Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 86:341 (Jan 1929)
Article: Conditional Foreverness
Author: Christopher G. Hazard

BSac 86:341 (Jan 1929) p. 100

Conditional Foreverness

Christopher G. Hazard

A Brief statement of the Reformed Faith, adopted by the General Assembly of 1902, declares what doctrines the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. stands for. Among the articles of this declaration occurs this phrase with regard to the future of impenitent and incorrigible sinners, namely, “The wicked shall receive the eternal reward of their sins.” This expression seems to encourage an inquiry into the teaching of the Holy Scriptures as to what that “eternal award” may be, according to revelation.

Passing by the numerous individual translations of the Bible, which may amount to no more than private interpretations, it is safe to assume that the American Revision of the Authorized Version, published in 1901, furnishes a true standard of the best scholarship of our time in its endeavor to present to our minds the contents of the original Scriptures in a trustworthy translation of such historical material as the Church possesses. We may take this translation at its face value, with the aid of the references and marginal notes that accompany it, and feel sure that thus we have, essentially, the original documents of the sacred book in our own language, a version that does not lack collective and official indorsement. It is the consulted authority of this article.

The subject here proposed for consideration is that of “Conditional Foreverness,” but it is not that of Conditional Immortality. Immortality is an inherent attribute of the soul. That the sinful soul survives temporal death is clearly taught by the Saviour as He declares to the Jews of His day that the hour cometh wherein they that have done good shall come forth unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of judgment. The close of earthly history at

BSac 86:341 (Jan 1929) p. 101

death does not end all for anyone. There remaineth an “eternal award” for everyone. What will that award be for the wicked?

We learn from the Genesis account of God’s judgment upon sinners that it consisted in part of deprivation: lest the first sinners should put forth their hands and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever, therefore they were sent forth from the garden and deprived of re-entrance to it. The way of the tree of life was barred by the sword of justice and the way of death was entered upon by the transgressors. They were dismissed from divine fellowship to proceed, with their descendants, at a dying rate and unto a final death that was to be suffered among the experiences of eternity. Since that time this sentence has ever lain upon humanity. Death as an end of foreverness has been the delayed but certain doom of sinners. There was to be...