The following has some relevance to defending a Traditionalist understanding of death in opposition to Annihilationism/Conditional Immortality. As well as defending a Calvinist understanding of Total Depravity or an Arminian understanding of Total Inability in opposition to Pelagians, Semi-Pelagians, Provisionists et al.
Some Annihilationists often argue that eternal death and eternal life in the Bible refers to quantitative life or death and not qualitative life or death. The following verses seem undermine that claim. These verses seem to teach spiritual death is separation or distance from God while still alive on earth. In which case, hell can be a further separation and distancing of sinners from God in hell/Gehenna.
Matt 8:22 And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
Luke 9:60 And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
I've always interpreted that to mean, "...leave the [spiritually] dead to [physically] bury their own [physically] dead..." Since it makes little sense for it to mean "leave the [spiritually] dead to [physically] bury their own [spiritually] dead." And it makes NO sense for it to mean "leave the [physically] dead to [physically] bury their own [physically] dead."
1 John 3:14 We know that WE HAVE PASSED OUT OF DEATH INTO LIFE, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love ABIDES IN DEATH.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has PASSED FROM DEATH to life.
Rom. 6:13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FROM DEATH TO LIFE, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Eph. 5:14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and ARISE FROM THE DEAD, and Christ will shine on you."
Luke 15:3 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this YOUR BROTHER WAS DEAD, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
Rom. 7:10 The very commandment that promised life PROVED TO BE DEATH TO ME.
11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me AND THROUGH IT KILLED ME.
2 Cor. 2:16 to one a fragrance from DEATH TO DEATH, to the other a fragrance from LIFE TO LIFE. Who is sufficient for these things?
2 Cor. 3:6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. FOR THE LETTER KILLS, but the Spirit gives life.
Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned---
Rom. 5:17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Rom. 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Rom. 11:15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
Eph. 2:1 1 And YOU WERE DEAD in the trespasses and sins
Eph. 2:5 even WHEN WE WERE DEAD in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ---by grace you have been saved---
Eph. 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
1 Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Tim. 5:6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.
Col. 2:13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
Ezekiel 37 and The Valley of Dry Bones might also suggest spiritual death of the unsaved.
