This presumes that the laws of physics all apply in the spiritual realm, and which do not in Lk. 16:19ff, and that "killing" in the spiritual sense cannot be some everlasting form of destruction, but in which the soul cannot be destroyed.
From http://reformedthinker.blogspot.com/2013/05/refuting-shepherds-chapel-hell-matthew.html: If one discusses the subject of hell with a student of Shepherd's Chapel probably the first verse that they will quote to defend annihilationism is Matthew 10:28.
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt. 10:28, KJV)
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matt. 10:6, KJV)
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (Matthew 18:11, KJV)
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? (Luke 15:4, KJV)
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.(Luke 15:24, KJV)As can be seen the Greek word apollymi does not mean total annihilation, blotted out, or cessation of existence. Arnold Murray, as he has done many times, misuses the Greek or shows lack of understanding of how the Greek language works.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matt. 25:46, KJV)This punishment of hell Christ describes as everlasting. I have heard Shepherd's Chapel students claim that since annihilation is everlasting then it is everlasting punishment. This is not possible in the Greek syntax. the word for everlasting is aionios in the Greek and it modifies the nature of the punishment, not the results of the punishment. In this verse aionios modifies kalasis "punishment", which is an action noun. Greek nouns that end with –sis will focus on the action of the noun and not it's results. You can compare 2 Thess. 2:16 to see a parallel. In that verse aionios modifies paraklesis “comfort”, another –sis ending action noun. So this verse proves that Christ taught an everlasting hell of punishment. Also we have this:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Rev. 14:11, KJV)This again is another favorite verse for Shepherd's Chapel. When you use this verse to prove the Biblical view of everlasting hell then they will jump on you and say "look it says the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever. Only the smoke.". Ha! Gotcha right? Well no.
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev. 20:10, KJV)After judgment is passed down to Satan and his minions they are all thrown into the lake of fire and tormented day and night forever and ever. If this verse teaches anything, it at least teaches that Satan is tormented in hell for eternity. If you continue reading Revelation chapter 20 then you will see that all those in hell are cast into this exact same lake of fire (Rev. 20:14, also Matt 25:41). Again since they are cast into the same lake of fire the Devil is then the same punishment is dealt out. Also if you continue reading Revelation and in the last chapter (after all this has taken place) you see that the unsaved were not annihilated in Revelation chapter 20 but cast outside the Great City:
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Rev. 22:14-15, ESV)I have heard the students of Shepherd's Chapel claim that "forever and ever" does not mean eternity but simply a period of time. This is absolutely impossible in the Greek. The Greek phrase is eis tous aionas ton aionon and is often translated as forever, forevermore, and forever and ever. It is also used of the attributes of God which we know are unchangeable and are eternal. Please compare how this Greek phrase is used in the following verses of Scripture especially the ones in Revelation: Gal. 1:5, Phil. 4:20, 1 Tim. 1:17, 2 Tim. 4:18, Heb. 13:21, 1 Pet. 4:11, Rev. 1:6, Rev. 1:18, Rev. 4:9, Rev. 4:10, Rev. 5:13, Rev. 7:12, Rev. 10:6, Rev. 11:15, Rev. 15:7, Rev. 22:5
From The eternality of Hell - a refutation of annihilationism; by Steve Johnstone: http://www.academia.edu/5579795/The_eternality_of_Hell_-_a_refutation_of_annihilationism: It is difficult to better Douglas Moo’s comments on 2 Thess 1:8-9: The words need not mean “destruction” in the sense of “extinction”. In fact, leaving aside for the moment judgment texts, none of the key terms usually has this meaning in the Old and New Testaments. Rather, they usually refer to the situation of a person or object that has lost the essence of its nature or function…The key words for “destroy” and “destruction” can also refer to land that has lost its fruitfulness ( olethros in Ezek 6:14; 14:16); to ointment that is poured out wastefully and to no apparent purpose ( apoleia in Matt 26:8; Mark 14:4); to wineskins that can no longer function because they have holes in them ( apollymi in Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37) to a coin that is useless because it is “lost” ( apollymi in Luke 15:9); or to the entire world that “perishes,” as an inhabited world, in the flood ( apollymi in 2 Pet 3:6).
In none of these cases do the objects cease to exist; they cease to be useful or to exist in their original, intended state…The people who are the objects of destruction continue to exist in some form. It makes little sense to describe people who have been annihilated as being separate from the presence of God.” 27 Grudem agrees, saying, “It must be said that the passages which speak of destruction do not necessarily imply the cessation of existence.” 28 -
Also: http://www.bible.ca/su-annihilation-refuted.htm
In addition, Lk. 16:19-33 itself is clear enough to refute Annihilationism, as it is not a parable, as in parables not only are real names never used, but neither is science fiction. And if Annihilationism were true then one could not be dead yet be conscious and sensible to pain, but here a man is dead yet crying out in torments, not only in thirst but in fear that his loved ones come into this place of torment.
Existentialism scars our thinking into believing death means annihilation. Death is simply a state of existence involving separation.
Too many people grieve themselves at the loss of a loved one, grieving for their separation from themselves, but then confusing their separation with annihilation.
A lot of word parsing there, but I still see nothing to contradict the fact of 1 Corinthians 15:53 which says that we are mortals until we take on Christ’s immortality. In other words we can’t live forever, in this life or the next without accepting Christ. The lost can not live forever in a state of torment because they do not have immortality.
The ONE verse that does specifically talk about torment forever and ever is Revelation 20:10, but if you look at that verse it specifies who is being tormented...the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. Maybe that’s because the are all fallen angels and were made with immortal souls. Whatever the reason, that verse doesn’t say that unsaved humans are being tormented forever and ever.
The story of Lazarus and the Rich man is a parable. Matthew 13:34 tells us that when Jesus spoke to the masses he ONLY spoke in parables.
Here is a good breakdown of the parable of Lazarus:
http://www.jeremyandchristine.com/articles/lazarus.html
Thank you for all the information concerning “apollymi”. I’ve had some SDAs coming to my (S. Baptist) Sunday school class where we have argued for hours. Next time I will have this information with me! Even if they don’t change their minds, it will keep them from confusing my students.