That aion means forever when it is used with reference to the life of the believer, and that it takes on a meaning of unlimited time that is totally different than its meaning is without precedent with any other word. I understand that this dual definition came about by learned and faithful believers trying to explain some difficult passages, but it seems to me that it makes more problems than it helps. If God in His revelation to us used a word to sometimes mean a limited time with a beginning and an end, and at other times used the same word to mean an unlimited time without beginning or end, no one could know what He said to us, could not know when this word was limited, or when it was unlimited without an inspired person to tell us.
It is obvious that forever or eternal with the meaning that eternal has today is a total mistranslation. Three days (Jonah 2:6) or a lifetime (Exodus 21:6) is not eternity.
Whatever view you take, this is in a book of symbols that are difficult to understand, and it is unwise to base any doctrine on the interpretation of symbols, and less than unwise to make the interpretation of symbols over rule the plain statements of the Bible.
Kenneth Fortier, a member of the church of Christ says in “Church Doctrine’s: Right Or Wrong?” page 28, 2007.
· The Bible says nothing about eternity, as the word eternity is understood today.
· The Bible describes nothing as being eternal, not the world, not the universe.
· Eternity is not a subject of revelation in the Bible; it is a subject of philosophy.
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“If aion sometimes means a limited and sometimes an, unlimited time, then we need a pope, or a church, or human tradition to tell us what it means in each case, and divine inspiration vanishes, and is replaced by corrupt human mentality.” Unsearchable Riches, volume 27, page 175.
ETERNAL
ETERNAL (aionios, the adjective of aion) LIFE: In about 43 times aionios is the life Christ promised to those who obey Him. “And in the age (aion) that is coming, life age-during (aionios) life (zoee)” (Young’s Literal Translation) Mark 10:30. “And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, ‘Good teacher, what having done -- shall I inherit life age-during (aionios)?’” Luke 18:18." Upon hope of life age-during (aionios), which God, who doth not lie, did promise before times of ages” Titus 1:2. Also in Matthew 19:16; 25:46; Mark 10:17; 10:30; Luke 10:25; 18:30; John 3:5; 3:16; 3:36; 4:14; 4:36 5:24; 5:39; 6:27; 6:40; 6:47; 6:54; 6:58; 17:2; 17:3; Acts 13:46; Romans 2:7; 5:21; 6:22; 6:23; Galatians 6:8; 1 Timothy 1:16; 6:12; 6:19; Titus 3:7; 1 John 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11; 5:13; 5:20; Jude 21.
What do we mean by “eternality”
Time we understand. Divisions of time that has a beginning and ending as an “age” we can understand. We can only think of eternality in relation to time, of eternality as an elongation of time; in trying to tell what eternality is we often hear, “After a billion years we will have no less time then when we first begin;” we cannot even think of eternality with out thinking of it in relation to time. We can understand ages followed by more ages as was used in the Old Testament, but how do you say how long eternality will be? Can anything or person that had a beginning be eternal? If so, then the definition of eternality we often hear, “Without beginning or ending” could not be right.
If there were no measurement of time, then there could not be “ages to come” after the resurrection and judgment, but the Bible speaks repeatedly of ages to come. Ages have a beginning and ending; therefore, an age last only for a length of time, they are not without both a beginning and an ending.
Campbell Skinner Debate on Everlasting Punishment, “Because there is no word in the English language which fully expresses what that word in its original sense implies. Had it been lawful to have coined a new word to express aionion in English, perhaps agica, or age-lasting, would have been near it…if aion means age, and its plural ages, (which none either will or can deny,) then aionion must mean age-lasting, or duration to the age or ages to which the thing spoken of relates,” page141. (Note: To aion (age) some add “during” and some add “lasting,” “age-during” and “age lasting.” Neither one is in the Greek, both are an addition).
Terms that describe the saved after this age. "Everlasting (aionios—age) habitations" (Hebrews 9:15) “And because of this, of a new covenant he is mediator, that, death having come, for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those called may receive the promise of the age-during inheritance” Young’s Literal translation.
· "Everlasting (aionios—age) consolation" (2 Thessalonians 2:16). “And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who did love us, and did give comfort age-during, and good hope in grace” Young’s Literal translation.
· "Eternal (aionios—age) inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15). “And because of this, of a new covenant he is mediator, that, death having come, for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those called may receive the promise of the age-during inheritance” Young’s Literal translation.
· "An eternal (aionios—age) weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). “Wherefore, we faint not, but if also our outward man doth decay, yet the inward is renewed day by day; for the momentary light matter of our tribulation, more and more exceedingly an age-during weight of glory doth work out for us --we not looking to the things seen, but to the things not seen; for the things seen [are] temporary, but the things not seen [are] age-during” Young’s Literal translation.
· "A building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal (aionios—age), in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1-2). “For we have known that if our earthly house of the tabernacle may be thrown down, a building from God we have, an house not made with hands -- age-during -- in the heavens, for also in this we groan, with our dwelling that is from heaven” Young’s Literal translation.
· “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 (aionios), having been kept silent, and now having been made manifest, also, through prophetic writings, according to a command of the age-during (aionios) God, having been made known to all the nations for obedience of faith—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to him [be] glory to the ages (aion). Amen.” (Romans 16:25-26).
· “And the God of all grace, who did call you to His age-during (aionios) glory in Christ Jesus, having suffered a little, Himself make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle [you]; to Him [is] the glory, and the power -- to the ages (aion) and the ages (aion)! Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).
The root word in Greek from which aion (age) comes is oon. It is used eight times in the New Testament, and it always means a period of time, never time without end. Mark 15:8; Acts 7:51; 2 Corinthians 4:11; 6:10; Titus 1:12; Hebrews 3:10; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Peter 1:12.
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Words that teach an endless duration that are applied to God and the saved, but are never applied to the lost.
TO GOD:
TO CHRIST:
1. 2 Timothy 1:10 "Who (Christ) abolished death, and brought life and immortality (aphtharsia) to light."
2. Hebrews 7:3 “Abides a priest continually (dieenekes).” “But he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever (dieenekes), sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). “For by one offering he has perfected for ever (dieenekes) them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).
3. Hebrews 7:16 "After the power of an endless (akatalutos-indissoluble) life." The only time akatalutos-indissoluble is in the New Testament it is applied to Christ.
TO MAN:
1. 1 Corinthians 9:25 "Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown: but we an incorruptible (aphthartos)."
2. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption (aphtharsia); it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power; is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body."
3. 1 Corinthians 15:52-54 "For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible (aphthartos), and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption (aphtharsia), and this mortal must put on immortality (athanasia). But, when this corruptible shall have put on immortality (athanasia) then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory."
4. 1 Peter 1:3-4 "Begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance (aphtharton) incorruptible (aphthartos), and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in Heaven for you (not your soul)."
5. 1 Peter 5:4 “And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, you shall receive the crown of glory that fades not away.”
6. Romans 2:7 "To them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption (aththarsia), eternal (aionies) life."
7. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always (pantote) be with the Lord.” “Seeing he (Christ) ever (pantote) lives” (Hebrews 7:25).
· In the “age” after this age there will be “life” for those in Christ.
· In all the “ages” after that age there will be “life” for those in Christ.
· Every Scripture that speaks of human immortality is always speaking of the person putting on immortality at the resurrection, or the person being changed from mortal to immortal, and never of a soul that is now as immortal as it will ever be.
· Every Scripture that speaks of human immortality is always speaking of the saved, never the lost.
· Not one passage applied athrharsis, aphtharton, aidos, athanasia, akatalutos to things of the earth, or to the lost before, or after the Judgment Day.
CHAPTER NINE
UNIVERSALIST - The "age lasting" Hell
Universalist (sometimes called "Restoration" and "Unitarian Universalist") believes that all will end up saved. They believe no soul will end up in Hell, that it is not possible for the soul that is in anyone not even the worst person that ever lived, to not go to Heaven. Whether death is death, or if death is only separation, they believe no one will die or be forever separated from God; therefore, there is no death, no wages of sin, and no second death after the Judgment Day. THERE IS NO DEATH.
There seems to be some who believe in a universal salvation mixed in many denominations, also there are Universalist groups like the "Tentmakers" with the one thing all have in common is the belief in universal salvation. There seems to be two kinds of Universalist. (1) Some who do not believe in any kind of Hell, and that all sins are paid in full in this lifetime. (2) Some who believe there will be a Hell, but a very different Hell than the Protestant versions for it will last only for an "age," and will be more of a disciplinary character than punishment. Both destroy the character of even the worse the sinner and turn them all into them saints.
They do much writing to prove the word that is translated everlasting, eternal, forever, age, and world in the King James Version, is from the Greek word "aion," which means "age." In Matthew 24:3 the King James Version says, "end of the world," but the New King James Version, New American Standard Version, New International Version and many more say "end of the age." They have written hundreds of pages to prove that "aion" means "age," and their purpose was to prove that Hell will last for only an age. They may be right in their translation of aion to mean age, but not one of the repeatedly times "aion" is used says anything about Hell, aion (age) is not used in the same passage with any of the four words translated Hell in the King James Version (sheol, hades, Gehenna, Tartarus).
Without proving there is a Hell, and without "age lasting" (aion) being used with any of the four words that are misstranslated Hell, they make a Hell that is "age lasting," with both a beginning and ending, a Hell that is not everlasting. They have immortal souls in their "age lasting" Hell without proving the lost will be made immortal, and that they will live forever after the judgment.
They believe all those in the age lasting Hell will be saved when the age is over. Although Universalist have told me they do not believe in the soul being immortal, they believe that no one will ever be destroyed, that all will sooner or later end up in Heaven and all will have eternal life; I cannot see how they think all would not be immortal from the day of their birth if no one will ever be destroyed, if no one will ever really be dead, if all will live for eternity.
THE BIG PROBLEMS FOR UNIVERSALISM
TO BE TRUE THEY MUST PROVE
(1) IMMORTALITY: That the lost have a soul in them that is now immortal, or that the soul that is now in the lost will all be made immortal after death, this immaterial something that is in a person cannot die, and it will outlast the "age lasting" Hell. To now have never ending life is as immortal as immortal can be. If the soul that is now in any person will never die, and all souls will live forever in Heaven, how could all souls not have eternal life? How much more immortal could a soul that is in a person already be, or ever be?
(2) NO DEATH PRNALTY: Universalist teach that there is no death, that the souls of all who do not believe on Christ will not perish, but all souls will have eternal life the same as the souls that is in those who do believe (John 3:16). There is no death or destruction in the Universalist system, just eternal life for all souls, it makes no difference what a person may believe or do in this lifetime, after the death of the persons the souls that is in them will have eternal life in Heaven, but only eternal life for the immaterial something that is in a person.
(3) HELL: Although some call it a place of an “attitude adjustment,” even if it is only "age lasting," and it will be more of a disciplinary character or “attitude adjustments” than punishment, there is nothing about an “age lasting” Hell, or about a time or place of “attitude adjustment” in the Bible; they had have added a time and a place to make possible the salvation of all souls after the persons are death for all souls or spirits that are not saved in this life-time; they have added an “age” after death out of thin air.
(1) IMMORTALITY
Universalist must prove that all men now have an immaterial something in a person they call “soul,” or that if it is not now immortal that it will be made immortal after the “attitude adjustment,” that if all souls are not now immortal then all with be given immortality.
In the "Debate on the Destiny of the Wicked" between George T. Carpenter of the church of Christ and John Hughes of the Universalist Church, 1875, Hughes said, "The soul, the principle of animal life. The spirit, the 'inward man,' the real man, to be invested in the resurrection with a new, spiritual body; clothed with immortality, to live forever in the spirit world."
Even so, most Universalist seems to be just as unsure of what is in a person that they think has immortality, soul or spirit, as are most Protestants who believe something that is in a person is now immortal and it will not die; therefore, this immortal something that is now in a person (whether this deathless something is a soul or spirit) it must live forever somewhere.
1. Whether a person now has an immaterial something in them that is already immortal.
2. Or that this something that is now in a pers