The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

II Aion and Aionios in the Contrasts of Scripture

1. GOLDEN RULE: PERPETUITY WITHIN LIMITS

Aion and aionios, when used in connection with life (zoe) for the righteous, mean constant, abiding, eternal, measureless. It involves unbounded existence and duration in the world to come. But when used of the continuance (or more accurately of the consuming) of the wicked, who are to be destroyed, it is transitory, and comes to an end. Everything consequently and consistently depends upon the nature and destiny of the substantive that it modifies. That is the golden rule of interpretation of these terms. It is perpetuity within limits—the duration being determined by the person, or thing, or condition to which it is attached. CFF1 433.3

Thus with the fate of the wicked. It is until their destruction is accomplished—not a process going on forever. The “fire” that shall not be “quenched” does not mean that it shall not ultimately cease. The fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was “unquenchable” (no one could put it out), but it finally ceased burning. But this was not until its objective was accomplished. (This is discussed under “destruction,” and “punishment.”) CFF1 434.1

2. TWO DETERMINATIVE PRINCIPLES RE “AIONIOS.”

All are aware that aion and aionios have been the subject of avid dispute among proponents and opponents of the Innate-Immortality postulate. The issue has been: Do these terms mean endless or age enduring, or both, upon occasion? Two things need to be noted at the outset: CFF1 434.2

(1) Aionaos is constantly predicated of the new supernatural life, received through regeneration by the Spirit of God. But, in contrast with this, aionios is never, in any of its forms, used in Scripture of the old, or natural, life of man. Furthermore, (2) it is never, anywhere throughout the entire Word of God, predicated of a continuing death as the penalty of sin. When used of death, it means a period of limited duration. These principles are determinative. CFF1 434.3

The terms “eternal death” and “everlasting death” are consequently not found in the Bible. Life may be brief, or long—or endless if it pleases God to perpetuate it—but death is a finality in itself, and needs no qualifying epithet. And that is the doom denounced upon sinners—“Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15; cf. Romans 6:23). This is the “second death,” which follows the judgment of the wicked. From this there is no resurrection. But of the new life, the spiritual life, the divine life, upon which the people of God enter, and of which the epithet aionios is predicated, and no other, is zoe aionios. It is without any limitation. CFF1 434.4

3. GEHAZI’S “FOR EVER”—LEPROSY LASTED UNTIL POSTERITY EXTINCT

The master key that unlocks the meaning of any passage employing the terms aion or aionios is that they are to be taken to mean as long as the thing or person under consideration (in the light of the surrounding circumstances) can exist. Its duration is always determined by the noun to which it is attached. That simple principle will solve all problems and meet all cases. CFF1 434.5

Take an Old Testament example: The curse of leprosy upon Gehazi (2 Kings 5:27)—that the leprosy of Naaman “shall cleave unto thee [Gehazi], and unto thy seed for ever”—simply means that it should continue as long as Gehazi and his posterity should continue to exist. In other words, until the line became extinct. Then it would cease. And, under the terms of this prophecy, it must have taken place fairly soon. It is restricted to the extent of the duration of the thing or person to which it is applied. The “for ever” of Gehazi was consequently only until his posterity became extinct. CFF1 435.1

4. LENGTH GOVERNED BY NOUN TO WHICH ATTACHED

When aion and aionios are applied to Divine Beings, or to the eternal home of the saints, or to the redeemed, immortalized saints, they then obviously denote eternal duration, or eternity of being. But as noted, when aion and aionios are applied to things that will have an end, they are correspondingly limited in meaning. Thus, when they are applied to the existence of the wicked—who will finally cease to be as the result of the “second death”—they must be limited, according to their signification. CFF1 435.2

We must consequently conclude that the modifiers aion and aionios, with reference to the two classes—“saints” and “sinners”—mean, respectively, bliss throughout all eternity, on the one hand, for the eternally righteous, and on the other hand coming to an end forever, after a due and just period of suffering for the unrepentant and doomed sinner. The wicked are ultimately and utterly extinguished because they refused the eternal life so freely offered to them, which is nevertheless to continue throughout the ages without end for the righteous, who accepted its provisions. CFF1 435.3

5. BODY BLOW TO IMMORTAL-SOUL THEORY

We have already established the fact that aionios (“eternal” or “everlasting”) is constantly coupled with zoe in Scripture—giving the meaning of endlessness to the life. And we have stressed the point that aionios is never, in Scripture, joined with psuche. It therefore follows that such terms as “immortal soul,” “never-dying soul,” and the like, though frequently used by many ecclesiastics and philosophers, are not found anywhere between the covers of Holy Writ. CFF1 436.1

That inexorable fact is a body blow to the Immortal-Soul theory. Those who possess nothing higher than the natural psuche-life from Adam are destined to perish, and ultimately cease to be. And inspired Bible usage counterbalances and nullifies any and all human opinions to the contrary. CFF1 436.2

6. RESTRICTED USE IN THE APOCALYPSE

And observe this added point: In the Apocalypse, where the plural form eis toes aionas ton aionon (“to ages of the ages”) appears frequently, ¹ the reference is usually to personified organizations, systems, or associations (such as “beast,” “Babylon,” “false prophet”) which must be punished, but which will not exist in the world to come. CFF1 436.3