The Fire That Consumes: A Biblical and Historical Study of the Doctrine of Final Punishment, Third Edition

by Edward William Fudge, Richard Bauckham (Foreword by)

Overview

Evangelical Christians affirm together that a dreadful destiny awaits those who reject God's grace throughout life. According to the traditional view, that destiny will involve unending conscious torment in hell. However, believers are increasingly questioning that understanding, as both unbiblical and inconsistent with the character of God revealed in the Scriptures and in the man Jesus Christ. This internationally acclaimed book—now fully updated, revised, and expanded—carefully examines the complete teaching of Scripture on the subject of final punishment. It concludes that hell is a place of total annihilation, everlasting destruction, although the destructive process encompasses conscious torment of whatever sort, intensity, and duration God might require in each individual case.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608999309
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	06/01/2011
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	442
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Edward William Fudge is a Christian theologian, Bible teacher, author, and, for more than twenty years, a practicing attorney. He maintains an international internet ministry at www.EdwardFudge.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword to Third Edition Richard Bauckham ix

Foreword to First Edition F. F. Bruce xi

Foreword to Second Edition John W. Wenham xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Abbreviations xvii

Introduction xxiii

1 Rethinking Hell: Apostasy or New Reformation? 1

2 Back to the Bible: The Protestant Principle 9

3 Souls: Immortal or Otherwise 19

4 Aionios: Duration, Quality, or Both? 33

5 Sheol/Hades: Gravedom? 44

6 Divine Justice: When? 51

7 Divine Justice: Historical Examples 59

8 Divine Justice: Messiah and the End 72

9 Diversity: Apocrypha and Dead Sea Scrolls 85

10 Diversity: Pseudepigrapha 98

11 Jesus: Fire (Gehenna) 116

12 Jesus: Fire (Gehenna Not Named) 129

13 Jesus: Fire (Parable of the Sheep and the Goats) 135

14 Jesus: Fire (Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus) 148

15 Jesus: Non-fire Images 155

16 Golgotha: Judgment Revealed (1) 170

17 Golgotha: Judgment Revealed (2) 179

18 Thessalonians 187

19 Galatians and Corinthians 199

20 Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 205

21 Hebrews, James, Acts 215

22 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude 223

23 Revelation 234

24 Apostolic Fathers and Their Successors 253

25 The Apologists: A Fire That Torments 264

26 Apokatastasis: A Fire That Purifies 272

27 Arnobius to Augustine 287

28 Augustine's Case for Unending Torment 297

29 Middle Ages to Reformation 305

30 John Calvin: Psychopannychia 317

31 An Old Tradition Questioned 329

32 Roots of the Current Recovery 340

33 The Evangelical Recovery Continues 349

34 A Kinder and Gentler Traditionalism 360

35 Refreshing the Memory 366

36 Afterword 373

Bibliography 379

Index of Authors 395

Index of Scriptures and Other Ancient Documents 400

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"I commend this book warmly. It is likely to remain a standard work to which everyone engaged with this issue will constantly return."
-Richard Bauckham
Emeritus Professor of New Testament Studies
University of Saint Andrews, Scotland

"The Fire That Consumes has long been recognized as one of the most thorough and compelling statements available of the view that the destiny of the unsaved will be final destruction rather than eternal torment. In this new edition, Edward Fudge provides extended engagement with traditionalist critics and an overview of developments in the last thirty years ensuring that it will remain a definitive work on the issue for years to come."
-John R. Franke
Theologian in Residence
First Presbyterian Church of Allentown

Editorial Reviews

"I commend this book warmly. It is likely to remain a standard work to which everyone engaged with this issue will constantly return."
-Richard Bauckham
Emeritus Professor of New Testament Studies
University of Saint Andrews, Scotland

"The Fire That Consumes has long been recognized as one of the most thorough and compelling statements available of the view that the destiny of the unsaved will be final destruction rather than eternal torment. In this new edition, Edward Fudge provides extended engagement with traditionalist critics and an overview of developments in the last thirty years ensuring that it will remain a definitive work on the issue for years to come."
-John R. Franke
Theologian in Residence
First Presbyterian Church of Allentown

From the Publisher