Paul in his letter to the Romans wrote, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” James 1:15 adds “Sin, when it is finished , bringeth forth death.” And Jesus Himself said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) These verses say nothing about the wages of sin being everlasting punishment in hell.
Fire and Brimstone
Of course, the Bible does speak of the fires of hell. Revelation 21:8 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” John 5:28, 29 speaks of two resurrections, “the resurrection of life” for the righteous, and “the resurrection of damnation”. It’s clear from these verses that the reward for the godly is eternal life, while the reward for the ungodly is eternal death, not eternal suffering in an ever-burning hell.
Eternal Life in Hell?
Since the Bible does not teach that people possess an eternal soul that continues to live on after a person dies, the doctrine of an eternally burning hell is unnecessary. What the Bible does say about the wicked following the day of judgment is that they die the second death – one from which there is no resurrection.
The Final End of Sin and Sinners.
According to the Bible, the punishment for sin and unrepentant sinners is death (Romans 6:23) and destruction (Job 21:30). The Bible says that the wicked shall perish (Psalm 37:20), will burn up (Malachi 4:1), shall be destroyed together (Psalm 37:38), will consume away (Psalm 37:20), shall be cut off (Psalm 37:9), and shall be slain (Psalm 62:3). There is nothing immortal about the suffering of sinners in hell. It is a final annihilation of wickedness.
The Bible has nothing to say about the wicked suffering everlasting torment from a gleeful devil who kindles unquenchable fire. However, Matthew 25:46 has this to say of the wicked at the day of judgment, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.” Note that this verse does not say “everlasting punishing”, but the result of the punishment will be everlasting. There will be no eternal life for the wicked, either in heaven or in hell. The final result of living an unrepented of sinful life is death – a death that is final and eternal.
