Theorem IV. The eternity of punishments is established by those testimonies in which the duration of the reward divinely appointed is compared with the duration of punishment.

21. Demonstration. This comparison shines forth most splendidly from the words of Christ:¹ Καὶ ἀπελεύσονται οὗτοι, the wicked, εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον· οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. “And these shall go into eternal punishment,² but the just into eternal life.”

With these must altogether be compared the following words in Daniel:³ “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake: some unto eternal life, and others unto reproach, that they may see⁴ forever.” The Alexandrian interpreters render it: Καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν καθευδόντων ἐν τῷ πλάτει τῆς γῆς ἀναστήσονται, οἱ μὲν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν, οἱ δὲ εἰς διασπορὰν καὶ αἰσχύνην αἰώνιον. “And many of those sleeping upon the breadth of the earth shall rise, some indeed unto eternal life, but others unto reproach, and others unto dispersion and everlasting confusion.” Theodotion, however, renders it: Καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν καθευδόντων ἐν γῆς χώματι ἐξεγερθήσονται, οὗτοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ οὗτοι εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ εἰς αἰσχύνην αἰώνιον. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake: some unto eternal life, and others unto reproach and everlasting confusion.”

22. Thus what in the Vulgate and Theodotion is “in the dust of the earth,” ἐν γῆς χώματι, the Alexandrians interpret as ἐν τῷ πλάτει τῆς γῆς, “upon the surface of the earth.” But the text has אַדְמַת־עָפָר, that is, as it is commonly explained, “the earth of dust.” Yet nothing prevents אַדְמַת־עָפָר from being rendered ἐν τῷ πλάτει τῆς γῆς, “upon the surface of the earth.” For the four roots דמם, דמה, דום, and אדם, when their origin is considered, agree in one and the same notion of smearing, from which, afterward, most diverse secondary significations blossomed through the living use of the language. By smearing, a surface is formed; hence אֲדָמָה properly signifies a surface, and, κατ’ ἐξοχήν [preeminently], the surface of the earth, and thence the earth itself. Wherefore the Alexandrian interpretation can in no way be judged foreign to the truth of the text.

The repeated distribution οἱ δέ, οἱ δέ [but some, but others] departs rather from the text, for both the text itself and the versions lack it.

Finally, it can be asked whence the Alexandrians took the expression εἰς διασποράν [unto dispersion], which is lacking both in the text and in the versions. Thus the text reads וְאֵלֶּה לַחֲרָפוֹת לְדִרְאוֹן עוֹלָם, “and others shall awake unto reproaches, unto everlasting loathing.” But דֵּרָאוֹן, whence it comes, is a word which among the Arabs signifies not only to suffer from a pestilential plague, but also to scatter. Therefore the Alexandrians joined together εἰς διασπορὰν καὶ εἰς αἰσχύνην αἰώνιον [unto dispersion and unto everlasting confusion] because they wished to express both notions of דרא.

But more than enough concerning these matters; let us return to the argument itself.

23. Christ declares that the punishment of the reprobate will be eternal, just as the life of the just will be eternal. Admirably; but what will be the eternity of the life of the just? Will it be improper, and one which will at length have an end? Let no one dare to affirm it. Therefore the just shall live perpetually, and their felicity shall be bounded by no end. But the same duration is ascribed both to the life and felicity of the just and to the punishment of the reprobate. Therefore the punitive visitation by which God will chastise the reprobate will be everlasting and lacking an end.

If any dissent, they must maintain that, in one and the same very brief context in which the sentence of the supreme Judge is contained, one and the same word is taken equivocally. They must maintain that the sentence itself is equivocal, and that uncertain and doubtful words are employed there where certainty and determination are most of all demanded. He who pursued improper senses and metaphors in the sentence of a human judge would be received with common ridicule. Shall we therefore suffer with an untroubled mind that the words of the divine Judge be twisted into improper senses and metaphors?

Wherefore the argument which Augustine forms from the words of Christ is plainly decisive: “Christ said in one and the same place, in one and the same sentence: ‘These shall go into eternal punishment, but the just into eternal life.’ If both are eternal, assuredly either both must be understood to be lasting with an end, or both perpetual without an end. For like things are placed in relation to like: on the one side eternal punishment, on the other eternal life. But to say, in this one and the same sense, ‘eternal life will be without end, eternal punishment will have an end,’ is very absurd.”⁵

24. Another testimony of Christ related by John looks to the same point: Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον· ὁ δὲ ἀπειθῶν τῷ υἱῷ οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωήν, ἀλλ’ ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐπ’ αὐτόν. “He who believeth in the Son hath eternal life; but he who is unbelieving toward the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him.”⁶

Two things must be considered here: both the phrase in itself and the opposition. The phrase in itself is that the impious shall not see life and that the wrath of God shall abide upon them. But how long shall they not see life? How long shall they bear the weight of divine wrath? The expression is unlimited, and no hope is afforded them of seeing life at some time. Indeed, every hope is cut off. Whence would they conceive this hope? From the fact that God would be merciful toward them? But it is pronounced absolutely that the wrath of God abides upon them—not that it touches them and passes away, but that it endures stably upon them.

There is added the opposition which is established between believers and unbelievers, the reward of the former and the punishment of the latter. Of the former it is affirmed that they shall have eternal life, but to the latter life is denied. But what life is denied? Evidently, that which is eternal. Therefore they are condemned to everlasting death.

This, unless I am utterly mistaken, is sufficiently declared by that addition, ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐπ’ αὐτόν [the wrath of God abideth upon him]. By this circumlocution the omission of the word τοῦ αἰωνίου [eternal] is supplied when it is said οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωήν [he shall not see life], and not οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωὴν αἰώνιον [he shall not see eternal life], as the opposition established seemed to require. But if by the circumlocution ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐπ’ αὐτόν the omission of the word τοῦ αἰωνίου is supplied, what sense will underlie the words of Christ? This, and no other: unbelievers shall not see life, but shall be chastised with eternal punishments, because the divine indignation will never depart from them, and because the wrath of God will always pursue them. Hence it is written concerning the impious: עַד־נֶצַח לֹא יִרְאוּ־אוֹר, “Forever they shall not see light.”⁷