The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

PART I (Chapters 1-10)

Old Testament Evidence

1. Conditionalism Versus Immortal Soulism	17
I. Purpose and Scope of This Vital Quest	17
1. Fundamental Questions That Demand an Answer	17
2. Sole Source of Reliable Information	18
3. Author’s Personal Declaration of Faith	18
4. Scope of the Ground Covered	19
5. Basic Definition of Conditionalism	19
II. Consistency and Obvious Soundness of Conditionalism	20
1. Adam’s Potential for Immortality Was Conditional	20
2. Conditionalism Harmonizes Divine Goodness With Human Freedom	21
3. Conditionalism Attested Biblically, Logically, Historically	22
III. Eternal Torment Involves Pagan “Dualism” Postulate	23
2. Man Created in the Image of God	29
I. Introductory Survey of Record of Creation	29
II. Creation in “Image of God” Not a Valid Argument	31
1. “Image of God” Does Not Connote “Immortality” for Man	31
2. No Valid Reason for Singling Out Immortality	32
3. Fundamental Fallacy Revealed by Parallel Syllogisms	33
III. “Living Soul” Does Not Connote Immortality	34
1. Living Soul Not a Separate Entity	34
2. Innate Deathlessness Not Part of Original Endowment	35
IV. “Breath of Life” Equated With “Spirit” and “Spirit of God”	36
1. “Breath”—“Breath of God”—“Spirit”—“Spirit of God”	36
2. “Breath of Life,” “Spirit of Life”—Same Principle of Life	36
3. “Spirit,” or “Breath, Never Identified With Soul	37
4. Possessors of “Breath of Life” Subject to Death	38
V. Clarifying Distinctions Between Soul and Spirit	38
1. “Soul” Dependent Upon Presence of “Spirit”	39
2. Spirit and Soul Have Series of Contrasts	39
3. “Spirit” Returns to God Who “Gave It”	40
4. To “Save a Soul” Is to Save a Man	40
5. Biblical Portrayal of Death	40
3. Prohibition, Probation, Temptation, and Fall	42
I. One Prohibition Placed Upon Man in Eden	42
II. Freedom of Will, Is Moral Accountability	44
1. Freedom of Will Is Essence of Being	44
2. Endless Defiance Would Thwart God	45
3. Ultimate Destruction for Incorrigible Defiance	46
III. Temptation at Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil	47
IV. Satan Himself the Undercover Tempter in Eden	48
V. Lucifer’s Rebellion in Heaven Transferred to Earth	50
1. Pride and Jealousy Fomented Rebellion in Heaven	50
2. Eden Becomes the New Battleground	51
3. Lucifer: Highest Angel Becomes Lowest Devil	52
4. Satan’s Dual Lie Had But Single Point	54
VI. Essence of Fall Was Believing Satan’s Lie	55
4. The Gospel of Genesis 3:15 Proclaimed	57
I. The Doom of Death and the Hope of Life	57
1. The Terrors of Disobedience	57
2. The First Glimmer of Hope	58
II. Glorious Gospel Provisions Begin at Gates of Eden	59
1. Becomes Father of Race Under New Probation	60
2. Tree of Calvary Becomes Third Tree of Eden	60
3. Placed on Probation, Given Second Chance	61
III. Promised Seed Is Master Key to Atonement Mysteries	61
1. “Highway of the Seed” Begins	62
2. Conflict of the Ages Begins	62
3. Personal Application of the Fall to Us	62
IV. “Coats of Skins” Typified Righteousness of Christ	63
1. Divine Propitiation Provided	63
2. Deeper Mysteries of Atonement Enfolded	64
V. Christ’s Central Place in Gospel of Eden	64
1. Becomes Son of Man to Restore Lost Man	64
2. Assumes His True and Central Place	66
3. Processes and Provisions of Redemption and Restoration	67
4. Enabling Provisions of Redemption	68

5. The Penalty of Death for Disobedience	69
I. A Second Chance Provided for the Sinner	69
1. A Reprieve Granted Adam and Eve	69
2. Significance of Probation for Race	71
II. Adam Died Judicially cm Day of Transgression	71
1. Rhetorical Figure of Prolepsis Employed	72
2. Other Instances Are Not Misunderstood	72
3. Sands in Time’s Hourglass Begin Falling	73
4. Finality of Death Imposed Not Specified	73
III. Encompassing Involvements of Death Penalty	73
1. “Death” Embraces Total Punishment for Sin	74
2. Justice Requires Penalty Be Understood	74
3. “Second Death” Completes the Death Penalty	75
4. “Second Death” Is Loss of Life, Not Continuance	76
5. Doom Applies to Man as a Whole	77
IV. Supreme Argument Against Eternal Torment	77
1. Death Penalty Steins From Law and Authority	77
2. Question Settled at Highest Level	78
V. Sleep the Beautiful Euphemism for Death	79
1. First a Sleep, With Resurrection Awakening	79
2. Implications of the Metaphor of Sleep	79
3. Time Obliterated to the Sleeper	80
4. “Sleep” Is Undeviating Synonym for “Death”	80
6. Redemption in the Period of the Sacrificial Altar	83
I. Cain and Abel Tested by Sacrificial Offering System	83
1. Fatal Lack in Cain’s Bloodless Offering	85
2. Larger Involvements of Sin, Death, and Salvation	86
II. Unfolding Portrayal to Abraham Included Resurrection	87
1. Abraham’s Test of Faith in Gospel Provision	88
2. Provision of Resurrection Recognized by Patriarchs	89
3. Only the Dawn; Not Yet the Noontide	90
III. Two Ways to Glory—Translation and Resurrection	92
1. Enoch and Elijah Translated Without Dying	93
2. Moses’ Resurrection: First to Break Bonds of Death	94
IV. Annual Round of Tabernacle Services Typified Gospel Realities	95
1. Yearly Enactment of Plan of Redemption	96
2. Justice and Mercy Met in Type at the Ark	97
3. Sin and Righteousness, Death and Life, Portrayed	97
4. Penal Punishment Death Not Life Imprisonment	98
5. Sinner Incurred Doom of Death	99
6. Entire Sacrificial System Fulfilled in Christ	99
7. Christ Actually and Truly Died in Atonement	100
8. Death Penalty Under the Divine Law	101
V. Christ, Prophesied First Fruits, Rose on Precise Day	101
1. First Fruits a Fixed Part of Annual Service	102
2. “Every Man in His Own Order”	102
3. First Fruits Resurrection Fulfilled on Very Day of Type	103
7. Eternal Destruction Is Decreed Doom of Wicked	105
I. Utter Destruction Ultimate Fate of Intractably Wicked	105
1. Scores of Old Testament Verbs Signify “Destroy”	106
2. Imposing Array of Literal English Equivalents	106
3. Galaxy of Figurative Expressions Support the Literal	107
4. Iterated and Reiterated in Key Chapters	107
II. Multiple Terms Signify Complete Destruction of Being	108
III. Eternal Torment No Part of Death Penalty	111
1. Torture No Part of Jewish Sacrificial Rite	112
2. Torture No Part of Mosaic Penal Code	112
IV. Eternal Destiny Revolves Around Intent of “Life” and “Death”	113
1. Life and Death—Keys That Unlock Inspired Intent	113
2. Platonic Perversion of Death as Perpetual Life	113
3. Innate-Immortality Postulate Reverses True Exegesis	114
4. Christ’s Death, Not Sufferings, Constituted Atoning Sacrifice	114
5. Destruction Not Eternal Torment the Punishment	115
V. Stock Objections Invoked Collapse Under Scrutiny	115
1. Isaiah 33:14—Contention Collapses Under Scrutiny	115
2. Isaiah 66:24—Carcasses, Undying Worm, Unquenchable Fire	117
3. Deprived of Life, Not Consigned to Misery	119
4. Daniel 12:2—Resurrections to Life and to Judgment	120
5. Conclusion: Contentions of Three Citations Collapse	120
8. Prophetic Witness Concerning the “Last Things”	122
I. The Two Advents Focal Points of All Prophecy	122
1. Master Key to Man’s Destiny	122
2. Issues of Time and Eternity	122
3. Key to Divine Movements of the Ages	123
4. Only True Philosophy of History	123
II. Outline Prophecies Mark Out Highway of the Centuries	125
1. Continuity, Comprehensiveness, and Repetition	125

2. Destiny of World Powers of History Portrayed	126
3. Course of Empire Gives Way to God’s Kingdom	127
4. Now Living in “Time of End”	127
5. Sublimity of Revelation Surpasses Human Comprehension	128
III. Significance of “Day of Lord” and Cognate Terms	131
1. Transcendent “Day of the Lord”	131
2. Second Advent to Terminate “Latter Days”	131
3. Resurrection Is Climactic Feature of Advent	132
4. Eternal Restoration Is Reward of Righteous	134
5. Wicked to Receive Punitive Destruction	134
IV. Solemn Procession of Prophetic Witnesses Testify	135
1. Panoramic Survey of Old Testament Witnesses	135
2. Constant Succession of Eschatological Glimpses	136
V. Isaiah—Star Witness on Inspiration’s Witness Stand	138
VI. Major Results Spring From “Day of the Lord”	140
1. Scenes of Judgment Dominate Closing Portrayal	140
2. New Earth Becomes Eternal Home of Redeemed	141
3. Obliteration of Sin Eventuates in Clean Universe	142
4. Resurrection and Millennium Clarified in New Testament	142
5. Barren Condition of Earth During Millennium	143
9. Technical Terms and Usages Preclude Innate Immortality	145
I. Must Understand Key Old Testament Terms Through Usage	145
II. Meaning of Nephesh in the Hebrew of the Old Testament	146
1. “Nephesh” Has Several Common Meanings	146
2. A General Definition of Nephesh	147
3. Basic Idea That of Individual Himself	147
III. Nephesh as Translated in the English Versions	148
1. English Translation Reveals Significant Facts	148
2. Interesting Variations in R.S.V	150
3. Problems Confront the Translators	150
4. Three Clear Conclusions Concerning “Nephesh”	151
IV. “Ruach” and “Neshamah” Have a Variety of Meanings	152
1. Context Must Indicate Best Translation	152
2. “Neshamah” and “Ruach” in Poetic Parallelism	153
3. The Life, Principle That God Imparts	154
4. “Ruach” Has No Separate Conscious Existence	155
V. Relation of “Spirit” or “Breath” to Life and Death	155
1. “Breath of Life” and “Spirit of God” the Cause of Life	155
2. Spirit Distinct From Life It Produces	156
3. Restoration of Spirit at Resurrection	157
VI. Fundamental Distinction Between Man and Beast	158
1. Immortality Not Conferred by Inbreathed “Breath”	158
2. Totally Different From Brute Creation	158
10. Weak Arguments Formulate Unworthy Platform	160
I. “She’ol’s” Most Suitable Rendering Is “Gravedom”	160
1. Difficulty Created by Variant Translations	160
2. “Hell” a Wholly Unsuitable Translation	161
3. “Gravedom”—Most Suitable Rendering for “She’ol”	162
4. Suspension of Life in “She’ol” Awaiting Resurrection	162
5. Darkness of “She’ol” Dissipated by Light of Resurrection	163
6. “She’ol“: Place of Death, Not Life	164
7. “She’ol” and “Death” Are Frequently Synonymous	164
II. Origin of “Gehenna” (Ge Hinnom) Symbol of Final Destruction	165
1. Historical Background of “Gehenna”	165
2. Associated With Upsurge of Necromancy	166
3. Josiah Transforms Valley Into Refuse Pit	167
III. Three Supporting Citations Break Down Under Scrutiny	168
1. Recourse to Weak Arguments an Unworthy Procedure	168
2. Jonah Not Dead: So Case Is Dismissed	169
IV. Isaiah’s Parabolic Taunting Ode on King of Babylon	170
1. Personified Trees Rejoice Over Fallen Monarch	171
2. Paths of Glory Lead but to Grave	172
V. Ezekiel’s Parabolic Dirge Over Pharaoh of Egypt	172
1. “She’ol” Contrasted With State of Living	173
2. Parabolic Scourge Not Construed Literally	173
VI. Saul Deceived by Necromancy of Medium of Endor	174
1. Evil Spirits Personating the Dead	175
2. Saul’s Recourse to Forbidden Craft of Necromancy	176
3. Saul Deceived; Slain for His Transgressions	177
4. Crux of the Whole Portrayal	177
5. Cruel Hoax and Its Modern Counterpart	179
6. Grandeur of God’s Wondrous Provision	179