In my book The Ten Most Misunderstood Words in the Bible, I discuss the word lost, from the Greek word apollumi. The NKJV translates it as lost thirteen times. However, it is translated as perish more than twice as often (twenty-nine times) and is translated as destroy/destroyed twice as often (twenty-six times). Other translations include ruined–three times, lose–fourteen times, and die–once.
In Ten Words, I demonstrated that apollumi refers to eternal condemnation only 10% of the time. However, I was speaking of 10% of the times when that particular Greek word is used.
In what percentage of NT occurrences does the English word perish (from apollumi) refer to eternal condemnation? Of the twenty-nine occurrences of the word perish, there are only three places where it certainly refers to eternal condemnation: John 3:15, 16 and John 10:28. It probably refers to eternal condemnation in Matt 18:14, though it could refer to premature physical death there. Again, that is only around 10%.
This has an enormous impact on our understanding of much-misunderstood NT texts. Consider the following, with my interpretation in brackets:
- “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish [die prematurely in AD 70]” (Luke 13:3, 5).i
- “Your money perish [be destroyed] with you [i.e., may you also be destroyed], because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money” (Acts 8:20).ii
- “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish [did not die] with those who did not believe [did not believe God would overthrow Jericho], when she had received the spies with peace” (Heb 11:31).iii
- “The Lord…is not willing that any should perish [die prematurely during the Tribulation] but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9).iv
In an odd way, John 3:16 can cause people to misunderstand other passages where the word perish occurs. We know from John 3:17 that perish in 3:16 means to be eternally condemned. But that is a rare meaning.
Here are some representative meanings that are easy to understand:
- “Lord, save us! We are perishing [about to die in the terrible storm on the sea]” (Matt 8:25). Morris comments:
The verb perish (19 times in Matthew) is used of various kinds of disasters, which may explain the variety in translations (e.g., REB, “we are sinking”; JB, “we are going down”; GNB, “we are about to die”; Moffatt is precise with “we are drowning!”). The present tense states the process as already in progress; it is a cry of anguish (Matthew, p. 206).
- “…Zechariah who perished [died] between the altar and the temple” (Luke 11:51).
- “Even though our outward man is perishing [decaying and gradually dying], yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16).
- “…the world that then existed perished [was destroyed], being flooded with water [during Noah’s flood]” (2 Pet 3:6).
The primary meaning of the word perish in the NT is “to be destroyed, ruined, or to die physically.” Only a few times does it refer to being eternally condemned. We must realize that words have ranges of meaning, and the context determines which nuance is in view.
In my doctoral dissertation on repentance and salvation, I misunderstood and improperly explained Luke 13:3, 5 and 2 Pet 3:9. I was led astray by the commentary tradition. Since nearly all commentators understood apollumi as referring to eternal condemnation, I did not consider the contexts carefully. I was duped.
Don’t be like I was. Be a Berean. Search the Scriptures to see what a given text means. And pray about it. Ask God to open the meaning for you (cf. Luke 24:32).
Keep grace in focus and you will never forget that the new birth is conditioned on faith in Christ, rather than on repentance, surrender, commitment, perseverance, or anything else.
i More than one million Jews died in the Jewish War of AD 66-70.
ii Luke tells us that Simon believed and hence was born again (Acts 8:13). Peter was not questioning Simon’s eternal destiny. He was questioning whether God would take his life immediately, as He done with had Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5.
iii While Rahab surely came to faith and was born again, Heb 11:31 isn’t talking about that deliverance. She did not die when the walls of Jericho fell and everyone, except she and her family, were killed.
iv This verse has nothing to do with the condition of everlasting life or escaping eternal condemnation. See verses 10-12 which follow. It is about the fact that as long as there is enough repentance worldwide, God will not bring the seven-year Tribulation, when well over half the world’s population will die.
