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The Wages of Sin
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by Charles Welch

The Berean Expositor Vol. 1 (circa 1901-1911)

Article Six
N. T. Use of the Words Destruction and Torment
Book

In our last paper in Vol. III., page 84 (Vols. Il./III., page 128), we considered the meaning and usage of the words apollumi and apolia, and found that the words destroy and destruction in their plain unequivocal sense gave the scriptural meaning.

There are not a few who speak with borrowed but inexperienced weight against this meaning, and dismiss it with some such expression as, "It is unphilosophical - nothing can be annihilated." So far as The Berean Expositor is concerned we care not how apparently "unphilosophical" we may appear, so long as we speak according to the Word of God. Yet if we step down from the high plane of inspired truth to the lower plane of human speculation, truth still triumphs. If annihilation be unphilosophical, so also must be creation. Creation as explained by this same philosophy is the calling into being that which before had no existence. Shall we therefore be called unphilosophical if we believe that He Who did the former creative act can also do the latter destructive act, and send created things back into nonexistence once again? Surely creation is greater than annihilation! Surely as much wisdom and power were necessary to create a world out of nothing, as will be necessary to send some created things back to nothing? Let those who oppose be consistent. Let them deny creation, and affirm the eternity of matter; then, although grossly unscriptural, they may use the term philosophical, but not before. We are not careful to answer in this matter. We desire to know the revealed will of God, even though such knowledge constitutes us fools in the eyes of those who are wise in this world's wisdom. Let us now return to our examination of the Greek words.

Olethros occurs four times, and is translated in each case "destruction" ( 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:3; 2 Thess. 1:9; 1 Tim. 6:9). 2 Thess. 1:9 is the only verse calling for any comment, not because of any obscurity in the text, but because of a certain gloss frequently met with in the writings of those who defend the doctrine of eternal conscious suffering. The verse reads, "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power," and the word "from" is taken to indicate that the "destruction" is banishment away from the presence of the Lord, just as it is said that "death" is life apart from the presence of the Lord.

At first glance it seems that there may be some force in the notion, although we may fail to see the appropriateness of such a strong word as olethros (destruction). 2 Thess. 1:9, however, is one verse only, it is not independent of all Scripture, and therefore if the interpretation offered be true, it will stand the most vigorous investigation. Turning to Acts 3:19 we read the identical words, "from the presence of the Lord," and if the translation of apo in 2 Thess 1:9 means "away from," implying the removal of those "destroyed" into some remote region, it should mean the same here. Let us test it: "When there shall come seasons of refreshing away from the presence of the Lord," that is at some long distance far removed from the presence of the Lord, seasons of refreshing shall operate, while in the presence of the Lord, despair and desolation shall hold undisputed sway. No reader of the Scriptures needs to be told that such an idea is obviously too stupid to need refuting.

The meaning of the word apo (from) governing the genitive case indicates the efficient cause:-

"Wisdom is justified OF (apo) her children" (Matt. 11:19).

"We would see a sign FROM (apo) Thee" (Matt. 12:38).

"And suffer many things OF (apo) the elders" (Matt. 16:21).

Nothing could be more foreign to the idea of this usage than to say, "We would see a sign away from (or separated from) Thee." Does "peace from God" (Rom. 1:7) mean that peace is found somewhere far removed from God? Does "seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord" mean anything else but that the active and efficient cause of such refreshing is the very presence of the Lord on earth? How can we then arbitrarily speak of an identical usage of the same word concerning another phase of the same coming, as meaning the exact opposite? The destruction comes from the presence of the Lord as the efficient cause, explained in other language regarding Antichrist himself in 2 Thess. 2:8. It is by means of this specious scholarship that many humble souls are fortified in their errors; the tremendous responsibility resting upon their teachers is something to be considered with fear and trembling.

Olothreuo.- This verb is derived from olethros, and means "to destroy." It occurs only in Heb. 11:28, "Lest the *destroyer* of the firstborn should touch them." This word occurs in the 70:of Exod. 12:23; Jer. 2:30, etc.., and as one well-known lexicographer says, "It seems in the 70:a strong word, and to denote *entire destruction*" (our italics).

Olothreutes is connected with this word, and occurs only in 1 Cor. 10:10, "destroyed by the *destroyer.*"

Thus the list grows, the evidence advances, and the conviction deepens that the final doom of the impenitent is destruction or perishing. This is emphasized in those passages which speak of "the end":-

"The end of these things is death" (Rom. vi 21).

"Whose end is destruction" (Phil 3:19).

"Whose end is to be burned" (Heb 6:8).

Whatever sorrows may fill the pathway of transgressors, there is an end, and that end is death and destruction:-

"Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (Jas. 1:15).

"But these as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed shall utterly perish in their own corruption" (2 Pet. 2:12).

The words and usage of the words rendered "torment" must now be given a careful consideration. Chiefest among them is the word basanizo, but we will just look at the occurrences of but one or two others first, and then devote our undivided attention to this most important word.

Kolasis.- "Fear hath torment" ( I John 4:18). The word is the same as that used in Matt. 25:46 which is rendered "punishment." As we have seen in a previous issue the meaning is that of cutting off, as we would cut off a useless branch of a tree.

Kakouchoumenos.- "Being destitute, afflicted, tormented" (Heb. 11:37). The word means to suffer or bear ill usage, and is translated in Heb. 13:3, "them which suffer adversity." It would have been well if the translators had used the second rendering in both passages.

Odunomai.- "I am tormented," "thou art tormented" (Luke 16:24, 25). The word has occurred already in Luke 2:48 in the words of the mother of the Lord Jesus, "Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." Luke again uses the words in Acts 20:38 to express the sorrow of the Ephesian elders at the prospect of never seeing the face of Paul again. The cognate odune in Rom. 9:2 and I Tim. 6:10 is rendered by the word "sorrow." It will be seen that the translation "torment" is confined to the passage concerning the rich man and Lazarus. As we hope to deal with this passage under the separate heading of "The Parables" we will not spend further time over it here, the reference to the usage of the words translated "torment" being our primary object.

The only words to be now considered are those which are the translations of basanizo and its derivatives.

Basanizo occurs twelve times in the N.T. Eight times it is rendered "torment," and once "pain," "toss," "vex," "toil." Basanistes occurs once, and is rendered "tormentor." Basanos occurs thrice, and is rendered "torment." Basanismos occurs five times, and is rendered "torment." Considering the exceptional renderings first, we notice the following:-

"Travailing in birth, and *pained* to be delivered" (Rev. 12:2).

"The ship . . . *tossed* with the waves" (Matt. 14:24).

"*Vexed* his righteous soul" (2 Pet. 2:8).

"He saw them *toiling* in rowing" (Mark 6:48).

Dr. Young in his Concordance gives as the first meaning of the word basanizo:-

"To try and then test, inquisition, torment."

Dr. Parkhurst in his Lexicon gives the following order of the meaning of the word:-

"i. To examine, try. 2:To examine by torture, Hence, 3:To torture, torment. The word comes from basanos, which was a stone by which gold was tried."

Liddell and Scott's Greek Lexicon gives:-

"Basanizo- To rub upon the touch stone (basanos), to try the genuineness of a thing, test, make proof, e.g., to convict, to put to the torture."

These are independent witnesses whose statements are confirmed by many other authoritative Lexicons and Dictionaries. It will thus be seen that the primary root idea of the word throughout is that of "testing," with the added idea of tormenting in the process. The original idea, that of testing for gold, is observable in the passages to which we will return shortly. If the gold is to be found, this testing will evidence its presence; if not, the testing, though prolonged and severe, is not continued for eternity, it ends in the lake of fire, and the final destruction of the second death. Proof of this, however, we will reserve until we have considered the passages. Turning to the book of the Revelation, which gives us the prophetic history of the day of the Lord, we read:-

"They shall be tormented five months" (Rev. 9:5).

"The two prophets tormented them" (Rev 11:10).

"He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone" (Rev 14:10).

"Shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" ( Rev. 20: 10).

Here for the present we must leave the subject; we hope to devote a complete article to the teaching of punishment as found in the book of Revelation in a future issue. "The Wages of Sin. No. 7: Terms used in the book of Revelation" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor

Under this heading we have considered from time to time the various Hebrew and Greek words which are used in Scripture to teach the nature of the Wages of Sin, and without exception, whether considered etymologically, or whether considered in the light of its context and usage, every word demonstrated the fact that utter destruction and perishing was the wages of sin.

Before, however, we conclude this series and take up related subjects, we will consider the testimony of the book of the Revelation on this question, as some readers have a few difficulties, which it may be well for us to clear up. First let us notice the expression, "The book of life." There are seven passages wherein this phrase occurs in the A.V., but the best Greek texts omit Rev. 22:19. This leaves six passages for consideration, and they occur in the following order:-

The Book of Life.

A | 3:5. Overcomers.

B | a | 13:8. Earth dwellers – worship.

b | 17:8. Earth dwellers – wonder.

B | a | 20:12. Judgment.

b | 20:15. Judgment.

A | 21:27. Those who enter the city.

We would point out that in 17:8, 20:12, and 21:27 the word translated book is biblion (a little book), whereas in 3:5, 13:8, and 20:15 it is biblos (a book), although, at present, the exact bearing of this distinction is not evident to us. The first and last passages need not detain us in the present consideration, although they demand, and we hope will receive, careful exposition in the series of articles just commenced entitled, "Studies in the Book of the Revelation." Let us notice the four passages which touch upon the question of the wages of sin. The first pair are used in connection with the "earth dwellers":-

"And all who dwell upon the earth will worship him, (each one) whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb slain" (13.8).

"The beast which thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and to go into perdition: and those who dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose name is not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast; because he was, and is not, and shall be present" (17.8).

Without entering into the extremely interesting exposition of the verses here, it will suffice for us to notice the fact that not one of those who worship the beast, or who wonder at his travesty of the resurrection, has his name written in the book of life. It must be also noticed that it does not say that upon worshipping the beast their names were blotted out, but rather that the worshippers of the beast are they who have not their names written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Passing on for the moment to the second pair we are brought into the context of judgment:-

"And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life" (20.12).

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (20.15).

This passage has suffered somewhat at the hands of those who really believe the Word of God, and therefore we would call attention to one or two facts which are of importance:-

1. There are two sets of books.

2. There are two distinct sentences passed.

3. There are two classes who stand before the great white throne.

First as to the two sets of books. The Scripture calls particular attention to the "books" which were opened, and "another book," which is the book of life. The sentences passed differ, the one being connected with the books, and the other with the book of life. The first sentence to be passed is judgment according to works. "The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." This judgment according to works gives the needed room for the "few stripes" and the "many stripes," for the "more tolerable" judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrha than that to be inflicted upon Capernaum.

It is a most unwarranted assumption to teach that all who are thus judged are cast into the lake of fire and suffer the judgment of the second death, for this dread doom is not only kept quite distinct, but is reserved for one class only, as we shall see in the next reference. Note the change from the plural to the singular. Verses 12 and 13 bring before us with strong emphasis the great multitude who stand before the great white throne. Verse 15 by its sudden change to the singular calls for more careful attention, especially if we keep in mind the dreadful character of the subject: kai ei tis ouch eurethe en te biblo, etc..:-

"And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast (singular) into the lake of fire."

The title "The book of life" must be noticed. It is not the book of the kingdom and its glories, for there might still be hope for those who had forfeited these blessings. It is not the book of rewards, it is life; and for those not found in that book, the lake of fire becomes, not a place of loss of privilege, loss of pleasure, loss of reward; not a place of custody until these periods of glory have passed away, but it becomes the reverse of life, namely, death. Revelation 20:passes immediately into 21:, with its new heaven and new earth. If resurrection from the second death were true, here is the place where such a tremendous subject would be mentioned.

Resuming our consideration of this passage we further ask, Where is the warrant for the teaching that "all who stand before the great white throne will be cast into the lake of fire"? The idea is a perversion. That which is so intensely particular has again been made exceedingly general. It is evident that none will be cast into that lake of fire, but those whose names are not found written in the book of life. Multitudes will have lost all share in the glories of the kingdom. They will have had none of the blessings of the first resurrection, but they will still be distinguished from those whose names are not found written in the book of life. As our subject here is the wages of sin, we reserve further comment upon this large, but neglected, class until dealing with the "reconciliation" aspect of the subject.

The lake of fire, as verse 14 declares, is the second death. This second death is not Adamic death. From this second death there has been offered no ransom. The death of Christ upon Calvary's cross was endured with reference to the sin and punishment connected with Adam and his race. This second death is something peculiar and different. This may be noticed under the heading of the two classes here brought before us. During the antichristian ascendancy those who have not their names written in the book of life worship the beast. We have no record that one solitary soul whose name is in the book of life will ever do so. When we have examined the other references to punishment in the Revelation, we shall find that this special class are under notice practically the whole time, and that the judgments are special and peculiar, as also are those who endure them, namely, the beast, the false prophet, and the dragon. What careless exposition is that which applies the punishment reserved for such superhuman creatures as this infernal trinity to all sinners alike, regardless of age, clime, period or light.

Before turning to other passages let us ask, What is this lake of fire? Scripture supplies the answer. It is "the second death." Its purpose can be ascertained by noticing verse 14, "And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire; this is the second death," even the lake of fire. Why were death and hades cast in? To perpetuate them? To revive them again at some later period? No, for Revelation 20:1-4 says, "There shall be no more death . . . for the former things have passed away." Death and the grave are among the "former things" of this present creation which are to pass away at the advent of the new creation. Death is never converted. Death is an enemy to the last. For those whose names are found in the book of life the first death will have been swallowed up of life. Those whose names are not thus found will, together with death, be consigned to the second death, which brings them all to an end.

If the lake of fire was intended to be purgatorial in character, if ever "the victims of its rule" should emerge the redeemed of the Lord, then the casting in of death and hades would not denote their entire extinction, but rather their preservation and possible resuscitation. This emphatic destructive agency, this second death, is the fulfillment of the Scriptures which speak of the destruction, and total annihilation of the ungodly. Just as we find two classes indicated in Rev. 20:, so in other parts of the book we find the same distinction observed. The locusts who arise out of the abyss are commanded not to hurt anything "but those men which have not the seal of God on their foreheads" (Rev. 9:4, note also 9:20,21). In 14:9-11 we read:-

"If anyone worship the beast and his image and receiveth his mark on his forehead, or on his hand, even he shall drink of the wine of God's fury, which is mingled undiluted in the cup of His wrath; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the angels and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up unto ages of ages: and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receiveth the mark of his name."

Care must be observed in the rendering of some of these solemn words. For example, in the clause "they have no rest day nor night who worship," etc.., we must note that hoi proskunountes is the present participle denoting that they have no rest day nor night while they are worshipping. "Receiveth" also is the present tense. "Day and night" is associated with time, not with eternity. The torment here threatened must indeed be terrible; how long it will last before it ends in destruction we cannot tell. The smoke ascends unto (eis, unto, no hint of throughout) ages of ages, but the torment itself, and the tormented, cannot enter the new creation (22.3). In Rev. 16:the seven plagues are poured out upon the worshippers of the beast:-

"The men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image" (verse 2).

"They have shed the blood of saints and prophets" (verse 6).

"The throne of the beast"; "blasphemed and repented not" (verses 10 and 11).

The fate of the "eighth" who is "of the seven" is that he "goeth into perdition" (17.11). In 19:19 we read:-

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet . . . . these both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with fire and brimstone."

That these super-human beings continue to live in this lake of fire seems evident by reading 20:10:-

"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 unto the ages of the ages."

Whilst it is true that the word "are" is not in the original, and could just as well read "were," yet the next word "tormented" is plural, and must be translated, "they shall be tormented," which seems to imply that the beast and the false prophet are referred to. Torment is spoken of in relation to this lake of fire with reference to these three, but when, as we have seen, the passage relates to those who have not their names in the book of life, then the statement is added, "which is the second death."

We have brought these several passages from the book of Revelation together in order that the reader may observe that in the majority of cases, and in connection with the passage which uses the strongest terms, the special class of antichristians are intended, and that these particular terms must not be interpreted in a general way of sinners of all times. No countenance is given even in these passages to the idea of eternal conscious suffering. This is the one idea which we set before us at the commencement of the series. Does the Scripture teach the eternal conscious suffering of sinners as the wages of sin, and if not, what does it teach? We believe that we have demonstrated that the traditional Hell is a lie, a libel against God, and a slur upon a simple faith in God's written Word. Death, perishing, destruction is everywhere taught as the judgment of sin, and the analysis of Hebrew and Greek terms have yielded much information of a positive character.

The enquiry, however, is not exhausted. Having completely settled the question of eternal conscious suffering we must not too hastily conclude that we have settled the far wider subject of human destiny. We need to revise our findings and view them in the light of other Scriptures. May grace be given in the study, and may the Lord be glorified in the result.

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