January 18

On Annihilationism

Let us think what that death is! It is not non-existence; I do not know that I would lift a finger to save my fellow-creature from mere non-existence. I see no great hurt in annihilation; certainly nothing that would alarm me as a punishment for sin. WCo133

“While you shall not see life, you shall exist in eternal death, for the wrath of God cannot abide on a non-existent creature.” (1012.538)

“If I believed that sinners could be annihilated I should have no particular reason for preaching to them; in fact, I should have a very urgent reason for never doing anything of the kind.” (1130.501)

“There is further cause for comfort in the fact that, through death, Christ destroyed the devil. Those persons who always interpret the word “destroy” as meaning “annihilate\\" would do me a very great favour if they could really prove to me that Jesus Christ annihilated the devil.” (3286.41)