I end 2023 still chewing on one of my top three theological realignments of the year: the nonbeliever’s afterlife being annihilation vs eternal conscious torment.
And I continue to lean heavily toward annihilationism – a position also known as “conditional immortality”. That is, human beings are not inherently immortal – only those who place their faith in Christ gain everlasting life.
Others simply do not.
As always, I could be wrong, but I currently do not think hell as eternal torment is what the Bible teaches. You don’t get to build such a horrific scenario out of a handful of prooftexts (many of which are tied to the book of Revelation).
Texts which uphold conditional immortality are plentiful, we just don’t notice them because we have read the New Testament with our fire and brimstone lenses on.
Take for example what Jesus says to Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus as recorded in John 11:
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. 26 And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
If whoever believes in Jesus will live, even though he dies, what does this imply about the experience of those who don’t believe in Jesus?
When they die, that. is. that.
They don’t have any means or expectation of living again, right?
And if Jesus is “the resurrection” and “the life”, what does one have apart from Him?
No resurrection.
No life.
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