A New Meaning for "Everlasting Life"

[Paidion]

NOPE! Bad title! It should have been "An Old Meaning for 'Everlasting Life' ." However, it may be new to us.

The Greek phrase in the accusative case is "ζωην αἰνιον" (zōān aiōnion). In the past, I knew that "aiōnion" does not mean "everlasting," since in many Greek writings, it referred to things which lasted only a few years, or even a few days. So I have suggested the meaning "lasting" for the word. "Lasting" does not have inherent in its meaning any time frame, but may refer to ANYTHING which lasts, whether for a short time, a long time, or even forever.

Recently, I have come across another possible meaning based on the ancient creeds. The "apostles' creed" ends with "I believe... in zōān aiōnion." The dots represent a number of other things in which belief is asseverated. I once found that the original Nicene Creed ended the same way. But the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.) was changed, and there is presently much confusion about it. Many quote the Constantinopolitan Creed (381 A.D.) as the Nicene Creed. The reason is that it seems to have been a revision of one form of the Nicene Creed. The Constantinopolitan Creed ends with "We believe in ... and "zōān tou mellantos aiōnos" (life of the coming age). The framers of this creed wrote the creed in Greek, and obviously understood the language.

The framers of the Constantinopolitan Creed seemed to understand "life aiōnos" as life in the coming age. If they understood "life aiōnios" in this way, then perhaps the phrase is used in that way in the New Testament. Perhaps the much-debated sentence in Matthew 25:46 should be understood in the following way:

" And they (those who didn't minister to the neeedy) will go away into corrrection in the coming age, but the righteous into life in the coming age."

And so with other passages such as:

Mt 19:29 And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit life in the coming age.

[Homer]

Hi Paidion,

And so we have no assurance of how long "eternal life" may be? Given your belief that all in hell will come to repentance because there will be no end to their opportunity and they can't hold out forever, it would seem that your position would be that "life in the coming age" would necessarily be unending. You appear to contradict yourself regarding aionios.

[TheEditor]

Paidion,

I recall reading where aionian life had more to do with the "quality" of the life, as opposed to the "quantity". Do you recall this as well?

Regards, Brenden.

[Paidion]

And so we have no assurance of how long "eternal life" may be? Given your belief that all in hell will come to repentance because there will be no end to their opportunity and they can't hold out forever, it would seem that your position would be that "life in the coming age" would necessarily be unending. You appear to contradict yourself regarding aionios.

Homer, how do you arrive at the idea that it is my "position" that aiōnios life is "life in the coming age"? Did I suggest any such thing in my post? All I did was present an observation that I made when looking at the ancient creeds. I put it forth in order to provide people with an opportunity to comment. You have jumped to an unwarranted conclusion.

I recall reading where aionian life had more to do with the "quality" of the life, as opposed to the "quantity". Do you recall this as well?

Yes, I have read that, Brenden. I have not been able to make sense of that, because when you consider the use of "aiōnios" in other contexts, the idea is not applicable. For example, the word was used by Diodorus Siculus to describe the stone used to build a wall. I don't think he was describing the quality of the stone, but rather was indicating that the stone was “lasting” or “durable,” although I suppose durability itself could be considered to be a quality of the stone.

Heb 9:14 speaks of the "spirit aiōnios". The writer doesn't seem to be speaking of any quality of the spirit, other than enduring aspect of it (or "Him" if you prefer).

In Tit 1:2 and 1 Tim 1:9 Paul used the phrase "before times aiōnios." Did he refer to a period before times with a particular quality? I don't think so.

In Philemon 1:15, Paul wrote to Philemon, "For perhaps he (Onesimus) departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him aiōnios.
I don't know how "quality" could fit into this sentence. I think Paul was saying, "that you might receive him permanently."

The idea of permanency also seems to be the case in the following verse:

...for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are aiōnios. (2 Cor 4:18 NKJV)

In, the Homily of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians, Chrysostom seems to have thought of "aiōnios" as meaning "temporary.' He wrote that the kingdom of Satan “is aiōnios, in other words it will cease with the present aion (age).” So Chrysostum apparently believed that “aiōnios” means exactly the opposite to “eternal”,that is “temporary.” I think one could confidently asseverate that Chrysostum, when referring to of the kingdom of Satan, did not have in mind some quality of that kingdom other than that of temporality.

[dizerner]

αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων (age of the ages) is quite a common phrase.

Gal. 1:5
Phil. 4:20
1 Tim. 1:17
2 Tim. 4:18
Heb. 13:21
1 Pet. 4:11
Rev. 1:6, 18
Rev. 4:9-10
Rev. 5:13
Rev. 7:12
Rev. 10:6
Rev. 11:15
Rev. 15:7
Rev. 19:3
Rev. 20:10
Rev. 22:5

It would seem to imply the quality of one particular aiōnios is unlike any other aiōnios.

[Paidion]

Hi Dizerner,

It would seem to imply the quality of one particular aiōnios is unlike any other aiōnios.

αἰων (aiōn) is a noun, and it means "age." I don't think anyone disputes that. The adjectival form of the word is αἰωνιος (aiōnios). This is the word under dispute. It is often translated "eternal" or "everlasting." I don't think that is the meaning of the adjective. It's related to the noun, but "agey" is not a word in English, and so in my opinion "lasting" is the best translation.

In the passages you referenced, the phrase is "εἰς τους αἰωνας των αἰωνων". This means "into the ages of the ages." There is no singular noun in the phrase.

[dizerner]

Hi Dizerner,

It would seem to imply the quality of one particular aiōnios is unlike any other aiōnios.

αἰων (aiōn) is a noun, and it means "age." I don't think anyone disputes that. The adjectival form of the word is αἰωνιος (aiōnios). This is the word under dispute. It is often translated "eternal" or "everlasting." I don't think that is the meaning of the adjective. It's related to the noun, but "agey" is not a word in English, and so in my opinion "lasting" is the best translation.

In the passages you referenced, the phrase is "εἰς τους αἰωνας των αἰωνων". This means "into the ages of the ages." There is no singular noun in the phrase.

Yes sorry the transliteration confused me. So you would say "of the age" might fit as an adjective? "Punishment 'of the age'" something like that. As you astutely point out, as an adjective we still must assume it is specifically referencing one word, so therefore a specific age not just "of ages in general." Or would you disagree with that.

[Singalphile]

The framers of the Constantinopolitan Creed seemed to understand "life aiōnos" as life in the coming age.

If they did and were correct, what does that mean for the other Biblical uses of aiōnos?

It describes life 43 times, but it's also used to describe "fire", "punishment", "sin", "salvation", "dwellings", "times/time", "God", "[weight of] glory", "house", "destruction", "comfort", "dominion", "judgment", "redemption", "spirit", "inheritance", "covenant", "kingdom", and "gospel" (all from the NASB, which I'm not saying is the most accurate in all cases).

It is a difficult word, I think.

[jriccitelli]

" And they (those who didn't minister to the neeedy) will go away into corrrection in the coming age, but the righteous into life in the coming age" (Paidion)

So do I understand correctly that those 'who go away unto correction' somewhere, will receive the corrected translation that Paidion has. And the ones who have the incorrect understanding go on to life in the coming age, or is it the other way around?

[TheEditor]

Hi JR,

I don't think you are reading it correctly. It appears the issue was the meaning of "aionos" life; "everlasting" versus "age-lasting", or "life in the next age" versus "correction/punishment/punishing in the next age". Both "whatevers" happen during the same "whenever".

Regards, Brenden.