Evangelicals and Annihilationism

Annihilationism is the belief that sinners are destroyed, rather than tormented forever in "hell" as in the lake of fire. It is directly related to the doctrine of conditional immortality, the idea that a human soul is not immortal unless it is given eternal life. Annihilationism asserts that God will eventually destroy or annihilate the wicked, leaving only the righteous to live on in immortality. Some annihilationists believe the wicked will be punished for their sins in the lake of fire before being annihilated, others that hell is a false doctrine of pagan origin. [1]

Though a minority view, some Protestant and Anglican writers holds this view. Annihilationism seems to be gaining as a legitimate minority opinion within modern, conservative Protestant theology since the 1960s, and particularly since the 1980s. It has found support and acceptance among some British evangelicals, although viewed with greater suspicion by their American counterparts. Recently, a handful of evangelical theologians, including the prominent evangelical Anglican author John Stott, have offered at least tentative support for the doctrine, touching off a heated debate within mainstream evangelical Christianity.[2]

Stott advocated the view in the 1988 book Essentials: A Liberal-Evangelical Dialogue with liberal David Edwards, the first time he publicly did so.[3] However 5 years later he said he had held this view for around fifty years.[4] Stott wrote, "Well, emotionally, I find the concept intolerable and do not understand how people can live with it without either cauterising their feelings or cracking under the strain."[5] Yet he considers emotions unreliable, and affords supreme authority to the Bible.[6] Stott supports annihilation, yet cautions, "I do not dogmatise about the position to which I have come. I hold it tentatively... I believe that the ultimate annihilation of the wicked should at least be accepted as a legitimate, biblically founded alternative to their eternal conscious torment.[7]

J.I Packer, the well known Anglican theologian offers a review of Evangelical Annihilationism in his article “Evangelical Annihilationism in Review”.  In it after briefly dealing with what Evangelicalism is and making two theological and pastoral caveats, Packer enlists four common arguments made in favor of Annihilationism. To each of these arguments Packer makes his brief responses too.

Evangelical Annihilationism in Review   Read  | Download pdf

Footnotes

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[1] Annihilationism, Wikipedia

[2] John Stott: A Global Ministry by Timothy Dudley-Smith, p353

[3] Essentials: A Liberal-Evangelical Dialogue by David L. Edwards with a response from John Stott. 1988, p314 [313–320]

[4] In 1993. John Stott: A Global Ministry, p354

[5] Essentials, p314

[6] Essentials, p314–15

[7] Essentials, p320

The Last Things According To Peter

Dr. Sam Waldron expounds the third chapter of 2 Peter to show what Peter, the apostle teaches about the last days. Waldron carefully works through this passage teaching 5 different aspects about the last days : Its Controversial Backdrop, Its Comprehensive Scheme, Its Major Apologetic, Its Awesome Prospect and Its Glorious Hope.

This series is recommended for the following reasons.

1. Expositionally, Waldron does a very good job of working patiently through the text and not bringing anything outside the text to assert any meaning. His exposition is thus very sound and commendable. Waldron does a very straight forward exegesis of this passage and is very consistent in this through out the series. Moreover he uses a language which can be understood even by children. In fact he sometimes pauses to specially address the children alone in the audience. In eschatological studies, preachers often get so caught up in theological jargons that common folks are quite confused. Though a scholar, Waldron preaches with a pastoral heart.
2. Devotionally, Waldron brings in a rare warmth and reverential gratitude in believers for the mercy and grace of Lord Jesus Christ.  In much eschatological studies, devotional aspect is found very little. Most of it gets caught up in some puzzle solving game that the gospel truth of the work of Jesus Christ to save believers from the coming wrath and judgment of God is strangely missing. However Waldron reminds the listeners regularly to ponder and wonder over what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. Waldron shows how eschatology is for life and not merely for some theologians to sit and debate. He exegetically reasons how the doctrine of the last things compels a true believer to live a life of holiness and earnestly long for the coming of the Lord.  
3. Evangelistically, Waldron reflects upon the teachings of 2 Peter 3 and makes solemn warnings to sinners, in a sober and not a sensational manner, to not delay their repentance. With holy fear of the Lord, he exhorts sinners to see that today is the day of salvation.  More than once in this series, he labored to stress the point that once the Lord Jesus Christ returns, it marks the end of the patience of God. 
4. Theologically, Waldron makes many applications of his straight forward exegesis to many systems of eschatology to test their validity. He focuses much on the problems of dispensational and premillennial understanding of eschatology and the teachings of 2 Peter. He makes a very convincing case that these systems can hold good, only if they mishandle the text of 2 Peter 3. In one of the sermons, he takes up the issue of hyper preterism. Waldron believes hyper preterism is heretical as it denies the second coming of the Lord.  Waldron is however charitable towards his dispensational and premillennial friends and does not consider it to be  heretical. Thus in this series, he makes an exegetical verification of these systems and makes a case for a more biblical eschatology.

The Last Things According To Peter

1. Its Controversial Backdrop  Listen | Download

2. Its Comprehensive Scheme Listen | Download

3. Its Major Apologetic  Listen | Download

4. Its Awesome Prospect  Listen | Download

5. Its Glorious Hope  Listen | Download

  

How To Understand Revelation 20?

Of all the books in the Bible, probably the one which most Christians and even scholars have found the most challenging to study is the book of Revelation. Apocalyptic imagery, visions, etc are not very common to our day and age, and hence the literary genre itself presents many challenges to the exegete. Moreover it is pretty evident that to make sense of this book, one needs to know the Old Testament well. For there is no book in the New Testament canon which makes this many references and allusions to the Old Testament like the book of Revelation. All of this could be the reason why this book is considered to be a tough one. However God has been faithful in making His Church know His Word. It is after all the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ for his bondservants. Hence we can have confidence that  by His grace we can know His word. God has raised many gifted exegetes who have done a remarkable work in this field. There are many helpful books to guide us in studying this valuable book in the Canon.

It is to be noted that there is no unity between all these scholars on their interpretation of every single passage in this book. This is perhaps best evident when it comes to how Christians have interpreted the 20^th chapter of Revelation. The vision of the thousand year reign of Christ has been interpreted by some as a literal one, while others take it as a vision. Different schools on Chialism has thus emerged in the discipline of Eschatology.

Dr. Sam Waldron, the academic dean of MidwestCenter  for Theological Studies (MCTS) and professor of Systematic Theology, who is also one of the pastors of Heritage Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY offers a very simple exposition of this chapter. Dr. Waldron admits that his prayer for this three part series was that he would be able to make the message of this chapter as simple, practical and powerful as He can. Thus theological astuteness and pastoral care meets in his preaching in a unique way. He defends that his exposition is immensely practical and simple. His straightforward exegesis of this passage is worth listening and is recommended for all Christians, irrespective of your take on Millennium.

In the first sermon, Dr. Waldron gives an excellent introduction to hermeneutical principles for the book of Revelation, which he then applies one by one in the next two sermons. Overall, Waldron comes out as one who is marked by exegetical care and meticulous theological precision, yet presented in a very simple and practical manner.

Even if you are not an Amillennialist or as Waldron prefers to call himself “a gospel age Millennialist”, these sermons are worth listening. If you are a staunch Premillennialist (Historic or Dispensational), you should consider these sermons and have a defense of your hermeneutics, for which Waldron poses considerable challenges. 

You can download the sermons here