The life from the dead which was "in Him" and is given to those who believe; who

have passed from death unto life and who shall not come into condemnation; evidently is

synonymous with, if not greater than, and so inclusive of, "eternal life", which is the

great gift of John 3: 16. The word translated "eternal" and "everlasting" is aionios and

occurs in John's Gospel seventeen times. The word aionios, "eternal", is derived from

aion, a word which is variously translated "world", "age", "ever". In this Gospel aion is

six times translated "ever" in the phrase "For ever", "never" (literally "Not for ever")

six times, and "world" once.

We must examine these translations of the same word, for, at least, on the surface they

seem too divergent to be true. Let us take the negative form "never". This is the phrase

eis ton aiona, with the negative, and has been the occasion of some very foolish attempts

at literality. Thus, "They shall never perish" (John 10: 28) becomes "They shall not perish

unto the age", which leaves the impression on the mind that at the end of the age they

will perish, which of course is entirely contrary to the thought. "Thou shalt never wash

my feet" (John 13: 8) becomes "Thou shalt not wash my feet unto the age", an absurdity

requiring no repudiation. When the Scriptures intend a statement to carry over from one

age to another, it has ample means of making this clear, as in such a passage as "Neither

in this world, neither in the world to come" (Matt. 12: 32). In most cases "never" is the

idiomatic use of "not ever" or "not for the age", which is parallel with the etymology and

usage of "never" in the English tongue. There is no need to import "age" meanings into

such idiomatic and popular usages.

In connection with the renderings "ever" and "world", there is much more to be said.

First of all, however, let us remember that in the best of us a little genuine modesty will

never be amiss. For instance whenever we feel tempted to sweep aside renderings that

are found not only in the A.V., but retained in the R.V., we should remember that,

however remote it may seem, there is the possibility that these men did actually possess a

modicum of common-sense, as well as scholarship! It would be so much nearer the true

spirit that should animate us, if, first of all, we endeavoured to discover why the

translators used the words "ever" and "world", while literalists demand "age" in every

case. The truth is that many who are moved to adopt the attitude of critics would, if an

answer were demanded of them, have to confess that they did not know the etymology of

the English word "world", and possibly would also have to plead ignorance as to the

source and affinities of "ever" and "eternal". Let us get this matter settled first.

It may surprise many of our readers to learn that under the heading "world", The

Oxford Dictionary devotes sixty-two closely printed lines in a column, dealing with

"Human experience, a period of this" (world), before coming to the second great heading:

"The earth or a region of it; the universe or a part of it." Moreover, the English word

"world", through Germanic sources, is derived from wer = man, and ald = age, "The age

of man", consequently, if language never developed, if meanings never changed by

common usage, and if all men were etymologists, then the affinity between the Greek

aion and the English "world" would be obvious and need no explanation.