Here is his reply:
"I thank you for your kind reference to my articles on the Sunday School
Lesson, and note your question about the phrase, 'Eternal Death,' The
meaning of the phrase in my mind is largely determined by the meaning of
the corresponding phrase, 'Eternal Life.' In His use of the latter
phrase, our Lord evidently lays emphasis, not upon the thought of
duration, but upon that of quality. Eternal Life is a certain kind of
life which He gives to His people now. Similarly, Eternal Death is a
state in which people may exist even while they are in this world. It is
eternal in regard to duration in this sense, that it has no awakening;
its tendency is to persist forever. But that is not to say that God
cannot bring one from a state of eternal death into that of eternal
life. I do not know whether I have made myself clear, but it is somewhat
in this way that the matter presents itself to my mind."
So I am not really much the wiser, except that the reply tends to
confirm my opinion as to the ambiguous way in which the phrase is
often used.
In my view, such ambiguity is unfortunate in any case, but more
especially so when it is used with regard to our eternal future; and
even more so when it is used in an article, as in this case, avowedly
for children. Does it not lead directly to scepticism? And even if it
did not, is it not rather a cruel thing to put upon children the onus of
deciding a question of such tremendous importance? Would it not be
better to say candidly that we do not know?
To be sure, it may be said that the church is in a state of transition
on this question, and that it is better to wait for the church's final
decision.
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