The Mankato free press., 1912-09-13

that The wages of sin is death, but
the gift Of God Is eternal lite, through
Jesus Christ our Lord?" - Romans
vi, %.
"lnto Everlasting Punishment"
We are asked, Does not the word
everlasting, as applied to the goat class.
| signify as long period as the same
word applied to the sheep class? We
reply. Most assuredly so. The punish
ment OF sin is to be everlasting, and
the reward of righteousness is to be
everlasting. There is no question on
this point. The question is. What is
the punishment for sin? The thought
less at once will say. Fire. torment.
smoke. blazes. devils with horns and
tails and pitchforks. la Dante's In
fernO.
But we ask for a Scriptural answer
What does the Bible say is the punish
ment for sin? Nothing like Dante's
answer is to be found in the Bible,
however much we might lima gine that
Il was printed in every page and that
We have read it scores Of times The
Bible is most explicit 1t declares,
"The wages of sin is DEATH" "All the
wicked will God DESTROY" 1.-THE soul
that sinneth. it shall die" punished
with everlasting destruction" These
abundant and redundant Scriptural
testimonies on the subject should set
tie the matter Of future punishment to
every reasonable mind-especially when
there is not Scripture to the con-
trary. either In the Old or in the New
Testament
l do indeed remember certain Of our
Lords parallels which, taken literally.
might mean the literal cutting off of
a hand or foot, the literal plucking out
Of the eye. the biting worms possessed
of Immortality. and literal blazes un-
qnenchable. These we have already
discussed and may yet again refer to.
but not now. We content ourselves
with the generally accepted and rea
sOnable proposition! that parallels are
never to be accepted as teaching doc
trines, but at very most as illustrating
them. ...s ..'s
The Bible contains not a single sug-
gestion of eternal torture as a penalty
for sin. . 1t tells Of no place beyond
the bounds Of time and space where
Dante's poem will find its fulfilment.
1t does tell of God OF infinite Justice.
Wisdom, Love and Power. whose de-
cree is that eventually all the wicked
shall be destroyed: that eventually
there will not be one inharmonfOus,
note throughout the Universe to mar
the glorious harmony and perfection;
that every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess to the glory Of God:
that there shall be no more dying, cry
ing. signing: that Gods will shall be
done on earth even as it is done in
heaven: that eventually, Every crea-
ture In heaven and in earth and under
the earth shall be heard saying. Praise,
glory. dominion and might be unite
Him that sitteth upon the Throne and
unto the Lamb forever ....
Analy1ins It Carefully. .".'..
Let us look still more deeply into
our text: Let us note this word pun
lshment in the Greek. 1t is kOlasin.
Its usage in the Greek, classics signi-
fies, to prune. to cut off. A secondary
meaning of the word Is, to- restrain.
Death Is a most effectual restraint.
The punishment which God has pro-
vlded for sinners is that they shall be
out Oft from life, cut off from all the
blessed privileges which God provided.
not for them. not for rebels, but for
sons In fellowship with Himself
The punishment against Father
Adam was cutting off from Eden and
its blessings, from being the king of
earth, from fellowship with His Gre
ator. from being the son of God, from
enjoying everlasting life. All this cut
ting off was included in his death SEN
tence Jesus came that Adam and his
race might not everlastingly perish
that they might be rescued from the
power of the grave by resurrection
Of the dead. that all might thus
through Him come to a full oppor-
tunity for life everlasting. Neyerthe-
less the Divine Law still stands. The
wages Of sin still is DEATH Therefore.
whoever shall receive the grace Of God
In vain. whoever shall sin wilfully, In
tentionally, after full enlightenment.
shall again be cut Off-this time to per-
ish, because Christ dieth no more
no more shall death have dominion over
Him. The opportunity which His
Kingdom shall grant for every crea-
ture. for every member of Adams race.
to return to Divine fellowship and ever
lasting life, will be so complete as to
need no repetition. Those who die the
Second Death will be without RENE
dy, will perish in everlasting destruc.
tiOn.