`Sinners; of whom I am chief ("first" not "worst" protos) ... a pattern

to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting' (1

Tim. 1:15,16).

`Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life' (1 Tim. 6:12)

`Rich in good works ... that they may lay hold on eternal life'

(1 Tim. 6:18,19).

`In hope of eternal life' (Titus 1:2).

`That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according

to the hope of eternal life' (Titus 3:7).

The critical texts read, in 1 Timothy 6:19, as shown in the R.V. `the

life which is life indeed' tes ontos zoes instead of tes aioniou zoes,  There

are three references to `hope' in Titus.  The two already listed 1:2 and 3:7

and the reference to the Second Coming under the title of `that blessed hope'

It is generally known by our readers that the words `eternal' or

`everlasting' translate the Greek adjective aionois.  Rotherham has two

lengthy notes in the appendix to his Emphasized New Testament under the

heading of Age and Age-Abiding which are worth reading.  (See article

entitled Age1).  The connection between `eternal' life and a period `before

the world began' is not obvious on the surface, but if we transliterate the

words in question the association will be evident, and the need for care in

translation will be emphasized.

`In hope of aionion life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before

aionion times' (Titus 1:2).

In like manner, the two references containing the Greek word in 2 Timothy

should be read together:

`His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before

aionion times'.

`The salvation which is in Christ Jesus with aionion glory' (2 Tim.

1:9; 2:10)

It would be impossible to contend that the fires that destroyed Sodom

and Gomorrah are still raging, so complete was the destruction of those

cities that their site is still a matter of conjecture, yet Jude says that

these cities are set forth for an example `suffering the vengeance of aionion

fire' (Jude 7).  The fact that in 1 Timothy 1:17 we read in the A.V. of the

`King Eternal' and of those who are `rich in this World' (1 Tim. 6:17), or in

2 Timothy 4:10 of `this present World' and in verse 18 of `glory, For Ever

and Ever', or in Titus 2:12 `this present World' and discover that the one

Greek word aion is translated `eternal', `ever' and `world' reveals that

something is amiss with this rendering.  Again, if aion means `eternity' what

sense can there be in duplicating the word or of putting it into the plural

aionas ton aionon?  Can there be `eternities'?  What can we make of a word

which can mean a limited period and also unlimited eternity?  The Septuagint

Version uses the word aion to translate the Hebrew word olam.  This is how

the A.V. translates me olam of God and of man:

Used of God

Used of Man

Ever of old (Psa. 25:6).

Of old (Gen. 6:4).

From everlasting (Psa. 90:2),

In old time (Josh. 24:2),

and many other occasions.

and many other occasions.