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SECTION V.

ALL THE PLACES NOTICED WHERE AION AND AIONIOS ARE RENDERED AGES, COURSE, NEVER, FOREVER, EVERMORE, ETERNAL, EVERLASTING; BUT WHICH HAVE NO RELATION

TO PUNISHMENT.

THE word aion is rendered ages, in the common version, in the following places.

Eph. 2. 7. "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace." It would have been absurd to have rendered it here, "that in the eternities to come." Nor would it have sounded well to have said, "that in the worlds to come," for the question might have been asked, Pray how many eternities or worlds are to come? Our translators, then, not only own that this word signifies age, but were compelled to render it so in this passage.

Col. i. 26. "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations." The remarks on the last text equally apply here. It would not have done to have said, "even the mystery which hath been hid from generations," for the term generations is used immediately after in the passage. Macknight on this text, says, "The mystery which was kept hid from the ages and from the generations.' In the parallel passage, Eph. 3: 5. it is, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles.' So likewise Rom. 16: 25. the mystery which hath been. kept secret,' Xpovois aιoviois, in the times of the ages, or during the Mosaic dispensation. For the meaning of

the words mystery and ages, see Eph. 1: 9. Tit. 1: 2. notes. Though the salvation of mankind by faith, was promised in the covenant with Abraham, and spoken of by the prophets, it was not understood by the Jews, see Eph. 3: 5. note, and therefore it is here called a mystery, or thing kept secret, in allusion to the heathen mysteries."

I shall also quote the following from Pierce, on this passage, as it sheds general light on this whole subject. The mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations. The expression of το μυςήριον το αποκεκρυμμενον απο των αιώνων, is rendered by our translators, Eph. 3: 9. the mystery hid from the beginning of the world; but it is manifest from this place, where it is joined with anо TV Yevev, that it is rightly translated here hid from ages, and that it ought to have been so translated in that place also. The same thing is meant when he speaks of the revelation of the mystery, χρόνοις αιωνίοις σεσιγημένα, which we translate, kept secret since the world began; but Mr. Locke better renders. it in the secular times, that is, the times under the law. I shall here transcribe his remark upon the words, Rom. 16: 25. because it gives much light to this matter. Why the times, under the law were called Hevos diarios, we may find a reason in their jubilees, which were alwves, sæcula, or ages, by which all the time under the law was measured: and so xgovwv as wvic v is used, 2 Tim. 1: 9. Tit. 1: 2. And so alves are put for the times of the law, or the jubilees, Luke 1: 70. Acts 3: 21. 1 Cor. 2: 7. 10: 2. Eph. 3: 9. Col. 1: 26. Heb. 9: 26. And so God is called the rock, Dips by alwvwv, of ages, Isai. 26: 4. in the same sense that he is called the rock of Israel, Isai. 30: 29. i.e. the strength and support of the Jewish state; for it is of the Jews the prophet here speaks. So Exod. 21: 6. Only ELS TWV alava, signifies not as we translate it, forever, but to the jubilee; which will appear if we

compare Lev. 25: 39-41. and Exod. 21: 2. Now that the times of the law were the times spoken of here by St. Paul, seems plain from that which he declares to have continued a mystery during all those times, viz. God's purpose of taking in the Gentiles to be his people under the Messiah; for this could not be said to be a mystery at any other time, but during the time that the Jews were the peculiar people of God, separated to him from among the nations of the earth. Before that time there was no such name or notion of distinction, as Gentiles. Before the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the calling of the Israelites to be God's peculiar people, was as much a mystery, as the calling of others out of other nations was a mystery afterwards. All that St. Paul insists on here, and in all the places where he mentions this mystery, is to show, that though God had declared this his purpose to the Jews, by the predictions of his prophets amongst them, yet it lay concealed from their knowledge, it was a mystery to them, they understood no such thing; there was not any where the least suspicion or thought of it, till the Messiah being come, it was openly declared by St. Paul to the Jews, and Gentiles, and made out by the writings of the prophets, which were now understood." "

Aion is rendered course, Ephes. 2: 2. "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world." Macknight says, "Chandler observes that the Greek word aion, and the Latin avum, which corresponds to it, signify the life of man; and by an easy figure, the manner of a man's living." That olim, in the Old Testament, often signifies a man's lifetime, has been seen above.

The Greek phrase eis ton aiona, occurs in the following texts, and is rendered in our version never.

John 4: 14. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." And 8: 51.

"If a man keep my saying he shall never see death." See also verse 52. In chap. 10: 28. it is said, "they shall never perish," referring to Christ's sheep. And 11: 26. "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." And 13: 8. Peter said to Jesus-"thou shalt never wash my feet." Dr. Campbell in his note on John 9: 32. says, concerning the phrases ek tou aionos, and eis ton aiona," but in popular language, the former often denotes no more than from the beginning of the world, or even from very early times; and eis ton aiona does not always mean to eternity, in the strict sense of the word. That the use is nearly the same in the Pagan writers, has been very well shown by Wetstein."

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The same Greek phrase eis ton aiona, is rendered in the following passages forever. In Matth. 21: 19. it is said of the fig-tree, let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever." See also Mark 11:14. In Luke 1:55. it is said, "as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever." And John 6: 51. "If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever." See also verse 58. And 8: 35. "And the servant abideth not in the house forever; but the son abideth ever." John 12:34. "We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever." And 14: 16. "He shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever." Heb. 5: 6. "Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec." And 6: 20. and 7: 17, 21. where the same is repeated. Heb. 7: 24." But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangable priesthood." Verse 28. "but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the son who is consecrated for evermore." 1 Peter 1: 23. "Being born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." And 1 John 2: 17. "But he that doeth the will of God

abideth forever." And 2 John 2. "for the truth's sake which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever." Phile. 15.

On all these texts, where this phrase, eis ton aiona, Occurs, we would remark, that it is used in a similar sense as olim in the Old Testament, where it is said of certain cities, that they should be an heap, or a desolation forever; such as the example of the fig-tree, which passages Dr. Campbell renders-" let no fruit grow on thee henceforward." It is also used to express the period of a man's life-time, as in the Old Testament. The servant or slave may be sold, or the year of release may set him free, but the son abideth forever, or all his days. And whoever compares John 14: 16. with verses 1-5. and with verse 12. may see reason to think that our Lord's meaning was the comforter I shall send you will not, like me, leave you before you die, but will continue to be with you all your days. Was not this the way Christ was to fulfil his promise, Matth. 28: 20. in being with his disciples unto the end of the world or age? See on this text below. Besides, when Paul said he would eat no flesh while the world standeth, did he mean any thing more than all the days of his life? In this sense Macknight understands him. I would merely suggest it for consideration, if his meaning is not, I will eat no flesh while the age or Jewish dispensation endures, which was then vanishing away. I should think the above Greek phrase, is also used as in the Old Testament, to signify throughout your generations. Such seems to be its sense in Luke 1: 55. and also where the word of the Lord is said to endure forever, 1 Peter 1: 23, 25. and comp. Heb. 9: 14.. But to see what is the meaning of the phrase, see the Seventy's version, from whence it is taken. Eis ton aiona is the rendering there of olim in a vast number of instances, which it would be tedious to

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