The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-05
HE'LL FIRE IS EVERLASTING.
REV. BASCOM ANTHONY TAKES IS
STE WITH REV c. III. STRONG.

Iuces an Everlasting He'll From
the Teachings of the Scriptures.
The Greek and Hebrew Words
Compared to Show the Validity of
This Interpretation-''Du
thony Gains From the scriptural
description of Hell-The Contrary
Interpretation Is Derived From an
obscure Passage of the Bible.
Rev. Bascom Anthony concluded last
r,sht his series of sermons upon future
punishment. His text was from Mat
thew. 254O: Where the worm dieth
not and the fire is not quenched." The
words of the text were the same as that
of Mr.. Anthony's sermon of the week be
fore, but it was taken from a different
book of the Scriptures.
''The Master" said Mr. Anthony lis
soeaking of things beyond the resurrect,
iou-the reward of the righteous and the
punishment of the wicked-both everlast-
ing. Let US look for a moment at our Eng
Hsh words,eternal and everlasting Eternal
means without beginning or end Ever
lasting things may have had beginning
hut shall have no end. Webster is good
authority. He derives eternity from ae-
handicapped time-and turnus. He
defines il Without beginning or end of
existence; always existing; without end
Of duration; everlasting; endless" So
mat he who believes in eternal punish
ment believes in everlasting punishment.
So much for removing confusion of
thought. Words, like the Scriptures, are
no. of private Interpretation.
To ascertain the Hebrew and Greek
: equivalent for eternal requires no great
schoarship-merely few books and the
ability to read-as the scholarship of the
world has placed the secrets of the dead
languages in the reach of ALI The He
brew word for everlas ting is olam The
following show its use in the Old Tesla
ment: The Lord is an everlasting Ing
Diam king. Abraham called on the name
Of the everlasting God-olam God. "Un-
derneath are the everlasting arms''-olam
arms. Many of them That sleep in the
dust shall wake; some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting con-
tempt-oiam life and olam contempt"
The Greek equivalent for this Is
salon." derived from "aei," always-and
''on, being. Aion signifies always being
everlasting. This, scholars tell us, is Its
literal meaning. Aristotle, who ought. to
be authority in Greek, as Webster is in
English, says in describing heaven as the
abode of the gods, there is neither place,
nor vacuum, nor time beyond. Wherefore
the things there are not by nature adapt
ed to exist in place-but Interchangeable
and passionless, having even self-suf-
dcient life they continue through all
eternity" (aiona) Paul uses it as follows,
For the things which are seen are tenn
poral; but the things which are not seen
are eternal (aionia)"
"Olam and aion mean literally dura-
ton without end. If not, they have no
literal meaning-and there never was d
word that had only figurative meaning.
i is a proper rule of Interpretation to say
that no word is to be regarded as used
fsuratively unless used in a sense that
necessarily limits It's meaning, as in the
Everlasting hills" Everlasting cove
nant," etc We speak to-day of the 'eter
mai mountains" and deed property TO
others" to have and to hold forever" In
these instances the connection limits the
meaning, but in no wise affects the or
binary use of the word. Their very use to
express a great length of time only serves
TO prove their literal meaning. If they do
not mean everlasting then there are no
words TO express the idea.
Their fearful force is augmented by
numerous passages which refer to future
damnaUon in portentious terms And the
smoke Of their torment ascendeth up for
ever and ever 1T is better for thee
TO enter into life manned, than having two
hands to go into hell. into the fire that
never shall be quenched; where the worm
dietn not and the fire is not quenched.
To avoid the crushing weight of these
utlerances of the Master some remarka-
Die shifts are made, such as the state
ment that this refers to the Valley of Hin
=a1o ,rrbar hA
OF the city was burnt Let us test the
soundness of such Interpretation. The
tongue is set on fire. (of held of the Val
ley of Hinuom, near Jerusalem. Woe
unto YOU, Pharisees and Scribes, hypo-
critics; for ye compass land and sea to
make one proselyte; and when he is made,
le make him two-fold more the child (of
he.b of the Valley of Hinnom. near Je-
rusalem, than yourselves Fear not them
lAat Kill the body, but are not able to
Nu the soul; burt rather fear Him who is
aoe to destroy both body and soul Gn
help IN the Valley of Hinnom near Jeru-
salem
This is one of the stock arguments of
disoelevers in hell. Others, with equal
Soundness, see in this fire that is never
quehcned' a tigurative fire that is quench-
tH' or, forgetting the words of the Son
ol COG, they add their own limitations and
say the fire shah not be quenched nor the
'' NIS III all mortal SIN IS puTScd
away
such Interpretation is open to the objec-
u'l mat it sets aside the thrice repeated
statement of the Master that 1t is the fire of
.'I md not the fireof trial and affection;
'iA' NJ is a fire that never shall be quench-
~. and not a fire that shall end 1t is
uprn to the further objection that ii pro-
's.s 10 do by fire what God says can only
w. zone by the blood of the Redeemer. If
ue true that men are redeemed by the
tI'll' OF another, then no amount of suffer-
~ ~ hell or elsewhere is of any avail,
aro men are 10 remain in perdition till
a. mortal sin be pursed away, then is the
prospect hopeless for it never will be
PLtseI by such means
"e one passage of scripture which
'4N the beginning men have brought
i ward as proof of future probation is
d.. obscure passage from Peter 3:17-22.
81 Is "A sound rule of interpre taton TO
1S mat when a passage is capable OF
,"' interpretations, one harmonizing with
General tenor of Scripture and the
"'lt ODnoSiDpr "A ebOul6 he