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means a mark of time, "the successive lives of offspring being taken to indicate so many
stages in the world's history".
Aion "age" belongs to no one particular dispensation or line of teaching. It occurs in
all but five of the twenty seven books of the N.T., the epistles that contain no reference
are I & II Thessalonians, James, Philemon and III John.
Aionios the adjective
translated "eternal" and "everlasting" occurs in nineteen books of the N.T., being omitted
in I Corinthians, I Thessalonians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, James and
II & III John. The books therefore which contain both aion and aionios are the
four Gospels, Acts, Galatians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, I & II Peter, I John,
Jude and the Revelation. We must examine some of these occurrences in detail, and we
shall have to consider the bearing of apo "from", pro "before", and eis "unto" or "for",
before we can even begin to come to any conclusion as to when the age-times began.
What does the Scripture mean by "age-times"? Is such a term a correct translation of
the original? What light do parallel constructions throw upon the phrase? Where does
the expression occur? What light do we get from the context? Are there parallel, though
different expressions, that should be considered? Let us address ourselves to these and
any related questions that may occur during the investigation.
The rendering "age-times" is not found in either the A.V. or the R.V. In the A.V. the
translation reads "before or since the world began" and in the R.V. the rendering is
"through" or "before times eternal". "Before the world began" is at least understandable,
but "before times eternal" cannot be understood without a very drastic revision of the
meaning ascribed to "eternal". If eternal thing have neither beginning nor end, then it is
impossible to speak of a period before times eternal--the translation is figurative, and
does not contribute to our understanding or add to our knowledge.
The occurrences of the expression are three in number, and we give them first of all as
they occur in the A.V.
"Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the
prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all
nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for
ever. Amen." (Rom. 16: 25-27).
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner:
but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who
hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ"
(II Tim. 1: 8-10).
"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
but hath in due times manifested His word through preaching, which is committed unto
me according to the commandment of God our Saviour" (Titus 1: 2, 3).
The Greek words translated "before" or "since" the world began, are chronois aioniois
in Rom. 16: 25, and pro chronon aionion in II Tim. 1: 9 and Titus 1: 2. We observe