But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1 Timothy 6:9 KJV
Destruction and Perdition
Perdition. Now there’s a word rarely heard in these last days. Do you know what it is?
Of course we can imagine several paths to destruction and doubtless destruction of the body is inevitable. Yet what of perdition?
ἀπώλεια – apōleia
Destroy, Destroyer, Destruction, Destructive:
… indicating “loss of well-being, not of being,” is used
(a) of things, signifying their waste, or ruin; of ointment, Mat 26:8; Mar 14:4; of money, Act 8:20 (“perish”);
(b) of persons, signifying their spiritual and eternal perdition, Mat 7:13; John 17:12; 2Th 2:3, where “son of perdition” signifies the proper destiny of the person mentioned; metaphorically of men persistent in evil, Rom 9:22, where “fitted” is in the Middle Voice, indicating that the vessels of wrath fitted themselves for “destruction;” of the adversaries of the Lord’s people, Phl 1:28 (“perdition”); of professing Christians, really enemies of the Cross of Christ, Phl 3:19 (RV, “perdition”); of those who are subjects of foolish and hurtful lusts, 1Ti 6:9 (for the preceding word “destruction” see No. 3, below); of professing Hebrew adherents who shrink back into unbelief, Hbr 10:39; of false teachers, 2Pe 2:1, 3; of ungodly men, 2Pe 3:7; of those who wrest the Scriptures, 2Pe 3:16; of the Beast, the final head of the revived Roman Empire, Rev 17:8, 11;
(c) of impersonal subjects, as heresies, 2Pe 2:1, where “destructive heresies” (RV; AV, “damnable“) is, lit., “heresies of destruction” (marg., “sects of perdition”); in ver. 2 the most authentic mss. have aselgeiais, “lascivious,” instead of apoleiais.
See PERDITION, PERNICIOUS, WASTE.
I include source detail due to our unfamiliarity.
1 Noun Strong’s Number: g684 Greek: apoleia
Waste (Noun and Verb):
“destruction,” is translated “waste” in Mat 26:8; Mar 14:4.
See DESTRUCTION, B, II, No. 1.
You never gave this sin a thought, not even for a moment.
It was harmless. And you just did it (this one time).
But then your path of doing right becomes shrouded in darkness.
Once again, and then twice (and more) your path toward the deeper darkness quickens your heart.
I hear the cries of perdition in the near distance! But from which cluttered maze of sin have they come?
Works of the Flesh
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.
I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. –
Galatians 5:19-21
Paul brings light to these dark sins with great clarity. Need I say more?
Where do you stand during these last days which are evil?
With those revelers standing in the shadows of darkness? Trying to hide your sins luring you into the mire of a slippery path near the entrance of destruction?
Lord, help you.
Call upon the only One who can save your soul from perdition and destruction, the One who loved the world so much that He suffered for you one the Cross — died — rose from the grave…
Christ Jesus will judge the living and the dead.
Which are you?
Because the Days are Evil, to be continued... God-willing
