Living the life as priority....................
Living the life as priority....................
Matthew 25:46 proves that there is eternal punishment, but it doesn't specify whether that punishment is eternal torture or annihilation. Matthew 25:46 does prove that only ONE group receives eternal life. If the doctrine of eternal torture in hell is correct, then those who are being tortured alive also would receive eternal life. So whatever the eternal punishment consists of, it cannot be eternal life being tortured alive in hell. So what is left as a possiblity? Only eternal death. It is true that Matthew 25:46 does not specifically say that the eternal punishment is destruction. OTHER verses specify that the punishment of the wicked is destruction. In the same way, Matthew 25:46 does not prove that the eternal punishment is to be sent to hell to live forever tortured by fire, and actually proves that one group receives eternal life and the other group does not receive eternal life, which is (not coincidentally) EXACTLY what I believe.
So to restate what you said in another way:
Matthew 25:46 proves that there is eternal punishment, not eternal conscious torment.
Once again, ECT is immoral by its own concept, illogical philosophically, and legally insane as well if such were considered as a matter in court, whether an earthy or heavenly one. - any person, government or agency condemning a conscious entity to a state of endless and unescapable torment is heinous.
Conditional immortality has more support scripturally, if you want to argue what is "biblical" (a term I find arbitrary anyhow).
We've also argued over what 'death' is, how its defined, what is its 'state' or 'condition', which is another 'conundrum' here. The ECT view assumes those suffering in hellfire do NOT have 'eternal life' (this is a gift of God, and is the God-kind of life, - we can also call this 'immortality'),
so those left is such a dire condition do not enjoy the positive effect of God's presence. The 'conditional immortality' view holds that ultimately those who wholly embrace iniquity and make a final and complete choice to reject 'God'(life)....ultimately PERISH...they are disintegrated, destroyed, terminated (they reap the full sowing of sin to its ultimate end),....
'death' here is a the absence of any conscious existence. - so this is all a matter of terms, meanings and their definitions.....how we 'contextualize' it all.
Its dancing in circles more or less, beyond any rational assumptions we can glean from the discussion.
John 3:16 being traditionally used as a 'salvation verse' still HOLDS,.....those who believe/receive and accept the SON (God's expression of life, his personal representative, his anointed messenger, his living logos, etc.) are granted eternal life, while those who reject the SON
perish. - again a matter of terms and their meaning.
While this is all interesting, I think it best those who claim belief in Jesus, to focus on
living the Christ-life and focusing on that as their first occupation.