Destroy Both Body and Soul

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

"Hell" here is really geenna (Strong's G 1067), but what I find intriguing is that Jesus says both body and soul can be destroyed. This verse is often used to try to prove that we have immortal souls.

Immortal souls that can be destroyed? How can this be?

Why, "destroyed" doesn't actually mean destroyed, they say. It means to be separated from God. This from people who believe that once saved, always saved. So those in danger of being separated cannot ever have been united with God. Never united, but some day separated!

The torture people never rest. But then I do not plan to either, until death takes me away.

Is there a logical way to interpret this verse in Matthew? I believe there is. First of all, "destroy" means just that. The body and all that makes up our personality will be destroyed. This will happen to all of the non-elect.

The elect will also die and turn to dust, but they will be resurrected unto eternal life. This rest of the righteous dead is called being asleep in Christ. Those asleep in Christ will awaken at His call, to life eternal. Souls that are destroyed will cease to exist. Geenna is a place of death, not of eternal torture.

I believe that those who maintain the endless torture doctrine often love it more than they do their spouses. The famous Bible Belt actually has a higher than normal divorce rate. Many of these people would sooner separate from their wives and husbands, than turn away from this terrible, unbiblical belief.