Louis Abbott was born in 1915. In 1928, he
received Christ. One day, while pastoring a church, a man challenged Louis regarding his
teaching about eternal torment. Louis accepted the challenge.
For three years Louis searched the Scriptures,
searched the Greek and Hebrew words behind the English words "Hell,"
"eternal punishment," "everlasting destruction," etc. At the end of
those three years, he realized he had been taught error regarding the ultimate fate of
mankind. Feeling he could not longer preach the doctrines of his denomination, Louis gave
up the pastorate, but he never gave up studying.
Taking Greek courses from Moody, Loyola
University, and other places, he finally came to the place where, in order to get further,
he had to teach himself. At the present day, his personal library consisting of thousands
of Bible references books, probably has more reference books on the New Testament Greek
than many Bible Colleges and Seminaries.
For almost 50 years now, Louis has been
spending many of his evening hours and weekends studying the subject matter of this book.
There would be few in the world today who would have spent as much time studying these
words as Louis has.
Louis has given me some of the books in his
personal library. On the inside cover, he would put the date he finished the book and note
the pages on which he made notations. I am amazed at how many reference books he has read.
Most people, including scholars usually use these kind of books to look up a subject when
needed. They usually do not read these kinds of books from cover to cover making notes
along the way. But that is how Louis read many of these very difficult books.
Louis gathered manny quotes from dozens of
different sources and authors on the subject of this book. He put these writings into a
paper which we expanded into a book.
Among the early believers were both literalists
and allegoricists both coming to the conclusions contained in this book regarding the fate
of mankind. Diodore, from the school of Antioch was of the literalist persuasion, Origen
was of the allegorical persuasion. Louis Abbott would have sided with Diodore. I, the
editor, would have found myself probably in Origen's school. Bringing this work to book
length has allowed me to add here and there thoughts which reflect the allegorical side of
the subject Louis has spent many years looking from the literalist point of view. I hope
the blend becomes a pleasant mixture which will bring crystal clear vision to the reader.
Whether the reader will be given the grace to
see the wonderful truths contained in this work, is up to the Holy Spirit. I only want to
make it clear in this introduction to Louis Abbott, that the research contained in this
book comes from over 50 years of thorough, dedicated years of "searching to see if
these things be so." Louis Abbott has come to the conclusions in this book, not
because of his religious background, but because he was willing to test his traditions.
May the reader be given the grace to put "fear of God" above "fear of man
and his traditions" and read this book with an open mind and willing heart.
Gary Amirault, editor