Greek word "Aion" AIΩN, age article:

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Keizer, Heleen M.
'Eternity' revisited: A Study of the Greek Word AIΩN

download link:
http://philosophia-reformata.org/content/index.php?structure_id=750dcea0e2ce48376f28a22f6cbf7f2d&download=393

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For anyone interested, this is a short[er] article about the greek word "Aion" or "Age". It discuses OT importance, corresponding to the Hebrew word "Olam".

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This is one of the more important examples of greek/hebrew words with rich meaning that don't translate into the English language word-to-word, one-to-one.

Blessings

There is a version of the bible that translated AION not as eternal: http://concordant.org/version/index.html they also are at the forefront of encouraging the thinking of an "non-eternal hell".

The great danger of this dear saints is that virtually all true saints in the last 2000 years have held firmly to a eternal hell and heaven. It is only in the last 100 and namely 50 years that modern scholarship, questioning etc have assumed otherwise.

We must be careful for many will come in Christ's name with new doctrines and ideas that are not the "faith once delivered to the saints."

90% of all new large cults started in the last 150 years. Mormon, Jehovah Witness, and hundreds of others. This is part of the last days deception. The enemy is working overtime.

Greg,

Am I not welcome here if I am open to the idea that Hell/Hades may not be eternal/everlasting? Open to the possibility that some may be reconciled from there or contrariwise, annihilated?

Greg,

Am I not welcome here if I am open to the idea that Hell/Hades may not be eternal/everlasting? Open to the possibility that some may be reconciled from there or contrariwise, annihilated?

It is not that you are un-welcome but rather that this is not a teaching that true Christianity accepts or has accepted in 2000 years of the Church. It goes against virtually ALL of the speakers hosted on this website. And because the forums are a place for many to grow in christ we do not want to allow teachings that are fully against clear truths held by the Church for 2000 years to be constantly brought into question. This is what emergent movements have done over the last 25 years to bring into question everything from hell, to the virgin birth, to what is the kingdom of God, simply re-defining everything and bringing all orthadox beliefs into question.

So I would suggest that if you are struggling with these things honestly that saints can help provide good resources for you to read, but if you simply are trying to convince others of these things, that would be un-welcome here, especially for younger believers that its just not edifying or good for them to read those things.

Ok. hmmm. So don't post about anything contradicting Eternal Hell?

Because I believe it is necessary for the Christian to know that books like the Apocalypse of Peter were considered divinely inspired scripture by the early church fathers.

Which details horrible punishments for the wicked, (hanging from their tongues, bubbling up mire and fire, thrown off cliffs over and over) but then also seems to indicate God having mercy on the wicked, specifically those who killed the saints, as those same martyred saints continually pray for their enemies who killed them as they are tormented.

To me that makes sense of the Sermon On The Mount to love one's enemies, how God is love, and how Jesus own words "will never pass away". (Yet God is not mocked, the wicked suffer immensely) Its hard for me to make sense of the whole of Scripture without interpreting it that way.

My qualms,

Noah

Dear brother Noah,
as you can see by the responses, there is little to no fruit gained by TRYING to feel your way to God, going outside of what is thought of as "orthodoxy".

for your question, its better, imho, to seek out brothers where you are, to hash out such questions, face to face, but on a public cyber forum, people wont really "come as are", its easy to throw flame, behind a moniker.

my personal feeling is this; from early childhood, raised in the synagogue, and then at age 42, (2002) when God was pleased to crush me, then reveal His Son Jesus to me and in me, I have never concerned myself with the threat of hell, because I have always felt something that in theological terms is called "eternal assurance".

Also, the Indwelling Holy Spirit WILL be my Helper in realizing WHEN and IF I sin, therefore being a lover of God and Messiah, I will immediately repent...turn, and out of love for God, plead the Blood of Christ, acknowledge my sin before Him, and ask forgiveness.....NOT out of "fear" of hell, but because I wish to please God, I love Him so much.

The Beauty and Grace and Mercy of Messiah Jesus is that He has FREED me from the bondage of the FEAR of physical death, Jesus has supernaturally circumcised my heart, so that I can love the impossible love, so that I can walk in humility and meekness, esteeming others above myself, TRYING to have compassion and grace to all my fellow cracked "jars of clay", who all groan while we wait adoption as sons of God.

so I rarely concern myself with hell....i'll let others "preach hell" as I've heard said. not my calling, my calling, as i'm led, is to fan into flames, this simple beautiful gift of Faith, while loving God in utter child-like dependence.

just understand, this is not the VENUE to work out, the "personal work" it seems you are striving for...and I do NOT write that in any "rebuke", I write that in the Love of Messiah.

Human beings are fond of a "carrot/stick" dichotomy, they can "understand" that....but loving God JUST for the JOY of loving God alone?....that's a tough one for some people.

and anytime you hear the words, "2000 years of Church history", my feeling is to ask, "do you REALLY want to go there?".....as those 2,000 years are so filled with the blood of innocents, so filled with the tyranny of "religious men", who had no qualms about burning people, torturing them, much like some of these "muslims" today. I see these hell hounds acting very similar to "Christians" did 1,000 years ago, who "crusaded", and all the hell THAT ENTAILED....the blood of that endeavor, across Europe into Israel cries out from the ground.

Since 315 AD, the organized "church" has largely FAILED God and Jesus Messiah..now remember I wrote "organized", as there have been moments in time, and lonely suffering saints and small groups, thru the ages who have NOT failed God and Messiah....but they have usually been OUTSIDE the "camp....outside the "temple", hunted and hectored.

God is watching...don't worry about hell,"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Paul as swept along by the Holy Spirit wrote that in Romans 10:9

a simple faith is best.

shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept."