Divided
Version - Spirit
of the Word - Covenant
Eschatology - Introductory
Note - New Stuff
AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF WORDS - by Louis Abbott
CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Definitions of Aion,
Aionios
Chapter 2 - Usage of Aion
Chapter 3 - The Scholars Speak
on Aion
Chapter 4 - Apparent Bible Contradictions
Chapter 5 - "Forever and Ever"
- A Poor Translation
Chapter 6 - What Saith The Translations?
Chapter 7 - Eonian Means What?
- A Search For Truth
Chapter 8 - Greek Tools
Chapter 9 - Aion in Greek Literature
Chapter 10 - Bibles Without "Everlasting
Punishment"
Chapter 11 - Verses "Proving" Punishment
Will be Everlasting
Chapter 12 - Scholars Acknowledge Restitution
of All
Chapter 13 - Punishment? Yes
--
Everlasting? No
Chapter 14 - A Long, But Not Eternal
Visit To "Hell"
Chapter 15 - The "Chosen," Not "I have
Chosen"
Chapter 16 - Clearing Things Up
Chapter 17 - The Complete Revelation
Appendix 1 - Commentary of Previous
Presentation
Appendix 2 - Do You Believe ALL in
the Bible?
Appendix 3 - Reconciliation Scriptures
Appendix 4 - What Pleases the Father?
Appendix 5 - What if we are Wrong?
Epilogue
Introduction
Since the printing of the King James Bible in the year 1611,
English Bible translations have departed from the "Authorized Version"
in many ways. The English word "Hell," for example no longer finds a valid
place in the Old Testament. Most leading English translations no longer
justify the Hebrew word "Sheol" to be translated "Hell," "grave," and "pit,"
as does the King James Version. In the more accurate modern English versions,
"Hell" has disappeared from most of the Bible. As a matter of fact, presently,
the word only occurs 12 to 14 times in such translations as New International
Version (the leading selling Bible) and the New American Standard. Even
in the New Testament, words which used to be translated "Hell" are now
being replaced with other words which do not conjure up the image of a
fiery place of eternal torment.
Scholars are uncovering an image of the Creator much
bigger than has been traditionally taught. This book contains the conclusions
of some of the greatest Christian minds and why they arrived at those conclusions.
This will be helpful to those who seek to enter into their "rest."
About This Book and its Author
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.
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
Dedication
There are three destinies taught in Christendom regarding
the ultimate judgments of the wicked: Eternal Torment, Extermination, and
Universalism. This book is the result of my research on this subject.
I thank the following for reading and editing this book:
Nova Richardson, Pat Phillips, Tony Hinkle, and Gary Amirault. Tony Hinkle
first put my paper in electronic format. Without this step, this book would
not have been printed.
I thank Fay, my wife for her patience all these years
while I was studying theology.
I pray this book will be a blessing to all who are struggling
with this subject.
--Louis Abbott
Forward
My hope in writing this book, is to conclusively show that
there is no valid evidence supporting the translations of the Hebrew word
olam
and the Greek words aion and aionion with English words expressing
unlimited time or eternity. Each of these Hebrew and Greek words expresses
a limited period of time, an eon or an age. Furthermore, I want to show
that the several Greek and Hebrew words traditionally translated into the
single English word "Hell" in many English Bibles, carry no meaning closely
resembling the images projected by many of the modern theological schools
of thought. While the works of eminent scholars of Scripture, past and
present, and those of secular writers will be cited, the final and only
authority for determining the meaning of the words rests in their inspired
usage by God as recorded in the sacred Scriptures.
Dr. R.A. Torrey wrote, "Usage is always the decisive
thing in determining the meanings of words." An examination of the usage
of olam,
aion
and aionion follows. Such a study should
clear from our minds the seeming inconsistencies or contradictions in the
Scriptures where these words are used.
Much of the confusion resulting in splitting into different
denominations stems from mistranslation of a handful of words in some of
our commonly used Bibles. While some Christians are satisfied with accepting
carte blanche their denominations' doctrinal positions, many Christians
are seeking for a purity which can only be found beyond man-made institutions.
One key area various denominations are divided over,
is the final destiny of the ungodly, the wicked, the unsaved, the unregenerated
or however one wishes to phrase it. There are three views on this subject.
Each position claims Scriptural support: (1) eternal torment; (2) eternal
destruction; and (3) the ultimate salvation of all. It is obvious that
all cannot be correct.
Dr. C. Ryder Smith, a teacher of eschatology for twenty
years, says in his book, The Bible Doctrine of the Hereafter(p.
258): "In an earlier chapter, it has been shown that the New Testament
teaches everlasting punishment. On a review of the whole evidence, therefore,
it follows that throughout that book there are two doctrines, which, to
the human mind, are irreconcilable: The doctrine of universalism and the
doctrine that there are those who will not be saved." The Scriptures do
not teach two different destinies for mankind They only seem to do so because
of mistranslations. The Scriptures are the inspired words of God and therefore
cannot be contradictory.
Another church leader, a professor, author, and doctor
in his field, comes to the uncertain conclusion that, to use his words,
"Eternal punishment is a half-truth and universal restoration is a half-truth."
A study of the words olam and aion as used by God should
dispel such confusion.
May this study help many to become acquainted with the
Author of the Scriptures, and to know Him as the Savior of ALL. Truly understanding
the meaning of these words should result in one's seeing the harmony of
the Scriptures as well as the perfect harmony of the attributes of God
with His Love for all mankind. "For God so loved the world ..." --Louis
Abbott BACK
Chapter One - Definitions
of Aion, Aionios
"Usage is always the decisive thing in determining the
meanings of words."
"Over time, words often change meaning, sometimes even
taking on an opposite one."
There will be a couple of places in this publication
where a long list of references are cited which may be dull reading to
some of you. But due to the importance of clearly understanding the meaning
of these words, I ask that you bear with me in those two or three places.
I want the reader to be absolutely certain that what I am presently in
this book has been thoroughly researched.
Dictionaries only give the meaning of a word as it is
used at the time the dictionary is written. Over time, words often change
meaning, sometimes even taking on an opposite one. The word "let" in the
20th century usually means "to allow." But in King James' England, the
word "let" often meant just the opposite- "to restrain." The word "suffer,"
had the meaning "let" in the 16th century. This meaning has been removed
from the modern use of the word. As word meanings change, so will the definitions
found in the dictionaries of that time period. "Carriage" was cargo four
hundred years ago today it describes the vehicle which carries the "carriage."
At one time, a "gazette" was a low value coin which could purchase a newspaper.
Today, the meaning of "a certain coin" has disappeared.
A dictionary, unless it contains the etymology of the
word, is usually of little to no help in determining the meaning of a word
hundreds of years ago. Lexicons, concordances, and etymology books are
needed to ascertain the true meaning of a word within a given culture and
period of time.
Listed below are the definitions modern dictionaries
give to the first set of words we want to look at. Keep in mind ... what
they mean today and what they meant two thousand years ago, are two different
subjects.
Olam, aion, and aonion are defined
in dictionaries, lexicons, commentaries, and the like, as follows: (Here
is one of those long listed I mentioned)
Page and Company's Business Man's Dictionary and Guide
to English: Eon: A long space of time; cycle; forever; eternally;
always; at all times.
New World Dictionary: Eon: Period of immense
duration; an age; endless; for eternity.
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Eon (n.):
An immeasurable or indefinite period of time; incessantly; synonym of constantly,
continuously, always, perpetually, unceasingly, everlastingly, endlessly.
Standard Unabridged Dictionary: Eon: An age
of the universe; an incalculable period, constituting one of the longest
conceivable divisions of time; a cosmic or geological cycle; an eternity,
or eternity. The present age, or eon, is time; the future age, or eon,
is eternity.
Shedd Theological Dictionary (vol. II, p. 683):
Eonian: pertaining to, or lasting for eons; everlasting; eternal.
Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon:
Aion: A period of existence; one's lifetime; life; an age; a generation;
a long space of time; an age. A space of time clearly defined and marked
out; an era, epoch, age, period or dispensation.
Thesaurus Dictionary of the English Language:
Eon: An age of the universe.
Earnest Weekly's Etymological Dictionary of Modern
English: Aeon: Age.
Universal Dictionary: Aeon: A period of immense
duration; an age.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon: Aionios: (1)
without beginning or end; that which has been and always will be. (2) without
beginning. (3) without end, never to cease, everlasting.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible: Eternity:
The Bible hardly speaks of eternity in a philosophical sense of infinite
duration without beginning or end. The Hebrew word olam, which is
used alone (Ps. 61:8) or with various prepositions (Ge. 3:22; 13:15, etc.)
in contexts where it is traditionally translated "forever," means, in itself,
no more than "for an indefinitely long period." Thus, me-olam does
not mean "from eternity," but "of old" (Ge 6:4, etc.). In the N.T., aion
is
used as the equivalent of olam.
The New Testament in Modern Speech, by Dr.
R. F. Weymouth: Eternal: Greek: "aeonion," i.e., "of the ages." Etymologically
this adjective, like others similarly formed, does not signify "during,"
but "belonging to" the aeons or ages.
The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (vol.
IV, p. 643): Time: The O.T. and the N.T are not acquainted with the conception
of eternity as timelessness. The O.T. has not developed a special term
for "eternity." The word aion originally meant "vital force," "life;"
then "age," "lifetime." It is, however, also used generally of a (limited
or unlimited) long space of time. The use of the word aion is determined
very much by the O.T. and the LXX. Aion means "long distant uninterrupted
time" in the past (Luke 1:10), as well as in the future (John 4:14).
Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible (Matt.
25:46): Everlasting punishment-life eternal. The two adjectives represent
the same Greek word, aionios-it must be admitted (1) that the Greek
word which is rendered "eternal" does not, in itself, involve endlessness,
but rather, duration, whether through an age or succession of ages, and
that it is therefore applied in the N.T. to periods of time that have had
both a beginning and ending (Rom. 16:25), where the Greek is "from aeonian
times;" our version giving "since the world began." (Comp. 2 Tim. 1:9;
Tit. 1:3) -strictly speaking, therefore, the word, as such, apart from
its association with any qualifying substantive, implies a vast undefined
duration, rather than one in the full sense of the word "infinite."
Triglot Dictionary of Representative Words in Hebrew,
Greek and English [this dictionary lists the words in this order:
English, Greek, Hebrew] (p. 122): Eternal (see age-lasting). (p. 6): English:
age-lasting; Greek, aionios; Hebrew, le-olam.
A Greek-English Lexicon, by Arndt and Gingrich:
(1) Aion: time; age; very long time; eternity. (2) A segment of
time; age. (3) The world. (4) The aion as a person: aionios,
eternal. 1. Without beginning. 2. Without beginning or end. 3. Without
end.
Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament,
by Abbott-Smith: Aion: A space of time, as a lifetime, generation,
period of history, an indefinitely long period-an age, eternity.
Hasting's Dictionary of the New Testament (vol.
I, p. 542, art. Christ and the Gospels): Eternity. There is no word
either in the O.T. Hebrew or in the N.T. Greek to express the abstract
idea of eternity. (vol. III, p. 369): Eternal, everlasting-nonetheless
"eternal" is misleading, inasmuch as it has come in the English to connote
the idea of "endlessly existing," and thus to be practically a synonym
for "everlasting." But this is not an adequate rendering of aionios
which
varies in meaning with the variations of the noun aion from which
it comes. (p. 370): The chronois aioniois moreover, are not to be
thought of as stretching backward everlastingly, as it is proved by the
pro
chronon aionion of 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 1:2. BACK
Chapter Two - Usage of Aion
As can be seen from these examples, some of the dictionaries,
lexicons, and commentaries consider such words as eternal, forever, and
everlasting to be synonymous to the words age, or eon. In addition to the
foregoing, some Bible translations such as the King James Version, use
the words "forever," "eternal," everlasting," etc., where a period of time,
an age, a limited period, is clearly indicated. Some examples of this are
given below. I will give the Greek transliteration first, followed by a
literal translation. Before we begin I want to stress a very important
point. What follows must be read very slowly and probably several times.
I have made it as simple as I possibly can. One does not need to learn
Greek to see what I hope will become plain to the average reader, but one
does need to go to their translations and to a good concordance to verify
that what I am writing is actually in the text. A Greek-English Interlinear
would also be helpful, but not necessary. Furthermore, there may be some
texts I will deal with that I may not be able to make plain enough what
I want to express. If there are some passages you do not understand, just
set them aside. I will present enough material that it should be easy for
anyone to at least see that these words are not adequately translated in
the King James Bible and many others which have followed the King James
tradition. With that said, let us begin.
The Greek word aion will be translated consistently
with the English word "eon," which is but the Anglicized form of the Greek
word.
Hebrews 1:2 says: di hou kai epoiesen tous aionas,
"through Whom also He makes the eons." Notice the Greek word aionas
is
rendered "worlds" in this passage in the KJV. The ASV margin says "ages;"
and the New Scofield Bible reads "ages." Ephesians 3:11: "according to
the purpose of the eons which He makes in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Both these passages state that God makes the eons; therefore
they had a beginning, and so were not "eternal" in the past. Yet the KJV
translates the passage at Ephesians 3:11: "According to the eternal purpose
which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." A purpose carries the idea
that there is a goal in view, a plan, an aim, a design. Are we to think
that God has a purpose He will never accomplish? That is what such a translation
implies. God has the wisdom and power to accomplish whatever purpose He
has conceived. Notice that in the KJV translation, the Greek word aionon,
a noun, has been translated as though it were an adjective. That is a serious
liberty to be taking with the inspired words of God, aside from using "eternal"
where it is clear that limited time is in view.
In Ephesians alone, aion has been translated in
the KJV the following ways: 1:21 "world;" 2:2 "course [of this world];"
2:7 "ages;" 3:9 "beginning of the world;" 3:11 "eternal;" 3:21 "world without
end;" 6:12 "world." This seems to be a strange assortment of English words
to represent just one Greek word! As we look at other verses, the confusion
even gets worse! Translate aion consistently as "age" or "eon" and
we do not have this confusion. Notice how aion, "eon" and aionios,
"eonian" are translated in the following: 1 Cor. 2:7 pro ton aionon
(before the eons), KJV "before the world," New Scofield "ages," ASV margin
"age." 2 Timothy 1:9 and Tit. 1:2, pro chronon aionion (before times
eonian), KJV "before the world began." In these verses (2 Tim. 1:9 and
Tit. 1:2) the adjective "eonian" in the Greek text is translated in the
KJV as though it were a noun.
Before you go on with this book, please read and re-read
this section until you clearly see that the King James Bible and its sister
translations have not translated these words properly. Pro, in these
verses is a preposition which means "before." chronon is a genitive
plural of the noun chronos which means "time." Aionion is
a genitive plural adjective of the noun aion. Dear reader, please
stop and think this section thoroughly through. It may dramatically change
your life for the better. The only thing the King James Version got right
here was the preposition "before." The translators of the American Standard
and the Revised Version, which are revisions of the King James Bible, realized
there were problems in the King James Bible with these words. They therefore
made a consistent rendering based not upon the Greek, but upon tradition!
They translated that verse in Titus 1:2 "before times eternal." Now what
is the world is that supposed to mean? How can there be times (plural)
before eternity? This is not translation, this is nonsense. But you see,
they had to stay true to the tradition of an eternal "hell" in which many
people would be "forever" punished. Realizing how ridiculous a literal
rendering of this phrase sounded based upon "tradition," the American
Standard translators put in the margin, "or, long ages ago." Now here
is a phrase that makes sense to the Greeks and to the English. Why not
put it into the English text, since that is a rendering which is far more
true to the Greek and English than "before times eternal?" Tradition!!!
It is interesting to note that the Revised Standard Version (a revision
of the Revision of the King James Bible) finally put into the text
itself "ages ago," not quite correct, but certainly much closer than its
predecessors. The New American Standard Version, (a revision of
the American Standard of 1901, an American version of the Revised Version
which
is a revision of the King James Bible) "long ages ago." It took
almost 400 years to break this incorrect "tradition"! They are still dragging
their feet in several others places in the English text where they have
still translated through the "tradition of the elders," and not according
to the Greek text. If it took 400 years for them to come this far with
Titus 1:2, referring to a passage which does not touch their "sacred cow,"
the doctrine of eternal torment in Hell, then how long do you think it
will take for them to treat honestly and objectively the other passages
we will discuss in this book? We must remember, their very jobs, their
very creeds, their very foundation and power of their denominations, that
being the fear of "eternal torment" is at stake here. Surely, we
can expect a fight to the end. "Tradition" has too much to lose in this
fight and the heads of the institutions of the church which have been built
upon the fear of hell instead of the love of Christ will war with those
who demand sound and correct translations to the very end. My dear reader,
I repeat: please do not leave this section until you clearly see that the
Bibles in the King James tradition are dragging their feet unwilling to
handle these two words, aion and aionios correctly.
These Scriptures show God made the eons (Eph. 3:11 and
Heb. 1:2), and that there was a time before the eons, or before eonian
times (1 Cor. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:9; and Tit. 1:2). Since they had a beginning
and there was time before they were made, there could not have been "endless"
or "eternal" time in the past. When does "eternity" begin?
The Scriptures also speak of the end of the eon
and ends of the eons. Matt. 24:3 reads: sunteleias tou aionos,
"conclusion of the eon". The KJV here says "end of the world." The ASV
has "consummation of the age," telling us of a time when this eon will
end, this present wicked eon during which Satan is theos tou aionos
toutou, "god of this eon."
First Corinthians 10:11 tells us of tele ton aionon,
"consummations of the eons." Here the KJV says "ends of the world;" the
ASV "ends of the ages."
The Greek word used here is in the genitive plural, yet
the translators of the KJV have changed the plural to a singular word,
"world." How many ends can a single world have?
Hebrews 9:26, epi sonteleia ton aionon, "at the
conclusions of the eons." KJV: "in the end of the world;" ASV: "end [margin:
consummation] of the ages." So we see the eons cannot be endless in the
future, for they will end individually and collectively.
The Greek word for eon is used both in the singular and
in the plural in the Scriptures. We are told of the past eons, a present
eon, and future eons: Col. 1:26, apokekrummenon apo ton aionion,
"having been concealed from the eons." KJV: "which has been hid from the
ages;" ASV margin: "which has been hid from the ages." So there must be
a least two eons past.
Luke 20:34, hoi huioi tou aionos, "the sons of
this eon." KJV: "the children of this world;" ASV margin: "the sons of
this age."
In Matthew 12:32 Jesus said, oute en touto to aioni
oute en to mellonti, "neither in this eon nor in the impending." KJV:
"neither in this world, neither in the world to come;" ASV margin: "neither
in this age, nor in that which is to come." (See also Galatians 1:4 and
2 Cor. 4:4.) Matthew speaks of two eons: (1) the present eon, and (2) the
impending one. The impending eon is that one in which Christ is to obtain
His kingdom and rule for the millennium.
In Ephesians 2:7 Paul writes, en tois aiosin tois
eperchomenois, "in the on-coming eons." KJV: "in the ages to come;"
ASV: "in the ages to come." So there are past eons, a present one, and
the coming eons, at least five in all. Included in these eons are all the
eonian times that are mentioned in Scripture. The adjective aionios
comes from the noun aion and is defined: "pertaining to or belonging
to the eons." It is an axiom of grammar that an adjective derived from
a noun cannot mean more than its parent word. It must retain the essential
meaning pertaining to the noun. As it has been shown, the noun refers to
limited time, which had a beginning and will have an end. The adjective,
then, should not be translated by such words as "everlasting" or "eternal."
The adjective cannot take on a greater meaning than the noun from which
it is derived. For example, hourly, an adjective, pertains to an hour,
not to a year. BACK
Chapter Three - The Scholars Speak
on Aion
"Even if aion always meant 'eternity,' which is not
the case in classic or Hellenistic Greek-aionios could still mean only
'belonging to eternity' and not 'lasting through it.'"
"That the adjective is applied to some things which
are "endless" does not, of course, for one moment prove that the word itself
meant 'endless;' and to introduce this rendering into many passages would
be utterly impossible and absurd."
Dr. R.F. Weymouth, a translator who was adept in Greek,
states in The New Testament in Modern Speech (p. 657), "Eternal,
Greek aeonian, i.e., of the ages: Etymologically this adjective,
like others similarly formed does not signify, "during" but "belonging
to" the aeons or ages."
Dr. Marvin Vincent, in his Word Studies of the
New Testament (vol. IV, p. 59): "The adjective aionios in
like manner carries the idea of time. Neither the noun nor the adjective
in themselves carries the sense of "endless" or "everlasting." Aionios
means enduring through or pertaining to a period of time. Out of the 150
instances in the LXX (Septuagint), four-fifths imply limited duration."
Dr. F.W. Farrar, author of The Life of Christ
and The Life and Work of St. Paul, as well as books about
Greek grammar and syntax, writes in The Eternal Hope (p.
198), "That the adjective is applied to some things which are "endless"
does not, of course, for one moment prove that the word itself meant 'endless;'
and to introduce this rendering into many passages would be utterly impossible
and absurd." In his book, Mercy and Judgment, Dr. Farrar
states (p. 378), "Since aion meant 'age,' aionios means,
properly, 'belonging to an age,' or 'age-long,' and anyone who asserts
that it must mean 'endless' defends a position which even Augustine practically
abandoned twelve centuries ago. Even if aion always meant 'eternity,'
which is not the case in classic or Hellenistic Greek-aionios could
still mean only 'belonging to eternity' and not 'lasting through it.'"
Lange's Commentary American Edition (vol.
V, p. 48), on Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 4, in commenting upon the statement
"The earth abideth forever" says, "The preacher, in contending with the
universalist, or restorationist, would commit an error, and, it may be,
suffer a failure in his argument, should he lay the whole stress of it
on the etymological or historical significance of the words, aion,
aionios,
and attempt to prove that, of themselves, they necessarily carry the meaning
of endless duration." On page 45 of the same work, Dr. Taylor Lewis says:
"The Greek aiones and aiones ton aionon, the Latin secula,
and secula seculorum, the Old Saxon, or Old English of Wicliffe,
to
worldis or worldis (Heb. XIII 21), or our more modern phrase, for ever
and ever, wherever the German ewig, was originally a noun denoting
age or a vast period, just like the Greek, Latin, and Hebrew words corresponding
to it."
The Rev. Bennet, in his Olam Hanneshamoth
(p. 44), says, "The primary nature of olam is 'hidden,' and both
as to past and future denotes a duration that is unknown." Olam
is the Hebrew word for the Greek aion.
The Parkhurst Lexicon: "Olam (aeon)
seems to be used much more for an indefinite than for an infinite time."
Dr. MacKnight: "I must be so candid as to acknowledge
that the use of these terms 'forever,' 'eternal,' 'everlasting,' shows
that they who understand these words in a limited sense when applied to
punishment put no forced interpretation upon them."
Dr. Nigel Turner, in Christian Words, says
(p. 457), "All the way through it is never feasible to understand aionios
as everlasting."
The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 15, p. 485,
says, "It is possible that 'aeonian' may denote merely indefinite duration
without the connotation of never ending."
The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible,
vol. 4, p. 643, says, "The O.T. and the N.T. are not acquainted with conception
of eternity as timelessness." Page 644: "The O.T. has not developed a special
term for eternity." Page 645: "The use of the word aion in the N.T.
is determined very much by the O.T. and the LXX. Aion means long,
distant, uninterrupted time. The intensifying plural occurs frequently
in the N.T. ...but it adds no new meaning."
Dr. Lammenois, a man adept with languages, states, "In
Hebrew and Greek the words rendered 'everlasting' have not this sense.
They signify a long duration of time, a period; whence the phrase, during
these eternities and beyond." BACK
Chapter Four - Apparent Bible Contradictions
"If it is insisted that aionios means everlasting, this
statement is absurd. It is impossible that anything should take place 'before
everlasting times.' "
"Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former
estate."
"Endlessness is expressed by such particles as 'not,'
'un-,' 'in-,' '-less.' "
The Scriptures, the ultimate authority for God's use
of words, use the adjective aionios in the Greek New Testament thus:
2 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:2 "pro chronon aionion," "before times
eonian." KJV: "before the world began." ASV: "before times eternal." As
mentioned previously, since these verses tell of time before the eons,
eonian times cannot be "eternal." Eternity has no beginning, so nothing
can be pro, "before."
The ASV is one of our better translations in the English
language. With all due respect to the committee which worked at making
that version, let it be said its members missed the meaning of this phrase
and translated it with nonsensical terms. Dr. Marvin R. Vincent, in his
Word
Studies of the New Testament (vol. IV, p. 291): "If it is insisted
that aionios means everlasting, this statement is absurd. It is impossible
that anything should take place 'before everlasting times.'" The phrase
"before times eternal" is actually a contradiction in three words. The
ASV margin reads: "long ages ago;" a much better translation.
Ezekiel 16:55 says, "When thy sisters, Sodom and her
daughters, shall return to their former estate." Since this scripture refers
to a restoration of Sodom, its judgment cannot be for "eternity." In Jude,
the Greek adjective aionios, eonian, is used when the judgment of
Sodom is mentioned.
Jude 7 states that Sodom is an example of puros aioniou
dikên hupechousai, "experiencing the justice of fire eonian."
KJV: "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." In this translation, the
KJV at Jude 7 contradicts that of Ezekiel 16:50-56. Those visiting the
area today see no fire, for if our archaeologists are correct in locating
its former site, it lies beneath a sea. Many such seeming contradictions
would not exist in the KJV had the Greek word been translated correctly
to express limited time, instead of "eternal."
Philemon tells of a runaway slave who was converted by
Paul to believing in the risen Christ. This slave was returned to his master,
Philemon. Paul writes to Philemon, saying (v. 15), echoristê pros
horan hina aionion auton apechês, "he was separated for an hour
that you may be receiving him as an eonian repayment." The KJV says: "He
therefore departed for a season that thou shouldst receive him forever."
This translation seems to teach "eternal slavery." Correctly translated,
there is no problem.
At Romans 16:25, the ASV reads, "Now to him that is
able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept
in silence through times eternal." If this verse is teaching of a mystery
kept in silence through "times eternal," the mystery would never
have been made known. The context in which this verse lies shows that aiÖnios,
eonian, cannot be referring to "eternal" or "endless" time, for the verse
following (v. 26) says: "but is now manifested." If we are to understand
"eternal" to refer to unlimited time, then how could the mystery now be
manifested? The KJV says, "which has been kept secret since the world
began, but is now manifested." The translators recognized that limited
time was in view.
The Greek text of this passage reads, "to de dunameno
humas stopixai kata to euagelion mou kai kêrugma iêsou christou
kata apokalupsin musteriou chronois aioniois sesigemenou phanerothentos
de nun." "Now to Him Who is able to establish you according to my evangel,
and the heralding of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of a secret
having been hushed in times eonian, yet manifested now." Again, there
is no contradiction when the translation is faithful to the Greek text,
by simply transliterating the word aionios into the English word
"eonian." The world is not that which is in view here, but time.
Many present the argument, "If aionios, eonian,
does not mean endless time, then the believers do not have eternal, or
everlasting life. The word is used at Romans 16:26 concerning God, and
surely He is 'eternal;' therefore, the word must mean unlimited." As has
been shown, the word in itself refers to limited time. However, the Greek
does have a way of expressing endlessness by using words other than eon
or eonian, such as in Luke 1:33: ouk estai telos, "there will be
no end." Endless life is spoken of at Hebrews 7:16 thus: zoâs
akatalutou, "indissoluable life." The margin of the ASV: "indissoluable
life." KJV: "endless life."
Believers do have endless life, for 1 Cor. 15:42 says
the dead will be raised in "incorruption," and 1 Cor. 15:53 speaks of "deathlessness,"
or "immortality" (Greek: aphtharsia and athanasia) Endlessness
is expressed by such particles as "not," "un-," "in-," "-less." Death will
ultimately be abolished (see 1 Cor. 15:16), and when death is abolished,
all that can remain is endless life for all. First Corinthians 15:22 in
its context says that life will be IN CHRIST, where there will be no more
dying, and those in the resurrection here mentioned will be incorruptible
and immortal (see 1 Cor. 15:42, 53). BACK
Chapter Five - "Forever and
Ever" -- A Poor Translation
"If the Greek words eis tous aionas ton aionon mean
endless time, as translated in the KJV, 'forever and ever,' we have a contradiction
in Scripture."
-Dr. William Barclay
"This view (Restitution of All) is so clearly Scriptural
that the only surprise is that it has not been more definitely and widely
held."
-Dr. A.T. Pierson
There is no doubt that God has always existed, but the
statement at Romans 16:26 speaks of Him as an eonian God. The Scriptures
say He made the eons, so He existed before they were made, and He will
exist after the eons have been concluded (1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26). He
is endless. To argue that "eonian God" makes the "eonian" unlimited time
because God is unlimited is illogical. Isaiah 54:5, KJV, calls Him "the
God of the whole earth." This does not preclude Him from also being the
God of the entire universe. In the context of Romans 16:26, He is called
the "eonian God," but He was God before the eons were made; He is God during
all the eons, and in post-eonian times. In other words, just because the
Scriptures refer to Him as the "God of the ages" does not preclude Him
from being the God of eternity. The Scriptures declare Him the "God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and "the God of Israel." Does that mean He
cannot therefore be the God of the gentiles, of the whole universe? Of
course not!
As for the KJV translation, "forever and ever," there
are some students of the Greek who admit that this is not a faithful translation
of the Greek words found in the text. The Greek uses three distinct
phrases, all of which are translated the same in the KJV.
Hebrews 1:8: ho thronos sou ho theos eis ton aiona tou
aionos, "Thy throne, O God, is for the eon of the eon." In both occurrences
in this verse, the Greek word we translated "eon" appears in the singular.
Ephesians 3:21: auto he doxa en te ekklesia kai en Christo
Iesou eis pasas tas geneas tou aionos ton aionon, "To Him be the glory
in the ecclesia and in Christ Jesus for all the generations of the eon
of the eons. Amen." Here the Greek word for eon is used twice. The first
time it is in the singular; the second time it is in the plural.
Galatians 1:5: ho he doxa eis tous aionas ton aionon,
"To Whom be glory for the eons of the eons." Here the Greek word for eon
appears twice in the plural.
Philippians 1:10 says (ASV margin), "so that ye may distinguish
the things that differ." Since the words of God are inspired and are used
precisely, to ignore the differences in these passages is to ignore what
He is saying.
Hebrews 1:8 is a quotation from Psalm 45:6, LXX, where
the Greek text says, eis ton aiona tou aionos, "into the eon of
the eon," - the singular form for eon in both occurrences. The preposition
eis
is translated "into" or "unto;" idiomatically, "for." Bagster's
Analytical
Greek Lexicon and Concordance defines it: "eis, into, to
as far as, to the extent of."
Dr. E.W. Bullinger's Lexicon and Concordance
says (p. 804), "eis, unto, when referring to time, denoting either
the interval up to a certain point, during; or the point itself as the
object or aim of some purpose, up to, for."
Dr. Nigel Turner, in his book, Grammatical Insights
into the N.T., says (p. 91), "eis involves a movement for
development toward a goal." If eis means as far as, to the extent
of, or a movement or development toward a goal, then it cannot be used
with words meaning endless or unlimited time.
Ephesians 3:21: eis pasas tas geneas tou aionos ton
aionon, "for all the generations of the eon of the eons." KJV: "throughout
all the ages, world without end." ASV margin: "unto all the generations
of the age of the ages." Young's Literal Translation: "into the age of
the ages." The "eon of the eons" refers to a crowning eon of another which
precedes it.
So what is meant by this expression? Many KJV tradition
scholars say that these three different Greek phrases are idiomatic expressions
for "eternity." Idiotic, perhaps, but not idiomatic! Similar expressions
used in the Scriptures are cited in order to illustrate the meaning: Song
of Solomon 1:1, "song of songs;" Eccl. 12:8, "vanity of vanities;" Gen.
9:25, "servant of servants;" Ex. 26:33, "holy of the holies;" Deut. 10:17,
"God of gods and Lord of lords;" Dan. 8:25, "prince of princes;" Phil.
3:5, "Hebrew of Hebrews;" 1 Tim. 6:15, "King of kings and Lord of lords."
Most students of the Scriptures understand what is meant by such expressions,
so why is Eph. 3:21, "eon of the eons" an enigma? The eon of the eons refers
to the final and greatest of all eons. That it cannot refer to "eternity"
is shown by the statement that there will be "generations," which implies
procreation, which will not happen in eternity since we will then be like
the angels. This eon succeeds the millennial eon, and is previous to the
final state.
There are others who teach the same. Dr. A.T. Pierson
supports this view in his book, The Bible and Spiritual Life:
"This view is so clearly scriptural that the only surprise is that it has
not been more definitely and widely held. It adds immeasurably, both to
the glory of Christ as the coming King, and the Father as the former and
framer of the ages. It is the period typified by the eighth day of the
Mosaic Code: the perfect glory of Christ, reserved for 'the morrow after.'
The millennial 'Sabbath.' And while the millennial period is limited to
a thousand years, there are no definite limits to this final age of glory."
Mr. George Saltau, in his book, Past, Present and
Future, adopts the same view.
Clarence Larkin, Dispensational Truth, or God's
Plan and Purpose in the Ages, shows (p. 3, chart "The Ages") an
age succeeding the kingdom age, which he calls the "perfect age." This
"perfect age" is also shown in other charts in Mr. Larkin's book.
The expression, "eon of the eons," is not limited to
its use at Eph. 3:21. In the LXX at Dan. 7:18 we see, heos aionos ton
aionon, "until eon of the eons." In the Song of the Three Children
(LXX, Septuagint), at the end of verse 68, there is, kai eis ton aiona
ton aionon, "and into the eon of the eons." In the book of Enoch there
is a similar expression: "until the judgment of the eon of the eons be
accomplished."
Windet, in De Vita Functor Statu, states,
"However you understand the phrase, it could not be used unless it signified
something less than endlessness; for 'completion' does not accord with
true endlessness." Therefore, the expression "eon of the eons" and "eon
of the eon" mean the last and crowning eon in which Christ will hand everything
to His Father, entirely subjected (1 Cor. 15:22-28). We know that the millennial
eon will not be one of such complete subjection, for Christ will rule with
a rod of iron, and at its close, after the most wonderful and beneficial
rule by His sceptre, at the instigation of Satan, loosed from the pit,
large numbers of those who have been blessed under Christ's gracious reign
will revolt against Him (Rev. 20:7-9). While there may be many different
interpretations about this "thousand year period," clearly we have time,
and things not yet subjected. This revolt shows that the subjection spoken
of at 1 Cor. 15:22-28; Eph. 1:9-11; Phil. 2:10-11; and Col. 1:10-20 has
not been completed. It will take yet another eon, following the millennial
one, with Christ reigning to end all insubordination in all His realms,
before He will finally surrender to His Father all completed, so that the
Father can be "all in all." The final eon is that of new heavens and the
new earth wherein reigns righteousness (2 Pet. 3:13). That is the one called
the "eon of the eon" (Heb. 1:8). It is also called the "eon of the eons"
at Eph 3:21, because it is paramount to all preceding eons, including the
millennial eon in which Christ Jesus reigns as Messiah and King. Paul writes
(Eph. 2:6,7) of the blessings of the coming eons. He says: "And He rouses
us together and seats us together among the celestials in Christ Jesus,
that in the oncoming eons, He may be displaying the transcendent riches
of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus" (see also Eph. 3:20-21).
Thus, in the coming eons, the millennial and the succeeding
eon, Christ Jesus will be displaying His transcending riches to us. We
must be careful when talking about what God will do in future generations
and ages. For too often we project our own ideas onto the plan of God.
I hope I have not crossed that line. Yet when it comes to the correct rendering
of these words, I feel certain what you are reading sheds much light which
many Bible translations have hidden from us.
Let us get back to "forever and ever." The Greek phrase
eis
tous aionas ton aionon, "for the eons of the eons," occurs about twenty
times in the Greek New Testament in this combination. The ASV margin and
some other versions, lexicons, dictionaries, and commentaries translate
the phrase correctly.
Windet, in De Vita Functora Statu, of 1633
says (p. 170), "eis tous aionas ton aionon, of the New Testament
meant a finite period."
At 1 Cor. 15:25, where the Greek text shows, dei gar
auton basileuein achri hou thê pantas tous echthrous hupo tous podas
autou, "For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His
enemies under His feet." This clearly states that Christ's reigning is
limited. There is no Scripture to contradict the statement when aion
and aionios are correctly translated.
Dr. William Barclay concurs in his commentary (p. 166-169)
on The Letters to the Corinthians. If the Greek words eis tous aionas
ton aionon mean endless time, as translated in the KJV, "forever and
ever," we have a contradiction in Scripture, for Rev. 11:15 says, in the
same version: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of
our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." That
contradicts 1 Cor. 15:25, which says: "He must be reigning till..." If
Rev. 11:15 is translated "eons of the eons," or "ages of the ages," there
is no contradiction. The ASV says (1 Cor. 15:24-25), "Then cometh the
end, when He shall deliver up the kingdom to God., even the Father; When
He shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must
reign till He hath put all His enemies under His feet;" consequently,
the reigning of Christ Jesus and the saints (Rev. 22:5) will be "for the
eons of the eons" or "for the ages of the ages" (see the ASV margin here).
Eis tous aionas is accusative plural, "for the
eons," or "for the ages," and these words are not "forever and ever," which
are in the singular. The word ton is the genitive plural article,
and in our syntax should be translated "of the." In this Greek clause,
there is no word that means "and," as the Greek conjunction
kai;
"and," is not in this clause. The word aionon is the genitive plural
of the noun aion, and the genitive plural in this syntax should
be translated "eons," or "ages;" hence ton aionon, "of the eons."
Anyone can study these words and see that "forever and ever" is not a good
translation of these Greek words. As eis is used in this clause
and as eis involves a movement or development toward a goal, this
clause cannot mean endlessness.
As mentioned previously, there are several analogous
expressions in the Scriptures which should show the meaning of the words
under discussion. In Ex. 26:33 (LXX), tou hagiou ton hagion, "in
the holy of the holies." This is similar to the "eon of the eons" of Eph.
3:21. In II Kings 8:6 (LXX) we see, eis ta hagia ton hagion, "for
the holies of the holies"- similar to "eons of the eons." The "holy of
the holies" and "holies of the holies" refer to the tabernacle. Psalm 44:7
says, ho thronos sou ho theos, eis ton aiona tou aionos, "Thy throne,
O God, is for the eon of eon"- similar to Heb. 1:8. Daniel 7:18: "until
eon of the eons" and similar to that of Eph. 3:21, where a singular is
followed by a plural, "eon of the eons." In these expressions we see the
eons corresponding to the holies in the tabernacle. While there are many
different teachings on the types in the Tabernacle of Moses, it should
not be too difficult to see that there were at least five divisions: (1)
without the camp; (2) in the camp; (3) in the court; (4) in the holy place;
and (5) in the holy of holies. These may be likened to the five eons we
find in the Scriptures (past eons, present eon, future eons). The last
eon is called the "eon of the eons," because it, like the "holy of holies,"
is the climax of the others. In Hebrews chapter 9, the Greek text of Nestle
reads (margin v. 25), eis ta hagia ton hagion, "into the holies
of the holies," and (v. 3), hagia hagion, "holies of holies." Just
as the two holy places in the tabernacle are called the holies of holies,
so the last two eons are often called the eons of the eons. As the tabernacle
illustrated man's approach to God, it corresponds closely with the eonian
times, which also brings man to God. The "holy of holies" was a single
holy place. The "eon of eons," a single eon. It was the pre-eminence of
the "holy of holies," in relation to the other holy places, which caused
it to be so designated. So the pre-eminence of the "eon of the eons" lies
in its being the fruitage and harvest of previous eons. The same is true
of the "holies of the holies" of Heb. 9:25. They may be likened to the
"eons of the eons" of Rev. 11:15; 22:5. Luke 1:33 says of Christ's "kingdom
there shall be no end." While the kingdom itself will not end, but the
reign of Christ for the eons of the eons will end when He delivers up the
kingdom to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24-26).
Mr. W. Kelly, in his book, Lectures on the Book
of Revelation, commenting upon the saints' reign, states (p. 435-436),
"Supposing that God's Word speaks of the earthly state of things and uses
the expression 'reigning forever and ever,' as in Daniel 7 and Luke 1,
it cannot be understood absolutely. The words must be limited by the subject-matter
of which God is speaking, so in Daniel 7:27 the kingdom under the whole
heaven, which is given to the people of the saints of high places, is said
to be an everlasting kingdom. This, I apprehend, is the same period that
is called here the thousand years."
The sentence in Rev. 22:5 saying: "They will be reigning
for the eons of the eons" shows that the expression has no reference either
to the present or to the preceding eons. The Greek verb basileusousin,
"they will be reigning" is a third-person plural future active indicative
form; so this reigning must be future. In this present eon, as in those
preceding ones, the slaves, or servants, of God are not reigning. Similarly,
that God and Christ are living for "the eons of the eons" (Rev. 1:18; 4:9;
10:6; 15:7) has reference to the eons of the future, not to the present
eon. That is not to say that God and Christ Jesus are not living during
the previous eons. God was the living pre-eonian God. He is the living
eonian God, and He will be the living post-eonian God. Paul, when writing
to Timothy, said (1 Tim. 4:10), "For this we are toiling and being reproached,
for we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially
of believers."
Two scriptures state positively that the eons will end:
1 Cor. 10:11, tauta de tupikos sunebainen ekeinois egraphê de
pros nouthesian hêmon eis hous ta telê ton aionon katêntêken,
"Now those things befalls them typically, yet it was written for our admonition,
to whom the consummations of the eons have attained." Paul had said what
those things are, which befalls them typically, in the preceding verses.
Yet "it was written" is in the singular, for "our" (plural) admoniton-
the "our" referring to the saints, who are the present believers. "To whom,"
referring to the saints, "the consummations of the eons have attained."
The Corinthian saints had attained the consummations of eons in spirit
because they were a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Some day all will be a
new creation (Rev. 21:5). Now, only the saints who are in Christ are of
the new creation, but it is God's goal for the eons to head up all in the
Christ, as stated at Eph. 1:9-11. Salvation for all is God's plan
for the eons. Those saints believing now have attained that purpose, so
have attained the consummation of the eons.
While some doubt such an exegesis of 1 Cor. 10:11, others,
such as the writer of the New Dictionary of the N. T. Theology,
concur (vol. 1, p. 324): "Paul also speaks of a movement from God to man.
1 Corinthians 10:11 speaks of us 'upon whom the end of the ages has come.'
Hebrews 9:26 contains a similar expression, 'at the end of the ages' (time,
art. aion). Christ appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself. The movement directed by God towards its end; with us it has now
attained its goal. The thought also contains the certainty that with Christ,
Who inaugurates the end of the ages, a new world era and order of things
has begun. Admittedly, this is apparent only to the believer."
Consequently, with the saints it is possible in spirit
to taste the powers of the ages to come (Heb. 6:5). At Hebrews 9:26 the
Greek says, epei edei auton pollakis pathein apo kataboles kosmou nuni
de hapax epi sunteleia ton aionon eis athetêsin tês hamartias
dia testhusias autou pephanerotai, "Since then, He must often be
suffering from the disruption of the world, yet now, once, at the conclusion
of the eons, for the repudiation of sin through His sacrifice, He has been
manifested." In the clause, "He has been manifested," the verb is a
third-person singular perfect passive indicative. The Greek perfect tense
denotes the present state, resultant upon a past action. There is no English
tense which corresponds to that of the Greek perfect, so this form is a
difficult one to convey into English. It may be translated: "through His
sacrifice, He is manifested." But it is clear His sacrifice was not at
the "end of the world," as the KJV says, since the world continues. But
it is equally clear that His sacrifice was not at the "conclusion of the
eons," since Paul wrote of "this present wicked eon" and the "on-coming
eons" (Gal. 1:4; Eph. 2:7). Sin still remains, and there is a world of
sinners; but when the eons come to a conclusion, sin will be repudiated
by virtue of His sacrifice.
In Romans 4:17 Paul says, "According as it is written
that, a father of many nations I have appointed you, facing which, he believed
it of the God Who is vivifying the dead and calling what is not as if it
were." Here Paul is writing of Abraham, that Abraham believes God.
The God Abraham believes is the God "who is vivifying the dead and calling
what is not as if it were." God did not say, "I will appoint
you a father of many nations," but "I have appointed you," using
a Greek perfect verb, which indicates a completed action with a resultant
state of being. As God stated it, it is already an accomplished fact, yet
at the time, Abraham did not even have a son, and he was nearly one hundred
years old. So God was there calling what was not as though it were. God
speaks so of us, when He says: "Now whom He designates beforehand, these
He calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also, now whom He
justifies, these He glorifies also" (Rom. 8:29-30; see Eph. 1:3-8).
Are we glorified now? Certainly not! But God is following the same pattern
of dealing with us as with Abraham, in that He is calling what is not as
if it were. God says that He "seats us together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus" (Eph. 2:6), yet we are still in this world, and a part of an ecclesia
on the earth. He can make such a statement because He can, and will, do
what He says.
Because we are a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor.
5:17), we have attained to the consummations of the eons (1 Cor. 10:11).
At the conclusion of the eons, sin will be repudiated. At present God is
"calling what is not as if it were." Only God is able to do that.
The Scriptures teach that during the eons mankind is
experiencing evil, sin, sickness, death, judgments, generation, opposition
from sovereignties, authorities and powers, all of which will be nullified
or abolished, as stated in 1 Cor. 15:22-28.
Luke 1:50 says, kai to eleos autou eis geneas kai
geneas tois phoboumenois auton, "and His mercy is for generations
and generations, for those who are fearing Him." In the phrase, "for
generations and generations," there is an example of two plural nouns being
used with the conjunction kai, "and;" but in the expression aionas
ton aionon, there is no conjunction. The word ton, "of the,"
is the genitive plural article, and should not be translated "and," as
is done in the KJV's "forever and ever." The LXX, at Psa. 90:1, states,
en
genea kai genea, "in generation and generation." Another example of
the use of the conjunction
kai, "and," between the two words for
"generation" in the singular. At Heb. 1:8 the noun aion, "eon,"
is used twice in the singular form, but with no "and" between. At Ex. 15:18,
kurios
basileuon ton aiona kai ep aiona kai eti, "the Lord is reigning the
eon and upon eon and longer." Eon, as used here, cannot refer to time without
end, for there could be nothing beyond, or longer than, endless time. Here
the Latin Vulgate says,
Dominus regnabit in aeturnum et ultra, "The
Lord will reign unto [or into] eternity and beyond." The Latin word
in,
when used with an accusative aeturnum, has the meaning of placing
His reign in eternity, but the ultra, "beyond," shows it did not
stop when it was placed there, but continued beyond the time of the placing.
The English words, "forever and ever," unfortunately, do not convey the
same meaning.
The Hebrew text shows, "to the eon and further." Similar
expressions appear frequently in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin texts (see
Daniel 12:3, for example).
Wycliffe's version, the first translation into English,
did not use the words "forever and ever." Several versions in modern English
do not use those words either: The Emphasized Bible, by J.B.
Rotherham; The N. T., A Translation, by E.L. Clementson;
The
Emphatic Diaglott, by Benjamin Wilson; Young's Literal Translation,
by Professor Robert Young; and The Concordant Literal New Testament,
by A.E. Knoch as well as others.BACK
Chapter Six - What Saith The Translations?
"Because 'orthodox' scholars contradict themselves
even within their own organizations, when it comes to these words, it often
becomes difficult for sincere students to get their true original meaning."
The Old Scofield Bible, using the KJV,
made 35 marginal notations for the noun aion, "eon," and three for
the adjective aionios, "eonian."
The late Oxford University Press Sunday School
Teacher's Bible corrected the noun eighteen times, and the adjective
not at all. In the Companion Bible, Dr. E.W. Bullinger noted
every occurrence of the noun and the adjective, and showed the corrected
translation either in the marginal notes or in the appendix.
In the New Analytical Indexed Bible, by
John A. Dickson, there are but three marginal corrections for the noun
(1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 6:5; 9:26). For the adjective only two marginal corrections
are given, where "before times eternal" is offered, instead of "before
the world began," as in the KJV.
The Newberry Bible gives many excellent
marginal notes. Correct marginal readings appear for the noun, aion,
more than 100 times. The adjective is left with no marginal notes, except
at 1 Tim. 1:9 and Tit. 1:2, where "eternal times" is given.
In Rotherham's 1872 version, the word "age" is used consistently
for the noun. In his later edition, 1897, the word "age" is used about
90 times. The adjective for aion is translated "age-abiding" quite
consistently in both editions.
The ASV of 1901 translates the noun correctly in the
text or in a marginal reading in 90 of its 123 occurrences. The adjective
was translated "eternal" at Rom. 16:25; 2 Tim. 1:9; and Tit. 1:2, where
the KJV used "world."
Professor Robert Young, author of Young's Analytical
Concordance, as well as his Literal Translation of the Bible,
uses "age" as the translation for the noun. The adjective is translated
"age-during" in all except three of its occurrences. At 2 Tim. 1:9 and
Tit. 1:2 he uses "time of the ages" and in Philemon, "age-duringly."
J.N. Darby's translation of the New Testament uses "age"
65 times for the noun, but in several instances a correct translation in
the text is contradicted in his footnotes.
The Concordant Literal Translation of the New Testament
uses "eon" for the noun consistently, and "eonian" for the adjective in
all cases.
The preface of the Numeric English New Testament,
by Ivan Panin has this comment (p. 16): "Aionios can safely be rendered
eternal, but its noun in eis ton aiona cannot be rendered 'into
eternity' or 'forever;' hence the aion phrases are rendered literally."
Panin follows his rule, except at Acts 3:21 where he translates the phrase
ap
aionos "from of old," and in John's Evangel, where in eleven occurrences
out of thirteen he does exactly what he had said could not be done. The
adjective is translated "eternal," except at Rom. 16:25; 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit.
1:2; and Philemon 15.
In the New Testament or Covenant, by E.E.
Cunnington, the noun is translated correctly either in the text or in the
footnotes twenty-eight times, but "forever" in Matt. 21:19, where it is
followed by his note, "Lit. For the age and elsewhere." "For evermore"
in this version at Rev. 1:6 is followed by this note: "Lit. to the ages
of the ages (and elsewhere)." The first occurrence of the adjective eonian,
at Matt. 18:8 he translated "eternal," but this is followed by his note:
"Lit. age-long (aeonian) and elsewhere." Thus in Cunnington's version,
if the notes are overlooked, one will not see the truth expressed by the
Greek text.
Following, are some of the more modern English versions'
renderings of these words. For reference purposes, we have listed all the
different rendering of the words we are studying. The reader may skip this
section if they desire. The manuscript for this book was prepared before
several of Bibles which appeared in the 1980's and 1990's came out. That
is why they are not included included in this section.
The New International Version of the New Testament
translates aion, "eon," as the following: "forever" 27 times; "age"
(including the plural "ages") 25 times; "forever and ever" 22 times; "never"
9 times; "world" 6 times; "eternal" twice, "the universe" twice, "ever"
twice; "life" twice; "long ago" twice; and once each with "enduring," "forevermore,"
and "time began." The adjective is translated "eternal" 60 times; "everlasting"
4 times; "beginning of" twice, as well as once each with "ages past," "forever,"
life," and "good." This version translates Eph. 3:11, "according to His
eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." Can one
explain how God could have an "eternal purpose which He accomplished?"
An "eternal purpose" can never be accomplished, and if a purpose has been
accomplished it cannot be "eternal."
In The Holy Bible, an American Translation,
by William E. Beck, aion, "eon," is translated "forever" 50 times;
"world" 29 times; "never" 8 times; "long ago" 3 times; "ever" 4 times;
"ages" 4 times; and once each "time," "beginning," and "everlasting." At
1 Cor. 2:6, the noun was not translated, or the translation was so vague
one could not tell what word might have been used, although it appears
twice in this verse in the text. The adjective is translated "everlasting"
58 times; "forever" 6 times; and once each "long ago," "lasting forever,"
"world began," "eternally," and "ages ago."
In The Jerusalem Bible, aion, "eon,"
is translated "forever and ever" 23 times; "forever" 21 times; "world"
19 times; "never" 9 times; "age" 4 times; "time" 3 times; "assured" twice;
and once each "eternal," "ever," "ancient times," "world began," "long
age," "today," "age began," "last age," "all eternity," "centuries," "world's,"
"life," and "everything there is." For the adjective there are these: "eternal"
60 times; "everlasting" twice; "eternity" twice; and once each "eternally,"
"long ago," "endless ages," "beginning of time," and "forever."
In The New American Bible, The New Testament,
by the St. Anthony Guild, 1971 edition, aion, "eon," is translated
"forever" 24 times; "age" (including the plural "ages") 23 times; "forever
and ever" 15 times; "never" 10 times; "world" 9 times; "worldly" 3 times;
"endless ages" twice; and once each "enduring," "worldly way," "life demand,"
"ancient times," "ever," "always," "long ago," "of old," "world's goods,"
"age-old," "eternity," "without end," "the universe," and "unending ages."
The adjective is translated "eternal" 44 times; "everlasting" 17 times;
and once each "endless," "without end," " last forever," "endless ages,"
"ages," "lasting," "lasts forever," and "world began."
In The Good News Bible, aion, "eon,"
is translated "forever" 23 times; "forever and ever" 22 times; "age" 13
times; "never" 7 times; "long ago" 3 times; "life" 3 times; "eternal" 3
times; "the universe" twice; and once each "now or ever," "live," "all
time," "ages of time," "world's," "ever," and "time." The adjective is
translated "eternal" 63 times; "beginning of time" twice; and once each
"long ages," "lasts forever," " last forever," " all time," and "unfailing."
In The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek
Scriptures, the noun "eon" is translated "system of things" 33
times; "forever" 28 times; "forever and ever" 20 times; "never" 6 times;
"of old" 3 times; "eternity" twice, and once each "of old time," "eternal,"
"ever," and "indefinite past." The interlinear was translated consistently
"age" for the singular and "ages" for the plural. The adjective "eonian"
is translated "everlastingly" 65 times; "longlasting" 3 times; and "forever"
once. In the interlinear, it is incorrectly translated "everlasting," except
at Philemon 15 where it is "everlasting(ly)."
This is a time of apostasy, so while some groups do teach
and believe the truth concerning the eons, others have departed from what
the Scriptures say, not only about the eons, but also about equally vital
truths.
Although it would seem several translators, such as those
cited above, realize that aion and aionios cannot be construed
to mean endless time, yet they refuse to use a word which more closely
expresses the Greek. Rather, they have chosen to use the inconsistent renderings
that have been shown in this book. The learned Catholic men who translated
and authorized The Jerusalem Bible and The New American
Bible seem to be oblivious of the fact that the large Catholic
Bible dictionary titled, The Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible
says
(p. 693):
ETERNITY: The Bible hardly speaks of eternity in the
philosophical sense of infinite duration without beginning or end. The
Hebrew word olam, which is used alone (Ps. 61:8; etc.) or with various
prepositions (Gen. 3:22; etc.) in contexts where it is traditionally translated
as 'forever,' means in itself no more than 'for an indefinitely long period.'
Thus me olam does not mean 'from eternity' but 'of old' (Gen. 6:4, etc.).
In the N.T. aion is used as the equivalent of olam.
Here the translators have consistently ignored what their
own "authorities" tells them, and have used words which do convey
the idea of endless time. Because "orthodox" scholars contradict themselves
even within their own organizations, when it comes to these words, it often
becomes difficult for sincere students to get their true original meaning.
The following letter illustrates the point. BACK
Chapter Seven - Eonian Means What?
A Search For Truth
"By this point in my studying I had begun to think
that possibly these theologians were employing more subterfuge than enlightened
honesty in dealing with the issue."
Dear Louis,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! I
read that you are to be a speaker at the upcoming Bible conference close
to Springfield, MO. I'm writing to say that I now plan on attending on
Saturday, if possible. I look forward to meeting you.
I enjoyed our correspondence of three years ago and
have not forgotten the nature or substance of your thoughts expressed then.
Here is the result of my thinking and studying on aiwnioj in recent times.
For some years (I'm 32 yrs. old) certain passages had made me wonder as
to the scope of their meaning; i.e. Romans 5, 1 Cor 15, Colossians 1, etc.
In 1976 I received some sample literature, among which were tracts on the
Salvation of All. Being a "Bible believing" orthodox evangelical, I rejected
the idea. The year 1979 found me just having completed a year of studying
the Koine (Greek) language at a theological seminary. Thus new tools were
provided to eventually consider the idea of God being All in all.
As I began to seriously ponder this concept (which
I felt no particular desire to adopt), I began to read more literature,
books, pamphlets by others that were well reasoned from Scripture. I began
to be convinced in spite of my previous feelings. I decided I had better
read the "pro-eternal torment" position.
What do scholars of this position present? Clouded
and confused thoughts. First I read a classic by William G.T. Shedd entitled
The
Doctrine of Endless Punishment. This was supposed by evangelicals to
be the best defense of the foregoing doctrine. His first section in which
he appealed to the "Church Fathers" I soon discounted, for as anyone who
is even marginally aware of "the Fathers" can testify: they proclaim many
diverse and even esoteric doctrines. The book did help me realize that
one of the keys to resolving the question was the meaning of the word aionioj..
Does it mean eternal (endless) or eonian (age-lasting)? This is very critical.
After much discussion, Shedd's conclusion as per page 84: anything,
endless or limited, can be denominated aionioj! Both ways! It depends
on the passage. And, of course, only a competent exegete such as Shedd
can determine which of the two opposite meanings is to be chosen in a particular
passage. There was no help for me here. What other conclusions did he come
to? Page 145, "'If there were no God, we should be compelled to invent
one' is now a familiar sentiment. 'If there were no hell, we should be
compelled to invent one' is equally true." What else does this scholar
say? Page 159, "the Bible teaches that there will always be some sin, and
some death, in the universe." It's as if he had never read 1 Corinthians
15:26. One final quote from Shedd, Page 119: "Nothing is requisite for
(doctrine of endless torments) maintenance but the admission of three cardinal
truths of theism; namely, that there is a just God; that man has free will;
and that sin is a voluntary action." He did not give a Scriptural
reverence of Romans 11:32 for this statement. In fact, he gave no reference
to the Scriptures at this point.
I thought I might read a more recent book of Endless
Punishment--so I read a highly recommended Doctrine of Eternal Punishment
to gather more information on aionioj. Page 49, "No sound Greek scholar
can pretend that aionioj means anything less than eternal." I decided he
must not have read Shedd's book. Also the very highly esteemed translators
of the New International Version must not have read the latter book (or
must not be "sound Greek scholars") because their rendering in Romans 16:25
speaks about, "the mystery hidden from long ages past." "Long Ages Past"
being their translation "eonian times." I was confused--one meaning only
(eternal) or two (opposite) meanings?
Well, in our Greek class we learned to trust the Arndt-Gingrich
Lexicon to settle the questions that came to mind. I was curious--would
Arndt-Gingrich say one or two meanings? The answer: three
meanings: 1) endless past with definite ending point in the future, 2)
definite beginning point in past with endless future, 3) endless past and
endless future! Ingenious! By this point in my studying I had begun to
think that possibly these theologians were employing more subterfuge than
enlightened honesty in dealing with the issue. Most other reference works
fall into one of the afore-mentioned categories when dealing with aionioj.
Of course, there are the King James Version's "world began" phrases.
I cannot yet give you a conclusion to this whole matter
from a personal perspective, but I think it will be obvious to you which
direction my thinking is headed. In search of truth, Mike BACK
Chapter Eight - Greek Tools
"...concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning
the righteousness which is the law, blameless. But what things were gain
to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all
things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness
which is from God through faith; that I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to
His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
-Philippians 3:7-11
The man who wrote the words above was Paul, the apostle.
Paul, was a theologian. He studied under one of the all-time greats in
his day. Gamaliel, Paul's professor, so to speak, knew the Scriptures in
their original language. He was the head of what today we would call a
seminary. Gamaliel was an outstanding scholar. Yet Gamaliel could not bring
Paul to the truth. Paul counted his Hebrew studies as rubbish.
Now Paul did not throw all his training away. But apart
from the spirit of revelation, the Scriptures did not reveal the truth.
Paul tells us that God is love. Paul did not know such a God under Gamaliel.
Once Paul received that love, he was able to use that
which he learned from scholars to the good of those who Paul would teach.
The Book of Romans is a perfect example of the right balance between revelation
and scholarship.
I urge those of you who are reading this book to learn
the difference between revelation and scholarship. The church world is
full of Gamaliels, Hillels, and Shammais (great ancient Hebrew scholars).
They write many books which are but rubbish apart from the spirit of revelation.
So then, a word to the wise. Set your priorities. Knowing
Christ will not come from scholarship; it will come from relationship.
Once the intimate relationship is established, language tools can become
very valuable to instruct the hungry.
While not everyone has the time to study Hebrew and Greek,
which require years of study before one can become proficient in either
language, there are excellent study aids available to the English reader
with which one can check to see how each Greek or Hebrew word has been
translated in its every occurrence in the Scripture. Christian book stores,
or book stores for the denominational groups, have such study aids as these:
The
Word Study N.T., in two volumes. Volume one shows the translation
of each word used in the KJV in large print with a code number under each
English word. That number is keyed to volume two and to several other Greek
lexicons and concordances. Volume two is titled The Word Study Concordance.
It is a copy of the old Englishman's Greek Concordance of the New
Testament.
Also available are Strong's Exhaustive Concordance;
Young's Analytical Concordance; The Englishman's Greek
Concordance of the New Testament; The Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance
of the Old Testament and Smith's Greek-English Concordance.
These works contain a complete listing of each New Testament Greek word,
or each Old Testament Hebrew word, so that one may see at a glance how
the words were translated in the KJV.
The Concordant Literal New Testament with
Keyword Concordance lists each word of the Greek text and shows how it
was translated in that version.
Word Study volumes, of which there are many are also
very helpful. Vincent's Word Studies of the New Testament
is one that I would highly recommend.
Careful study of some of the volumes previously mentioned
will glean facts often overlooked or purposely avoided in traditional "Bible
Study." For example, the Young's Analytical Concordance plainly
reveals what I have been saying about the words we are looking at. A search
under "eternal" will reveal that Dr. Young clearly saw that the King's
translators did not handle the word aion correctly. A look in Smith's
Greek-English Concordance under entry number 165b will reveal much
which the average person who reads the King James Bible will never become
aware of.
While interlinear Bibles are not the complete answer,
they often help to at least look at the Greek and Hebrew underlying the
translations. The Greek New Testament (UBS4 with NRSV & NIV)
edited by John Kohlenberger III, The Greek-English Interlinear New
Testament edited by J.D. Douglas which contains the United Bible
Society's fourth edition of their Greek text along side the NRSV, and the
Zondervan
Parallel New Testament in Greek and English which contains the
Nestle's Greek text, a literal translation, the KJV, and the NIV, are helpful
with the New Testament. The Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament
is helpful in the Old Testament.
Throughout this book, I have quoted many dozens of scholars
adept in the languages of the Bible. It would behoove the readers to acquaint
themselves with some of these very valuable resources. BACK
Chapter Nine - Aion in Greek Literature
"If by 'eonian,' endless time were meant, then what
could be more than endless time?"
"All the way through it is never feasible to understand
'aionios' as everlasting."
-Dr. Nigel Turner
"In Hebrew and Greek, the words rendered 'everlasting'
have not this sense. They signify a long duration of time, a period; whence
the phrase, during these eternities and beyond."
-Dr. Lammenois
Ancient writings, other than the Scriptures, show how
aion
and aionios were used in the ordinary affairs of that time period.
Long ago in Rome, periodic games were held. These were referred to as "secular"
games. Herodian, who wrote in Greek about the end of the second century
A.D., called these aionios, "eonian," games. In no sense could those
games have been eternal.
Adolph Deissman gives this account: "Upon a lead tablet
found in the Necropolis at Adrumetum in the Roman province of Africa, near
Carthage, the following inscription, belonging to the early third century,
is scratched in Greek: 'I am adjuring Thee, the great God, the eonian,
and more than eonian (epaionion) and almighty...' If by eonian,
endless time were meant, then what could be more than endless time?"
In the Apostolical Constitutions, a work
of the fourth century A.D., it is said, kai touto humin esto nomimon
aionion hos tes suntleias to aionos, "And let this be to you an eonian
ordinance until the consummation of the eon." Obviously there was no thought
in the author's mind of endless time.
Dr. Agar Beet, in his article "On the Future Punishment
of Sin," published in The Expositor, carefully examined the
meaning of the word aionios, and the only passage in which Dr. Beet
could adduce the word could possibly mean endless was from Plato's
Laws (p. 904 A). But there is a question there as to whether Plato was
referring to endless time.
The noun and adjective we are studying were used repeatedly
in the Septuagint in relation to ordinances and laws which were limited
as to time. A check of these usages as given in a concordance to the Septuagint
will show there is no instance in which these words can refer to endlessness.
There are those who insist that the "punishments" of
God are "forever and ever." The Greek word for punish and punishment appears
just three times in the N.T. Each time, the punishing comes at the hands
of humans, not from God. There is no word meaning "punish" or "punishment"
in the Hebrew. However, our common version translates two Greek words,
timoreo,
"punish," and kalazo, "chastise," with the same English word, "punish."
Chastising carries the idea of correcting with a view to amendment of one's
mistakes, while punishment is penal action. These two words were defined
by Aristotle in his Rhet. 1, 10, 17, as, "kolasis is corrective,
timoria
alone is the satisfaction of the inflictor." Archbishop Trench states in
his synonyms of the N.T. (p. 23-24): "timorio indicates the vindictive
character of punishment; kolasis indicates punishment as it has
reference to correcting and bettering the offender."
Kolasin is
the word our Lord used as recorded at Matt. 25:46 which the King James
tradition mistranslates "everlasting punishment". Timoreo is used
at Acts 22:5; 26:11; and timoria at Heb. 10:29.
In Ex. 15:18, where the KJV says: "The Lord shall reign
forever and ever," the Septuagint shows, kurios basileuon ton aiona
kai ap aiona kai eti, "The Lord is reigning the eon, and upon eon,
and longer," and the Latin Vulgate, in aeternum et ultra, "into
eternity and beyond." The Hebrew says, "Jehovah shall reign to the eon
and beyond." Our conception of the English "forever and ever" allows for
no time to be "beyond."
Some insist that while the noun in the singular does
mean "age," in the plural it means "forever," or "eternal." But notice
how both the singular and the plural are used in the Septuagint. At Micah
4:5 (singular),
eis ton aiona kai epekeina, "for the eon and beyond,"
and at Dan. 12:3 (plural), eis tous aionas kai eti, "for the eons
and longer." If the plural means forever, eternity, endless time etc.,
there can be no time longer than that. In the Book of Enoch there is, heos
suntelesthê krima tou aionos ton aionon, "until the judgment
of the eon of the eons may be accomplished." The Greek word suntelesthê
is a compound word (sun + telesthê). Without the sun,
telestha
appears at Luke 12:50; Rev. 10:7; 17:17; 20:3,5, and 7 where it should
be translated: "should be accomplished" (or "finished" or "consummated").
The heos of the above is a conjunction of time, which limits the
judgment to a period called "the eon of the eons." Paul uses both the singular
and the plural form in one sentence (Eph. 3:21), "to Him be glory in the
ecclesia and in Christ Jesus for all the generations of the eon of the
eons" (CV). Understand that as long as there are "generations," we are
not at the end of all things and therefore "eon of the eons" cannot refer
to eternity, everlasting, forever and ever, etc.
At Isa. 60:15, the adjective is used: "I will make you
an eonian (aionion) excellency." This is followed by, "a joy of
many generations." Eonian cannot mean endlessness here, for when the eons
close, generations cease for there will be no more procreation.
Dr. Mangey, a translator of the writings of Philo, says
Philo did not use aionios to express endless duration.
Josephus shows that aionios did not mean endlessness,
for he uses it of the period between the giving of the law to Moses and
that of his own writing; to the period of the imprisonment of the tyrant
John by the Romans; and to the period during which Herod's temple stood.
The temple had already been destroyed by the time Josephus was writing.
St. Gregory of Nyssa speaks of aionios diastêma,
"an eonian interval." It would be absurd to call an interval "endless."
St. Chrysostum, in his homily on Eph. 2:1-3, says that
"Satan's kingdom is æonian; that is, it will cease with the present
world."
St. Justin Martyr repeatedly used the word aionios
as in the Apol. (p. 57), aionion kolasin ...all ouchi chiliontaetê
periodon, "eonian chastening ...but a period, not a thousand years."
Or, as some translate the last clause: "but a period of a thousand years
only." He limits the eonian chastening to a period of a thousand years,
rather than to endlessness.
In 1 Enoch 10:10 there is an interesting statement using
the Greek words: zoên aionion, "life eonian," or, as in the
KJV, "everlasting life" (at John 3:16 and elsewhere). The whole sentence
in Enoch is, hoti elpizousi zêsai zoên aionion, kai hoti
zêsetai hekastos auton etê pentakosia, "For they hope to
live an eonian life, and that each one of them will live five hundred years."
Here, eonian life is limited to five hundred years! In the N.T. eonian
life is limited to life during the eons, after which death will be destroyed
by making ALL alive IN CHRIST, incorruptible and immortal. BACK
Chapter Ten - Bibles Without "Everlasting
Punishment"
"And these shall go away into punishment of the ages,
but the righteous into life of the ages."
-New Testament in Modern Speech
"And these shall be coming away into chastening eonian,
yet the just into life eonian."
-Concordant Literal Translation
"And these shall go away to punishment age-during,
but the righteous to life age-during."
-Young's Literal Translation
It is sad to note, but nevertheless true, that most Christians
do not realize there are very dramatic differences in translation from
one Bible to another. We have heard so often that the "inspired" or "inerrant"
Word of God is basically the same in all translations. This is just not
true. But one will not see this unless they place several side by side
and make some comparisons. Listed below are a few translations which we
will compare to the King James Bible on the verse Matthew 26:46.
Concerning the duration of chastening, Matt. 25:46 says
(KJV),
"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment,
but the righteous into life eternal."
Scarlett's New Testament written in 1792
has "aeonian punishment" in place to "everlasting punishment."
"And these will go away into aeonian punishment: but
the righteous into aeonian life."
The New Covenant by Dr. J.W. Hanson written
in 1884 renders Matt. 25:46:
"And these shall go away into aeonian chastisement,
and the just into aeonian life."
Young's Literal Translation first published
in 1898 and reprinted many times since uses the following words:
"And these shall go away to punishment age-during,
but the righteous to life age-during."
Professor Young also compiled Young's Concordance,
wherewith one can check the translation of each Hebrew or Greek word as
translated in the KJV.
The Twentieth Century New Testament first
printed in the year 1900 has:
"And these last will go away 'into aeonian punishment,'
but the righteous 'into aeonian life.'"
The Holy Bible in Modern English by Ferrar
Fenton first published in 1903 gives the rendering:
"And these He will dismiss into a long correction,
but the well-doers to an enduring life.
The New Testament in Modern Speech, by
Dr. Weymouth, says:
"And these shall go away into punishment of the ages,
but the righteous into life of the ages."
Dr. Weymouth most frequently adopts such terms as "life
of the ages," "fire of the ages;" and in Rev. 14:6, "The good news of the
ages." It is a matter to regret that the editors of the most recent edition
of Dr. Weymouth's version have reverted to the KJV renderings for the passages
containing the Greek word aion, eon, or age.
The Western New Testament published in
1926 renders Matt. 25:46 as follows:
"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but
the righteous into life eternal."
The translation, however, has a footnote on Matthew 21:19
on the word "forever" which is the same word for "eternal" which says:
"Literally,
for the age (and elsewhere) This Bible does not use the word "Hell"
at all.
Clementson's The New Testament (1938) shows,
"And these shall go away into eonian correction, but
the righteous into eonian life."
Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott (1942 edition)
translates the verse,
"And these shall go forth to the aionian cutting-off;
but the righteous to aionian life."
It should be noted that the "cutting-off" refers to pruning
a fruit tree to make it bear more fruit. The idea behind the word is not
destructive but productive! Had Jesus wanted to emphasize a destructive
end, He would have used the word "timoria."
The Concordant Version (1930):
"And these shall be coming away into chastening eonian,
yet the just into life eonian."
The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Anointed printed in 1958 says:
"And these shall go away into agelasting cutting-off
and the just into agelasting life."
Rotherham, in his Emphasized Bible (1959),
translates this verse,
"and these shall go away into age-abiding correction,
but the righteous into age-abiding life."
The Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible
copyrighted in 1976 has "age-abiding correction" instead of the incorrect
and quite frankly, blasphemous "everlasting punishment." This phrase "everlasting
punishment," when one really thinks about it, renders the work of Christ
worthless. It says that His forgiveness, His love, His grace, His mercy,
the power of His blood, all these and more become limited when one translates
"aionion kolasin" as "everlasting punishment."
"And these shall go away -abiding correction, but
the righteous into age-abiding life."
There are other Bible translations besides these which
have either completely eliminated the concept of eternal punishment from
their pages, or have made great strides towards wiping this pagan concept
off God's Word. Even some King James Study Bibles will show the reader
in the margins or appendixes that the King's translators were incorrect
in their rendering of "eternal punishment" and "Hell." The great Companion
Bible by Dr. Bullinger is an example of that.
In summary, then, as we gain more knowledge of the Greek
and Hebrew languages, the pagan concept of "eternal punishment" is becoming
manifest as a pagan concept which cannot be found in the original languages
of the Bible. Therefore, more and more of the translations printed since
the King James Bible of 1611 have dramatically departed from the King's
translators translations for words closer to the actual Greek and Hebrew
meanings rather than "tradition." The word "Hell," for example, has almost
completely disappeared from most translations in the Old Testament. It
occurs in most translations only 11 to 14 times and not at all in many
translations. The day will come when the pagan concept of "Hell" will no
longer be found in any Bible translation. It wasn't in the original languages.
The foundation of the Bible, that is, the Old Testament, knows of no such
place. Why should we perpetuate Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Babylonian, and
Anglo-Saxon mythology? This is where the concept came from. Here is where
the word "Hell," the goddess of the underworld, came from. Leave it there.
This idea does not belong on the previous pages of our Bibles. BACK
Chapter Eleven - Verses "Proving"
Punishment Will be Everlasting
"Professor A.T. Robertson and A.B. Bruce agree that
'kolasis aionion' of the KJV has a literal meaning of 'age-lasting correction.'"
"Let me say to Bible students that we must be very
careful how we use the word 'eternity.' We have fallen into great error
in our constant usage of that word. There is no word in the whole Book
of God corresponding with our eternal..."
-G. Campbell Morgan
Matthew 25:31-46 concerns the judgment of NATIONS, not
individuals. It is to be distinguished from other judgments mentioned in
Scripture, such as the judgment of the saints (2 Cor. 5:10-11); the second
resurrection, and the great white throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). The
judgment of the nations is based upon their treatment of the Lord's brethren
(verse 40). No resurrection of the dead is here, just nations living at
the time. To apply verses 41 and 46 to mankind as a whole is an error.
Perhaps it should be pointed out at this time that the Fundamentalist Evangelical
community at large has made the error of gathering many Scriptures which
speak of various judgments which will occur in different ages and assigning
them all to "Great White Throne" judgment. This is a serious mistake. Matthew
25:46 speaks nothing of "grace through faith." We will leave it up to the
reader to decide who the "Lord's brethren" are, but final judgment based
upon the receiving of the Life of Christ is not the subject matter of Matthew
25:46 and should not be interjected here. Even if it were, the penalty
is "age-during correction" and not "everlasting punishment."
Dr. J.D. Dummelow, in his commentary on Matt. 25:31-46,
says, "Christ here speaks of the judgment of Christians alone, because
that was the question which most concerned the apostles and their future
converts... A common interpretation, however, is that the judgment of all
mankind is meant."
Professor A.T. Robertson, in his Word Pictures
in the N.T., and Prof. A.B. Bruce, in The Expositor's Greek
Testament, agree that the kolasis aionion, the "everlasting
punishment" of the KJV, has a literal meaning of "age-lasting correction."
Dr. F.W. Farrar says: "It may be worthwhile, however,
to point out once more to less educated readers that aion, aionios,
and their Hebrew equivalents in all combinations are repeatedly used of
things which have come to an end. Even Augustine admits (what, indeed,
no one can deny), that in Scripture aion and aionios must
in many instances mean 'having an end,' and St. Gregory of Nyssa, who at
least knew Greek, uses aionios as the epithet for 'an interval.'"
Dean Farrar also states: "The pages of theologians in all ages show a startling
prevalence of such terms as 'everlasting death, everlasting damnation,
everlasting torments, everlasting vengeance, everlasting fire' - not one
of which has Scriptural authority." Dr. Farrar was well versed in the Biblical
languages, author of books on the life of Jesus, the life of Paul, and
Greek grammar, as well as others.
Dr. Edwin Abbott, headmaster of the City of London School,
wrote in his Cambridge Sermons (p. 25), "And as for ourselves,
though occasionally mentioning in language general and metaphorical, states
of eonian life and eonian chastisment awaiting us after death, the Holy
Scriptures give no detailed information as to either condition." Dr. Abbott's
conviction, as expressed, showed he thought the received dogma was untenable.
An argument was introduced by Augustine, and since his
day incessantly repeated, that if aionios kolasis does not mean
"endless punishment," then there is no security for the believer that aionios
zoe means "endless life," and that he will enjoy the promise of endless
happiness. But Matt. 25:46 shows the "eonian chastisement" and "eonian
life" are of the same duration-lasting during the eons, and when the eons
end, as Scripture states they will (1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26), the time
called "eonian" is past and the life called "eonian" is finished, but life
continues beyond the eons, as Paul teaches at 1 Cor. 15:26: "The last enemy
that shall be destroyed is death." That is, the last, the final one in
order. How will it be destroyed? First Corinthians 15:22 gives the answer:
"For as IN ADAM ALL are dying, even so IN CHRIST ALL shall be made alive."
Death is destroyed when ALL have been vivified, or made alive, IN CHRIST.
There will then be no more death. Just as life is destroyed by death, so
death is destroyed by life. Our present bodies are mortal and corruptible
(1 Cor. 15:44-55), but when mankind is made alive IN CHRIST they will be
raised immortal and incorruptible.
Those who believe in a universal salvation as is spoken
of at Col. 1:15-20, and see the purpose of God's love and His plan for
the eons, are secure in their belief that the same number of those who
are now dying as a result of Adam's disobedience will be made alive in
Christ. The ALL of these verses represent exactly the same number of mankind.
Romans 5:18-19 says, "by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men
- by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men - by one
man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One
shall the many be made righteous." The "all men" and the "many" in these
verses include the same number of humans in both cases.
The "all" in 1 Cor. 15:22; Col. 1:15-22; and Rom. 5:18-19
mean the same in every case. God's eonian purpose is to head up ALL in
the Christ, as is stated in Eph. 1:9-10 and 3:11.
Dr. Alford Plumer's An Exegetical Commentary on
the Gospel of Matthew (pp. 351-352): "It is often pointed out that
'eternal' (aionios) in 'eternal punishment' must have the same meaning
as in 'eternal life.' No doubt, but that does not give us the right to
say that 'eternal' in both cases means 'endless.'"
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, preacher, teacher, evangelist,
and author; sometimes called the "prince of expositors," wrote in his Studies
of the Four Gospels concerning Matt. 25:31-46, "Then, moreover,
we must be careful not to read into this section of prophecy things which
it does not contain; for while it has been interpreted as though it were
a description of the final judgment, the Great White Throne-These shall
go away into age-abiding punishment; but the righteous into age-abiding
life-the terms are co-equal in value, and whatever one means the other
means. Only remember that here Christ is not dealing with the subject of
the soul's destiny either in heaven or hell. They are terms that have to
do wholly with the setting up of the kingdom here in this world..." In
Dr. Morgan's, God's Methods with Men, he says (pp. 185-186),
"Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the
word 'eternity.' We have fallen into great error in our constant usage
of that word. There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with
our 'eternal,' which as commonly used among us, means absolutely without
end." In his book, The Corinthian Letters of Paul, the same
author states concerning 1 Cor. 15:22 (p. 191): "The word Adam is used
here in the sense of headship of a race, the one from whom the race springs.
But God's second Man was the last Adam. If we say second Adam, we presuppose
the possibility of a third Adam, another from whom a race shall spring.
There will be none such. It is 'first Adam' and 'last Adam.' What does
relationship with Him mean? In the program of God all are to be made alive
in Christ."
Sir Robert Anderson, a writer on eschatology, says, "The
N.T. unfolds an economy of times and seasons; many ages head up in the
one great age, within which the manifold purpose of God, in relation to
earth, shall be fulfilled. Here, these words eon, age are applicable, and
are used."
Dr. Edward Plumptre, an eschatologist, wrote, "I fail
to find, as is used by the Greek Fathers, any instance in which the idea
of time duration is unlimited."
Dr. William White says, "That of the widely different
subjects to which aeonian is applied in the N.T., in 70 they are of a limited
and temporary nature."
Professor Knappe of Halle wrote, "The Hebrew was destitute
of any single word to express endless duration. The pure idea of eternity
is not found in any of the ancient languages."
Professor Hermann Oldhausen said, "The Bible has no expression
for endlessness. All the Biblical terms imply or denote long periods."
Dr. Oldhausen was a German Lutheran theologian.
Lexicographers note the fact that it was not until the
fifth century A.D. that theologians began to read the sense of endlessness
into Bible words. Dr. Lewis S. Chafer deplores the difficulty that the
average reader of the Bible will encounter in seeking to understand the
real meaning of these passages, when he notes how hopelessly the KJV has
obscured the word aion. He said, "The word, which in common usage
has a limited meaning, is used by the translators as the one English rendering
for at least four widely differing ideas in the original. So that if the
truth contained in this important body of Scripture is to be understood,
the student must not only know the various meanings which are expressed
by the one word, but also be able to determine the correct use of it in
the many passages in which it occurs. Therefore, the KJV has placed the
simple truth they contain beyond the average reader of the Bible. The English
word 'world,' as used in the New Testament, may mean a distinct period
of time, commonly known as an age (as its original is a few times translated),
or it may refer to the things created: the earth, its inhabitants, or their
institution. The ages are often referred to in Scripture, and the study
of the exact conditions and purposes of each of them are not fanciful;
but it is rather the only adequate foundation for any true knowledge of
the Bible."
Dr. W.H. Griffith Thomas wrote in The Christian,
in a comment upon Heb. 11:3, "the word rendered 'worlds' is 'ages' and
refers not so much to the material creation as to the world regarded from
the standpoint of time... The last mentioned (age, aion) is the
name used here, and it seems to refer to what may be called time-worlds,
the idea being that of various ages or dispensations being planned by God
with reference to a goal toward which all are moving."
Dr. Thomas' notes on Rom. 5:18-19 were, "As mankind's
connection with Adam involved him in certain death, through sin, so his
relation to Christ insures to him life without fail. The double headship
of mankind in Adam and Christ show the significance of the work of redemption
for the entire race."
Professor Max Muller says in reference to the Latin word
aeternum, "that it originally signified life or time, but has given rise
to a number of words expressing eternity-the very opposite of life and
time." He says the Latin aevum, that is, the Greek word "ainon,
later aion, became the name of time, age, and its derivative, aeviternus,
or aeternus, was made to express eternity."
Dr. Isaac Watts says, "There is not one place in Scripture
which occurs to me, where the word death necessarily signifies a certain
miserable immortality of the soul."
Professor Taylor Lewis states, "The conception of absolute
endlessness as etymological of olam or eon would clearly
have prevented plurals." He continues, "'ever' (German: ewig), was
originally a noun denoting age, just like the Greek, Latin and Hebrew words
corresponding to it." Dr. Lewis wrote an interesting article for Lange's
Commentary about the use of the words olam and aion
as used at Ecc. 1:4.
Jeremy Taylor, a hell-fire advocate wavers, and after
his ebullient flashes of Systematic Hellology, is constrained
to the following modification in Jeremy Taylor's Works (vol.
3, p. 43), "Though the fire is everlasting, not all that enters it is everlasting,"
then adds, "The word everlasting signifies only to the end of its period."
Would that other hell-fire advocates were so honest. BACK
Chapter Twelve - Scholars Acknowledge
Restitution of All
"(ta panta) all men: The phrase must not be limited
in any way. It cannot mean merely 'Gentiles as well as Jews,' or 'the elect,'
or 'all who believe.' We must receive it as it stands."
-Dr. Brooke Foss Westcott
"Under the instruction of those great teachers many
other theologians believed in universal salvation; and indeed the whole
Eastern Church until after 500 A.D. was inclined to it."
Dr. Brooke Foss Westcott says of John 12:32, in the Speaker's
Commentary: "(ta panta) all men: The phrase must not be
limited in any way. It cannot mean merely 'Gentiles as well as Jews,' or
'the elect,' or 'all who believe.' We must receive it as it stands (Rom.
5:18; 8:32; 2 Cor. 5:15; Eph. 1:10;
1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:2). The remarkable reading
'all things' (omnia) points to a still wider application of Redemption
(Col. 1:20)."
John MacIntyre, in his book Christian Doctrine
of History, wrote (pp. 5-6), "What we regard as the Biblical view
of time and history can only by anachronism be said to be that of the biblical
writers themselves, yet that is the anachronism of which so many of our
contemporaries are guilty."
G.T. Stevenson, in his Time and Eternity,
says (p. 63), "Since, as we have seen, the noun aion refers to a
period of time, it appears very improbable that the derived adjective aionios
would indicate infinite duration, nor have we found any evidence in Greek
writing to show that such a concept was expressed by this term." And on
page 72, "In 1 Cor. 15:22-29 the inspired apostle to the Gentiles transports
his readers' thoughts far into the future, beyond the furthest point envisaged
elsewhere in holy writ. After outlining the triumph of the Son of God in
bringing all creation under His benign control, Paul sets forth the consummation
of the divine plan of the ages in four simple, yet infinitely profound
words, 'God all in all.' This is our God, purposeful, wise, loving and
almighty, His Son our Lord a triumphant Savior, Who destroys His enemies
by making them friends."
Professor William Barclay comments in his The Letter
to the Corinthians, concerning 1 Cor. 15:22-28, "God sent forth
His Son to redeem the world so in the end God will receive back a world
redeemed and then there will be nothing in heaven or in earth outside the
love and power of God."
From The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious
Knowledge comes (vol. 12, p. 96), "Under the instruction of those
great teachers many other theologians believed in universal salvation;
and indeed the whole Eastern Church until after 500 A.D. was inclined to
it. Doederlein says that 'In proportion as any man was eminent in learning
in Christian antiquity, the more did he cherish and defend the hope of
the termination of future torments.'" Many more church historians could
be quoted with similar observations.
Concise summaries of universal salvation appear in the
Schaff-Herzog
Encyclopedia, vol. 12, pp. 95-97; and in the McClintock and Strong
Encyclopedia
of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. 10,
pp. 656-665.
Karl Barth, in his book Christ and Adam, Man and
Humanity, wrote concerning Romans 5 (p. 109), "But in vv. 12-21
Paul does not limit his context to Christ's relationship to believers,
but gives fundamentally the same account of His relationship to all men.
The context is widened from church history to world history, from Christ's
relationship to Christians to all men. ...What is said here applies generally
and universally, and not merely to one limited group of men. Here 'religious'
presuppositions are not once hinted at. The fact of Christ is here presented
as something that dominates and includes all men." On page 112 of the same
work: "vv. 12-21 are revolutionary in their insistence that what is true
of Christians must also be true of all men."
Professor Marvin Vincent, in his Word Studies in
the N.T., commenting upon Col. 1:20 wrote (vol. 3, p. 471), "All
things (ta panta) must be taken in the same sense as in vv. 16,
17, 18. The whole universe, material and spiritual. The range of discussion
opened by these words is too wide to be entered upon here. Paul's declarations
elsewhere as to the ultimate fate of evil men and angels, must certainly
be allowed their full weight; yet such passages as this and Eph. 1:10 seem
to point to a larger purpose of God in redemption than is commonly conceived."
And in vol. 4, p. 291, about 2 Tim. 1:9: "Before the world began (pro
chronon aionion) Lit. Before eternal times. If it is insisted that
aionion
means everlasting, this statement is absurd. It is impossible that anything
should take place before everlasting times." In vol. 4, pp. 58-62, commenting
upon the Greek word aion, he says, "Aion, transliterated
aion, is a period of time, of longer or shorter duration, having a beginning
and an end, and complete in itself... The word always carries the notion
of time and not eternity. It always means a period of time. The adjective
aionios
in like manner carries the idea of time. Neither the noun nor the adjective,
in themselves, carries the sense of endless or everlasting...
aionios
means enduring through, or pertaining to, a period of time. Both the noun
and the adjective are applied to limited periods."
Dr. S.S. Graig, in The Presbyterian, Jan.
30, 1930, wrote, "According to the latter (Dr. B.B. Warfield), there is
no warrant for saying that the Scriptures teach that but few are saved,
and that while some will be lost, yet that when the Scriptures say that
Christ came to save the world, that He does save the world and that the
world shall be saved by Him. They mean that He came to save and does save
the human race, and that the human race is being led by God to a racial
salvation, that in the age-long development of the race of men, it will
attain at last to a complete salvation, and our eyes will be greeted with
the spectacle of a saved world. Thus the human race attains to the goal
for which it was created, and sin does not snatch it out of God's hands;
the primal purpose of God with it is fulfilled; and through Christ the
race of men, though fallen into sin, is recovered to God, and fulfills
its original destiny."
Dr. Warfield believed what Paul taught in 1 Tim. 4:9-11:
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore
we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God,
Who is the Savior of ALL men. Specially of those that believe. These things
command and teach." While Dr. Warfield spend most of his life teaching
the Calvinist "election doctrine" which usually meant few would be saved,
it seems Dr. Warfield softened up quite a bit in his latter years. This
is a phenomenon which seems to occur quite frequently with dogmatic minds.
Time and wisdom have a way of tempering the zealot's demand for justice.
As the zealot wanders through his own sins and lifelong character flaws
which he seems never to be able to overcome, he looks for mercy for himself,
and in so doing, discovers that same fountain of mercy flows to all mankind.
God becomes bigger as we become smaller.
Dr. J.R. Dummelow, in his commentary of Col. 1:20: "The
Son's atoning death, availed for the whole angelic world, as well as for
the world of men, since the Son is head of both. Very difficult." Although
the Dr. admits the truth of universal reconciliation, it is "very difficult"
for him to do so from his denominational position.
St. Clemens of Alexandria says, "He saves all, but converting
some by punishment, and others who follow by their own will-that every
knee may bend to Him, of things in heaven and earth and under the earth."
(See Phil. 2:9-12)
St. Isadore states, "When the Lord says 'neither in this
world nor in the world to come' He shows that, for some, sins are there
to be forgiven." (Read Matt. 12:31-32)
John Scotus Erigena said, "This, however we say, not
that nature will be happy in all, but that in all it will be set free from
death and misery."
St. Anselm: "It is not just that God should altogether
suffer to perish His creatures which He has made. God demands from no sinner
more than he owes; but since no one can pay as much as he owes, Christ
alone paid for all more than the debt due."
Professor Friedrich D.F. Schleiermacher says, "Through
the force of the Redemption, a universal restoration of souls will follow."
Perrone stated, "All agree in saying that it is too violent
to admit at once into heaven all those who only repented of their past
evil life at the end, and who indulged too much in the sensualities of
this life, since nothing defiled enters there; also it is too harsh to
assign all such to eternal torments."
Dr. Thomas Guthrie: "My belief is that in the end there
will be a vastly larger number saved than we have any conception of. What
sort of earthly government would that be where more than half the subjects
were in prison? I cannot believe that the government of God will be like
that."
Dean Richard W. Church: "I should be disloyal to Him
whom I believe is as the Lord of truth if I doubted that honest seeking
should at last find Him here, man's destiny stops not at the grave, and
many, we may be sure, will know Him there who did not know Him here."
Dean A.P. Stanley says that: "In the 'world to come'
punishment will be corrective and not final, and will be ordered by the
Love and Justice, the height and depth of which it is beyond the narrow
thoughts of man to conceive."
Professor Challis says: "...so that the end of divine
punishment is for correction, and for giving effect to the establishing
of
universal righteousness."
William Law: "As of the purification of all human nature
either in this world or some after ages, I fully believe it." And again,
"Every number of destroyed sinners ...must through the all-working, all
redeeming love of God, which never ceases, come at last to know that they
had lost, and have found again, such a God of love as this." (Read Psa.
103:9; Mic. 7:18; Lam 3:31-33; Isa. 57:16)
Dr. Lightfoot: "In our English translation the word 'hell'
seems to speak what is neither warrantable by Scripture or reason."
Rabbi Loewe: "Olam simply signifies for a long
time. The Hebrew Scriptures do not contain any doctrine referring to everlasting
punishment."
Philippson, in his Israel Religionslehre,
says (11:255), "The Rabbi teach no eternity of hell torments; even the
greatest sinners were punished for generations."
Charles H. Welch wrote in An Alphabetical Analysis,
(vol. 1, p. 279), "Eternity is not a Biblical theme." And (vol. 1, p. 52),
"What we have to learn is that the Bible does not speak of eternity. It
is not written to tell us of eternity. Such a consideration is entirely
outside the scope of revelation." Welch was the editor of The Berean
Expositor, and a man well versed in Greek.
A.E. Knoch wrote in his small booklet What are
the Facts, Eternal Torment or Universal Reconciliation? (page 51),
"To sum up: though the Bible and the various views are contradictory on
this subject, an accurate inquiry into the grammar, the scope and the application
of each text shows us that most of them refer to the process, not the goal;
they are temporary, not eternal; they include few, not all, therefore we
can believe all that God has said. The last and highest revelation through
the apostle Paul stands as it is written, that ALL mankind shall be saved
(1 Tim. 2:4; 4:10), justified (Rom. 5:18), vivified (1 Cor. 15:22), and
the universe (Col. 1:20) in heaven as well as on earth, will be reconciled
with God through the blood of His cross." Mr. Knoch worked with the Hebrew
and Greek texts for more than fifty years. He is the author of so many
articles concerning the Scriptures that his writings make a complete library.
While our versions in common use vary where the English
translation of the words "eon" and "eonian" occur in relation to "punishment;"
nevertheless, where universal reconciliation is in view, all are translated
similarly, including the KJV. (See Rom. 5:18-19; 8:18-25; 11:25-36; Eph.
1:9-11; 3:11; Phil. 2:10-11; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Tim. 2:3-6; 4:9-11; Heb. 2:9;
1 John 2:2; Rev. 4:11.)
Those who see and believe the truth of universal salvation
as the purpose of God's plan for the eons, or ages, say those verses in
some versions which are translated so they teach endless punishment have
been incorrectly translated; yet no one seems to suggest that the verses
which teach universal reconciliation have been. It woul