Does "aionios" mean "eternal"?
Posted: Thu May 13, 2021 7:30 pm
Some claim that "αιωνιος" (aiōnios) means "eternal" just as "αιδιος" does.
This I disbelieve (though many translators so render it).
For example in 2 Tim 1:9, in the expression "προ χρονων αιωνιων" (pro xronōn aiōnōn) the word should NOT be translated as "eternal".
Indeed, the multifarious rendering of this passage by various translators is astonishing! Their translations of the expression are given in red. Why the variety of translations? What do you think? Later, I will offer what I believe to be a correct translation of the expression
Consider the following:
Who has 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. (AKJV)
who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal. (ASV)
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. (AV)
Who gave us salvation, marking us out for his purpose, not on account of our works, but in the measure of his purpose and his grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal. (BBE)
who has saved us, and has called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time. (Darby)
of the one having saved us and having called with a calling holy, not according to the works of us, but according to own purpose and favor that having been given to us in Anointed Jesus before times age-lasting. (Diaglot)
Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world: (Douay)
who having saved us, and having called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time itself, (EMTV)
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, (ESV)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. (HCSB)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages, (JB2000)
who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, — not on account of our works; but on account of his own purpose and favor, which was given us through Christ Jesus, before the times of the ages, (LO)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, (NAS95)
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, (NIV)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (NKJV)
who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, (RSV)
who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, (NRSV)
Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began; (Webster)
For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with our desserts, but in accordance with His own purpose and the free grace which He bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before the commencement of the Ages, (Wey)
For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with anything that we had done, but in accordance with His own purpose and unmerited favor which was shown us through union with Christ Jesus eternal ages ago, (Williams)
who did save us, and did call with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, that was given to us in Christ Jesus, before the times of the ages, (YLT)
This I disbelieve (though many translators so render it).
For example in 2 Tim 1:9, in the expression "προ χρονων αιωνιων" (pro xronōn aiōnōn) the word should NOT be translated as "eternal".
Indeed, the multifarious rendering of this passage by various translators is astonishing! Their translations of the expression are given in red. Why the variety of translations? What do you think? Later, I will offer what I believe to be a correct translation of the expression
Consider the following:
Who has 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. (AKJV)
who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal. (ASV)
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. (AV)
Who gave us salvation, marking us out for his purpose, not on account of our works, but in the measure of his purpose and his grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal. (BBE)
who has saved us, and has called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time. (Darby)
of the one having saved us and having called with a calling holy, not according to the works of us, but according to own purpose and favor that having been given to us in Anointed Jesus before times age-lasting. (Diaglot)
Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world: (Douay)
who having saved us, and having called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time itself, (EMTV)
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, (ESV)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. (HCSB)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages, (JB2000)
who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, — not on account of our works; but on account of his own purpose and favor, which was given us through Christ Jesus, before the times of the ages, (LO)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, (NAS95)
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, (NIV)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (NKJV)
who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, (RSV)
who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, (NRSV)
Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began; (Webster)
For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with our desserts, but in accordance with His own purpose and the free grace which He bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before the commencement of the Ages, (Wey)
For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with anything that we had done, but in accordance with His own purpose and unmerited favor which was shown us through union with Christ Jesus eternal ages ago, (Williams)
who did save us, and did call with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, that was given to us in Christ Jesus, before the times of the ages, (YLT)