The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

II. Intent of Aionion Fire for Sinners

1. GODLY IMMORTALIZED; SINNERS PUNISHED IN “AIONION” FIRE

In chapter twenty-one appears another passage sometimes misunderstood: CFF1 823.4

“And we have learned [“been taught”] that those only are deified [apathanatizesthai—“made immortal”], who have lived near to God in holiness and virtue; and we believe that those who live wickedly and do not repent are punished in everlasting [aionion] fire.” ²¹ CFF1 823.5

The aionion fire is the fire of the “world to come,” as long as God determines it to continue. Justin here states that those only who live near to God are “made immortal,” not that the holy are deified. No trace of such a doctrine is found among the early Christians. ²² And the “punished in everlasting fire” statement involves ultimate and entire cessation of being. As we have seen, Justin did not believe that everlasting fire involved endless suffering. Holders of the Endless-Torment thesis have no right to put a construction upon Justin’s statements hat involves him in direct contradiction, when his statements can be made to agree. CFF1 823.6

2. EXTENT NOT KNOWN TO MAN; DETERMINED BY GOD

Still another perplexing statement is in chapter twenty-eight, where Justin states: CFF1 824.1

“For among us the prince of the wicked spirits is called the serpent, and Satan, and the devil, as you can learn by looking into our [Christian] writings. And that he [the devil] would be sent into the fire with his host, and the men who follow him, and would be punished for an endless [aperanton, “unbounded age”] duration, ²³ Christ foretold. For the reason why God has delayed to do this, is His regard for the human race.” ²⁴ CFF1 824.2

This punishment is beyond any boundary that can be set by man. It is for an indefinite period so far as man is concerned, and determined by God alone. Denniston translates it “punished for the unlimited age” (ton aperanton aiona), and comments: CFF1 824.3

“This last expression is far from denoting a real infinity or eternity; being regularly applied to objects of which the limits are simply not apparent—as ‘the boundless ocean, plain,’ etc. It thus defines the ‘age’ of punishment as one to which we cannot set the term. But as the ocean and plain, however boundless, have their limit, so may the ‘boundless age’ be assumed as having its end also.” ²⁵ CFF1 824.4

In chapter thirty-nine Justin says, If Roman soldiers prefer allegiance to country, kindred, and to their own corruptible lives, even though they can be offered “nothing incorruptible,” should not Christians, who “earnestly long for incorruption [aphtharsias erontas],” “endure all things, in order to obtain what we desire from Him who is able to grant it?” ²⁶ CFF1 824.5

3. IMMORTALITY IS PROMISED; NOT YET POSSESSED

And in chapter forty-two, after stating that Christ came according to inspired prediction and was crucified, died, arose, ascended, and now reigns, Justin adds, “There is joy afforded to those who expect the immortality promised by Him.” ²⁷ CFF1 825.1

4. “AIONION” PUNISHMENT IS BY FIRE

In chapter forty-five Justin comments on how pagan persecution, even to death, “indeed does no harm to us, but to you and all who unjustly hate us, and do not repent, brings eternal [aionion] punishment by [or “in”] fire.” ²⁸ CFF1 825.2

If by aionion Justin meant absolutely eternal, then he was not in accord with the general contemporary usage of the term, and would be in direct conflict with his own repeated assertions as to the ultimate blotting out of the wicked. Such a demand is inconsistent and unnecessary. CFF1 825.3

5. FINAL DISPOSITION AT SECOND ADVENT

Finally, in chapter fifty-two, in dealing with the certainty of prophecy, Justin refers to the “two advents” of Christ, one past and the other yet to come, when CFF1 825.4

“He shall come from heaven with glory, accompanied by His angelic host, when also He shall raise the bodies of all men who have lived, and shall clothe [“invest”] those of the worthy with immortality, and shall send those of the wicked, endued with eternal sensibility, ²⁹ into everlasting fire with the wicked devils.” ³⁰ CFF1 825.5

Actually, it is “the fire of ages.” CFF1 825.6

“And in what kind of sensation and punishment the wicked are to be, hear from what was said in like manner with reference to this; it is as follows: ‘Their worm shall not rest, and their fire shall not be quenched.’” ³¹ CFF1 825.7

As already noted, it is only by assuming, without justification, that in this passage aionios means endlessly “eternal” instead of “for ages” that the concept of eternal punishing can be maintained. The holy alone are immortalized, Justin constantly affirmed. That was Justin’s position. CFF1 826.1