Knowing what I now know, that aionios is usually better translated “pertaining to the age”, or “age-enduring”, any thoughts on how to translate 1 John 2:17?
Here is the NIV
Here is Young’s Literal Translation
How about this: Whoever does the will of God lives into the age to come?
Thoughts anyone?
Hi Caleb
Couple of random-ish thoughts from me:
The NIV translation doesn’t really fly, because orthodox belief is that we die and are then resurrected to everlasting life. So nobody actually “lives forever”.
The last three words of the verse in the Greek are εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα - translated in the YLT “to the age”; in the KJV “for ever”; in the NIV “forever”. The first word, εἰς, is a preposition translated " into, unto, to, towards, for, among" (Strong’s G1519).
So I reckon your translation “lives into the age” is bang on, the age being implicitly the age of God, or even the life that comes from God. And don’t forget that Jesus himself defines the words ‘zoe aionios’, usually translated ‘eternal life’ in most Bibles, thusly:
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3
Cheers
Johnny
Hey Johnny,
Thanks for your feedback.
I suspect even more accurate may be “lives into the age [to come]”, with “to come” being implied. Apparently Jews thought of two ages, this age (Olam Hazeh) and the age to come (Olam Haba). And the word “olam”, when translated in the Septuagint, is translated in greek “aion”.
Here is an interesting blurb about Olam Haba:
From: jewfaq.org/olamhaba.htm
Here is the Greek, a word-for-word translation and a more meaningful translation:
ὁ______ δε_ ποιων το θελημα του__ θεου μενει__ εἰς_ τον αἰωνα
the one now doing the will___of the God remains into the age
Now, the one doing the will of God remains into the age.
I, too, think “the age” is a reference to the next age in which Christ reigns. It seems that the Christians at that time were expecting Christ to return soon.
Jesus said, “He who believes in me shall not die into the age.” (John 11:26). Does that mean that the believer will not die until Christ returns? Or does it mean that he will not remain dead right into the next age, for Christ will come and raise him from the dead?
As I understand it… “the world” that was “passing away” was the old covenant world. In Christ the new world/age was taking hold, or as the writer of Hebrews has it… In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Heb 8:13
Those who survived the conflagrations of the Roman-Jewish wars of Ad66-70 [of which btw such insurrections were not restricted to Palestine alone] were those who survived “into the age about to come”. The coming age was/is not some esoteric or ethereal “heaven” after death, but rather… the fullness of the new covenant age begun in Christ.
I like for example N.T. Wright’s rendition of Mk 10:29-30…
There is no-one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or fields, for my sake and the gospel’s, who will not receive a hundred times over, now in the present age: houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields — with persecutions; and, in the coming age, the life of the new world.
N.T. Wright: Jesus and the Victory of God p. 402
The “present age” was the then Mosaic era of law-righteousness, while “the coming age” wherein dwelt “the life of the new world” was the new covenant age — the age from Christ’s cross forward. The real inter-testamental age was the 40yr overlapping period Ad30-70; an age emulating Israel’s exodus out of bondage, where those of faith came into the fullness of Israel’s redemption.
IOW, they grasped “the life of the new world” IN THIS LIFE which was none other than the “eternal life” as Jesus defines it in Jn 17:3, that is, as a PRESENT reality, or as he puts it in Jn 10:10… “life to the full” aka PEACE as per Jn 14:27.
Yes, one can look at the age to come in the way a preterist does. I’ve been a futurist for so long, I still think in that futuristic way. 
Hi Paidion… as a pantelist i.e., an inclusionistic prêterist, I think the “fulfilled view” removes a lot of fluffy speculation by way of taking into account the historical data of the day, and noting in that vein in particular ‘audience relevance’.
Knowing what I now know, that aionios is usually better translated “pertaining to the age”, or “age-enduring”, any thoughts on how to translate 1 John 2:17?
Here is the NIV
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
I think “aionios” can mean “duration” and since it is used here as something connected to God and life with God , it can mean God duration or in effect “eternal life.”
I’ll post a couple of other translations, Steve, and also bump this topic up to the top so people will see it.
FWIW I think the Jewish readers at least would probably interpret “the age” to mean the Messianic age they were so looking forward to.