Side-by-Side Bible Text Comparison: CI vs. ECT
Here’s a clear comparison of the 5 strongest texts commonly cited for Conditional Immortality/Annihilationism (CI) versus the 5 strongest texts for Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT). Each text includes:
- The verse
- CI Reading (why it supports final destruction)
- ECT Reading (why it supports endless torment)
- Key Debate Point
This format makes it easy to see both sides. All views affirm God’s judgment is real and serious.
CI’s 5 Strongest Texts (Focus: Death, Destruction, Life as Gift)
- 1 Timothy 6:16
“God… who alone has immortality…”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Only God is naturally immortal. Humans get immortality as a gift through Christ. Wicked don’t get it—they die. | Everyone (saved or lost) lives forever consciously, but in different places. “Immortality” just means God’s unique self-existence. | Does “immortality” apply only to believers, or to all humans by nature? |
- John 3:16
“Whoever believes… will not perish but have eternal life.”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Clear contrast: believe = eternal life vs. not believe = perish (destroyed). No third option of eternal torment. | “Perish” means spiritual ruin/separation from God, not literal end of existence. All live forever, but unbelievers suffer. | Does “perish” mean cease to exist, or just ruined existence? |
- Matthew 10:28
“Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| God can destroy the whole person (soul + body). “Destroy” means bring to an end, not endless ruin. | “Destroy” means total ruin/separation from God, but soul still consciously exists in torment. | Does “destroy” mean extinction, or just maximum ruin? |
- Romans 6:23
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life…”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Sin’s wage = death (end). God’s gift = life (forever). Simple binary choice. | “Death” = spiritual separation from God forever. Everyone lives eternally, but in death or life. | Is “death” the opposite of “life,” or just separation? |
- Malachi 4:1-3
“The wicked will be stubble… burned up… ashes under your feet.”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Wicked become ashes—burned up completely, gone forever. Literal final destruction. | Metaphor for severe judgment, but souls survive eternally in torment (like “lake of fire”). | Are “ashes” final end, or symbolic of ongoing ruin? |
ECT’s 5 Strongest Texts (Focus: Eternal Duration, Conscious Torment)
- Matthew 25:46
“Eternal punishment… eternal life.”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Same “eternal” = same finality. Eternal life vs. eternal death/result (second death). | Same “eternal” = same duration. Life forever = punishment forever (conscious). | Does “eternal punishment” mean endless process or permanent result? |
- Revelation 20:10
“Tormented day and night forever and ever.”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Symbolic apocalyptic language about evil powers. Lake of fire = “second death” (destruction). | Clear promise of endless conscious torment. Humans join same fate (v15). | Is this literal for humans, or symbolic of final defeat? |
- Revelation 14:11
“Smoke of their torment… no rest day or night… forever.”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| “Smoke forever” from Isaiah 34 (destroyed Edom). Describes permanent ruin, not ongoing pain. | “No rest day/night” + “forever” = constant conscious torment. | Old Testament idiom for total destruction, or literal endless pain? |
- Mark 9:48
“‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'” (Isaiah 66:24)
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Isaiah 66 = worms/fire on dead bodies. Unquenchable = unstoppable until consumed. | Fire/worms never stop = eternal conscious suffering. | Corpses consumed (Isaiah), or souls tormented forever? |
- Jude 7
“Sodom… undergoing punishment of eternal fire.”
| CI Reading | ECT Reading | Key Debate |
| Sodom destroyed completely (Genesis 19). “Eternal fire” = irreversible result (ashes now). | “Eternal fire” still burns as example = ongoing torment somewhere. | Finished destruction (history), or eternal ongoing fire? |
Quick Summary Table: Overall Debate
| Theme | CI Strengths | ECT Strengths | Shared Ground |
| Immortality | Only God has it; gift to believers | All souls live forever consciously | Final judgment is real |
| Death/Destroy | Literal end of existence | Metaphor for separation/ruin | Sin deserves punishment |
| Eternal/Aionios | Permanent result | Endless duration | Outcomes are forever final |
| Fire Imagery | Consumes completely | Burns without end | God’s wrath is serious |
| Big Picture | Life vs. Death binary | Two eternal conscious states | God eradicates evil |
Both sides take Scripture seriously. CI emphasizes plain language of death/destruction. ECT emphasizes duration language in judgment scenes. The debate is within Christian orthodoxy—no one denies hell or judgment.
For further comparisons of the early church up to Augustine click HERE