jgibson000

What you are supposed to be mindful of (let alone to know) -- especially since you claim to have studied ancient Greek -- bis not only

(1) that there is a difference between transliteration of Greek words and spelling them phonetically (which, by the way you didn't do correctly in using PROSXERO for PROSKAIROS, even if we accept that X is suitable for representing the sound of K and that the sound of the dipthong "ai" can be represented by E -- where's the letter that represents the final sigma in PROSKAIROS?) and

(2) that when communicating online or in print when Greek fonts are not available, phonetic spelling of Greek is something that is not done as well as something those who have studied Greek do not recognize as in any way acceptable, but also

(3) that transliteration is accepted -- especially by those who have studied Greek -- as the only and proper method of writing Greek when Greek fonts are not available, and

(4) that there are certain schemes of transliteration (those of the B-Greek and Classics Lists or the one posted at the Perseus web site) that those who wish to make claims about Greek are expected not only to be familiar with, but to abide by and to use.

In any case, the issue is not whether a "language" exists or not, but of avoiding misunderstanding when one writes Greek, and of the degree to which one is courteous in observing the proper and accepted way of writing Greek when one does not have the ability to write Greek words with actual Greek letters.

JG

TonyN

Can we get back to what this whole thread is about? If one goes to the first post that started this thread it might be helpful to stay on track.

jgibson000

And so far as I could see, I never said you did.

In any case, while I agree with you regarding what your are claiming about a meaning with which PROSKAIROS was used and that it has no "literal meaning" (is there such a thing?), especially of "towards a season", you might wish to note that the word has a larger semantic range that seem to think it has.

As LSJ note, proskairos , on, signified

A. occasional, extraordinary, heortê IG22.1368.44 ; hai p. epibolai the additional taxes, PLond.3.979.19(iv A.D.); ta dêmosia telê kanonika te kai p. toutôn PMasp.168.36 (vi A.D.).

2. opportune, ekdromai Plu.Pel.15 ; thoruboi Luc.Dem.Enc.31 ; rhêma Sch.Ar. Ach.274.

3. at the time, ta p. adêla Gal.1.78 .

4. proskairon, to, agreement having temporary validity, Sammelb.6000v.35 (vi A.D.).

II. lasting for a time, temporary, Str.7.3.11; anochê D.C. Fr.46.1 ; p. hê terpsis, opp. athanatos, D.H.Rh.7.4,6; opp. aiônios, 2 Ep.Cor.4.18, cf. OGI669.14 (Egypt, i A.D.); transient, Ev.Matt. 13.21, Plot.4.8.8. Adv. -rôs Sor.1.31 , Ps.-Dsc.4.58, Hdn.4.14.7.

JG

jgibson000

If "what this whole thread is all about" is your claim that no one has ever been able to disprove your assertion that the noun AIWN never means "eternal age" and that the adjective AIWNIOS never means "eternal", sure.

So tell me, what do you make of the data on AIWN and AIWNIOS that appears in the article on AIWN, AIWNIOS in TDNT and BDAG? to wit:

TDNT aiwnnios.

Adj. with 2 and 3 endings: “eternal.” Orphic. Hymn., 87, 5 (Abel); Plat.Leg., X, 904a; Resp. II, 363d; Tim., 37d and 38b: qeo;n to;n aijwvnion, Tim. Locr., 96c. In later poetry and prose aijwvnio" is also used in the sense of “lifelong” or “enduring,” in accordance with the basic meaning of ® aijwvn: Callim.Hymn., 3, 6; 4, 130; Philodem. De Deis, III, 8, 22, Diels (AAB, 1916, 4); Dion. Hal.Ant. Rom., X, 36; Diod. S., I, 1, 5; IV, 63, 4; Max. Tyr., XLIII, 43, Dübner. Cf. the distinction between nou`so" cronivh and aijwnivh in Aretaios of Cappadocia (181, 7 Ermerins). Inscriptions: hJ aijwvnio" kai; ajqavnato" tou` panto;" fuvsi", Inscr. Brit. Mus. (inscription in honour of Augustus from Halicarnass.); eij" crovnon aijwvnion, Ditt. Or., 383, 11; pro;" dovxan kai; mnhvmhn aijwvnion, ibid., 438, 13 and many similar formulations. In the later empire aijwvnio" (aeternus) is applied to the emperors like many similar divine predicates, e.g., tw`n aijwnivwn Aujgouvstwn, ibid., 580, 3; 619, 2; 722, 6.
In the LXX µl;/[ is often rendered adjectivally by aijwvnio", the sense being thus affected, e.g., in y 23ò7: puvlai aijwvnioi (“everlasting doors”) instead of “ancient doors”; y 76ò5: e[th aijwvnia (“eternal years”) instead of “years long past”; Gn. 21:33: qeo;" aijwvnio" (“eternal God”) instead of “God of old.”


In the NT aijwvnio" (with the rare ® aji>vdio") is used in the sense of eternal in three ways.

1. It is used of God: tou` aijwnivou qeou` (R. 16:26, ® aijwvn, 200). As a predicate of God aijwvnio" contains not merely the concept of unlimited time without beginning or end, but also of the eternity which transcends time.

2. In the latter sense it is used also of divine possessions and gifts. In 2 C.
4:18 the things which are seen (ta; blepovmena) are compared to the things which are not seen as things temporal (provskaira) to things eternal. The same view is developed in Hb., e.g., in 9:14: the pneu`ma is the pneu`ma aijwvnion (“eternal Spirit”) because divine. In the same connection we should mention aijwvnio" dovxa, 2 Tm. 2:10; 1 Pt. 5:10; aijwvnion bavro" dovxh", 2 C. 4:17; cf. Wis. 10:14; timh; kai; kravto" aijwvnion (doxologically), 1 Tm. 6:16; eujaggevlion aijwvnion, Rev. 14:6; paravklhsi" aijwniva. 2 Th. 2:16; diaqhvkh aijwvnio", Hb. 13:20 (very common in the LXX, as in Gn. 9:16; 17:7; Ex. 31:16; Lv. 24:8; 2 Ba". 23ò5); swthriva aijwvnio", Hb. 5:9; Mk. 16 (short ending); cf. Is. 45:17; aijwniva luvtrwsi", Hb. 9:12; aijwvnio" klhronomiva, Hb. 9:15.

3. The expression aijwvnio" basileiva (2 Pt. 1:11) forms a transition to the use of aijwvnio" as a term for the object of eschatological expectation: zwh; aijwvnio", aijwvnio" klhronomiva, Hb. 9:15; aijwvnioi skhnaiv of the place of blessedness, Lk. 16:9; oijkiva aijwvnio" ejn toi`" oujranoi`" of the heavenly body, 2 C. 5:1. If in such expressions aijwvnio" has the full sense of divine eternity, in to; pu`r to; aijwvnion, Mt. 18:8; 25:41; Jd. 7 (cf. 4 Macc. 12:12), kovlasi" aijwvnio", Mt. 25:46; o[leqro" aijwvnio", 2 Th. 1:9; aijwvnion aJmavrthma, Mk. 3:29 (eternally unforgivable sin) it has in the first instance only the sense of “unceasing” or “endless.” But an expression like krivma aijwvnion, Hb. 6:2 (cf. aijwnivou krivsew", Mk. 3:29, AKMP) shows that here, too, it extends beyond the purely temporal meaning.

4. The concept of eternity is weakened in crovnoi aijwvnioi, R. 16:25; 2 Tm. 1:9; Tt. 1:2. This expression is simply a variant of aijw`ne" in the eternity formulae. The phrase in Phlm. 15: i{na aijwvnion aujto;n ajpevch/" (“that thou shouldest receive him for ever”) reminds us of the non-biblical usage ((® 208) and of oijkevth" eij" to;n aijw`na –µl;/[ db,[,„
“slave for life” in Dt. 15:17.

BDAG aiwnios
• aiwnios (i,a Pla., Tim. 38b; Jer 39:40; Ezk 37:26; OdeSol 11:22; TestAbr A; JosAs 8:11 cod. A; 2 Th 2:16; Hb 9:12; mss. Ac 13:48; 2 Pt 1:11; AcPl BMM recto 27=Ox 1602, 29; Just., A I, 8, 4 al.; B-D-F §59, 2; Mlt-H. 157), on eternal (since Hyperid. 6, 27; Pla.; ins, pap, LXX, En, TestSol, TestAbr A, Test12Patr; JosAs 12:12; GrBar 4:16; ApcEsdr; ApcMos 29; Ps.-Phocyl. 112; Just.; Tat. 17, 1; Ath., Mel.; standard epithet for princely, esp. imperial, power: OGI index VIII; BGU 176, 12; 303, 2; 309, 4; Sb 7517, 5 [211/12 AD] ku,rioj aiv.; al. in pap; Jos., Ant. 7, 352).

1. pert. to a long period of time, long ago cro,noij aiv. long ages ago Ro 16:25; pro. cro,nwn aiv. before time began 2 Ti 1:9; Tit 1:2 (in these two last pass. the prep. bears the semantic content of priority; on cro,noj aiv. cp. OGI 248, 54; 383, 10).

2. pert. to a period of time without beginning or end, eternal of God (Ps.-Pla., Tim. Locr. 96c qeo.n t. aivw,nion; IBM 894, 2 aiv. k. avqa,natoj tou/ panto.j fu,sij; Gen 21:33; Is 26:4; 40:28; Bar 4:8 al.; Philo, Plant. 8; 74; SibOr fgm. 3, 17 and 4; PGM 1, 309; 13, 280) Ro 16:26; of the Holy Spirit in Christ Hb 9:14. qro,noj aiv. 1 Cl 65:2 (cp. 1 Macc 2:57).

3. pert. to a period of unending duration, without end (Diod. S. 1, 1, 5; 5, 73, 1; 15, 66, 1 do,xa aiv. everlasting fame; in Diod. S. 1, 93, 1 the Egyptian dead are said to have passed to their aiv. oi;khsij; Arrian, Peripl. 1, 4 evj mnh,mhn aiv.; Jos., Bell. 4, 461 aiv. ca,rij=a benefaction for all future time; OGI 383, 10 [I BC] eivj cro,non aiv.; EOwen, oi=koj aiv.: JTS 38, '37, 248-50; EStommel, Domus Aeterna: RAC IV 109-28) of the next life skhnai. aiv. Lk 16:9 (cp. En 39:5). oivki,a, contrasted w. the oivki,a evpi,geioj, of the glorified body 2 Cor 5:1. diaqh,kh (Gen 9:16; 17:7; Lev 24:8; 2 Km 23:5 al.; PsSol 10:4 al.) Hb 13:20. euvagge,lion Rv 14:6; kra,toj in a doxolog. formula (=eivj tou.j aivw/naj) 1 Ti 6:16. para,klhsij 2 Th 2:16. lu,trwsij Hb 9:12. klhronomi,a (Esth 4:17m) vs. 15; AcPl Ha 8, 21. aiv. avpe,cein tina, (opp. pro.j w[ran) keep someone forever Phlm 15 (cp. Job 40:28). Very often of God's judgment (Diod. S. 4, 63, 4 dia. th.n avse,beian evn a[|dou diatelei/n timwri,aj aivwni,ou tugca,nonta; similarly 4, 69, 5; Jer 23:40; Da 12:2; Ps 76:6; 4 Macc 9:9; 13:15) ko,lasij aiv. (TestReub 5:5) Mt 25:46; 2 Cl 6:7; kri,ma aiv. Hb 6:2 (cp. kri,sij aiv. En 104:5). qa,natoj B 20:1. o;leqron (4 Macc 10:15) 2 Th 1:9. pu/r (4 Macc 12:12; GrBar 4:16.—SibOr 8, 401 fw/j aiv.) Mt 18:8; 25:41; Jd 7; Dg 10:7 (cp. 1QS 2:8). a`ma,rthma Mk 3:29 (v.l. kri,sewj, kola,sew, and a`marti,aj). On the other hand, of eternal life (Maximus Tyr. 6, 1d qeou/ zwh. aiv.; Diod. S. 8, 15, 3 life meta. to.n qa,naton lasts eivj a[panta aivw/na; Da 12:2; 4 Macc 15:3; PsSol 3, 12; OdeSol 11:16c; JosAs 8:11 cod. A [p. 50, 2 Bat.]; Philo, Fuga 78; Jos., Bell. 1, 650; SibOr 2, 336) in the Reign of God: zwh. aiv. (Orig., C. Cels. 2, 77, 3) Mt 19:16, 29; 25:46; Mk 10:17, 30; Lk 10:25; 18:18, 30; J 3:15f, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 39; 6:27, 40, 47, 54, 68; 10:28; 12:25, 50; 17:2f; Ac 13:46, 48; Ro 2:7; 5:21; 6:22f; Gal 6:8; 1 Ti 1:16; 6:12; Tit 1:2; 3:7; 1J 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11, 13, 20; Jd 21; D 10:3; 2 Cl 5:5; 8:4, 6; IEph 18:1; Hv 2, 3, 2; 3, 8, 4 al. Also basilei,a aiv. 2 Pt 1:11 (ApcPt Rainer 9; cp. Da 4:3; 7:27; Philo, Somn. 2, 285; Mel., P. 68, 493; OGI 569, 24 u`pe.r th/j aivwni,ou kai. avfqa,rtou basilei,aj u`mw/n; Dssm. B 279f, BS 363). Of the glory in the next life do,xa aiv. 2 Ti 2:10; 1 Pt 5:10 (cp. Wsd 10:14; Jos., Ant. 15, 376.—SibOr 8, 410 fw/j aivw/nion). aivw,nion ba,roj do,xhj 2 Cor 4:17; swthri,a aiv. (Is 45:17; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 1, 19) Hb 5:9; short ending of Mk. Of unseen glory in contrast to the transitory world of the senses ta. mh. blepo,mena aivw,nia 2 Cor 4:18.—cara, IPhld ins; doxa,zesqai aivwni,w| e;rgw| be glorified by an everlasting deed IPol 8:1. DHill, Gk. Words and Hebr. Mngs. '67, 186-201; JvanderWatt, NovT 31, '89, 217-28 (J).—DELG s.v. aivw,n. M-M. TW. Sv.

TDNT AIWN
A. The Non-Biblical Use.

a. “Vital force,” or “life” in Hom.Il., 9, 415; Od., 5, 152 etc.; cf. yuchv te kai; aijwvn, Il., 16, 453; Od., 9, 523; Pind. Fr. 111, 5 (Schroeder). b. “Lifetime”: aijwvn bivoio, Hesiod. Fr., 161, 1 (Rzach); aijw;n movrsimo", Pind.Olymp., II, 11; Hdt., I, 32; Thuc., I, 70, 8; Xenoph.Cyrop., VIII, 7, 1. c. “Age” or “generation” in Aesch.Sept. c. Theb., 742 and 771; Soph. Fr., 1021, 1 (Nauck); plur. Emped. Fr., 129, 6 (Diels, I, 272, 20). d. “Space of time” or “time,” with ref. to the past in Demosth. Ep., 2, 7: ejn a{panti tw`/ aijw`ni; Or., 18, 203: pavnta to;n aijw`na; to the future in 18, 199: dovxa h] progovnwn h] tou` mevllonto" aijw`no"; to the present in Psephisma of Assos. Ditt. Syll.3, 797, 9: aijw;n ejnestwv"; plur. makrou;" aijw`na", Theocr., XVI, 43. e. “Eternity,” since Plat. (infra); hyperbol. ejx … aijw`no", “from eternity,” Lycurg., 110, Diod. S., I, 63, 5; diÆ aijw`no", Ps.-Demosth.Or., 60, 6; Diod. S., III, 8, 5; kata; … aijw`no", Lycurg., 7; eij" aijw`na, Lycurg., 106; eij" a{panta to;n aijw`na “in eternity,” loc. cit.


From the days of Heraclitus (aijw;n pai`" ejsti paivzwn, Fr. 52, Diels, I, 88, 1) and Empedocles the philosophers made use of the term in discussions of the problem of time. The high-water mark of such discussions is found in Plato’s Timaeus. Whereas Greek in general distinguishes between crovno" and aijwvn, using the former for time in itself and the latter for the relative time allotted to a being, Plato distinguishes between aijwvn as timeless, ideal eternity, in which there are no days or months or years, and crovno" as the time which is created with the world as a moving image of eternity (eijkw; kinhtovn tina aijw`no", Tim., 37d). From this view, which is rather singular in the Greek world, and which reminds us of the later Persian distinction between zrvan akarana (“endless time” or “eternity”) and zrvan dareghoµ-chvadhaµta (a “long period of time” with its own fixed span, i.e., the duration of the world), Aristotle returns to the conception of aijwvn as the relative period of time allotted to each specific thing. In accordance with his doctrine of the eternity of the world, the aijwvn of the world coincides with crovno" a[peiro"ò o{ti me;n ou\n ou[te gevgonen oJ pa`" oujrano;" ou[tÆ ejndevcetai fqarh`nai … ajllÆ e[stin ei|" kai; aji>vdio", ajrch;n me;n kai; teleuth;n oujk e[cwn tou` panto;" aijw`no", e[cwn de; kai; perievcwn ejn aujtw`/ to;n a[peiron crovnon, Cael., II, 1, p. 283b, 26 ff. To this there corresponds the definition in Cael., I, 9, p. 279a, 23 ff.: to; ga;r tevlo" to; perievcon to;n th`" eJkavstou zwh`" crovnon … aijw;n eJkavstou kevklhtai. Kata; to;n aujto;n de; lovgon kai; to; tou` panto;" oujranou` tevlo" kai; to; to;n pavnta crovnon kai; th;n ajpeirivan perievcon tevlo", aijwvn ejstin, ajpo; tou` ajei; ei\nai eijlhfw;" th;n ejpwnumivan, ajqavnato" kai; qei`o".

Under Plato’s influence, Philo gives the following definition of aijwvnò to; crovnou paravdeigma kai; ajrcevtupon, Mut. Nom., 267; Deus Imm., 32; cf. Rer. Div. Her., 165. crovno" is the bivo" of the kovsmo" aijsqhtov", aijwvn the bivo" of God and the kovsmo" nohtov". It is of the nature of aijwvn to be the eternal to-day, Fug., 57. It is ajpevrato" (Fug., 57), a[peiro" (Leg. Gaj., 85). In the sense of eternity or unending time both Plutarch (Cons. ad Apoll., 17 [II, 111c]; Eiap. Delph., 20 [II, 393a]) and the younger Stoics are familiar with the term aijwvn.

In the Hellenistic age the word acquires religious significance in virtue of the fact that Aijwvn becomes the name of a god of eternity whose mysteries are known to have been celebrated in Alexandria from c. 200 b.c. (Ps.-Callisth., 30, 6, p. 27; Epiph.Haer., 51, 22). The aijwvn speculations of Alexandria, where Judaism also picked up the Greek word aijwvn, had a profound influence on syncretistic Gnosticism. Behind the Greek Aijwvn stands the Persian Zrvan akarana or unlimited time, which Eudemos of Rhodes already recognised to be the supreme principle of Persian theology above even Ahuramazda and Ahriman (Damascius, I, 322, 8 ff., Ruelle) and which, personified in Persian fashion, occupied an important place among the later Parsee deities, esp. in the cult of Mithras.

B. aijwvn in the Sense of Prolonged Time or Eternity.

1. The Formulae “from eternity” and “to eternity.”

a. The concepts of time and eternity merge in the formulae in which aijwvn is linked with a preposition to indicate an indefinite past or future, e.g., ajpÆ aijw`no" (Lk. 1:70; Ac. 3:21; 15:18) and ejk tou` aijw`no" (Jn. 9:32) in the sense of “from the ancient past” or “from eternity,” or eij" aijw`na (Jd. 13) and eij" to;n aijw`na (27 times, esp. common in Jn. e.g., 4:14) in the sense of “for ever” or “to all eternity.” Only in the light of the context can it be said whether aijwvn means “eternity” in the strict sense or simply “remote” or “extended” or “uninterrupted time.” Thus in Lk. 1:70 and Ac. 3:21 oiJ a{gioi ajpÆ aijw`no" profh`tai means “the holy prophets of old time.” The meaning is particularly weak when we have an aijwvn formula in a negative statement. Thus Jn. 9:32: ejk tou` aijw`no" oujk hjkouvsqh, simply means that “it has never been heard,” and ouj (mh … eij" to;n aijw`na merely signifies “never” (cf. Jn. 13:8; 1 C. 8:13). The full significance of “eternity” is perhaps to be found in passages like Lk. 1:55; Jn. 6:51; 12:34; 14:16; 2 C. 9:9 (y 111, 9); Hb. 5:6; 7:17, 21 etc.; 1 Pt. 1:25; 1 Jn. 2:17; Jd. 13, if the question can ever be answered with any certainty.

In order to bring out more fully the stricter concept of eternity, religious usage generally prefers the plur. Esp. in doxologies we find: eij" tou;" aijw`na" (Mt. 6:13 [Rd]; Lk. 1:33; R. 1:25; 9:5; 11:36; 2 C. 11:31; Hb. 13:8; and also eij" pavnta" tou;" aijw`na" with pro; panto;" tou` aijw`no", Jd. 25). This plur. use is simply designed to emphasise the idea of eternity which is contained but often blurred in the sing. aijwvn. Thus in Hebrews the eij" to;n aijw`na used under the influence of the LXX (e.g,. 5:6; 7:24) is materially identical with eij" tou;" aijw`na" in 13:8. The plur. is also to be found in formulae which refer to the past. In 1 C. 2:7 it is said of the qeou` sofivaò h}n prowvrisen oJ qeo;" pro; tw`n aijwvnwn (“from all eternity”); similarly in Col. 1:26: ajpo; tw`n aijwvnwn kai; ajpo; tw`n genew`n, and Eph. 3:9: ajpo; tw`n aijwvnwn, cf. Eph. 3:11: kata; provqesin tw`n aijwvnwn h}n ejpoivhsen (== kata; provqesin h}n ejpoivhsen pro; tw`n aijwvnwn). In these cases the sing. ajpo; or pro; tou` aijw`no" might well be used instead of the plur. But the plur. presupposes knowledge of a plurality of aijw`ne", of ages and periods of time whose infinite series constitutes eternity. Thus the idea of prolonged but not unending time is also present in the aijwvn formulae. Noteworthy in this respect is the parallel aijw`ne"ƒgeneaiv in Col. 1:26. The concepts of limited and unlimited time merge in the word aijwvn. The implied inner contradiction is brought to light in the expression crovnoi aijwvnioi which is used as an equivalent of the plur. in R. 16:25; 2 Tm. 1:9; Tt. 1:2; for eternal times is strictly a contradiction in terms.

Also designed to emphasise the concept of eternity is the twofold use of the term in the formula eij" to;n aijw`na tou` aijw`no" (Hb. 1:8, y 44ò6). In 21 passages this twofold use is linked with the plur., thus giving rise to the distinctive formula of the Pauline Epistles and Revelation (cf. also Hb. 13:21; 1 Pt. 4:11; 5:11): eij" tou`" aijw`na" tw`n aijwvnwn. Finally, there are cases in which the aijwvn formulae are united with similar expressions. Thus in the phrase: eij" pavsa" ta;" genea;" tou` aijw`no" tw`n aijwvnwn Eph. 3:21 (cf. Col. 1:26), we can pick out the components eij" pavsa" ta;" geneav" and eij" to;n aijw`na tw`n aijwvnwn; and eij" hJmevran aijw`no" (2 Pt. 3:18) can be dissected into the two constituents eij" hJmevran (sc. kurivou) and eij" to;n aijw`na.

b. These formulae contain nothing peculiar to the NT. From the time of the LXX they form part of the common usage of Hellenistic Judaism. The LXX uses aijwvn to translate different Hebrew terms, among which the most important are µl;/[
and d['.

While aijwvn always contains the idea of a prolongation of time, in the first instance µl;/[
means only hidden or distant time belonging to the remote and inscrutable past or future from the standpoint of the present. The chronological distance is relative. Thus Amos in 9:11 can refer to the time of David as µl;/[ ymeyÒ
“days of old” (LXX: hJmevrai tou` aijw`no"). If the thought of distance is to be expressed by µl;/[
, expressions like µl;/[l]
, µl;/[me
etc. are often used. Only at a later time (demonstrably after Deutero-Isaiah) does µl;/[
begin to have the sense of endless time or eternity in the true sense. At the same period we begin to find the plur. µymil;/[
(Is. 45:17), which was unknown in earlier writings, and which signifies eternity, but on the assumption that the sing. means a long period of time. The idea of a stretch of time belongs from the very first to the word d['
, which is a poetic term and, except in Job 20:4, denotes unlimited future. In translation of such Hebrew expressions as µl;/[me
, µl;/[l]
and d['l;
(or occasionally jx'n<l;
etc.), the LXX offers an incalculable wealth of examples of eternity formulae with the simple sing. aijwvn, e.g., ajpo; (tou`) aijw`no", pro; (tou`) aijw`no", eij" (to;n) aijw`na etc.

The LXX can also afford examples of the twofold use of aijwvn in these formulae. In a passage like y 44ò6 (cf. Hb. 1:8) eij" (to;n) aijw`na (tou`) aijw`no" is given as the translation of d[,w: µl;/[.

It is harder to explain why the simple d['l; should be predominantly, though not exclusively, rendered eij" aijw`na aijw`no", and d[,w: µl;/[l]
eij" to;n aijw`na kai; eij" to;n aijw`na tou` aijw`no". We need hardly follow R. Kittel in detecting here the influence of the aion theology of Alexandria. The most likely explanation is that d[', as the strongest Hebrew term for an infinite future, demanded a special translation, and recourse was therefore had to the expression aijw;n aijw`no". This is to be understood in terms of linguistic psychology, possibly being suggested by the Hebrew d['Ayde[} , which is often rendered eij" (to;n) aijw`na (tou`) aijw`no" (y 82ò18; 91:8; 131:14). The name Aijw;n Aijw`no", which occurs in the Hermetic writings for the god of eternity Aijwvn, certainly developed out of these formulae as found in the LXX. Whether the translators coined the expression or found it cannot be decided. The plur. use of aijw;n in such formulae does occur in the LXX, though infrequently. The basis of this construction seems to be the Hebrew plur. µymil;/[, though this is not usually rendered aijw`ne", and never in Is. The combination of the plur. and a twofold use is extremely rare in the LXX, but there are a few examples, such as eij" tou;" aijw`na" tw`n aijwvnwn for d/[
in y 83ò5, and cf. Tob. 14:15 S; 4 Macc. 18:24. Similarly there are one or two instances of the interfusion of aijwvn and geneav formulae.

Hence it may be seen that the usage of the NT is distinguished from that of the LXX only by an intensification of the tendency already displayed in the LXX to replace the simple formulae by more complicated.

2. The Eternity of God.

a. aijwvn has the full significance of eternity when it is linked with the concept of God. Apart from the doxologies, this is the case in the description of God as the eternal God. In R. 16:26 we find this in the form oJ aijwvnio" qeov" (® aijwvnio"). The phrase occurs already in the LXX: Gn. 21:33; Is. 26:4; 40:28; Bar. 4:8, 10 etc.; Sus. 42; 2 Macc. 1:25; 3 Macc. 6:12; cf. PhiloPlant., 8 and 74 and 89 (® aji>vdio"). We also find oJ basileu;" tw`n aijwvnwn in 1 Tm. 1:17.

However we understand this expression, it originally means the eternal king; cf. the common Jewish description of God as µl;/[ Jl,m,
(first found in Jer. 10:10, lacking in the LXX), and similar expressions (e.g., µymil;/[h;AlK; ÷/Bri

b.Ber., 60b). As in many similar cases, the gen. is modelled on the Heb. stat. constr. Other examples of this use of aijwvn are qeo;" tou` aijw`no" in Eth. En. 1:4; qeo;" tw`n aijwvnwn in Sir. 36:22; 1 Cl., 55, 6 (cf. aijwvnwn qeov", P. Paris, 174, 629, Wessely); basileu;" tou` aijw`no" in Eth. En. 25:3, 5, 7, cf. “the eternal king” in Slav. En. 64:3 AB); basileu;" tw`n aijwvnwn in Eth. En. 22:14. Cf. also “the eternal Lord” in Slav. En. 1:8; dominus saeculorum in Jub. 31:13; devspota panto;" aijw`no" in Jos.Ant., 1, 272 (cf. aijwvnwn basileu` kai; kuvrie, Preis. Zaub., XII [P. Leid.] Col. VII, 36). Originally these Judaeo-Christian formulae were simply designed to express the eternity of God, but later all the other meanings of aijwvn were read into them. Thus basileu;" tw`n aijwvnwn is also taken to mean “the King of the aeons,” i.e., the One who rules over the aijw`ne" understood as periods of time or spheres of the cosmos (® 204 on Hb. 1:2; 11:3), or perhaps even as personal beings. This is shown by expressions like path;r tw`n aijwvnwn in Just.Apol., 41, 2 (quoting 1 Ch. 16:28 in a text which deviates from both Mas. and LXX), or oJ dhmiourgo;" kai; path;r tw`n aijwvnwn in 1 Cl., 35, 3, in which it would be impossible to substitute aijwvnio" for tw`n aijwvnwn.

b. But how are we to understand the eternity ascribed to God in the term aijwvn?

In the older writings of the OT there is a very simple concept of eternity. The being of God reaches back into times past computation. God has always been. Hence He is the God of old, as we are really to construe the µl;/[ lae
of Gn. 21:33 (qeo;" aijwvnio", LXX). Again, He always will be. In contrast to men, who are subject to death (Gn. 6:3), He is the living God (e.g., Dt. 5:23; 32:40).

This primitive idea of eternity changes at a later date. In Deutero-Isaiah µl;/[ yhel¿aÔ really means qeo;" aijwvnio" (Is. 40:28), µl;/[
no longer signifying merely the remote past, but unending time or eternity. In addition to the important description of God as µl;/[ yhel¿aÔ, which in similar forms is also used outside Judaism for Baalsûamin as the god of the world and heaven, Deutero-Isaiah also introduces a formula which is of great significance in religious history, namely, “I am the First and the Last.” This, too, serves to describe the eternity of God (® AW). As the Creator and Consummator God is the eternal One. His eternal being stretches beyond the time of the world. He is from eternity to eternity (ajpo; tou` aijw`no" e{w" tou` aijw`no", y 89, 2). Before the world was created, He was (y 89ò2); and when heaven and earth have vanished, He will be (y 101ò26 ÄÄ., quoted with reference to Christ in Hb. 1:10). Thus the unending eternity of God and the time of the world, which is limited by its creation and conclusion, are contrasted with one another. Eternity is thought of as unending time—for how else can human thought picture it?—and the eternal being of God is represented as pre-existence and post-existence. Yet in later Judaism there are also attempts to make eternity the complete antithesis of time. Thus Slav. En. 65 describes the creation of time along with that of the world. “But when all creation comes to an end … the times will be destroyed, and there will be no more months nor days nor hours; they will be dissolved and will be reckoned no more; for the one aion will begin.” Here eternity is thought of as timelessness, as in Plato.

The NT took over the OT and Jewish view of divine eternity along with the ancient formulae. There was new development, however, to the extent that the statements concerning God’s eternity were extended to Christ (cf. Hb. 1:10 ff.; 13:8; Rev. 1:17 f.; 2:8; 22:13). In the NT, too, eternity is thought of as the opposite of this cosmic time which is limited by creation and conclusion. Statements concerning the eternal being and action of God are thus expressed in terms of preand post- (cf. prov and ajpo; tw`n aijwvnwn, 1 C. 2:7; Col. 1:26; Eph. 3:9; pro; katabolh`" kovsmou, Jn. 17:24; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pt. 1:20). To this context there also belongs the doctrine of the pre-existence of Christ.

AIWN BDAG

aivw,n
• aivw,n, w/noj, o` (Hom.+; gener. ‘an extended period of time', in var. senses)

1. a long period of time, without ref. to beginning or end,

a. of time gone by, the past, earliest times, readily suggesting a venerable or awesome eld oi` a[gioi avpV aivw/noj profh/tai the holy prophets fr. time immemorial (cp. Hes., Theog. 609; Peri. u[youj 34, 4 tou.j avpV aiv. r`h,toraj; Cass. Dio 63, 20 tw/n avpo. tou/ aiv. ~Rwmai,wn; IMagnMai 180, 4; SIG index; Gen 6:4; Tob 4:12; Sir 14:17; 51:8; En 14:1; 99:14; Jos., Bell. 1, 12; Just., D. 11, 1) Lk 1:70; Ac 3:21; make known from of old Ac 15:18; pro. panto.j t. aiv. before time began Jd 25a (for the combination with pa/j cp. Sallust. 20 p. 36, 5 to.n pa,nta aivw/na=through all eternity); pl. pro. tw/n aiv. 1 Cor 2:7 (cp. Ps 54:20 qeo.j o` u`pa,rcwn pro. tw/n aiv. [PGM 4, 3067 avpo. t. i`erw/n aivw,nwn]); evx aiv. since the beginning D 16:4 (Diod. S. 1, 6, 3; 3, 20, 2; 4, 83, 3; 5, 2, 3; Sext. Emp., Math. 9, 62; OGI 669, 61; Philo, Somn. 1, 19; Jos., Bell. 5, 442; Sir 1:4; SibOr fgm. 1, 16 of God mo,noj eivj aivw/na k. evx aivw/noj). W. neg. foll. evk tou/ aivw/noj ouvk hvkou,sqh never has it been heard J 9:32.

b. of time to come which, if it has no end, is also known as eternity (so commonly in Gk. lit. Pla. et al.); eivj to.n aivw/na (since Isocr. 10, 62, also Diod. S. 1, 56, 1 eivj t. aiv.=eivj a[panta t. cro,non; 4, 1, 4; SIG 814, 49 and OGI index VIII; POxy 41, 30=‘Long live the Caesars'; PGM 8, 33; 4, 1051 [eivj aiv.]; LXX; En 12:6; 102:3; PsSol 2:34, 37; ParJer 8:5; JosAs 15:3 eivj to.n aivw/na cro,non 4:10 al. Jos., Ant. 7, 356 [eivj aiv.]) to eternity, eternally, in perpetuity: live J 6:51, 58; B 6:3; remain J 8:35ab; 12:34; 2 Cor 9:9 (Ps. 111:9); 1 Pt 1:23 v.l., 25 (Is 40:8); 1J 2:17; 2J 2; be with someone J 14:16. Be priest Hb 5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21, 24, 28 (each Ps 109:4). Darkness reserved Jd 13. W. neg.=never, not at all, never again (Ps 124:1; Ezk 27:36 al.) Mt 21:19; Mk 3:29; 11:14; 1 Cor 8:13. e[wj aivw/noj (LXX) 1 Cl 10:4 (Gen 13:15); Hv 2, 3, 3; s 9, 24, 4. In Johannine usage the term is used formulaically without emphasis on eternity (Lackeit [s. 4 below] 32f): never again thirst J 4:14; never see death 8:51f; cp. 11:26; never be lost 10:28; never (= by no means) 13:8. eivj to.n aiv. tou/ aivw/noj (Ps 44:18; 82:18 al.) Hb 1:8 (Ps 44:7). e[wj aivw/noj (LXX; PsSol 18:11) Lk 1:55 v.l. (for eivj to.n aiv.); eivj h`me,ran aivw/noj 2 Pt 3:18.—The pl. is also used (Emped., fgm. 129, 6 aivw/nej=generations; Theocr. 16, 43 makrou.j aivw/naj=long periods of time; Philod. peri. qew/n 3 fgm. 84; Sext. Emp., Phys. 1, 62 eivj aivw/naj diame,nei; SibOr 3, 767; LXX, En; TestAbr B 7 p. 112, 3 [Stone p. 72].—B-D-F §141, 1), esp. in doxologies: eivj tou.j aivw/naj (Ps 60:5; 76:8) Mt 6:13 v.l.; Lk 1:33 (cp. Wsd 3:8); Hb 13:8. eivj pa,ntaj tou.j aiv. (Tob 13:4; Da 3:52b; En 9:4; SibOr 3, 50) Jd 25b. euvloghto.j eivj tou.j aivw/naj to all eternity (cp. Ps 88:53) Ro 1:25; 9:5; 2 Cor 11:31. auvtw/| h` do,xa eivj tou.j aiv. Ro 11:36; w-| ktl. 16:27 (v.l. auvtw/|). to. kra,toj eivj tou.j aiv. 1 Pt 5:11; more fully eivj tou.j aiv. tw/n aivw,nwn (Ps 83:5; GrBar 17:4; PGM 4, 1038; 22b, 15) for evermore in doxologies Ro 16:27 v.l.; Gal 1:5; Phil 4:20; 1 Ti 1:17; 2 Ti 4:18; Hb 13:21; 1 Pt 4:11; 5:11 v.l.; Rv 1:6, 18; 5:13; 7:12; 11:15 al. 1 Cl 20:12; 32:4; 38:4; 43:6; eivj pa,saj ta.j genea.j tou/ aivw/noj tw/n aiv. Eph 3:21 (cp. Tob 1:4; 13:12; En 103:4; 104:5). Of God o` zw/n eivj tou.j aiv. (cp. Tob 13:2; Sir 18:1; Da 6:27 Theod.) Rv 4:9f; 10:6; 15:7; formulaically=eternal 14:11; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5.—kata. pro,qesin tw/n aivw,nwn according to the eternal purpose Eph 3:11. All-inclusive avpo. aivw,nwn kai. eivj t. aivw/naj from (past) eternity to (future) eternity B 18:2 (cp. Ps 40:14 and Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 7, 401a, 16 evx aivw/noj avte,rmonoj eivj e[teron aivw/na; M. Ant. 9, 28, 1 evx aivw/noj eivj aivw/na; SibOr fgm. 1, 16 of God mo,noj eivj aivw/na k. evx aivw/noj).

JG

DBT

So can that be applied to verse that refers to 'eternal' punishment, 'eternal' life, 'eternal' destruction, etc?

"And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire," (Matt. 18:8).

"And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power," (2 Thess. 1:9).

Amaleq13

Some friendly, albeit wholly unsolicited, advice? It is more wise to refrain from participating in an ongoing discussion unless and until you actually understand what is being discussed and what has already been discussed.

Looking before one leaps, in other words, is generally sound advice.


Doug aka Amaleq13 BC&H moderator

TonyN

Been there, done that. Don't work. For instance, I've gone through Plato's Timaeus and Plato actually did not use aionios as a means to show unendingness. The subject matter in question in Timaeus is KRONOS which is TIME, not eternity.

The only reason TDNT and BDAG say aionios means eternal based upon those ancient works is not because the originators of those works used aionios as "eternal" but because modern day translators mistranslated aionios as eternal and so TDNT and BDAG are merely showing how that word was (mis)translated.

Like I have stated again and again, the Bible knows no such thing as an eternal aiwn. It just does not exist. The Bible in facts states that all the eons end. There were eons before the present one in which we live. There is coming one after this one therefore this aiwn is not eternal. The one after this one will end therefore that aiwn is not eternal and then the final aiwn comes after that one and it too ends.
All aiwnios (eonian) has to the duty of doing is informing us of that which pertains to the eons. Since no eon is eternal it is impossible for aiwnios (eonian) to mean eternal.

TonyN

Mat 18:8 Now, if your hand or your foot is snaring you, strike it off and cast it from you. Is it ideal for you to be entering into life maimed or lame, or, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the fire eonian? (Concordant Literal)

(Weymouth New Testament) (Matt.18:8) If your hand or your foot is causing you to fall into sin, cut it off and away with it. It is better for you to enter into Life crippled in hand or foot than to remain in possession of two sound hands or feet but be thrown into the fire of the Ages."

(Young's Literal Testament) (Matt.18:8) `And if thy hand or thy foot doth cause thee to stumble, cut them off and cast from thee; it is good for thee to enter into the life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast to the fire the age-during. "

2 Thessalonians 1:9

(Concordant LV) who shall incur the justice of eonian extermination from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of His strength"

(Young's LT) who shall suffer justice--destruction age-during--from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his strength,

(Rotherham) 2 Thessalonians 1:9 Who, indeed, a penalty, shall pay--age-abiding destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might--

There is no such critter as eternal torment or eternal extermination.

DBT

This whole issue appears harder to resolve than I ever would have imagined.

Clivedurdle

Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea (or via: amazon.co.uk)