This is the fiction that many groups propagate. The fact that a word is used hyperbolically does not change the primary meaning.
Aionio's" - A Lexical Survey
Nine language sources cited. Fourteen total references!
1. NAS Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries,
2. Thayers Lexicon,
3. Vines Expository of Biblical Words, 3 references,
4. Louw-Nida Greek English Lexicon of the NT based on Semantic Domains, 2 references,
5. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,
6. Abridged Greek lexicon, Liddell-Scott,
7. Enhanced Strongs Lexicon, 3 references,
8. Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, Danker Greek English Lexicon of the NT and other Early Christian Literature,
9. Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the NT.
Aion, Aionios and the lexicons:
166. αιωνιος aionios; from 165; agelong,
eternal: eternal(66), eternity(1), forever(1).
Thomas, Robert L., Th.D., General Editor, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries,
166 aionios-
αιωνιος
1) without beginning and end, what has always been and always will be
2) without beginning
3) without end, never to cease, everlasting
---Thayers
2. αιωνιος aionios [166] "describes duration, either undefined but not endless, as in <Rom. 16:25; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2>; or undefined because
endless as in <Rom. 16:26>, and the other sixty-six places in the NT.
"The predominant meaning of
αιωνιος , that in which it is used everywhere in the NT, save the places noted above, may be seen in <2 Cor. 4:18>, where it is set in contrast with proskairos, lit., `for a season,' and in <Philem. 15>, where only in the NT it is used without a noun. Moreover it is used of
persons and things which are in their nature endless, as, e. g., of God, <Rom. 16:26>; of His power, <1 Tim. 6:16>, and of His glory, <1 Pet. 5:10>; of the Holy Spirit, <Heb. 9:14>; of the redemption effected by Christ, <Heb. 9:12>, and of the consequent salvation of men, <5:9>, as well as of His future rule, <2 Pet. 1:11>, which is elsewhere declared to be
without end, <Luke 1:33>; of the life received by those who believe in Christ, <John 3:16>, concerning whom He said, `they
shall never perish,' <10:28>, and of the resurrection body, <2 Cor. 5:1>, elsewhere said to be `immortal,' <1 Cor. 15:53>, in which that life will be finally realized, <Matt. 25:46; Titus 1:2>.
αιωνιος is also used of the sin that `
hath never forgiveness,' <Mark 3:29>, and of
the judgment of God, from which there is no appeal, <Heb. 6:2>, and of the fire, which is one of its instruments, <Matt. 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7>, and which is elsewhere said to be `unquenchable,' <Mark 9:43>.
"The use of
αιωνιος here shows that the punishment referred to in <2 Thes. 1:9>, is
not temporary, but final, and, accordingly, the phraseology shows that its purpose is not remedial but retributive."
From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, pp 232, 233. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) (Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
67.96 αιωνιος aji>vdio", on; aijwvnio", on: pertaining to
an unlimited duration of time - eternal.
aji>vdio"ò h{ te aji>vdio" aujtou` duvnami" kai; qeiovth"
his eternal power and divine nature Ro 1.20.
aijwvnio"ò blhqh`nai eij" to; pu`r to; aijwvnion be thrown into the eternal fire Mt 18.8; tou` aijwnivou qeou` of
the eternal God Ro 16.26.
The most frequent use of
αιωνιος in the NT is with zwhv life, for example, i{na pa`" oJ pisteuvwn ejn aujtw/` e[ch/ zwh;n aijwvnion so that everyone who believes in him may have
eternal life Jn 3.15. In combination with zwhv there is evidently not only a temporal element, but also a qualitative distinction. In such contexts,
αιωνιος evidently carries certain implications associated with
αιωνιος in relationship to divine and supernatural attributes. If one translates eternal life as simply never dying, there may be serious misunderstandings, since persons may assume that never dying refers only to physical existence rather than to spiritual death. Accordingly, some translators have rendered
eternal life as unending real life, so as to introduce a qualitative distinction.
Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible Societies) 1988, 1989.
αιωνιος aionios.
An adjective meaning eternal, and found in the LXX in Pss. 24; 77:5; Gen. 21:33, aionios in the NT is used 1. of God (Rom. 16:26), 2. of divine possessions and gifts (2 Cor. 4:18; Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 5:10; 1 Tim. 6:16; 2 Th. 2:16, and 3. of
the eternal kingdom (2 Pet. 1:11), inheritance (Heb. 9:15), body (2 Cor. 5:1), and even judgment (Heb. 6:2, though cf. Mt. 18:8; 2 Th. 1:9, where
the sense is perhaps unceasing).
Kittel, Gerhard, and Friedrich, Gerhard, Editors, The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company) 1985.
αιωνιος aionios ", ov and a, ov, lasting for an age (aion 3), Plat.:
ever-lasting, eternal, Id.
Liddell, H. G., and Scott, Abridged Greek-English Lexicon, (Oxford: Oxford University Press) 1992.
166 aionios { ahee-o-nee-os}
αιωνιος from 165; TDNT - 1:208,31; adj
AV -
eternal 42, everlasting 25, the world began + 5550 2, since the world began + 5550 1,
for ever 1; 71
GK - 173 { aionios }
1) without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be
2) without beginning
3) without end, never to cease, everlasting
Enhanced Strongs Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.
CL The Gk. word
αιων aion, which is probably derived from aei,
It thus appeared appropriate to later philosophers to use the word both for the dim and distant past, the beginning of the world, and for
the far future, eternity (e.g. Plato, Tim. 37d).
Plato (Timoeus, ed. Steph. 3, 37, or ed. Baiter, Orell. et Winck. 712) says, speaking of the universe:
The nature therefore of the animal (living being) was
eternal (aionios, before aidios), and this indeed it was impossible to adapt to what was produced (to genneto, to what had a beginning); he thinks to make a moveable image of
eternity (aionos), and in adoring the heavens he makes of the
eternity permanent in unity a certain eternal image moving in number,
And after unfolding this, he says (p. 38): "But these forms of time
imitating eternity (aiona), and rolling round according to number, have had a beginning (gegonen).... For that pattern
exists for all eternity (panta aiona estin on), but on the other hand, that which is perpetual (dia telous) throughout all time has had a beginning, and is, and will be."
Aion is what is properly eternal, in contrast with a divine imitation of it in ages of time, the result of the creative action of God which imitated the uncreate as nearly as He could in created ages.. ]
In Plato the term is developed so as to represent
a timeless, immeasurable and transcendent super-time, an idea of time in itself. Plutarch and the earlier Stoics appropriate this understanding, and from it the
Mysteries of Aion, the god of eternity, could be celebrated in Alexandria, and gnosticism could undertake its own speculations on time.
* * *
NIDNTT Colin Brown
Wherefore neither in place are things there formed by nature; nor does time cause them to grow old: neither is there any change of anything of those things which are arranged beyond the outermost orbit; but
unchangeable, and subject to no influence, having the best and most independent life,
they continue for all eternity (aiona).
According to the same word (logon) the completeness of the whole heaven, and the
completeness which embraces all time and infinitude is aion, having received this name from existing for ever (apo tou aei einai), immortal (athanatos, undying), and divine." In 10 he goes on to shew that that beginning to be (genesthai) involves the not existing always, which I refer to as shewing what he means by aion. He is proving
the unchangeable eternity of the visible universe. That is no business of mine; but it shews what he means by eternity (aion). It cannot be aidion and genesthai at the same time, when, as
in Plato, aidios is used as equivalent to aionios
... but would it change anything for you if Jesus actually meant "life for an aeon"?
