[Timotheist]

I was thinking today about eternal torment for the unsaved.

It occurred to me that among the many misconceptions handed down to us from the Dark Ages is that we have an “immortal soul” that must be saved.

But where in scripture does it say the soul is immortal?

At the risk of being wrong, I suggest there is nothing in the Bible to uphold this belief that exists among the tenets of the RCC and a majority of Protestants. Rather it is the result of Hellenistic influences.

Here is what I think the Scripture is “clearly” telling us: the first death kills the body, and the second death kills the soul.

The gift of eternal life is what makes us immortal, and that immortality is triggered by the restoration of the soul with an impartation of the Holy Spirit at the second birth. Without that Spirit, the soul cannot survive a second death.

So in this I agree with manna-man in that eternal torment is NOT the destiny of the unsaved. Rather, it is a ‘merciful’ termination, putting the unsaved out of their misery.

If this is what is meant by the term ‘annihilationism’, then I will accept the label as describing what I believe.

It follows that angels are “spirits”, not “souls”, and thus run the risk of eternal torment.

This must be why it says the LOF was “prepared for the devil and his angels”.

And it was not prepared to torment souls for eternity.