The Evangelical Universalist Forum

If aionios doesnt mean eternal, how do we know God still is?

I’ve been having an ongoing discussion with a friend on FB and they asked me “If aionios doesnt mean eternal, how do we know God still is?” i.e. what Biblical passages would you use to support God has always been and will always be?

isn’t that funky other Greek word, the one that apparently means eternal unambiguously, and sounds a bit like aionios but with a “D” :laughing:
anyway, isn’t that word applied to God?
i agree, it’s not really accurate to read equal time frames into those texts about punishment and reward. the reward we know from Scripture to be eternal. we know God from Scripture is eternal. we know, also from Scripture, that the punishment is not.

if both are “to the age”, it is not really a time quantitative measurement.
also, what if “to the age” meant “appropriate to the age”? so the punishment would be appropriate, for whatever age it related to…and so would the reward.

but anyway i’m pretty sure from what i’ve read on here an unambiguous word for eternal was used for God…so that’d be the answer, unless i’m wrong.

1 Timothy 1:17

New International Version (NIV)

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

There are several opinions on what the greek word “aionios” means. :smiley: There are actually universalists that allow that it means eternal (witness William Barclay), but insist that “eternal” is different from “endless”. I think that Plato is referenced here.

Yep, that “funky other” indeed applies to God. That “funky” word is “αιδιος” (aidios). Here is the place it is used to apply to God where it is correctly translated as “eternal”:

…for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. so they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20) RSV

Thanks Paidion but I’m confused :confused: Are “aidiov” (Romans) & “aidioiv” (Jude) the same or different? How do we know it’s “eternal” if it only appears once (or twice)? Does it appear in other Kione Greek?