The Greek word ἀπώλεια, apoleia is used in the New Testament to designate the destruction of persons, objects, and institutions. When it comes to persons such as Judas Iscariot (John 17:12) and the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:3), the meaning of destruction is open. In other words, the contexts do not necessitate nonexistence or continued existence. The word is used of spiritual death (Matt. 7:13; Rom. 9:22; Heb. 10:39; Rev. 17:8, 11).  But again, exactly what the nature of this spiritual death is, whether it be existence or nonexistence, is not stated. Since the topic under discussion is whether or not people are annihilated or continue to exist for eternity, the annihilationists should not commit the fallacy of begging the question and assume that the spiritual death of people and their destruction automatically means nonexistence. On the other hand, we must be consistent and say such spiritual death and destruction does not necessitate continued existence. Context determines the meaning and we must look at the whole of Scripture to see how God uses it in varying contexts. So, apoleia cannot be used to prove annihilationism.

• Greek word:  ἀπώλεια, apoleia
• Meaning: destruction, to destroy or to cause the destruction of persons, objects, or institutions
• Strong’s #: G684
• Frequency:  17 occurrences in 17 verses.

Summary of the meaning of the Greek word apoleia, destruction, in all verses where it occurs in the New Testament.

1. A person, 2 occurrences
   1. Judas Iscariot, John 17:12
   2. Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2:3
2. Doctrines that damn, 1 occurrence
   1. 2 Pet. 2:1
3. Physical and/or Spiritual death, 7 occurrences
   1. Acts 8:20; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; 1 Tim. 6:9; 2 Pet. 2:3; 2 Pet. 3:7, 16
4. Something wasted, 2 occurrences
   1. Matt. 26:8; Mark 14:4,
5. Spiritual Death, 5 occurrences
   1. Matt. 7:13; Rom. 9:22; Heb. 10:39; Rev. 17:8, 11

 

TABLE OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF APOLEIA ἀπώλεια
Address	Verse	Meaning
Matt. 7:13	“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.	Spiritual death
Matt. 26:8	But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?	Something wasted
Mark 14:4	But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?	Something wasted
John 17:12	“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.	A person:  Judas Iscariot
Acts 8:20	“But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!'”	Physical and/or Spiritual death
Rom. 9:22	What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?	Spiritual death
Phil. 1:28	in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.	Physical and/or Spiritual death
Phil. 3:19	whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.	Physical and/or Spiritual death
2 Thess. 2:3	Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,	A person:  Antichrist
1 Tim. 6:9	But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.	Physical and/or Spiritual death
Heb. 10:39	But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.	Spiritual death
2 Pet. 2:1	But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.	Doctrines that damn
2 Pet. 2:3	and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.	Physical and/or Spiritual death
2 Pet. 3:7	But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.	Physical and/or Spiritual death
2 Pet. 3:16	as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.	Physical and/or Spiritual death
Rev. 17:8	“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.	Spiritual death
Rev. 17:11	“The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.	Spiritual death

 

Dictionaries and Lexicons consulted

• “ἀπώλεια apṓleia; gen. apōleías, fem. noun from apóllumi (622), to destroy fully. Used trans. the losing or loss (Matt. 26:8), intrans. perdition, ruin. In the NT, apṓleia refers to the state after death wherein exclusion from salvation is a realized fact, wherein man, instead of becoming what he might have been, is lost and ruined. Destruction, either temporal (Acts 25:16, death; Sept.: Deut. 4:26; Esth. 7:4; Prov. 6:15; Is. 34:5), or the second death which is eternal exclusion from Christ’s kingdom, equivalent to apothnḗskō (599), to die (Matt. 7:13; Acts 8:20; Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; 1 Tim. 6:9; Heb. 10:39; 2 Pet. 2:1, 3; 3:7, 16; Rev. 17:8, 11).”
  • Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000.
• “ἀπόλλυμιa; ἀπώλειαa, ας f; λυμαίνομαιb: to destroy or to cause the destruction of persons, objects, or institutions—‘to ruin, to destroy, destruction.’
  • Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.
• “ἀπώλεια [ apoleia /ap·o·li·a/] n f. From a presumed derivative of 622; TDNT 1:396; TDNTA 67; GK 724; 20 occurrences; AV translates as “perdition” eight times, “destruction” five times, “waste” twice, “damnable” once, “to die + 1519” once, “perish + 1498 + 1519” once, and “pernicious” once. 1 destroying, utter destruction. 1A of vessels. 2 a perishing, ruin, destruction. 2A of money. 2B the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell.”
  • Strong, James. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995.

 

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