two of the actual Greek words here, it will be obvious that some alteration in the

translation is required: "In hope of aionion life, which God, That cannot lie, promised

before chronon aionion." The word "eternal" has very little connection with a "world"

that "began", and yet in the same verse the same word is rendered in these two very

different ways. Also there is no word in the original that means "began". Chronos

means "time", and in this case the noun is in the plural.  J. N. D. translates both

occurrences "before the ages of time", while Weymouth renders them "before the

commencement of the ages". At least there is a recognition here of the word aion, "age",

but we feel that aionion should be kept as an adjective, and chronon as a noun in the

plural. The phrase "before age times" would seem to fulfil all essential requirements and

it is also understandable English.

II Timothy is one of the four great epistles that reveal the truth of the Mystery. In the

epistle to the Ephesians, which was written before II Timothy, the Apostle speaks of

time period that was directly connected with the election of the Church: "According as

He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy"

(Eph. 1: 4). This statement obviously cannot contradict the later passage in II Tim. 1: 9:

"An holy calling . . . . . before age times."

We have already discussed the translation and bearing of Eph. 1: 4 in a number of

articles in Volumes 4: 25, 48, 73 (IV/5: 19, 39, 61); 14: 62; 16: 173; 18: 147;

and have also considered the word translated "foundation", katabole, 4: 28 (IV/5: 22);

12: 122; 13: 125; 18: 16.  Without going over the ground again, we merely state

here that the results of our investigations into the etymology and usage of katabole, both

in the N.T. and in the LXX, led us to reject the translation "foundation", and to adopt

instead the word "overthrow". Further study led us to see in Gen. 1: 2 the actual

"overthrow of the world", and so to realize that the church of the Mystery was chosen in

Christ before Gen. 1: 2.  II Tim. 1: 9 supplements this revelation by speaking of the

same church as being called according to that purpose and grace which was given to it

in Christ "before age times". We are therefore able to say that the "ages" began after

Gen. 1: 2, and hence are coincident with the present creation.

Scripture also indicates that the ages will cease. The same two Hebrew words as are

used in Gen. 1: 2 also appear in Isa. 34: 11, where "without form and void" becomes

"confusion and emptiness". In the same chapter we have a passage that indicates the

dreadful judgment that will come at the end of the day of the Lord:

This even ushers in the day of God, as we learn from II Pet. 3: 12: