-
Q: Jesus said in Luke 13:3 that those who refuse to repent will perish. What
do you think? Will those who refuse to repent perish or will they be sent to
the fiery section of hell to experience eternal conscious torment?
A: The Greek word translated "perish" in Luke 13:3 is apollumi (ap-ol'-loo
mee). It primarily means to destroy fully; which some construe to mean the
termination of existence.
However, linguists have not only translated it perish and/or destroy, but
other ways too.
For example in Matt 10:6, Matt 15:24, Luke 15:4, and Luke 15:9 it's
translated "lost" as in lost sheep and lost money. In those instances, neither
the sheep nor the money were removed from existence.
In Matt 5:29-30, it speaks of amputation.
In other instances, apollumi is translated to indicate death; for example Matt
2:13 where Herod sought to assassinate the baby Jesus, and Luke 13:33
and Luke 11:51 which speak of murder, and Matt 27:20 which speaks of
Christ's crucifixion, and 1Cor 10:9 which tells of the people who succumbed
to the venom of poisonous snakes.
Q: So do you think Luke 13:3 should be translated "No, I tell you; but unless
you repent, you will all likewise be lost." Does that really fit with the
context?
A: I wouldn't go so far as to say that apollumi "should" be translated lost,
but I would go so far as to say that when people are killed in manners such
as those described in Luke 13:1-5, it's just as fair to say they were lost as it
is to say they perished.
Death is commonly portrayed as loss. For example: in January of 2016, the
then Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook reported that a US serviceman
lost his life when he and some others came under fire In Afghanistan's
Helmand province.
Closer to home: I lost my favorite nephew back in September of 2015 when
he suddenly dropped to the floor dead of natural causes.
The Watch Tower Society is way too narrow with apollumi. They desperately
want it to mean the termination of existence; but it's easily shown that
apollumi can't be restricted like that.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=