Biblical Essays
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT VS. UNIVERSALISM AND ANNIHILATIONISM
(John 3:36)
We have been thinking a good deal of late on the last verse of the third chapter of John. It seems to furnish a powerful answer to two heresies – Universalism and Annihilationism: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
The deniers of eternal punishment are divided into two classes, materially differing from each other. One professes to believe that all will ultimately be restored and brought into everlasting felicity; these are the Universalists. The other is of the opinion that all who die out of Christ are annihilated, soul and body – thoroughly made an end of; perishing like the beast.
We believe John 3:36 demolishes both these fatal errors. It meets the Universalist by the sweeping and conclusive statement that the unbeliever “shall not see life.” It entirely sets aside the notion of all being restored and eternally saved. Those who refuse to believe the Son, shall die in their sins, and never see life.
But, were this all, the Annihilationist might say, “Exactly so; that is what we believe. None but those who believe in the Son shall live eternally. Eternal life is only in the Son, and hence, all who die out of Christ shall perish – soul and body shall be made an end of.”
Not so, says the Holy Spirit. It is true they shall not see life; but the tremendous fact is this: “The wrath of God abideth on him.” Beyond question this provides a flat contradiction to annihilationism. If the wrath of God is to abide on him, it is impossible that he can be made an end of. Annihilation and abiding wrath are completely incompatible. We must either erase the word “abiding” from the inspired page, or completely abandon the notion of annihilation. To hold the two is out of the question.
Of course, we are now referring only to this one passage of Holy Scripture; and truly it is enough in and of itself to settle any mind that simply bows to the voice of God, regarding the solemn question of eternal punishment. But that is just the point. Men will not submit to the teaching and authority of Holy Scripture. They presume to sit in judgment on what is and what is not worthy of God to do. They imagine that people may live in sin, in folly, in rebellion against God, and in the neglect of His Christ, and then go unpunished. They decide that it is inconsistent with their idea of God to allow such a thing as eternal punishment. They attribute to the government of God an inability to punish evil-doers – something we would consider a weakness in any human government.
But the Word of God is against them. It speaks of “unquenchable fire” – of an “undying worm” – of a “fixed gulf” – of “abiding wrath” What is the meaning of such words in the judgment of an honest, unprejudiced mind? It may be said that these are figures. Granted that the “fire,” the “worm,” and the “gulf” are figures, but figures of what? Of something ephemeral – that sooner or later must have an end? No; but something eternal, if anything is eternal.
If we deny eternal punishment, we must deny anything eternal, because the same word is used in every instance to express the idea of endless continuance. There are about seventy passages in the Greek New Testament where the word “everlasting” occurs. Among many other things, it is applied to the life that Christians possess and to the punishment of the wicked, as in Matthew 25:46. Upon what principle can anyone attempt to take out the six or seven passages in which it applies to the punishment of the wicked, and say that in all these instances it does not mean forever; but that in all the rest it does? We confess this seems to be unanswerable. If the Holy Spirit, if the Lord Jesus Christ Himself had thought proper to make use of a different word when speaking of the punishment of the wicked, from what He uses when speaking of the life of Christians, we grant there might be some basis for an objection.
But no; we find the same word invariably used to express what everybody knows to be endless; and therefore if the punishment of the wicked be not endless, nothing is endless. Consistently, they cannot stop short with the question of punishment, but must go on to the denial of the existence of God Himself.
We believe that here lies the real root of the matter. The enemy desires to get rid of the Word of God, the Spirit of God, the Christ of God, and God Himself. He craftily begins by introducing the thin end of his fatal wedge in the denial of eternal punishment; and when this is admitted, the soul has taken the first step on the inclined plane leading down to the dark abyss of atheism.
This may seem strong, harsh, and ultra; but it is our deep and thorough conviction; and we feel solemnly impressed with the necessity of warning all our young friends against the danger of admitting into their minds the shadow of a question or doubt pertaining to the divinely established truth of the endless punishment of the wicked in hell. The unbeliever cannot be restored for Scripture declares “he shall not see life.” Further, he cannot be annihilated for Scripture declares that “the wrath of God abideth upon him.”
How much better, wiser and safer it would be for our fellow men to flee from the wrath to come than to deny it is coming; or that when it does come, it will not be eternal.
