"Eternal Punishment"? Is "Age-long" the

[Shermana]

Matthew 25:46

καὶ ἀπελε�σονται οὗτοι εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
KJV with Strong's
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal

Everlasting.....we have a similar issue with the word "everlasting" in Hebrew, which more or less means "Age". Such as "Everlasting Father" from Isaiah actually means more or less (Avi-ad) "Father of the Age".

So the word in question is "ai�nion"...now at first glance...Strong's SHORT definition is...

Short Definition: eternal, unending

But strangely, the actual definition is a bit more revealing.....

Definition: age-long, and therefore: practically eternal, unending; partaking of the character of that which lasts for an age, as contrasted with that which is brief and fleeting.

"And therefore"...so the idea of Everlasting is from a "So therefore" which discludes the concept of ages.....


Hmmm....is "age long punishment" the same thing as "Eternal punishment"?

[Shermana]

At the same time, the concept of "Eternal Life" is expressed as αἰωνίου ai�niou.

iou or ion..."everlasting" life is "ion" in Matthew 25:46, in John 6:68, "everlasting" life is "iou" form.

Is there a major difference in the case to extract the definition of "an age" or "characteristic of an age?"

[JehovahsWitness]

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the word ai·on′ may denote a time period of indefinite or indeterminate length, a period of remote, but not endless, time. For example, at Luke 1:70 and Acts 3:21 ai·on′ can be rendered “of old,� “of old time,� “in ancient times.� (RS, NW, AT) Often, however, the context suggests that ai·on′ is to be understood to refer to a time period of undefined length because of such period being endless in duration. (Lu 1:55; Joh 6:50, 51; 12:34; 1Jo 2:17) Similarly, the adjective ai·o′ni·os (drawn from ai·on′) can, as is evident from the context, signify both “long lasting� (Ro 16:25; 2Ti 1:9; Tit 1:2) and “everlasting.� (Mt 18:8; 19:16, 29) Another Greek adjective, a·i′di·os, specifically means “eternal� or “everlasting.�—Ro 1:20; Jude 6, NW, RS, AT

Source: Insight on the Scriptures Vol II p 1103

[gegraptai]

I don't see the phrase, "everlasting punishment," as having to mean conscious eternal punishment. If the wages of sin is death, and the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, then the punishment for sin is death, and death is forever, then everlasting punishment can easily mean "death forever" with no hope of further life, as contrasted by eternal life in Christ Jesus. This is not a text that is proof positive in favor of those who believe in conscious eternal torment in hell, and I have yet to find one.

[Shermana]

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the word ai·on′ may denote a time period of indefinite or indeterminate length, a period of remote, but not endless, time. For example, at Luke 1:70 and Acts 3:21 ai·on′ can be rendered “of old,� “of old time,� “in ancient times.� (RS, NW, AT) Often, however, the context suggests that ai·on′ is to be understood to refer to a time period of undefined length because of such period being endless in duration. (Lu 1:55; Joh 6:50, 51; 12:34; 1Jo 2:17) Similarly, the adjective ai·o′ni·os (drawn from ai·on′) can, as is evident from the context, signify both “long lasting� (Ro 16:25; 2Ti 1:9; Tit 1:2) and “everlasting.� (Mt 18:8; 19:16, 29) Another Greek adjective, a·i′di·os, specifically means “eternal� or “everlasting.�—Ro 1:20; Jude 6, NW, RS, AT

Source: Insight on the Scriptures Vol II p 1103

Exactly....just like the word "Ad" in Hebrew, it seems there isn't exactly a clear cut line on when the word means "forever" and when it means "a temporary (but long) period of time."