The Evangelical Universalist Forum

"Everlasting" in Jude 6

Theology Biblical Theology
#1

I was about to make an argument that the word used in Jude 6 as ‘everlasting’ (aïdios, Strongs : 126) evidently doesn’t mean unending because the phrase ‘until the day of judgment’ suggests that the chains will hold the angels only up to that time. However, I noticed that this is the only occurrence in the NT of aïdios. All the other renderings of ‘everlasting’ renders it aiōnios (Strongs: 166).

Does anyone have information as to why this particular word is used in this one instance as opposed to the more common word?

#2

From the Vine’s definition I gather that aidios carries a sense of “without interruption.”

Hopefully someone here will have more info. I’d like to know what someone like William Barclay has to say about this word.

Sonia

#3

Not the only occurrence.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal (aidios) power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

#4

True, for ‘aidios’, but I was only looking up ‘everlasting’ in the concordance. Good catch, SOTW. A rare word, regardless, whereas ‘aionios’ occurs over 70 times. I just wondered why that word was needed in those particular cases.

#5

Hi Dondi,

I think aidios comes closer to conveying the idea of “endless duration” than any other word in the NT (with the exception of pantote in 1Thess 4:17, which really does mean “forever” in an absolute sense!). As Craig pointed out, the word is used to describe God’s power and nature. In Jude 6, I think the word more properly denotes the durability of the chains than the length of time during which the angels would be bound by them. But if what I’ve said concerning this verse in another thread is valid, the actual duration of the chains or the angels’ length of stay may be a non-issue: