Section III.

Reply to the Assumption that the Word Perish Signifies Annihilation.

The words perish, perished, and perisheth, being applied to the end of the wicked, are urged as positive proof that they will cease to exist. These words are nowhere used to describe or express the quality of the punishment of sin, but are iii a few instances employed in a manner to assert the general fact of punishment, by implication at least. The following are the principal, if not all the texts, in which it can he claimed that the final punishment of sinners is termed perishing. In some of these, it may be doubted whether the final state of sinners is referred to.

Luke xiii. 3: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." John iii. 15, 16: "That whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life. Rom. ii. 12: "As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law." 1 Cor. xv. 18: "Then they also which have fallen asleep in Christ, are perished." 2 Peter, ii. 12: "Shall utterly perish in their own corruption." Jude 11: "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perish in the gainsaying of Core."

In these few texts the reader may see at a glance, the substance of all the evidence of annihilation, which the Scriptures furnish by the use of the word perish, to describe the end of sinners. An argument in support of a point so awfully important, based upon such alight and uncertain grounds, cannot exert much influence with the reflecting. We will, however, give it a review.

1. The original word rendered perish in these texts, is very far from settling the question in favor of annihilation, or the final extinction of the wicked. Let us look at each text by itself. Luke xiii. 3: "Ye shall all likewise perish." The Greek word here used, is apoleisthe; it is the second person, plural, of apollumi or apolluo, which is defined thus: "To abolish, destroy, ruin; to kill, slay; to lose; apolluamai, to be ruined, lost, undone, to perish, decay. (See Grove's Greek and English Dictionary.) Surely, the candid reader can see no certain proof of annihilation in this word as used in this text. As Christ was speaking of those who had suffered temporal death, it is only by inference that it can be made to mean anything more when he told his hearers that they should also perish. John iii. 15. 16: "Might not perish." This is admitted to refer to the final consequences of sin, in the case of those who are not saved through faith in Christ. But what is it to perish Here the word is apoletai, which is but another form of apollunai, and has its explanation above. It might, therefore, be rendered, might not be destroyed; might not be ruined; might not be lost; or might not be undone. This makes the text perfectly plain, without supposing annihilation. In Romans ii. 12, there is nothing peculiar which has not a sufficient explanation above, as the same word is there translated perish.

1 Cor. xv. 17, 18: "If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." These two verses taken together make the subject plain. The apostle makes the virtue of the atonement depend upon the fact of the resurrection of Christ; if he was not raised they were yet in their sins, and of course those who had fell asleep in Christ, had fallen asleep in their sins; and having died in their sins, they are perished; that is, they are ruined; they are lost; or they are undone, as it has been shown above that the word used will admit of either of these renderings.

2 Peter, ii. 12: "Shall utterly perish in their own corruption." In this, another word is used in the original. It is kataphtharesontai. This word comes from kataphtheiso, from kata, intensive, and phtheiro, to corrupt, and is defined, "to mar, spoil, ruin, destroy totally; to deprave, corrupt, vitiate."

Dr. McKnight renders the clause shall be utterly destroyed by their own corruption." Of the nature of their corruption we are informed in verses 10 and.18: "Them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness."-"They allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from those who live in error" These were false teachers, and every one must see that those living as corruptly as is here described, must utterly fall and destroy themselves by their own corruption. The most probable meaning of the text is, that by their corruption they shall completely and utterly ruin themselves, no reference being made to any supposed loss of existence after the resurrection of the dead. There have been such teachers in our day, and without a single exception, they have perished in their own corruption; or, in common parlance, they utterly ruined themselves by their corruption. There are several translations of which the text will admit, without supposing annihilation. They shall be utterly marred in, or by, their own corruption; they shall be utterly spoiled in, or by, their own corruption: they shall be utterly ruined in, or by, their own corruption. These remarks are sufficient to show that no reliance can be placed upon the word perish, as here used, in support of annihilation.

The common use of the word perish, in the New Testament, is such as to furnish no ground for the assumption that it signifies annihi1ation, or loss of conscious existence. A few illustrations will answer. Matt. viii. 25: "Lord save us, we perish." Here perishing means only death by drowning. Chap. ix. 17: "The bottles perish." Here, to perish is to be rendered useless, or worthless. Luke xiii. 33: "It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Here, to perish is to die, or be put to death. Chap. xv. 17: "I perish with hunger." Rare perishing means to die of hunger.

If illustrations from the Old Testament are required, the following will answer: Eccl. vii. 15: "There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days." Perishing in this text must mean death, which comes to the righteous, while the wicked man escapes. Isaiah lvii. I: "The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart." Surely, perishing does not mean annihilation in this text. Jer. ix. 12: "That he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burnt up like a wilderness, that none passeth through." Here perishing means to be rendered barren, as waste land.

There are a few other texts and positions urged in support of the doctrine of annihilation, but we have reviewed the strongest of them, with what success the reader must now judge. If we have been successful in removing the objections we have examined, we think it will not be pretended that there are other stronger ones which we could not remove. And if we have not been successful in removing the objection which we have considered, it would be only a waste of time and paper, to examine others; we will therefore leave the matter to the judgment of the reader, just as it is. Our argument is closed, and we have only to add our prayer that the blessing of God may attend the effort, and his Holy Spirit shine upon the minds of all who shall read it, to guide them into all truth. So far as honesty of intentions and purity of motives are concerned, we can appeal to the Searcher of hearts with confidence, and refer the whole to the day of final retribution, without a shadow to dim the prospect of that most interesting of all days. For happy results, we can hope only through the influence of the Divine Spirit. Our prayer is that it may appear, when God shall make up His jewels, that through His abounding grace, this little volume has been instrumental in guiding some bewildered spirit from the land of mist and error, to the land of which it is said, "there shall be no night there." Amen.