Study the Greek, if you're able. The word translated as "eternal" in your English Bible is from the Greek words aionion, aionious. These are adjectival forms of the noun aion which means "age" not "eternity."
That is one possibility but the context determines the meaning and not the root word solely.
Strong's G165 - aiōn
Strong’s Definitions
αἰών aiṓn, ahee-ohn'; from the same as
G104; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity (also past); by implication, the world; specially (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future):—age, course, eternal, (for) ever(-more), (n-)ever, (beginning of the , while the) world (began, without end). Compare
G5550.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 165: αἰών
αἰών, (ῶνος, ὁ (as if Αιε — poetic for ἀεί — ὤν, so teaches Aristotle, de caelo 1, 11, 9, vol. i., p. 279{a} 27; (so Proclus book iv. in Plato, Timaeo, p. 241; and others); but more probable is the conjecture (cf. Etym. Magn. 41, 11) that αἰών is so connected with ἄημι to breathe, blow, as to denote properly that which causes life, vital force; cf. Harless on Ephesians 2:2). (But αἰών ( = αἰϝών) is now generally connected with αἰεί, ἀεί, Sanskrit evas (aivas), Latinaevum, Goth. aivs, German ewig, English aye, ever; cf. Curtius, § 585; Fick, Part i., p. 27; Vanicek, p. 79; Benfey, Wurzellex, i., p. 7f; Schleicher, Compend. edition 2, p. 400; Pott, Etymologicum Forsch., edition 2, 2:2, p. 442; Ebeling, Lex. Homer under the word; Liddell and Scott, under the word ἀεί; Cremer, edd, 2, 3,4 (although in edition 1 he agreed with Prof. Grimm); Pott and Fick, however, connect it with Sanskrit ayus rather than evas, although both these forms are derived from i to go (see Pott, Sehleicher, Fick, Vanicek, as above).) In Greek authors:
1. age (Latinaevum, which is αἰών with the Aeolic digamma), a human lifetime (in Homer, Herodotus, Pindar, Tragic poets), life itself (Homer Iliad 5, 685 με καί λίποι αἰών etc.).
2. an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity, (Plato, Tim., p. 37 d. 38 a.; Tim. Locr., p. 97 d. (quoted below); Plutarch, others). With this signification the Hebrew and rabbinical idea of the word עולָם (of which in the Sept. αἰών is the equivalent) combines in the Biblical and ecclesiastical writings Hence, in the N. T. used:
1. a. universally: in the phrases εἰς τόν αἰῶνα, לְעולָם (Genesis 6:3), forever, John 6:51, 58; John 14:16; Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 6:20, etc.; and strengthened εἰς τόν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, Hebrews 1:8 (from Psalm 44:7(Ps. 45:7) Alexandrian LXX, cf. Winer's Grammar, § 36, 22 (Tobit 6:18; Psalm 82:18 (Ps. 83:18), etc.); εἰς αἰῶνα, Jude 1:13; εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος unto the day which is eternity (genitive of apposition), 2 Peter 3:18 (cf. Sir. 18:10 (9)); with a negation: never, John 4:14 (Lachmann in brackets); John 8:51; 10:28; 11:26; 13:8; 1 Corinthians 8:13; or not for ever, not always, John 8:35; εἰς τούς αἰῶνας, unto the ages, i. e., as long as time shall be (the plural denotes the individual ages whose sum is eternity): (Luke 1:33); Romans 1:25; Romans 9:5; Romans 11:36; (Romans 16:27 R G Tr WH); 2 Corinthians 11:31; Hebrews 13:8; εἰς πάντας τούς αἰῶνας, Jude 1:25; εἰςτούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων (in which expression the endless future is divided up into various periods, the shorter of which are comprehended in the longer (cf. Winers Grammar, § 36, 2; among the various phrases to express duration composed of this word with preposition or adjuncts (which to the number of more than fifteen are to be found in the Sept., cf. Vaughan on Romans 1:25), this combination of the double plural seems to be peculiar to the N. T.)): (Romans 16:27 L T); Galatians 1:5; (Philippians 4:20); 1 Timothy 1:17; (2 Timothy 4:18; 1 Peter 4:11); Revelation 1:6, 18; Revelation 4:9; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 7:12; Revelation 10:6; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 15:7; Revelation 19:3; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 22:5; εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων, Revelation 14:11; ὁ αἰών τῶν αἰώνων the (whole) age embracing the (shorter) ages, Ephesians 3:21 (cf. Meyer (or Ellicott) at the passage); ἀπό τῶν αἰώνωνfrom the ages down, from eternity, Colossians 1:26; Ephesians 3:9; πρό τῶν αἰώνων before time was, before the foundation of the world, 1 Corinthians 2:7; πρόθεσις τῶν αἰώνων eternal purpose, Ephesians 3:11.
b. in hyperbolic and popular usage: ἀπό τοῦ αἰῶνος (מֵעולָםGenesis 6:4, cf. Deuteronomy 32:7) from the most ancient time down (within the memory of man), from of old, Luke 1:70; Acts 3:21; Acts 15:18(Tobit 4:12 οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἀπό τοῦ αἰῶνος; οἱ ἀπʹ αἰῶνος Ῥωμαῖοι, Dion Cass. 63, 20, 2 cf. 5; Longinus, 34 τούς ἀπʹ αἰῶνος ῥήτορας); also ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος, John 9:32 (1 Esdr. 2:19, 22 (23); Diodorus 4:83 of the temple of Venus τήν, ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀρχήν λαβόν, 17, 1 τούς ἐξ αἰῶνος βασιλεῖς(excerpt. de legat, xl.), p. 632 τήν ἐξ αἰῶνος παραδεδομένην ἐλευθερίαν).
Outline of Biblical Usage
- for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity
- the worlds, universe
- period of time, age
An adjective modifies a noun but cannot change the meaning of the noun.
As you can see above translating from the original languages is not so simple. The context and attributes involved in the passage is critical to the meaning. Just as inflection changes meaning in a lot of Asian languages.
If we follow your model, we would end up with a translation where God is "age enduring" and eternal or everlasting life would have a temporal limit.
Again not as easy as applying one definition of many from the root word.
Therefore we see
aiōnios describes more as an adjective should.
Strong's G166 - aiōnios
Strong's Info
Strong’s Definitions
αἰώνιος aiṓnios, ahee-o'-nee-os; from
G165; perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well):—eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began).
KJV Translation Count — Total: 71x
The KJV translates Strong's G166 in the following manner: eternal (42x),
everlasting (25x),
the world began (with G5550) (2x),
since the world began (with G5550) (1x),
for ever (1x).
Outline of Biblical Usage
- without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be
- without beginning
- without end, never to cease, everlasting
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 166: αἰώνιος
αἰώνιος,, and (in
2 Thessalonians 2:16;
Hebrews 9:12;
Numbers 25:13; Plato, Tim., p. 38 b. (see below); Diodorus 1:1; (cf. WHs Appendix, p. 157; Winers Grammar, 69 (67); Buttmann, 26 (23))) αἰώνιος, αἰώνια, αἰώνιον (αἰών);
1. without beginning or end, that which always has been and always will be: Θεός,
Romans 16:26 (ὁ μόνος αἰώνιος, 2 Macc. 1:25); πνεῦμα,
Hebrews 9:14.
2. without beginning: χρόνοις αἰωνίοις,
Romans 16:25; πρό χρόνων αἰωνίων,
2 Timothy 1:9;
Titus 1:2; εὐαγγέλιον, a gospel whose subject-matter is eternal, i. e., the saving purpose of God adopted from eternity,
Revelation 14:6.
3. without end, never to cease, everlasting:
2 Corinthians 4:18 (opposed to πρόσκαιρος); αἰώνιον αὐτόν, joined to thee forever as a sharer of the same eternal life, Philcmon 1:15; βάρος δόξης,
2 Corinthians 4:17; βασιλεία,
2 Peter 1:11; δόξα,
2 Timothy 2:10;
1 Peter 5:10; ζωή (see ζωή, 2 b.); κληρονομία,
Hebrews 9:15; λύτρωσις,
Hebrews 9:12; παράκλησις,
2 Thessalonians 2:16; σκηναί, abodes to be occupied forever,
Luke 16:9(the habitations of the blessed in heaven are referred to, cf.
John 14:2(also,dabo eis tabernacula aeterna, quae praeparaveram illis, 4 Esdras (Fritzsche, 5 Esdr.) 4
Esdras 2:11 [2
Esdras 2:11]); similarly Hades is called αἰώνιος τόπος, Tobit 3:6, cf.
Ecclesiastes 12:5); σωτηρία,
Hebrews 5:9; (so
Mark 16 (WH) in the (rejected) 'Shorter Conclusion'). Opposite ideas are: κόλασις,
Matthew 25:46; κρίμα,
Hebrews 6:2; κρίσις,
Mark 3:29 (Rec. (but L T WH Tr text ἁμαρτήματος; in Acta Thom. § 47, p. 227 Tdf., ἔσται σοι τοῦτο εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καί λύτρον αἰωνίων παραπτωμάτων, it has been plausibly conjectured we should read λύτρον, αἰώνιον (cf.
Hebrews 9:12))); ὄλεθρος (Lachmann text ὀλέθριος,
2 Thessalonians 1:9(4 Macc. 10:15); πῦρ,
Matthew 25:41 (4 Macc. 12:12 αἰωνίῳ πυρί καί βασάνοις, αἱ εἰς ὅλον τόν αἰῶνα οὐκ ἀρνήσουσί σε). (Of the examples of αἰώνιος from Philo (with whom it is less common than ἀΐδιος, which see, of which there are some fifty instances) the following are noteworthy: de mut. nora. § 2; de caritate § 17; κόλασις αἰώνιος fragment in Mang. 2:667 at the end (Richter 6:229 middle); cf. de praem, et poen. § 12. Other examples are de alleg, leg. iii., § 70; de poster. Caini § 35; quod deus immut. § 30; quis rer. div. her. § 58; de congressu quaer, erud. § 19; de secular sec 38; de somn. ii. § 43; de Josepho § 24; quod omn. prob. book § 4, § 18; de ebrietate § 32; de Abrah. § 10; ζωή αἰώνιος: de secular § 15; Θεός (ὁ) αἰώνιος: de plantat. § 2, § 18 (twice), § 20 (twice);de mundo § 2. from Josephus: Antiquities 7, 14, 5; 12, 7, 3; 15, 10, 5; b. j. 1, 33, 2; 6, 2, I; κλέος αἰών Antiquities 4, 6, 5; b. j. 3, 8, 5, μνήμη αἱ.: Antiquities 1, 13, 4; 6, 14, 4; 10, 11, 7; 15, 11, 1; οἶκον μέν αἰώνιον ἔχεις (of God), Antiquities 8, 4, 2; ἐφυλάχθη ὁ Ἰωάννης δεσμοῖς αἰωνίοις, b. j. 6, 9, 4. SYNONYMS: ἀΐδιος, αἰώνιος: ἀΐδιος covers the complete philosophic idea — without beginning and without end; also either without beginning or without end; as respects the past, it is applied to what has existed time out of mind. αἰώνιος (from Plato on) gives prominence to the immeasurableness of eternity (while such words as συνεχής continuous, unintermitted, διατελής perpetual, lasting to the end, are not so applicable to an abstract term, like αἰών); αἰώνιος accordingly is especially adapted to supersensuous things, see the N. T. Cf. Tim. Locr. 96 c. Θεόν δέ τόν μέν αἰώνιον νόος ὄρη μόνοςetc.; Plato, Tim. 37 d. (and Stallbaum at the passage); 38 b. c.; legg. x., p. 904 a. ἀνώλεθρον δέ ὄν γενόμενον, ἀλλ' οὐκ αἰώνιον. Cf. also Plato's διαιώνιος (Tim. 38 b.; 39 e.). Schmidt, chapter 45.
Not even one instance of "age enduring."
Therefore aionion/aionios cannot mean eternal when the noun they modify means an age of limited time - not endless time. Aionion/aionios properly translated means something like "age-during" or pertaining to an age - not eternal.
As shown above the abundance of NT scholarship does not support this position.
