(December 17, 2015 at 2:30 pm)Lek Wrote:(December 16, 2015 at 9:38 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Which of course leads to the question of what does "eternal" mean in plain English?
So only the KJV translates the word as "everlasting" while everyone else goes with "eternal." I submit the difference is inconsequential but it does suggest to me that you grasping at straws.
As usual.
The question isn't what does the word "eternal" mean, but rather what does the word "aionios" mean, because the verse was written in Greek, not English. The word clearly has meaning other than the English word "eternal". If someone goes to hell for a limited time and then is annihilated, his punishment is eternal even though he doesn't spend eternity in hell, but he is gone for eternity, which could support Drich's view. On the other hand, Plato who is credited with likely inventing the word, used aionious in referring to certain souls in Hades who are to return to earth - hardly an eternal punishment. Plato saw aionios punishment as always being of God, with any punishment of God (who is eternal) as having eternal consequences. When speaking of the gods, who were eternal, he used a different Greek word - "aidios", which referred to them living eternally versus using aionios, belonging to time, when speaking of humanity. Anyway, the bible speaks clearly that Jesus came to save the "world". That's all of us.
Which Greek alphabet is the word written in?
