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Study 20: Series Review

Comprehensive Review of All 19 Studies

This review covers the entire series. Use it after completing all 19 studies to consolidate what you have learned.

Section A: Foundational Anthropology (Studies 1-4)

  1. According to Genesis 2:7, what is the formula for man's creation? Did man receive a soul or become one?

  2. What Hebrew word is translated "soul" and also "creature"? Is it applied only to humans, or to animals as well?

  3. Who alone possesses immortality according to 1 Timothy 6:16? When do believers receive it (1 Cor 15:53-54)?

  4. What do the dead know, according to Ecclesiastes 9:5? What happens to thoughts at death (Ps 146:4)?

  5. What word do at least seven biblical authors use to describe death?

Section B: Key Words (Studies 5-8)

  1. Name the four words translated "hell" in English Bibles. Which one is the general abode of all the dead?

  2. What is the primary vocabulary the Bible uses for the fate of the wicked — destruction words or torment words? Name two Hebrew and two Greek examples.

  3. Does the Hebrew word olam ("forever") always mean endless duration? Give two examples where it clearly ended.

  4. Does the Greek word aionios inherently mean "eternal"? What separate Greek word exists for "everduring"?

Section C: Difficult Passages (Studies 9-13)

  1. Is the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) a parable or literal history? What is its stated teaching point (v.29-31)?

  2. In Revelation 6:9-11, are the "souls under the altar" conscious dead people, or is this an apocalyptic vision? What OT parallel does the imagery echo (Gen 4:10)?

  3. What OT passage is the source of the "smoke ascending forever" imagery in Revelation 14? Is that OT location (Edom) still burning today?

  4. In Revelation 20:10, who are the three subjects described as "tormented forever"? Are any of them generic human beings?

  5. What does Revelation 20:14 say the lake of fire IS? When humans enter the lake (Rev 20:15; 21:8), what term does the text use?

Section D: Evaluation (Studies 14-19)

  1. Across the eight major judgment passages examined in Study 14, how many use the word basanizo (torment) for the fate of the human wicked?

  2. In Study 15, the eight strongest arguments for eternal torment were evaluated. How many produced an explicit biblical statement (E-item) supporting ECT?

  3. What is the historical origin of the "immortal soul" concept — is it from the Bible or from Greek philosophy?

  4. Is the argument "sin against an infinite God requires infinite punishment" found in any Bible verse?

  5. In Matthew 10:28, what does Jesus say God is able to do to soul and body? When Matthew uses apollymi (destroy) elsewhere for divine judgment, does it mean torment or destruction?

  6. In Jesus' judgment parables (wheat and tares, dragnet), what word does Jesus use for what happens to the wicked — basanizo (torment) or katakaio (burn up)?

Section E: The Big Picture

  1. What is the difference between an explicit statement and an inference?

  2. Give three examples of things the Bible explicitly says about the fate of the wicked.

  3. Give three examples of things that are inferred (not explicitly stated) about the fate of the wicked.

  4. Why does the distinction between explicit and inference matter? Can an inference override what the text explicitly says?

  5. Based on your study of all 19 topics, what does the Bible — at the level of what it explicitly says — teach about the final fate of the wicked?

Evidence Summary Exercise

Complete the following table from memory, then check against your study notes:

Question What the Bible explicitly says What is inferred (not stated)
Is the soul immortal?
What do the dead know?
Who has immortality?
What are the wages of sin?
What can God do to the soul?
What does "forever" always mean?
Who is "tormented forever" in Rev 20:10?
What is the lake of fire?
What vocabulary does the Bible use for the wicked's fate?
Is punishment proportional?