Outer Darkness or
The Darkness Outside
At this point it might be helpful to consider the expression "outer darkness." It is found only three places in the New Testament, all in Matthew's gospel. These three passages can be found listed at the beginning of this paper (those passages highlighted in yellow).
All three passages speak of being "cast" into outer darkness. It is a word that is commonly used of being cast or thrown into hell or into the lake of fire
(see Matthew 5:29; 5:30; 13:42; 13:50; 18:8; 18:9; Mark 9:45; 9:47; Revelation 19:20; 20:10; 20:14; 20:15).
All three passages associate outer darkness with "weeping and gnashing of teeth." One of the purposes of this paper is to determine if the weeping and gnashing of teeth involves anger/rage/pain/anguish (which would signify a place of torment or punishment) or whether it refers to sorrow/grief/regret/remorse which is the position of Hodges, Dillow and Wilkin. We will discuss this more in detail later.
Hodges, Dillow and Wilkin teach that all three of these "outer darkness" passages refer to saved people who are excluded from kingdom joys and who are not allowed to reign with Christ due to their unfaithfulness. Hodges and Wilkin teach that this sorrow and remorse will take place at the judgment seat of Christ and will not last very long. Wilkin, in correspondence with this writer, said, "neither Hodges nor I believe that believers will be grieved beyond the bema." Dillow seems to teach that the weeping and gnashing of teeth will take place in the kingdom: "The phrase 'wailing and gnashing of teeth' is found seven times in the N.T. Even though it is used on three occasions of the experience of the unregenerate in hell, it is also used on four occasions of the regenerate in the kingdom...The Fact that the nonbeliever can experience profound regret in hell in no way implies that the true Christian cannot experience profound regret in the kingdom" (emphasis mine, Joseph Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings, p. 351). Dillow elsewhere teaches that the duration of remorse in the kingdom will not be for long: "The experience of remorse need not last that long. We suspect that the duration of this period of self-examination is equal to the duration of the [millennial] banquet" (p. 532).
Hodges and Wilkin teach that the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" takes place at the judgment seat of Christ and that the remorse does not last very long. There are two reasons why this view of Hodges and Wilkin does not fit the Biblical data: 1) The Bible never speaks of believers being "cast" to the judgment seat of Christ. Church saints will arrive there apparently by means of rapture/resurrection and we will appear before Christ, but it never says we will be cast there. 2) The Bible never associates the judgment seat with outer darkness. Indeed, quite the opposite! It will be a time when everything will be manifested and brought to LIGHT: "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God"
(1 Cor. 4:5).
Contrary to the teaching of Hodges, Wilkin and Dillow, there are many reasons why the "outer darkness" does not refer to the fate of true Christians.
The word "outer" occurs only in the three passages under discussion. Hodges likes to translate it, "the darkness outside." This is an acceptable translation. The term "outside" indicates exclusion. The question is whether it refers to exclusion from a millennial banquet (as Dillow suggests) or whether it refers to total exclusion from the kingdom (excluded from the kingdom due to the person's unsaved condition).
The word
"outer" (εξωτερος) is closely related to another term
"outside" (εξω) which is often translated "without" by the KJV. It is used several times as a description of unsaved people (those who are without, those who are outside):
1 Corinthians 5:12; 5:13; Col. 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:12. It is never used as a description of saved people. It is used with respect to the location of those in hell: "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie"
(Revelation 22:15). The Lord Jesus promised His believers that they would never be cast out (John 6:37, same word). Yet, in spite of this promise from our Lord, Hodges and Dillow and Wilkin believe that saved people will be cast into outer darkness.
Although the term "outer darkness" is only found in the three passages under discussion, the Bible does describe hell elsewhere in terms of terrible darkness: "These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever"
(2 Pet. 2:17). "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever"
(Jude 13).
Will true Christians be cast into outer darkness? Other passages describe the saved of this age in such a way that it makes such a fate impossible. Consider the following:
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son"
(Col. 1:12-13). This statement is true of every born again believer. How could anyone possibly think that those who are partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light will be consigned to outer darkness? We have been delivered from the power of darkness and from the realm of the prince of darkness.
Outer darkness is a realm that we could never enter.
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord" (Eph. 5:8). "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness"
(1 Thess. 5:4-5; compare also Romans 13:11-12). How could children of the light be cast into outer darkness?
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me"
(Acts 26:18). This is an inheritance shared by all true Christians! Would the God who turned them from darkness to light then cast them into outer darkness? Perish the thought!
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light"
(1 Peter 2:9). Would the God who called us out of darkness later cast us into outer darkness, even after we have been glorified? Such a theory makes no Biblical sense.
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life"
(John 8:12) Please note that in
John 10:27 we learn that those who FOLLOW Christ are His true sheep. Christ promised His true sheep that they will not walk in darkness but they would have the light of life. Would He then turn around and cast them into outer darkness?
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord"
(1 Thess. 4:17). If Christ's beloved body and bride are going to be forever with the Lord, then how can some of them be cast into outer darkness? Christ would have to be in outer darkness with them, and such a thought is abhorrent. Outer darkness is not the destiny (not even the temporary destiny) of any member of Christ's body.
http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/doctrine/hodgesgn.htm
Now go "cherry-pick" away! Why don't you guys get serious--there are lost
SOULS on their way to ETERNAL damnation. The body of Christ is NOT divided into two groups. I have not found any scriptural reference to the term "eternal salvation"-- Our spirit is quickened (Eph. 2:1), but it is our soul that is saved.
NE has said ANYTHING remotely close to what is in your quoted statement.