 |  |
AGE
33
`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 `since the world began', are chronois aioniois in Romans 16:25, and `before the
world began', pro chronon aionion in 2 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:2. We observe that the expression in either form is
exclusive to Paul, and that such an exclusive character is emphasized in the context by such added terms as `my
gospel'; `through the gospel where unto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles';
`through preaching which is committed unto me'.
Our first note therefore is that `before the world began' or `since the world began', however ultimately we are
obliged to translate the original, belong exclusively to the ministry of Paul.
Secondly we note that there is a difference between the phrase found in Romans 16, and those found in
2 Timothy and Titus. The former speaks of a period `since', the latter of a period `before' the beginning of the
world. We must be careful therefore to keep these two periods distinct, together with the revelations associated with
them.
Ignoring for the time being the preposition pro `before', or the dative case translated by the A.V `since', let us
examine the words chronon aionion. It is not a matter of debate, that aionos is an adjective, derived from aion the
noun, or that chronos is a noun. If we read in Matthew 25:19 meta de chronon polun, we naturally translate `but
after a long time'. If we find the order of the words reversed as in John 5:6 polun ... chronon, while the emphasis
may be shifted, the translation must remain the same, polun still remains an adjective, chronon still remains a noun.
The word chronos `time' is not of frequent use in the epistles, occurring only twelve times in the fourteen written by
Paul, and when we turn to Romans, 2 Timothy and Titus in the hope of observing the usage of chronon in those
three epistles which use the phrase since, or before `the world began' we find but one passage, namely Romans 7:1,
`the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth', literally `for a long time', eph hoson chronon.
Aionios, the adjective is derived from aion, and must retain whatever essential meaning pertains to the noun. It
is impossible that the noun should be translated `age', which most certainly had a beginning, and will certainly have
an end, and to translate the adjective `everlasting' or `eternal'. Keeping to Paul's epistles we find aionion translated
eternal, everlasting and for ever, except in the three passages before us, Romans 16:25, 2 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:2,
where we read `since, or before, the world began'. If chronos be translated `world' then aionios must have been
translated `began', or if chronos has been translated `began' because of its association with time, then aionios has
been translated `world'. In any case the translation is exceedingly wide.
The Revisers were evidently unsatisfied with this rendering for in the three passages they substitute, `times
eternal', which though it adheres more to the actual words so translated, is still too poetic to be of use, for `times'
belong to one category and `eternal' to another. We can speak of `a living death' but only in a figure, we can speak
of `times eternal' but only in a figure; for the purpose of discovering at what point in the outworking of the purpose
of the ages, these `times eternal' commence, such a translation is valueless. There is nothing for it, but to adopt
either the foreign sounding phrase ` -onian times', or the cumbersome expression `age-times'. This latter has the
advantage of presenting to the eye the fact that we are still within the bounds of the ages, and not dealing with either
`the world' as in the A.V. or `eternity' as in the R.V.
We must now return to those passages that are under review, to observe any particular features that will help us
in our attempt to place them in the outworking of the Divine purpose. First, we will give Weymouth's rendering of
Romans 16:25-27, with our own emphasis of each occurrence of aion and aionios.
`To Him Who has it in His power to make you strong, as declared in the Good News which I am spreading, and
the proclamation concerning Jesus Christ, in harmony with the unveiling of the Truth which IN THE PERIODS OF
PAST AGES remained unuttered, but has now been brought fully to light, and by the commandment of THE GOD OF
THE AGES has been made known by the writings of the Prophets among the Gentiles to win them to the
obedience to the faith - to God, the only wise, through Jesus Christ, even to Him be glory THROUGH ALL THE
AGES'.