Boy you can sure twist things up and make them complicated. I read Smith’s paper and researched his claims and they all made sense. It even gets into your question about the name Lazarus. Definitely makes more sense then what you are making.
Stick to your idea of an eternal punishING of the unsaved humans, if you want. It’s really no skin off of my nose. I’m just telling you that your twisting of the Scriptures to fit that narrative convolutes simple verses like John 3:16 which says that if you believe on Jesus you wont perish (die, cease to exist, etc.) but have everlasting life.
Let me ask you this....what is your belief on the issue of predestination?
Rather, it is Smith who deceives the willing with a multiplicity of words, while mine is consistent with the use of parables and other texts on the afterlife. Which did not include the use of science fiction.
Annihilationism relies on possible meanings of words to negate the obvious intent, and basically renders the Lord is being misleading and bluffing.
Consider (Mark 9:43-44) "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
This description is clearly warning of an enduring experience, which certainly does have a deterrent effect.
In contrast, despite the solemn warning about being in a place of unquenchable fire which they attempt to explain away, annihilationism renders Jesus to be trying to deter living a whole life indulging in the flesh on the basis that they will be annihilated in the end, and frankly, plenty will gladly trade a life of sin in exchange for being annihilated at the end.
I’m just telling you that your twisting of the Scriptures to fit that narrative convolutes simple verses like John 3:16 which says that if you believe on Jesus you wont perish (die, cease to exist, etc.) but have everlasting life.
That also is absurd, for as in other places, the lot of the wicked is set in contradistinction with the reward of the righteous, but you have the latter receiving eternal life while the former simply are annihilated, but which the Lord elsewhere describes as everlasting punishment in the same places as the devil. .
And anyone hearing the Lord warn of going into the same place as the devil and into everlasting punishment would most naturally understand it as being eternal. Annihilation is simply not dealing straightly with the whole counsel of God Over and out.