ginning? Accordingly, Wakefield renders it "from Acts 3: 21. "Which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began." The Greek phrase is the same here as in the last text, and is rendered in the same way, and the same remarks apply to it, and need not be repeated. See Macknight on Rom. 16: 25. Acts 15: 18. The Greek is here the same as in the last text, which saves all labor of transcribing or remarks. John 9:32. Since the world began was it not heard, that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind." Wakefield renders it, "never was it heard yet;" and Dr. Campbell has it, "never was it heard before." See on preceding texts. 2 Tim. 1: 9. "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began." The Greek phrase here is "pro hronon aionion," which Wakefield renders, " before the age." Whitby, "before any age hath passed." Macknight, "before the times of the ages." See his note quoted on Tit. 1 : 2. above. 1 Cor. 2: 7. "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." The Greek here is pro ton aionon. Macknight renders it, "before the ages." He understands it "before the Mosaic dispensation." See his notes on Rom. 16: 25. Eph. 3 9. and Col. 1: 26. above. Such are all the places, where the phrases, the beginning of the world, from the beginning of the world, before the world, and since the world began, occur. On the whole of them I would remark, 1st. That in none of them is there any reference, as many suppose, to this material world, or its beginning. The word aion rendered world, signifies, by the consent of the above critics, and others which might be quoted, simply age. Since the world began, is since the age began. Before the world, signifies before the age, and from the beginning of the world, means from the beginning of the age. If it be asked what age? The answer is, the age or dispensation of the law of Moses. If this be true, and it is indisputable, all must see what a great change it makes in the sense of all the above passages. Besides, it deeply affects the sense of many others, and affords a key to the understanding of some, which we shall presently notice. So far from aion signifying this material world, the above critics have shown, that our translators, contrary to the propriety of the Greek language, have rendered Tit. 2: 2. "before the world began," which remark applies equally to the other passages. They have shown, that it refers to the dis pensation of the law of Moses, which, as Locke observes, is called aion, the age, Luke 1: 70. Acts 3: 21. And chronos aionioi, because, under the law, time was measured by ages or jubilees. See all the above quotations. 2d. The Greek word for this material world is kosmos, and not aion. Besides, where it is used it is never contrasted with aion. For example, the beginning of the kosmos, world, is never contrasted with the end of the aion, or age, nor, the beginning of the aion, age, contrasted with the end of the kosmos, world. 3d. Every person must perceive the absurdity of rendering aion in any of the above texts, by any Eng lish word which conveys the idea of endless duration. Were it done, we should read of the beginning of the everlasting, or forever, and of things which were done before the everlasting or forever began; yea, of things which God ordained before the everfasting or forever. Let any one go over all those passages, and he cannot help being convinced, that the sacred writers attached no such idea to this word. Are not men very much to blame then, in being so very confident, that aion expresses the endless duration of punishment? By the general consent of critics and commentators, yea, by the very scope of the above passages, aion signifies age. We ought not then very hastily to abandon this as its meaning in other places, unless it is certainly shown, that this cannot be its sense, but that it means endless duration. Let us now pay attention to another class of texts, which speak of the end of the world or age, and corresponds to the above, which speak of the beginning of the world or age. This is nothing more than might be expected, unless the Jewish age or dispensation was to be of endless duration. Matth. 24: 3. "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" The Greek phrase here for the end of the world," is sunteleia tou aionos. Dr. Campbell renders it "the conclusion of this state;" and Wakefield and Macknight, "the end of the age." Indeed, all the critics and commentators I have ever seen, allow, that this phrase means the end of the Jewish age or dispensation. The whole discourse in which it occurs shows that this is a correct view of the expression. In a case so obvious, it would be useless to spend time in a formal proof of it. I may just notice, to understand aion here to mean endless duration of time, would repre sent the disciples as asking our Lord to tell them, what should be the sign of his coming, and of "the end of the everlasting or endless duration." But if it means age, it ought to be understood so in other places, unless good reasons can be offered why it ought to be differently understood. The next passage where it occurs is Matth. 13: 36-42. "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man: the field is the world: the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one: the enemy that sowed them is the devil: the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which ' iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of the there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." wholely the same Greek phrase as in the last, ocexcewice in this passage, and is rendered in the exanon version in a similar manner. Wakefield and Theampbell render it in the same way, "the conandon of this age," and "the conclusion of this and." But instead of understanding it in the same ver it is referred to the end of this material world, the all the wicked shall be cast into a furnace of or or into hell. But is this treating the language mhe inspired writers with common respect? What mar would put up with having his words so interpreted? But that the phrase, "the end of the world,” has the same sense here as in the preceding passage, lish word which conveys the idea of endless duration. Were it done, we should read of the beginning of the everlasting, or forever, and of things which were done before the everlasting or forever began; yea, of things which God ordained before the everlasting or forever. Let any one go over all those passages, and he cannot help being convinced, that the sacred writers attached no such idea to this word. Are not men very much to blame then, in being so very confident, that aion expresses the endless dura. tion of punishment? By the general consent of critics and commentators, yea, by the very scope of the above passages, aion signifies age. We ought not then very hastily to abandon this as its meaning in other places, unless it is certainly shown, that this cannot be its sense, but that it means endless duration. Let us now pay attention to another class of texts, which speak of the end of the world or age, and corresponds to the above, which speak of the beginning of the world or age. This is nothing more than might be expected, unless the Jewish age or dispensation was to be of endless duration. 22 Matth. 24: 3. "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" The Greek phrase here for the end of the world," is sunteleia tou aionos. Dr. Campbell renders it "the conclusion of this state;" and Wakefield and Macknight, "the end of the age." Indeed, all the critics and commentators I have ever seen, allow, that this phrase means the end of the Jewish age or dispensation. The whole discourse in which it occurs shows that this is a correct view of the expression. In a case so obvi ous, it would be useless to spend time in a formal proof of it. I may just notice, to understand aion here to mean endless duration of time, would repre |
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