Theodicy Soteriology, Hermeneutics

THEODICY : M. M. NINAN
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever; that is, not only the devil, but the
beast and false prophet, for the word is in the plural number: and this will be the case of all
wicked men, of all whose minds are enmity to God and Christ, and to his people; and is a
proof of the eternity of hell torments.
Greek eis tous aionas ton aionon, literally means "into the ages of the ages." or "ages into
ages". The Greek nouns aionas and aionon are plural forms of the Greek aion, which simply
means an "eon" or "age." This word refers to an indefinite period of time; however, it does not
convey the idea of eternity.
This Greek phrase is used numerous times in the Scriptures
165 – Greek aiwn aion
Mat 6:13 Mat 12:32 Mat 13:22 Mat 13:39-40 Mat 13:49 Mat 21:19 Mat 24:3 Mat 28:20 Mar
3:29 Mar 4:19 Mar 10:30 Mar 11:14 Luk 1:33 Luk 1:55 Luk 1:70 Luk 16:8 Luk 18:30 Luk
20:34-35 Joh 4:14 Joh 6:51 Joh 6:58 Joh 8:35 Joh 8:51-52 Joh 9:32 Joh 10:28 Joh 11:26
Joh 12:34 Joh 13:8 Joh 14:16 Act 3:21 Act 15:18 Rom 1:25 Rom 9:5 Rom 11:36 Rom 12:2
Rom 16:27 1Co 1:20 1Co 2:6-8 1Co 3:18 1Co 8:13 1Co 10:11 2Co 4:4 2Co 9:9 2Co 11:31
Gal 1:4-5 Eph 1:21 Eph 2:2 Eph 2:7 Eph 3:9 Eph 3:11 Eph 3:21 Eph 6:12 Phi 4:20 Col 1:26
1Ti 1:17 1Ti 6:17 2Ti 4:10 2Ti 4:18 Tit 2:12 Heb 1:2 Heb 1:8 Heb 5:6 Heb 6:5 Heb 6:20 Heb
7:17 Heb 7:21 Heb 7:24 Heb 7:28 Heb 9:26 Heb 11:3 Heb 13:8 Heb 13:21 1Pe 1:23 1Pe
1:25 1Pe 4:11 1Pe 5:11 2Pe 2:17 2Pe 3:18 1Jo 2:17 2Jo 1:2 Jud 1:13 Jud 1:25 Rev 1:6 Rev
1:18 Rev 4:9-10 Rev 5:13-14 Rev 7:12 Rev 10:6 Rev 11:15 Rev 14:11 Rev 15:7 Rev 19:3
Rev 20:10 Rev 22:5
This phrase came to be interpreted as "eternity"; however, some scholars realize that this
connotation was not present in the original Koine ("common") Greek of the New Testament.
The Greek phrase eis tous aionas ton aionon, "for the eons of the eons," occurs
about twenty times in the Greek New Testament in this combination. The ASV
margin and some other versions, lexicons, dictionaries, and commentaries
translate the phrase correctly.
Louis Abbott:The original meanings of aion and aionios
"eis tous aionas ton aionon, of the New Testament meant a finite period."
Windet, in De Vita Functora Statu, of 1633 says (p. 170),
52