AIONIOS: Its semantic range in New Testament usage

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

Here is a quote from Marvin Vincent:

knuckle · Young Wolf Joined: 18 Sep 2006 Posts: 501

Hi Apoc----------

Marvin Vincent and some other bible scholars on the word aion(noun) and aionios(adjective)

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 "belong to" the aeons or ages."

The Interpreter’s Dictionry 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."

Elliot’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 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).

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 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 chronoios aioniois moreover, are not to be thought of as stretching backward everlastingly, as it is proved by the pro chronon aionion of II Tim. 1:9; Titus. 1:2. (Note: pro chronon aionion means "BEFORE times eonian." Since this Scripture tells us that there was time "before" eonian, eionian cannot possibly mean eternal, for nothing can be "before" eternity.)

The large Catholic Bible dictionary, The Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible (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. (Note: even the Catholic translators of The Jerusalem Bible and The New American Bible have failed to heed the scholarship of their own Catholic authorities.)

Dr. R. F. Weymouth, a translator who was adept in Greek, states in The New Testament in Modern Speech (p. 657), 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.

Dr. Marvin Vincent, 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.’ Anionios means enduring through or pertaining to a period of time.

Dr. F. W. Farrar, author of The Life of Christ and The Life and Word 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."

much love-----------knuckle

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

Hey Knuckle,

I'm hoping that we can discuss the quotes that we are providing (hint, hint, Wink

).

knuckle · Young Wolf Joined: 18 Sep 2006 Posts: 501

Brother Apoc------

Contrasts absolutely but just for the period of time.Again I say that the concept of eternity (without beginning or end) was unkown to the bible writers.

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal(age abiding) weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal(of the ages). For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal(age abiding) in the heavens."

We see this by phrases like "of eternities past" or "before eternity" Now lets look at John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
the word everlasting (just like when it is used to talk about "hell" or "damnation") is aionios it means for the age.This is to contrast where two groups will be during the same period of finite time.(for the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished)---a spiritual statement to be sure but not an eternal one as you or I understand eternity.This does not mean that those who "believeth" live for JUST that period of time because they(like all men)go on after this age ends.

much love----------knuckle

knuckle · Young Wolf Joined: 18 Sep 2006 Posts: 501

Hi Apoc--------

One more question,do you believe that we(man kind) have an eternal(as we understand eternity) soul?

much love--------knuckle

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

Oh where oh where could my knuckles be? Very Happy

_________________
"Overcome anger by love. Overcome evil by good. Overcome the miser by giving. Overcome the liar by truth."

knuckle · Young Wolf Joined: 18 Sep 2006 Posts: 501

Hi Apoc----

forgive my late reply,I have been rather busy of late.

2 Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,------[Greek - chronos aionios]

before eternity?

Matt 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world [Greek -aion], neither in the world [Greek - aion] to come.

the greek word for world is kosmos yet aion is rendered world in these verses because if it truly meant eternity there cant be two

Gal 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world [aion - age], according to the will of God and our Father:

Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world [Greek - aion]; and the reapers are the angels.

I don't know why the translating of aionios into age abiding is so hard for some to accept.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(life for the age)---- it is simply used to contrast those who don't believe and are dead during this same period of time.

Much love-------------knuckle

atoz

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

knuckle · Young Wolf Joined: 18 Sep 2006 Posts: 501

Brother Apoc--------

Perhaps knuckle is a dullard.We have posted back and forth several times now,I have read and reread your posts.

I understand your argument I just do not agree with it.
Could you show me a verse that can change my mind?

A verse that links aionios with the Fathers existence?

much love to you Apoc----------------knuckle

P.S----Atoz you are silly,much love to you too

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

knuckle · Young Wolf Joined: 18 Sep 2006 Posts: 501

Hi Apoc--------

2Th 1:9 who shall incur the justice of eonian extermination from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of His strength"

apo
Thayer Definition:
1) of separation
1a) of local separation, after verbs of motion from a place, i.e. of departing, of fleeing, ...
1b) of separation of a part from the whole
1b1) where of a whole some part is taken
1c) of any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed
1d) of a state of separation, that is of distance
1d1) physical, of distance of place
1d2) temporal, of distance of time
2) of origin
2a) of the place whence anything is, comes, befalls, is taken
2b) of origin of a cause
Part of Speech: preposition

definition 2 fits better than 1 but aionian describes the extermination not God

much love-----------knuckle

apocatastasis · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1827

Knuckles, aeonian describes the destruction as being from God. Very Happy

Let us consider antoher verse:

2Cr 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, aeonian in the heavens.

That which is aeonian is set in contrast with that which is earthly. Our aeonian body is of Heaven and lives by the very Life of God.
_________________
"Overcome anger by love. Overcome evil by good. Overcome the miser by giving. Overcome the liar by truth."