The following post by Hillsage is a keeper!
The noun is Life or judgment and the modifying ADJECTIVE is the age that life/judgment are both taking place in. Your Greek scholars error is in taking a noun...
aion/age, which is an
undetermined period of time with a beginning and an end, and then defining the modifying adjective of that noun
...aionios...as almost always (67 X vs 3 X) being
defined as a length of time that's eternally endless both forward and backward. That is bad grammar, but it is the definition of the word
aidios. Grammatical law says no adjective can have a definition stronger than the noun from which it is derived from.
Then to add dumber to dumb, the translators backpedaled to define
aion/age as
a limited time frame (which it is) as well as an unlimited or eternal time frame. HELLO, that's NO DEFINITION AT ALL, it means nothing definitively, but TIME alone. Then they based that worthless definition upon how that word fit their doctrine in a verse. That is just "
Lying scribes" scripture. It was in Jer 8:8 and it is still true today. And it does not fall within the parameters of "context determines definition" either. A concept I do understand and do believe in, but not with a definition that has been butchered to fit indoctrination.
An '
hour' (noun) is a 60 minute long period of time. 8
hourly (modifying adjective) meetings doesn't mean an hour is now 480 minutes. An
age/aion is a defined amount of time with a beginning and an end.
Aidios has no beginning or end. So you are right none of your
'aionios means ETERNITY verses' are correct. None of us have
aidios life....saved or unsaved. ALL we ever have until
the ages are no more is a 'quality of life in any of the quantity of time ages. Ages that have been and are yet to come.
EPH 2:7 that He might show,
in the ages that are coming, the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus,
And what "
grace" is this verse talking about manifesting in the future ages? The same grace that we received in this age to be saved. So if you got saved in this age you don't need to be saved again in the age to come. You just need to experience the life that becomes available in that age because you already ARE saved.
Sorry but aidios is used only twice in the new testament. Niether one refers to us!
Already explained that.
Rom. 1: 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Quality of power defined by length.
Where did you come up with this definition of "
quality of power defined by length"? I ask because it 'stinks' IMO. It smells like the same source as all those "
lying scribes" that Jeremiah said fooled ALL who believed 'ALL their scholars' back then.
So what you now have to do is show why aionios (derived from aion--age) is not a time meaning eternal as has been defined by nearly all Bible believing Greek scholars and is a qualitative not quantitative description. So you are contending that the body of Christ has been deceived for centuries by Greek Translators.
aionios is translated 67 times as everlasting, eternal. All turning a qualifying adjective into a noun. Where does
aionios ever get defined as what it is, an adjective pertaining to an AGE.
When is it NOT defined as eternal or everlasting you ask? Let's look;
ROM 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret
since the world/aionios began,
Hmm, so your word translated ETERNAL 67 times had a BEGINNING....hmmm.
2TI 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/aionios began,
Hmm, so your word for ETERNAL had something before ETERNITY began....hmm.
Now here is a verse where the LYING SCRIBES dug deep into the stink to defend a false doctrine.
TIT 1:2 In hope of
eternal/aionios life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the
world/aionios began;
So
ETERNAL LIFE...before..ETERNAL ever
began. Now that stinks bad.
Short story is YES you are believing a long contrived lie perpetrated in the 400 years that universalism was predominant. But then it was almost snuffed out by pen and sword by the WESTERN orthodox church of ROME. So tell me, do you ascribe to Roman Catholic theology....which was the source of so much we Protestants totally disavow? If you don't, then don't use your "how could the scholars be wrong so long" litmus on me. Just because it stinks doesn't mean it doesn't still stick to those who let it.
Those verses above from a reputable scholar whose Concordance is still in print today. Young's Concordance....and here is his translation which stays true to the Greek
and the laws of grammar.
YOUNG'S LITERAL TRANSLATION
ROM 16:25 And to Him who is able to establish you, according to my good news, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the secret,
in the times of the ages having been kept silent,
2TI 1:9 who did save us, and did call with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, that was given to us in Christ Jesus,
before the times of the ages,
TIT 1:2 upon hope of
life age-during, which God, who doth not lie, did promise
before times of ages,
An '
age' is a period of time. And '
ages' are "
times" (plural) because those
'ages' are
plural.
0126
aidios: everduring (forward and backward, or forward only)
A good way would be to show by scholarship why aionion is not never ending but more a quality of of existence instead of a "time"
I just did.
So you believe in universal salvation then.
First exposed to it in the early 70's. Studied it for 10 years just HOPING it was true. Ever since then, I have undoubtedly believed it is true. My God has a plan for all his creation to be saved. If not then he is worse than Hitler could ever be. Firing eternal torturing flames for no more purpose than to satisfy his unforgiving vindictive hate for those HE CONSIGNED TO SIN that He might have mercy on them ALL. Or MIGHT NOT. Now there is an "ETERNAL" belief that befits the fire of Hell.
~You
can’t grasp what you
can’t comprehend and you
can’t comprehend what you
aren’t familiar with
~
St. Jerome 347-420, wrote: "They write down not what they find but what they think is the meaning; and while they attempt to rectify the errors of others, they merely expose their own" (Jerome, Epist. lxxi.5).
