Immortality or Resurrection by William West (philippa perry book txt) 📕

[10] DESTROY like death, is used in a way it is not used in any English Dictionary, or is not used in everyday language by us or the world, but only by some in their special theological way. The English word "destroy" never means "torment." If the Greek word did, then "destroy" would be a very bad mistranslation. None of the Bible translations translate it "torment."
If, as many teach, destroy means banishment to Hell, then it means the same for all the creatures named in Genesis 7:21-23 where all mankind was destroyed along with all living beings not in the ark. "Destroyed" in King James Version, "blotted out" in the New American Standard. I know of no one who believes all living creatures will be in Hell.
[11] APOTHNEESKO is used 110 times and is translated die, dying, died, dead, death, perished: Apothneesko always means die or dead. “Christ DIED (apothennsko) for us” [Romans 5:8]. “For as in Adam all die (apothennsko)” [1 Corinthians 15:22] those in Christ and those not in Christ get old and die. “So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if you live after the flesh, you shall DIE (apothennsko): but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live” [Romans 8:12-13]. Paul is speaking of a death (the second death) that only those who live after the flesh shall die but those who put to death the deeds of the body shall not die but shall live [Revelation 2:11]. To die (apothennsko) never means to live, it never means to live forever in torment, “for if you live after the flesh, you shall DIE (apothennsko).” Only believers are promised eternal life; not one passage ever says nonbelievers will ever have eternal life in Hell or any other place, many passages say they will die.
“For not one of us lives for himself, and not one DIES (apothennsko) for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we DIE (apothennsko), we DIE (apothennsko) for the Lord; therefore whether we live or DIE (apothennsko), we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ DIED (apothennsko) and lived again” [Romans 14:7-9]. Paul is speaking of our life now on earth, being alive or being dead, if we live to preach Christ or if we die, are put to death because we believe in Christ, to say die means being alive makes nonsense of this passage just as it does in all the passages where die (apothennsko) is used.
[12] THE DEVOURING, CONSUMING, DESTROYING FIRE Hebrews 10:27: "But a certain terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire that will consume the adversaries" [New American Standard Version]. Some have made the wicked into a burning bush that is not consumed [Exodus 3:2], and have put out the consuming fire of God [Hebrews 12:29]. Therefore, God is no more a consuming fire. They use consume by fire to mean to burn up [see 1 Kings 18:38; Leviticus 9:24; Deuteronomy 28:38], except when it is God consuming the evil, for then it would not fit with their teaching. Therefore, they must use consume with two different meanings; consume means consume when it is a thing that has been burn up but consume mean eternal torment if it is a person. Consume has never meant torment, not if it is a thing that has been consumed by fire or if it is a person that has been consumed.
• "Judgment and fiery indignation, which SHALL DEVOUR the adversaries" King James Version.
• "Judgment, and fiery indignation which WILL DEVOUR the adversaries" New King James Version.
• "Judgment, and a fierceness of fire which SHALL DEVOUR the adversaries" American Standard Version.
• "Judgment and the fury of a fire which WILL CONSUME the adversaries" New American Standard Version.
• "Judgment, and a fury of fire which WILL CONSUME the adversaries" Revised Standard Version.
• "Judgment, and a fury of fire that WILL CONSUME the adversaries" New Revised Standard Version.
• "Judgment and of raging fire that WILL CONSUME the enemies of God" New International Version.
• "Judgment and a fierce fire which WILL CONSUME God's enemies" New English Bible.
• "Judgment, of a fierce fire which WILL CONSUME God's enemies" Revised English Bible.
• "Judgment and the fierce fire which WILL DESTROY those who oppose God" Today's English Version.
• "Judgment and the fire of God's indignation, which WILL CONSUME all that sets itself against him" Phillips Modern English.
• "Judgment and a flaming fire TO CONSUME the adversaries of God" New American Bible.
• "Judgment, and of a fiery indignation, which SHALL DEVOUR the adversaries" Living Oracles, Campbell.
• "Judgment and fierceness of fire which is READY TO CONSUME the enemies" McCord's New Testament Translation, Freed-Hardeman College.
The fury of fire is at the judgment and is a consuming, devouring, destroying fire, not an everlasting tormenting fire that cannot consume. There is a big difference. The adversaries of God will be judged and will be devoured, consumed, destroyed by the lake of fire, which is the second death, and will never be raised again. It is a death from which there will never be a resurrection.
THE DEVOURING, CONSUMING, DESTROYING FIRE
THE CHAFF [Matthew 3:11-12]: Those who responded to Christ are the wheat. The chaff is the useless parts of the wheat, those who do not respond to Christ, are "burned up." Peter used the same words when he said the world and its works will be "burned up" [2 Peter 3:10]. Neither the world nor the chaff will be tormented forever.
WEEDS, TARES AND BAD FISH [Matthew 13:30-50]: Both the wheat and the tares (the children of the devil) exist together in the world, but at the judgment, God will burn the tares and save the wheat. In the parables, both the tares and bad fish represent people.
DRY BRANCHES [John 15:1-10]: Jesus is the vine. Any branches that do not bear fruit are cut off. The dry dead branches are cast into the fire and burnt up. When dead lifeless branches are burnt up, the branches do not exist, there is nothing left but ashes. "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" [John 15:6]. A man that does not abide in Christ is burned and ashes are not immortal souls in eternal torment. Unless someone can find a way to torment ashes this teaching of Christ makes eternal torment impossible.
HOW FIRE IS USED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
TO CONSUME NEVER TO TORMENT
"Then fire came out from before the Lord and CONSUMED the burnt offering and the positions of fat on the altar...And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and CONSUMED them, and they died before the Lord" [Leviticus 9:24-10:2].
"Fire also came forth from the Lord and CONSUMED the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense" [Numbers 16:35].
"So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it will CONSUME her citadels" [Amos 1:7]. "And it will CONSUME her citadels" [Amos 1:14].
"But I will send a fire on its cities that it may CONSUME its palatial dwellings" [Hoses 9:14].
"And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty. ‘ If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and CONSUME you and your fifty.' Then fire came down from heaven and CONSUMED him and his fifty" [2 kings 1:10].
"But a certain terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire that will CONSUME the adversaries" [Hebrews 10:27].
HEBREWS 10:29: On the Judgment Day, when all the saved and the lost will most likely be able to see what Heaven will be like, and the lost to know that they are going to die; and know there will not be another resurrection, that they have forever missed being in Heaven, it will be a death very much sorer than physical death. It is not said that the "sorer punishment" is to be tormented forever; but some read this into it, and teach it as if it is a Bible truth; and that everlasting torment in Hell is the only "sorer punishment" that is possible. TO DIE FOREVER AFTER THE JUDGMENT IS A MUCH SORER PUNISHMENT THAN TO DIE ONLY UNTO THE RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT WHEN THEY WILL BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD. When we die, that death is not endless for there will be a resurrection, but the second death will be without end for there will never be a resurrection from it.
HEBREWS 11:31: Rahab "PERISHED NOT with them that were disobedient." If we know what happened to those who were disobedient then we will know what did not happen to her. "And they UTTERLY DESTROYED everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword" [Joshua 6:21]. To perish is to be utterly destroyed, not to have eternal life and be tormented forever. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO BOTH AN OX AND A MAN. BOTH PERISHED. BOTH WERE UTTERLY DESTROYED WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD, BOTH WERE DEAD, ONLY RAHAB WAS ALIVE.
ROMANS 9:22: "Vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction." Many of today's preachers do not like the way God said this and change it to, "Vessels of wrath fitted unto an eternal life of torment;" after all they have been taught an immortal soul cannot be destroyed.
The response I get more than all others combined is that "if there is no Hell, then it does not make any difference what we do." I do not think most find life that useless. Most will do anything they can to live. Those who are sick do all they can to live a little longer. Only a few, who must not be right in the head, would not care if they did not live. Those who teach Hell are like a drowning man reaching for a straw. They reach for anything to save their theology. This theology belittles the death of Christ. God thought it important enough to give His only Son. Christ gave His life that we could live, but some say His gift of life to us is not important if there is no Hell to be tormented in. To die is O.K. with them. This is the same as saying, "If I will not go to Hell, then I do not care if I die and do not go to Heaven, for I only want to go to Heaven to keep from going to Hell." Fear of Hell has made many hypocrites who go to church and think that they are Christians, but it has never made one true Christian. Never saved one person, but it has made many hypocrites and will go on making them as long as it is taught. Anyone who goes to church because they fear Hell and would not go without this fear, is a hypocrite, not a Christian. Would they cheat on their wife, lie, and steal if it were not for fear they would be found out? If it is not from love of God, going to church for any other reason will do no good.