CHAPTER VI.

SCRIPTURAL DEFINITIONS-CONTINUED.

THE Greek noun awon aion is variously render ed in the Common Version, but mostly "world" and "ever," as in the phrases, "this world," "the end of the world," "for ever," ""for ever and ever," &c. When aion is rendered "ever," but especially when the phrase "for ever and ever is used, it is commonly supposed to signify duration without end. Whether it has or has not this sense in some texts, is a question the discussion of which, to any great extent, can hardly be considered as belonging to this work. In certain texts it plainly imports age; as for example, in that one where the object of GOD in certain acts mentioned is set forth to be, "that in the ages [, or in the aions,*] to come He might show the exceeding riches of his grace. through Christ Jesus ;"

also, where we read concerning Christ, that "now once in the end of the aions* hath he appeared to put away sin."1 In the former of these texts aion in the plural is rightly, and of course properly, rendered "ages"; in the latter it is wrongly, and therefore improperly, rendered "world." Query. If in this last text aion has really a mundane sense, why not render it in the plural-"worlds"?

1

* Aion pluralized Englishly. Eph. ii. 7; Heb. ix. 26.

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In the Epistle to the Hebrews, aion is repeatedly used in connection with the priestly office of Christ, and is rendered " ever" and evermore." At first view, the word seems, in those texts, to have an endless sense; yet it is certain that the extent of duration there indicated by aion, though far-reaching, is far from endless, it being limited by the limited duration of Christ's priestship.

In the above-mentioned Epistle, Jesus is said to have been "made a high-priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec "the text from the Psalms, "Thou art a priest " &c., alluded to in the above text, is quoted a number of times; it is declared that Christ "is consecrated for evermore;" and that He, "because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood," or, according to the marginal rendering, "hath a priesthood which passeth not from one to another."1 In all these texts, so far as found in the New Testament, aion occurs in a phrase which, as there used, imports for or throughout, or during the ageεις τον αιώνα Ξ eis ton aiona. (Aion in an oblique case, the article in the same case, and the preposition eis.) Note. In several texts occurring elsewhere, this phrase seems to have no particular reference to time. See Chap. xix.

"to

The Greek proposition eis, when it has relation to time, may be thus defined: When it relates to any particular point of time, it has the sense of 29 or until" that time; where it relates to some space of time, it imports "for," or "throughout," or "during "the whole period. When not relating to time, it signifies "to," "into," "in," &c.

We see, then, that Christ is "consecrated" or

1 Heb. vi. 20; v. 6; vii. 17, 21, 24, 28; Ps. cx. 4.

"made a high-priest for the age"; and that He, "because He continues " a priest "throughout the age, has an unpassing priesthood." What age is here meant? What, other than the Christian age,

so to speak, comprising the whole period of Christ's reign? Being possessed of "an indissoluble life", as we have seen in a previous chapter, he is to hold the above-mentioned office throughout the entire term of time during which that office is to continue. But at "the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God," will not his mediatorship cease, and of course also his priestship?

Aion, as has been before intimated,-is not always expressive of duration at all. Certainly in one text, probably in more, it literally denotes a Spiritual Being, real or fictitious, which fact in the one text alluded to, is evinced by the use of the words "Prince" and "Spirit" directly after Aion, as if in explanation:

"And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein, in time past, ye walked, according to the Aion of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Eph. ii. 1, 2.

course

In this text the word aion is translated " "According to the course of this world." Had the word been left untranslated, or been merely Latinized into on, the apostle's idea would have been left scarcely any more obscure than it is by this translation. "Genius" would probably come as near the sense of the original as any word that can be used in English, "According to the genius of this world." For it is known that

Some of the ancients recognized the existence of EONS or EONS, a species of beings similar in some respects to the Genii of the Arabian Tales.

To these most likely the apostle here alludes; but his alluding thus to the Eons does not go to show that he believed in the existence of just such beings, any more than the declaration, "Ye can not serve God and Mammon," shows that the Saviour recognized the heathen god of Riches as a veritable entity.

In an other place, where we are instructed that angels are "ministering [or officially-serving] spirits," even as our Lord Jesus Christ is elsewhere declared to be "a quickening [or vivifying] Spirit ;" and where also we learn that in official dignity He is preeminently superior to angelic spirits; the subject is introduced by the declaration that God hath "spoken to us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the Aions."1 Jesus being here set forth as the universal HEIR, in a Regal or kingly sense, in which sense intelligent, and even spiritual beings, can be inherited by Him, as subjects, I consider it at least probable that the common rendering, "by whom", should be changed to "for whom: "For whom also He made [or "constituted"] the aions." In this text, aion in the plural is commonly rendered "worlds;" yet I am quite of the opinion that it imports neither worlds nor ages, but bona fide spiritual beings; and that it should be understood to mean angels.

In at least one passage, aion signifies life, in the sense of a mode or manner of existence. Thus our Lord, when asked what matrimonial arrangement in a certain presented case would be proper "in the resurrection," replied that "the children of this aion marry," but that those obtaining "that aion and the resurrection" do not. 2 Here, "this

1 Heb.. i. 1, 2.

2 Luke xx. 24, 25.

aion" and "that aion" are manifestly this life, or our present mode of being, and that life, or the hereafter mode of being.

I offer the following as a correct definition of aion as used in the New Testament:

AION. 1. An age, an indefinite period; a long or seemingly long time; hence the idea of lastingness, and perhaps endlessness. 2. The duration of the Jewish state; the duration of the reign of Christ. 3. Spirit; a spiritual being, an angel. 4. A mode or manner of existence; this life; the after-death life.

Its

The adjective αιωνιος = aionios, from the noun aion, is, in the Common Version, most usually rendered either "eternal" or "everlasting." true signification corresponds to either the first, second, or third sense of its root; as given above; or sometimes, perhaps to its fourth sense; that is, it has reference either to duration in general; or to the duration, or to the termination, of the Jewish, or the Christian dispensation-so called; or to spirituality in a religious sense; or perhaps sometimes in a celestial sense.

In the passage which speaks of "the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," which kingdom- we are elsewhere informed-he will in "the end" deliver up to God from whom he received it, it may be doubtful whether aionios is to be understood in the sense of "age-lasting," or of "spiritual," seeing that Christ's kingdom possesses both these characteristics in an eminent degree. 1

In that text where the apostle is made to speak of "eternal judgment," aionios, rendered "eternal,"

2 Pet. i 11; 1 Cor. xv. 24.