Reference

Matthew 3:12

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
10

And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

13

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Eternal Conscious Torment
Keyword Match
70% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Destruction / Perishing Language
Keyword Match
80% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Fire Imagery
Keyword Match
100% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Eternal Conscious Torment

The verse describes a final, destructive burning of the chaff, which could be interpreted as annihilation rather than ongoing conscious torment, as "unquenchable fire" emphasizes the certainty and completeness of destruction, not necessarily its eternal duration or the consciousness of the burned object.

Destruction / Perishing Language

While the verse doesn't explicitly state "wicked," the consistent biblical metaphor of "chaff" representing the unrighteous, combined with the "unquenchable fire" as a clear consequence, strongly implies the destruction of people.

Fire Imagery

This verse explicitly mentions "unquenchable fire" in a context of judgment and punishment, directly aligning with the theme definition.