In "The Duration and Nature of Future Punishment" by Henry Constable (1868), we find a little table of early writers and their views on this subject. The death date of each is given.

Barnabas (90), Clement of Rome (100), Hermas (l04), Ignatius,Martyr (107), Polycarp,Martyr (147). Justin,Martyr (164), and Theophius, of Antioch (183); all held to Scriptural view that supreme penalty for all who did not have life was eternal death.

Then came a couple of minor writers:

Athenagoras (190) and Tatian (200), who were steeped in Greek philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. The Greeks got their ideas from Babylon. So these two advanced idea of immortality of soul (Genesis 3:4 And serpent said unto woman, Ye shall not surely die:). Their writings were not taken too seriously and they were considered more or less as heretics.

Two more writers, true to Word, came in about this time. They were Irenaeus, Martyr (202) and Clement Alexandrinus (212).

Then Greek influence again was felt. Tertullian (235) not only came out with theory of immortality of soul, but he also taught eternal conscious torment of lost. This idea came especially from Greek myths, which they themselves did not believe. They were simply stories to entertain. Hippolytus (240) followed with same ideas.

This was so revolting to Origen (253) that he invented idea of universal restoration because he accepted theory of immortality of soul. Something had to be done with soul. Since man had become as God, (another lie of Satan), and had immortality and could not die, even God not having power to destroy him, there was a question of what to do with man.

Arnobius {303) still held to teaching of Scriptures. He was about last of those who had truth. Then followed Augustine {430). He fastened both false teachings, immortality of soul and eternal conscious torment of wicked, on to church and it has stuck till now. It is so strongly imbedded that no reformation seems to be able to eradicate it.

The student today is faced with many dilemmas in that science proves that age of universe goes back billions of years and yet Christians today still for most part wrongly teach that Bible speaks of world being created in six days about 6000 years ago. This is simply not what Bible teaches even though it does tell us that Adam was made, formed and created about 6000 years ago. Let’s take a look at Genesis and see what Bible really teaches:

Genesis 1:1 In beginning God created heaven and earth.

Here in first chapter in first verse of Bible, God instructs us that He created heaven and earth but it does not tell us how long this took nor does it say that work was not completed. The word created is an interesting word, it is Hebrew word bara and it means to create or to now have something where there was nothing. So Bible instructs us that where before there was nothing now there is heaven and earth. Then God’s Word says:

Genesis 1:2 And earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon face of deep.

There are many things about Genesis chapter 1 that should have arrested our attention immediately. First is word was for in Hebrew there is no verb “to be” and importance of this can be shown if we turn to Isaiah 45:18.