The Nature of God's Judgment & Punishment
The Greek krino and krisis are properly translated judge or judgment. This is a neutral term, simply signifying that one’s case has been reviewed and determinated by the Righteous Judge. It does not in and of itself designate the nature of the punishment. But the KJV renders these words in a variety of ways, clearly not all relaying the same meaning … judgment, damnation, condemnation, accusation, avenge.
A passage often used to “prove” an eternal hell is the separation of sheep and goats event described in Matthew 25:46,
“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (KJV)
“Everlasting punishment” is kolasin aionion in the Greek. William Barclay, well known Greek scholar, professor and author of the popular Bible commentary “The Daily Study Bible Series” (Westminster Press) says:
“The Greek word for punishment is kolasis, which was not originally an ethical word at all. It originally meant the pruning of trees to make them grow better. I think it is true to say that in all Greek secular literature kolasis is never used of anything but remedial punishment.” (page 66, “William Barclay, A Spiritual Autobiography”)
Michael Phillips quotes from a letter he received from William Barclay as a part of his compiling “Universal Reconciliation, A Brief Selection of Pertinent Quotations” (Sunrise Books):
“...there is no instance in Greek where kolasis does not mean remedial punishment. This would enable us to argue that God’s punishment is always for man’s cure ... It is the simple fact that in Greek kolasis always means a remedial punishment.” (page 84)
On the same page, Phillips also quotes A. R. Symonds:
“The distinctive meaning of this word, kolasis is corrective punishment, being derived from a verb which means to prune. I say its distinctive meaning is this, in relation to another word, timoria, which signifies vindictive punishment.”
In “Salvator Mundi, or Is Christ the Saviour of All Men?” by Samuel Cox, we read:
“The Greek has two words for ‘punishment;’ kolasis, the word used by our Lord, and timoria, a word also used in the New Testament (Heb 10:29): and the distinctive meanings of these two words are defined by Aristotle himself. The one word, that used by Christ, denotes, he says, that kind of punishment which is intended for the improvement of the offender; while the other denotes that kind of punishment which is intended for the vindication of law and justice. And even the advocates of endless torment admit that the word selected by Christ means, according to the Greek usage, remedial discipline, punishment designed to reform and improve men, to prune away their defects and sins.” (page 141)
The distinction between kolasis and timoria is supported by the following passages where timoria is used:
Ø Acts 22:5 Paul speaks of his past, when he led the believers to Jerusalem to be “punished.”
Ø Acts 26:11 Paul again speaks of his persecution and “punishment” of the believers.
Ø Hebrew 10:29 Speaks of the “punishment” that would be deserved by one who “tramples on the Son of God.”
John Wesley Hanson writes in “The Greek Word Aion-Aionios,”
“All God’s punishments are those of a Father, and must therefore be adopted to the improvement of his children.” (pg 50)
In Job 5:17-18 we read:
“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For he maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole.” (KJV)
The argument was introduced by Augustine that if “aionios kolasis” did not mean “endless punishment” then there is no assurance for the believer that “aionios zoe” means “endless life.” It is interesting that it was not until the fifth century A.D. that theologians began for the first time to introduce the sense of endlessness, rather than eonian (or age-abiding) which had been the interpretation prior to that time.
It seems, then, that the new meanings for the words “aionian” and “kolasis” crept in out of a fear that eternal life could not be supported unless there was also eternal punishment. And if punishment was eternal it could not be corrective in nature, so it must be vengeful. As a result, we have come to associate the passages referring to judgment as punishment to repay for past wrongs. Instead God’s Word refers to judgment as a correction, chastisement or discipline.
For example, Matthew 25:46 reads:
“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (KJV)
“And these shall be coming away into chastening eonian, yet the just into life eonian.” (Concordant Literal Version)
“And these shall go away into age-abiding correction, but the righteous into age-abiding life.” (Rotherham’s Emphasized Version)
Consider this. God has always stressed the importance of forgiveness!
“Yet if your brother should be sinning, rebuke him, and if he should ever indeed repent, forgive him. And if he should ever be sinning against you seven times a day, and if he should ever be turning about seven times a day to you, saying, ‘I am repenting,’ you shall be forgiving him.” (Matthew 17:3-4)
“Then, approaching, Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, how many times shall my brother be sinning against me and I shall be pardoning him? Till seven times?’ Jesus is saying to him, ‘I am not saying to you Till seven times, but Till seventy times and seven.’” (Matthew 18:21-22)
Of the lost ones, Jesus said:
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, is not leaving the ninety-nine in the wilderness and is going after the lost one, till he may be finding it?” (Luke 15:3)
How can one be chastised and corrected if the punishment lasts forever? How can God, who places such emphasis on forgiveness, come to the point where He refuses to forgive? How can God, who places importance on the one lost sheep, be satisfied if all the sheep are not securely in the fold when all is said and done?
Does it not make better sense that the purpose of judgment is for correction, in preparation for a future day when every knee shall bow before Him? Is this not more consistent with God’s character of love and forgiveness?
Could God really be filled with love and power and wisdom, and yet be unable or unwilling to find a way to bring the necessary correction to every one of His creation, in order that every knee bows before Him?
Consider the facts.
Ø Man was created through no act of his own, but only through the will of God.
Ø Man, in the Garden of Eden, was tempted by evil, and God knew beforehand of man’s being predisposed to evil.
Ø In his short lifetime, man is continually exposed to temptation.
Ø But if man does not respond by accepting Jesus Christ as his Saviour in this short lifetime , he is consigned to an eternal torment in hell.
Is this logical? Does it not place a great emphasis on the ability of man to see through his depravity, and to overcome the temptation all around him, to make a “decision for Christ?”
If an earthly ruler condemned even the vilest criminal to be kept alive just to be tortured forever, we would shudder at his cruelty. But we have inherited the current orthodox teachings about God that calmly attribute such activities to Him, while also teaching that He is a God of love.
I have come to see that the Bible does not teach this at all . Man has intervened and has placed his philosophies and pagan ideas within the Word of God. The modern English translations now perpetuate these man-made ideas, primarily because of a few words mis-translated and misinterpreted. We see a God of love, but a God who is also very harsh. Some say this is necessary because of God’s holiness and justice, but is God not able to use His love and power to bring about justice without losing a single sheep from the fold?
NEXT: We will examine some of the Scriptures that clearly show God’s plan to ultimately save all mankind.
[If you wish to comment, please write me at bob@GraceEvangel.org I will try to address all reasonable questions and comments in a subsequent blog. And please visit us at www.GraceEvangel.org ]
This story was originally published April 26, 2009 at 11:40 AM with the headline "The Nature of God's Judgment & Punishment."