Think on These
Things
by Tom McLemore
Question: Can you please explain Matthew 10:28?
Answer: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill
the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew
10:28). My guess is that what intrigues
you about this saying is how the body and soul can be destroyed in hell.
We think of literal destruction as meaning the ceasing to exist of whatever is
destroyed. Thus, it is easy to see how
such passages have led some people to believe in the total annihilation of the
wicked (i.e., their ceasing to exist). However, we must remember that in
eternity, there is no progression of time; all is in the present. When conceived in these terms, destruction is
not a process (with progression toward an ending) but an eternal state
of being. The essence of that state
encompasses the meaning of hell itself, i.e., separation from God, who is the
source of all good. Of this separation
there will be no progress toward an ending.
It is an eternal death. See also
Matthew 25:46; Revelation 21:8.
Address questions to tommclemore@juno.com
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