ذدà،±ل>‏ے :<‏ےےے9ےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےےى¥ء7 ً؟bjbjUU "67|7|ُےےےےےےlxxxxxxxŒ¸¸¸¸جŒzôôôôôôôôلمممممم$z ڑ”-xôôôôôضxxôô4ضضضô®xôxôلضôلض”ضj•xxلôè0´„كuإŒ,¸¢4لJ0zµ,.ض.لضŒŒxxxxظMY RESPONSE (ME) I understand how busy life can be. I look forward to your comments as your schedule permits. Before I say anything else, in response to the following: (SMITH) I'll get back to you on this; and thank you for at least challenging me with something having some logic behind it, even though I believe in my heart of hearts that neither argument changes the Scriptural use of "aionios" from "eonian" to "eternal." It is a refreshing change of pace for me, from the usual questions and challenges I am present with. (ME) I say: I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate your kind words. If you continue to believe what you accept as the meaning of aion after the following email, I will completely understand. The things we cherish make up a lot of who we are. You said something in your last email, and I tell you the truth, it is exactly where I am trying to go: (SMITH) “These both have much in common--Were the Greek gods truly "eternal" and is Peter buying into the Greek doctrine of "Hades the god of Tartarus" and all that attends to it.” (ME) I would say that the issue is right here. The question isn’t whether or not the Greek gods were “eternal” (or for our present purposes if Peter is buying into Greek mythology for that matter). The question is, when referring to the Greek gods with a word like aion, were those ancient Greek authors communicating the idea that they thought the Greek gods were “eternal”. Now, if the answer is yes (which many of the surrounding contexts of occurrences of aion and its cognates in ancient Greek literature indicate), then we have on our hands examples of ancient authors using the word aion (and its cognates) in contexts describing “eternity”. If we have examples of the above, which we do, then we know that ancient authors were able to use the word aion (and its cognates) when they wanted to describe the idea of “eternity”. Now, before we move forward, it must be stated that we also know of clear instances in ancient Greek literature when aion and its cognates were used to denote a particular “span of time”, one that had a specific beginning and a specific end (there are many other uses of the word aion and its cognates but for our present purposes only one more usage other than “eternity” needs to be stated). If we have examples of the above, which we do, then we know that ancient authors were able to use the word aion (and its cognates) when they wanted to describe the idea of an “age”. Consequently, when we are faced with words like aion (and its cognates) in the New Testament (or the LXX) we have a decision to make. We have at least two options to consider when translating: Since we have clear examples in ancient Greek literature of the word aion being used in the sense of “eternity” (especially in idiomatic expressions), it is possible to translate the Greek aion into the English “eternity”. Since we also have clear examples in ancient Greek literature of the word aion being used in the sense of “age”, it is possible to translate the Greek aion into the English “age”. [The above is essentially the idea of semantic domains, the idea that words do not have meaning—they have usages. Depending on how a given word is used in context will determine how the word is to be understood. Semantic domains are sometimes the backbone for the fascinating literary technique paronomasia, or wordplay. The end of John 2 is essentially an example of paronomasia because the Greek word pisteuo is used in two of its semantic domains side by side.] The question then arises, how do we know when to choose option one over against option two and vice versa? The answer to the above question can be summed up in one word: context. It is context that determines meaning (or better, usage). Context is what allows Greek words like pisteuo to be translated into the English words “believe” and “entrust” even when they occur right next to each other, as in John 2. Context is a beautiful thing. So, are there places in the New Testament (or LXX) where aion (or its cognates) are in contexts that suggest they should be translated as “eternity” (or its cognates)? Yes there are. [In keeping with the courtesy of short emails, you may conclude reading here. The following can be thought of as an appendix. I did not want to give you a list of all the places where aion (or its cognates) should be translated as “eternity” (or its cognates). You may consult any of the best lexicons (BDAG, LN, LS, or even Thayer’s) for lists. Rather, it is the task of the individual translator to discern when aion, or any other word, should be translated a particular way. So, instead of lists, I included a couple things I thought were interesting.] Since Young’s Literal Translations is one of those that you recommend, I use his translation in the examples below. When translating the Hebrew ‘d in Isaiah, even Young used the word “eternity”. See Isaiah 9:6; 45:17; 57:15. (Young’s translation of 45:17 is interesting considering the LXX translation: YLT: Israel hath been saved in Jehovah, A salvation age-during! Ye are not ashamed nor confounded Unto the ages of eternity! LXX: Israel sodzetai hypo kyriou soterian aionion ouk aischunthesontai oude me entraposin hoes tou aionos) When translating the Greek aidios, even Young used the words “eternal” and “everlasting”. See Romans 1:20 and Jude 1:6. As far as the whole tartarus thing goes, in following with what was presented above, tartarus was used in certain ways in Greek literature. When the author of 2 Peter used the verb tartaroM he appears to be using the word in its typical sense. Some things about how I look at scripture: I am very free with the authors of scripture using ideas from other people and literature (e.g. Jude s quotation of 1 Enoch). Other people and literature was what they knew and cherished. I am also very free with things that are hard to understand in scripture meaning sometimes what they seem to be saying (e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:29) since for the most part, the earliest Christians would not have known any better. I would like to recommend to you my favorite author, N.T. Wright. A lot of mainstream Protestants war against him, but many people believe he is the greatest New Testament scholar alive today. His three main works are: The New Testament and the People of God, Jesus and the Victory of God, and The Resurrection of the Son of God. Those three books are the first three volumes of his now six volume series, Christian Origins and the Question of God. 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