The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

II. Greek Terms Affirm “Destroy,” “Consume,” “Perish,” “Obliterate”

1. LEADING GREEK TERMS DEFINED

(1) Analisko—to consume, destroy (2 Thessalonians 2:8). CFF1 488.3

(2) Apoleia—death, especially by violence, loss of things, ruin, waste (Philippians 3:19; 1 Timothy 6:9). CFF1 488.4

(3) Apollumi—to destroy utterly (23 times), come to an end, ruin, to lose utterly, to be utterly and finally ruined and destroyed, cause to perish—stronger form of ollumi, to end life, put to death, cause to perish (33 times), bring to nought (Matthew 10:28; Matthew 21:41; Matthew 22:7; Luke 17:27, 29 ; John 3:16; Romans 2:12; 2 Corinthians 4:3). In all the New Testament there is no word that is more distinctly fixed than that of apollumi. ⁴ CFF1 488.5

(4) Apothnesko—die out, expire, cease (John 11:16, 26; Romans 8:13, 34; Revelation 9:6; Revelation 16:3). CFF1 490.1

(5) Diaphtheiro—to spoil throughout, corrupt utterly (Revelation 11:18). CFF1 490.2

(6) Exolothreuo—to destroy utterly, slay wholly, dissolve. In the Septuagint it is some eighty times rendered karath, “cut off” (Acts 3:23; cf. Genesis 17:14; Exodus 30:33; Exodus 31:14). CFF1 490.3

(7) Katakaio—to burn up, or burn down (Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17). CFF1 490.4

(8) Katanalisko—to consume wholly or thoroughly (intensive of analisko, 2 Thessalonians 2:8). CFF1 490.5

(9) Katargeo—to render inactive, idle, bring to nought, make void, abolish (2 Thessalonians 2:8). When the unquenchable fire burns out, and the undying worm ceases, death itself is destroyed (katargeo) (1 Corinthians 15:26). CFF1 490.6

(10) Kolasis—punishment, cut off. A result, not a process (cf. Matthew 3:10; Luke 3:17). CFF1 490.7

(11) Olethros (olothreutes)—death, ruin, that which causes death (2 Thessalonians 1:9). CFF1 490.8

(12) Phtheiro (kataphtheiro)—to deprave, mar, spoil, corrupt (1 Corinthians 3:17). CFF1 490.9

(13) Phthora (diaphthora)—corruption, spoiling, destruction (Acts 2:27, 31; Galatians 6:8). CFF1 490.10

(14) Thanatos—extinction of life, death by judgment of court, or judgment of God against sin (the second death, Revelation 20:6, 14; Revelation 21:8) (Romans 6:21, 23). CFF1 490.11

These Greek words—the main terms and their cognates—involving penal punishing to a greater or less degree, and for a longer or shorter period, always connote the ultimate loss of life, final and complete termination of being. They all mean to end life or to take life, to cause to cease to be. CFF1 490.12

2. NOT ONE IN LIST IMPLIES ETERNAL TORMENT

Death, destruction, perishing, perdition, are thus seen to be virtually interchangeable terms. These terrible words are used frequently by both Paul and John. But not one term in this entire tabulation implies the idea of eternal torment. The most frequently used words for “destroy” and “destruction” are the verb apollumi and the noun apoleia. John uses the verb in the pre-eminent “John 3:16.” (“should not perish”) verse. Paul uses the noun in Philippians 3:19.—“whose end is destruction.” And the same Greek word is translated “perdition” in Philippians 1:28. Thus “perdition” is equivalent to “destruction,” and these in turn are equated with “perishing” and being “lost” (2 Corinthians 4:3). CFF1 490.13

The end of the wicked is sufficiently terrible without adding, from pagan sources, what God has not included. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and the end of sin and incorrigible man is utter and final destruction. An illuminating confirmation of this appears in John 11, in Caiaphas’ statement: “It is expedient for us, that one man should die [apothnesko, “expire,” “die out”] for the people, and that the whole nation perish [apollumi, “be utterly destroyed”] not” (John 11:50). CFF1 491.1

In John’s mind the term “die” bore the same meaning as to “perish” or suffer “destruction” (apollumi). ⁵ That is the over-all witness of the Greek. But let us note the leading terms in greater detail. CFF1 491.2