when placed on trial in Eden, contained not the remotest suggestion of eternal torture in case of failure and disobedience; but on the contrary, it clearly stated that the penalty would be death–“In the day that thou eat thereof, dying, thou shall die.”(Gen 2:17).

Surely if the penalty of disobedience and failure is everlasting life in torment, an inexcusable wrong was done to Adam, and to the patriarchs, and to the Jewish people, when they were misinformed on the subject, and told that death was the penalty.

Surely Adam, the patriarchs, or the Jews, should they ever find themselves in eternal torment, where the various sectarian creeds shamelessly and falsely assert that the vast majority will find themselves, will have sufficiently good ground for an appeal for justice. Such, no less than the heathen billions who died without knowledge, and hence surely without faith, would have just ground for cursing the injustice of such a penalty as a most atrocious misuse of power–first, in bringing them into a trial subject to such an awful and unreasonable penalty, without their consent; and secondly, for leaving the one class wholly ignorant of such a penalty, and for deceiving the others by telling them that the penalty of sin would simply be death, to perish. It must be admitted that the presumption to declare that death, destruction, perish, and other similar terms, somehow means life in torment, belongs squarely to word-twisting theologians since the apostles’ days.

Look next at the New Testament writings: Paul says, he did not shun to declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), and yet he did not write a single word about eternal torment. Neither did Peter, nor James, nor Jude, nor John; though it is claimed that John did, in the symbolic figures of Revelation.

But since those who make this claim consider the Book of Revelation a sealed book, which they do not and cannot understand, they have no right to interpret any portion of it literally in violation of its stated symbolic character, and in direct opposition to the remainder of the Bible, including John’s plain non-symbolic epistles.

Since the apostles do not so much as mention eternal torment, all truth-seekers, especially Christians, should be interested to search what they do teach concerning the penalty of sin, –remembering that they, and not the apostate church of the darker ages, taught “the whole counsel of God.”

Paul states the matter thus: –“The wages of sin is death;” The disobedient “shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power;” and “Many walk who are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction.”(Rom 6:23; 2 Thes1:9; Phil 3:19)

John says: “The world passes away and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abides forever…He that commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil…He that loves not his brother abides in death. Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, and we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in Him…He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”(1 John 2:17; 3:8, 14, 15; 5:12).

Peter says: The disobedient “shall be destroyed from among the people:” that the evil-doers “bring upon themselves swift destruction;” that the Lord is “not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”(Acts 3:23; 2 Pet2:1 and 3:9)

James says: “Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” “There is one law-giver who is able to save and to destroy.” (Jas1:15; 4:12)

No one who has rightfully studied the subject can honestly consider the penalty of sin, (Death) as scripturally set forth and defined, too slight a punishment.

When understood, it is seen to be neither too slight, nor too severe, but simply a just recompense of reward. “The gift of God,” says the apostle “is eternal life.” And that gift or favor bestowed upon Adam, and through him upon his posterity, was to be lasting only on condition of its proper use, which was to glorify God in its well-being and well-doing, and not to dishonor him by rebellion and sin. And when God creates, he reserves to himself both the right and the power to destroy that which he considers unworthy of continuous life. When man sinned, therefore, God simply withdrew the favor he had granted which had been misused, and death (destruction) followed: proceeded naturally by the dying process–pain, sickness, and mental, moral and physical decay.

Had God not provided redemption through Christ, the death penalty which came upon our race in Adam would have been everlasting; but in mercy all have been redeemed from death; yet all are again, individually, put under the same law, which changes not–“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Did our Lord Jesus ever use the expression, eternal torment?

Or even once hint that he came into the world to save men from eternal torment?

No, never! Yet, if this were the truth, and if they were in danger of a penalty so terrible for not receiving him, it would have been neither just, nor kind in him, to have kept back the truth whatever it might be. He did tell them, however, that he came to save them from death, from perishing. The penalty of sin, death, being against all, none could hope for a resurrection to any future life, but all were hopelessly perishing, unless Christ should redeem and restore them from death, to that which was lost in Adam, –to righteousness and its privileges of everlasting life and favor. The Lord’s title, Savior, has a weight too in this examination. It does not imply a deliverer or savior from torment, but a savior from death. The Greek word translated “Savior” signifies literally “Life-giver”.

What did our Lord say of his mission? We may well inquire. He said that he came “to preach deliverance to the captives.”

What captives could he refer to but the captives of sin, receiving daily its wages–dying by inches and entering the great prison-house, the tomb?

He said he came to “open the prison-doors“—what prison, but the tomb? Of which also the prophet had spoken. (See, Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18) He declared that he came that mankind “might have life;” that he came “to give his life a ransom for many” lives–in order that by believing in him men “should not perish, but have eternal life;” and again, “Narrow is the way that leads unto life,” and “broad is the way that leads to destruction.”(John 10:10; Matt 20:28; John 3:15; Matt 7:13)

AN UNANSWERABLE ARGUMENT

It will generally be admitted by Christians that our Lord Jesus redeemed mankind by his death; that he endured willingly the penalty of man’s sins, in order that man might be released from that penalty. “Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.” (Isa 53:4, 5)

This being admitted, it becomes an easy matter to decide to an absolute, unquestionable certainty, what the penalty of our sins was, if we know what our Lord Jesus did endure when “the chastisement for our peace” was inflicted upon his willing head.

Is he suffering eternal torment for us?

If so, that would thus be proved to be the penalty against our sins. But no one claims this, and the Scriptures teach that our Lord is now in glory, and not in torment, which is incontrovertible proof that the wages of sin is not torment.

But what did our Lord do to secure the cancellation of our sins? What did he give when he paid our ransom price–the price or penalty against sinners?

Let the Scriptures answer. They repeatedly and explicitly declare that “Christ died for our sins;” that he gave his life a ransom to secure life for the condemned sinners; that he bought us with his own precious blood; that for this purpose the Son of God was manifested in flesh, that his flesh he might give for the life of the world; that as by man came death, by man (“the man Christ Jesus“) might come the resurrection of the dead. (1 Cor 15:3; Matt 20:28; 1 Tim 2:6; Hos 13:14; 1 Cor 6:20; 1 Pet 1:18,19; 1 John 3:8; John 6:51; 1 Cor 15:21; 1 Tim 2:5, 6).

Is there room to question further the clear Bible doctrine that “the wages of sin is death“? Is there room to doubt further either the unscripturalness, or unreasonableness of the heathenish dogma of eternal torment? We answer, No!

Let the God-dishonoring, saint-perplexing, scoffer-making, and wholly absurd blasphemy go–back to its vile and worthy source, the devil. (R1085-86)