Original Language Library

Age-lasting, eternal; pertaining to an age or era.

Used 71 times in the NT. The key debate: does it mean never-ending duration or pertaining to the age to come? In Matthew 25:46 the same word describes both everlasting punishment and life eternal. Eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12) happened once with permanent results. Eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2) is a judgment whose verdict stands forever.

Age-lasting, eternal; pertaining to an age or era.

Used 71 times in the NT. Derived from aion (age, era). The key debate: does aiōnios mean 'never-ending duration' or 'pertaining to the age to come'? In Matthew 25:46, the same word describes both 'everlasting punishment' and 'life eternal.' If aiōnios means infinite duration for life, consistency requires it means infinite duration for punishment. However, the annihilationist argument is that 'eternal punishment' describes a punishment whose RESULT is eternal (permanent death), not a process that continues eternally. Compare 'eternal redemption' (Hebrews 9:12): Christ does not keep redeeming forever; the redemption happened once with permanent results. Similarly, 'eternal judgment' (Hebrews 6:2) refers to a judgment whose verdict stands forever.

A rising up, resurrection; literally "a standing up again."

Used 42 times in the NT. The word itself (ana = up/again, stasis = standing) implies that the person was DOWN — dead, not alive elsewhere. If the dead were already conscious in heaven, anastasis would mean merely getting a new body. Martha understood it as a future event: "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (John 11:24). Paul calls it the foundation of Christian hope — "if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen" (1 Cor 15:13).

To destroy utterly, to kill, to lose, to perish.

Used 92 times in the NT. This is the word in John 3:16: should not PERISH but have everlasting life. The contrast is between perishing and living. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says fear him which is able to DESTROY both soul and body in hell. Same word used for killing sheep (Matt 12:14), destroying a temple (Mark 14:58). In every non-theological usage, it means genuine destruction.

Immortality, deathlessness.

Used only 3 times in the entire NT — and never as something humans naturally possess. In 1 Tim 6:16, God alone "hath immortality." In 1 Cor 15:53-54, immortality is something mortals must "put on" at the resurrection — it is GIVEN, not inherent. This is the strongest lexical evidence for conditional immortality: the Greek word exists, the NT authors knew it, and they never once applied it to the human soul as a natural attribute.

Appearing, manifestation, brightness; a visible, glorious display.

Used 6 times in the NT for Christ's return. Literally "a shining upon" — emphasizing VISIBILITY. In 2 Thess 2:8, the lawless one is destroyed by "the brightness/epiphaneia of his coming/parousia" — two visibility words stacked. Titus 2:13 calls it "the glorious appearing." Incompatible with a secret event.

The Valley of Hinnom; used as a symbol of final punishment.

Used 12 times in the NT, 11 by Jesus. Named after the Valley of Ben-Hinnom where children were sacrificed to Molech (2 Kings 23:10). NOT the same as Hades/Sheol. Gehenna is post-judgment. In Gehenna, Jesus says God can destroy both soul and body (Matthew 10:28), using apollymi (destroy utterly).

Sweet wine; new wine; must.

Used only once in the NT (Acts 2:13). When the disciples spoke in tongues at Pentecost, mockers said 'These men are full of new wine (gleukos).' The fact that this 'new wine' could produce the appearance of intoxication suggests that even gleukos (new wine/sweet wine) was understood as potentially alcoholic, undermining the argument that 'new wine' always means unfermented juice.

The realm of the dead; the Greek equivalent of Hebrew Sheol.

Used 10 times in the NT. The Septuagint (Greek OT) consistently translates Sheol as Hades, indicating the NT authors understood them as the same concept. In Acts 2:27-31, Peter quotes Psalm 16:10 ("thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol") using Hades, directly equating the two. The only passage depicting Hades with conscious experience is the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:23), which is debated as to whether it describes literal afterlife geography or uses common rabbinic imagery to make a moral point.

To seize, snatch away, catch up; to take by force.

Used 14 times in the NT. This is the word behind "rapture" — from 1 Thess 4:17, "caught up/harpazō to meet the Lord in the air." The Latin Vulgate translated it as "rapturo," giving English "rapture." The word simply means forceful seizure — it says nothing about secrecy. In the same passage, the harpazō happens WITH the shout, trumpet, and voice — not as a separate quiet event.

To sleep; figuratively, to fall asleep in death.

Used 18 times in the NT. This is the primary Greek word used for death-as-sleep. Jesus uses it of Lazarus (John 11:11). Paul uses it extensively: "them which are asleep" (1 Thess 4:13), "fallen asleep in Christ" (1 Cor 15:18). Stephen "fell asleep" at his stoning (Acts 7:60). The consistent use across multiple NT authors suggests it was standard early Christian language, not merely metaphorical — they understood death as unconscious rest awaiting resurrection.

The final place of judgment in Revelation.

Appears only in Revelation (19:20, 20:10, 20:14-15, 21:8). Death and Hades are themselves thrown into it (Rev 20:14), called the second death. If death itself is destroyed there, the Lake represents destruction, not preservation. Rev 21:8 equates it with the second death.

First [day] of the week; literally "first of the sabbaths."

Appears 8 times in the NT. Six simply note the timing of the resurrection discovery. Acts 20:7 describes a Saturday night farewell gathering (Jewish days begin at sunset). 1 Cor 16:2 tells individuals to privately set aside funds. None command first-day worship or transfer Sabbath sanctity to Sunday.

Wine; the standard Greek word for fermented grape wine.

Used 33 times in the NT. This is the word used for the wine at the wedding of Cana (John 2), the wine of the Last Supper (implied), and the wine Paul recommends to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23). It is also used in warnings: 'be not drunk with wine (oinos)' (Ephesians 5:18). The same Greek word covers both positive and negative contexts, just like the Hebrew yayin.

A park, garden, paradise; borrowed from Persian (pairidaeza, an enclosed garden).

Used only 3 times in the NT: Luke 23:43, 2 Cor 12:4, Rev 2:7. The Septuagint uses paradeisos for the Garden of Eden. In Luke 23:43, the placement of the comma is debated — "I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise" vs "I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." The original Greek had no punctuation. Notably, Jesus himself had not yet ascended to the Father after his resurrection (John 20:17), complicating the reading that he went to paradise that Friday.

Presence, coming, arrival; a technical term for a royal visit or official arrival.

Used 24 times in the NT, 17 for Christ's return. In secular Greek, parousia was the technical term for the ceremonial arrival of a king — public, visible, unmistakable. Paul uses it in 1 Thess 4:15 where the Lord descends with a shout, voice, and trumpet. Matthew 24:27 compares it to lightning flashing across the entire sky. The word itself argues against any "secret" coming — a royal parousia is by definition public.

Life, soul, self, person; the vital force animating the body.

Used 105 times in the NT. While Greek philosophical tradition (Plato) taught psychē was inherently immortal and separable from the body, the NT usage is more aligned with the Hebrew nephesh. Jesus uses it in Matt 10:28 ("fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell") — notably, psychē CAN be destroyed, which contradicts inherent immortality. It often simply means "life" (Matt 16:25-26) or "person" (Acts 2:41, "three thousand souls").

The Sabbath; the seventh day of the week; also used for a week.

Used 68 times in the NT. Jesus kept the Sabbath "as his custom was" (Luke 4:16). He declared himself "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28) — claiming authority OVER it, not abolishing it. His controversies were about HOW to keep it (healing, doing good), never WHETHER to keep it. Paul's pattern was synagogue attendance "every sabbath" (Acts 18:4).

The deepest abyss; used once for the prison of fallen angels.

Used exactly once (2 Peter 2:4). Describes fallen angels held in chains of darkness until judgment. Not about human punishment. Should not be conflated with Gehenna or the Lake of Fire.