ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER.
By John S. Osborne
Not long since, when in conversation with a minister of a popular church, the subject of man's condition in death and the punishment of the wicked, came up. I briefly stated my belief from a Bible standpoint. An apparently intelligent gentleman standing near interrupted our conversation by addressing the minister: "Doctor, what is your view on that subject?" "I believe," replied the minister, "that there is no such thing as eternal punishment; that all men will finally be brought to God, if not in this life, in the next." "That is just what I believe," said the gentleman. The minister then went on to explain more fully that he learned from the original that the terms which are commonly interpreted as meaning eternal, never-ending torment for the wicked, mean merely a punishment to last until the accomplishment of its aim and object. And he went on to say that the unrighteous would, after death, go through a course or series of punishments as a means of purification, from which they would emerge, fitted for the presence of God. "Yes," replied the gentleman, "I was taught to believe in an eternally burning hell of fire and brimstone; but I cannot believe that God would inflict such pain and misery upon any of his creatures. Your view is a very sensible one; I do not believe that any man will be eternally lost." Thus we see that this "new-theology"—probation-after-death theory is naturally a resulting opposite from the "eternal-torment" doctrine. Reason will not allow men to believe that human beings will writhe in a lake of fire for unending ages; so, instead of consulting God's word, they fly to the other extreme, and contend that the only punishment for sin is a little preparatory process to fit the sinner to enter the presence of God! And, worse yet, ministers of the gospel will stand before their congregations and preach this doctrine. Why should men be persuaded to join those churches when the ministers preach that they will be eternally saved anyway. "But," said I to the above-mentioned minister, after the gentleman had passed on, "what about the scripture which says, 'The wages of sin is death'?" "Oh," said he, "that means spiritual death." "What do you mean by spiritual death?" He explained by saying that it meant a state of sin—separation from God, etc. "Then," said I, "if spiritual death is the punishment for sin, the offense and the penalty must be one and the same thing." Sin a punishment for sin! What logic! When men reject the plain teachings of God's word, to what inconsistencies will they be driven!