Episode 99: God's Character Attacked: Annihilationism vs. Eternal Torment

God's Character Attacked:  Annihilationism vs. Eternal Torment

Our goal today is to present:

• Balanced biblical reasoning• Clear presentation of annihilationism as a biblical, logical, and compassionate view

We’re going to walk through one of the most sensitive and often misunderstood subjects in Christian theology: the final fate of the lost.

This is not an abstract curiosity. It touches:
• the character of God,
• the nature of sin,
• and the hope we proclaim to the world.

And as always—our goal is to approach the Scriptures honestly, respectfully, and with a pastor’s heart. Many sincere Christians disagree on this topic, and we extend grace to one another.

But today, I want to present—clearly, biblically, and compassionately—why I believe Scripture teaches the annihilation of the wicked, sometimes called conditional immortality, rather than eternal conscious torment.

And I’ll do it with a side-by-side comparison, integrated throughout the episode so we can see the differences plainly.

So let’s walk gently, slowly, and prayerfully into God’s Word together.

PART 1: DEFINING THE TWO VIEWS 

Let’s begin by defining terms.

1.  Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT)

This view teaches that the lost will experience never-ending, conscious suffering in hell—forever—without relief, without end.

Common phrases include:

• “eternal punishment”
• “unending conscious torment”
• “everlasting misery”

1.  Annihilationism / Conditional Immortality (CI)

This view teaches:

• Only God is naturally immortal (1 Tim. 6:16)
• Eternal life is a gift given only to the saved (John 3:16)
• The wicked will be judged, punished, and finally destroyed
• They cease to exist—they are not immortal sinners living forever in torment

This is not “no punishment.”
It’s real judgment, but it is judgment that ends in death, not endless suffering.

PART 2: THE WEIGHT OF SCRIPTURE — 

Let’s look at the language Scripture overwhelmingly uses when describing the fate of the wicked.

SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON #1 — Key Biblical Verbs

Concept | Eternal Torment View | Annihilation ViewNature of punishment | everlasting suffering | final destruction
Key verbs used | “torment,” “weeping” | destroy, perish, consume, burn up, die
Duration | ongoing forever | permanent consequences, not ongoing suffering

Now—let’s walk through the Scriptures themselves.

1.  Jesus’ own words emphasize “destruction.”

Matthew 10:28

“Fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The Greek apollymi means:
destroy, annihilate, bring to nothing, kill, lose life.

Jesus never says:
“Fear the One who will torment the soul without end.”

He explicitly says:
the soul and body are destroyed.

1.  “Perish” means perish — not live forever in misery.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world… that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

If the wicked suffer eternally, then they have eter

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