, 1874-03-08
DR. EDWARD BEECHER ON ETERNAL PUNISH
EENT.


St.. Tie Christian Uslion OF the 18th ult.
contains an exposition of the Greek noun aion
bv tho Rev. Edward Beocher. D. D. The article
is able and ii, teresting. He discusses the mean-
ino of this word in relation to the doctrine OF
future eternal punishment. Ko says that the
original sense OF aion ia not e eternity, nor
" ti1no" in any form, but " life"
The iustIy-celebratod scholars Liddell and
Scott. in their last edition OF their Greek
Lexicon (1S71), define aion, first, "ones HE,
time" Is fe,"-slko the Latin word Goum
faud this word e1um denotes, first, ''unin-
terruptcd time,' "eternity"; second,
..period," "1fetame," "life," age y; sec
ond. "one's time OF life," age" tt the age OF
MN u: third. "au ago." "generatlon y; then
"a long SPACE Of time "eternity, y,''-liko the
Latin rpu4n. The distinguished scholar
Cremer, in his Biblical Greek Lexicon. gives as
the original meaning of oion 81 the life which
hastes away in the breathing Of our BREATH
lilo IS transitory then, "tho conrso
of life," s.timo Of life;" in general.
life in it's temporal foEm." Ho al
so saye it il suitable expression for
"historical ti1ne," and for "eternity-" Prof.
sophoc!cs 8 native Greek, and the very highest
authority in his Lexicon Of the nomsn and
byzantine pcriods,-from LAG T. c. to A. D. lloo'
defines it. first. ssage,"-liko the Latin Rrun';
second. .ttirne without end" forever, !" for
ever and eycr" third, IL ever-existipg u; fourth,
"world."-a Hebraism; fifth. "aso'; sixth,
"Diyuo entity" In some of the definitions
thus given by Prof. Sophoc!es aro combinations
with Greek propositions which are found IN the
New Testament and elGcwhere.
The foregoing arc upquestonably the correct
definitions of dion. Therefore it may be ad-
uitted that the original meaning Of d'o'1 IVES
"life." as stated by Dr.. Deecher. But thls ov
no means diRprores the doctrine OF future esef-
nal punishment, fUr there il another "ord-an
aliectiye-used in the New Testament, which
has only the meaning "lasting, :" CONSTANT
"perpetual." ver'asting." ''eternal-" This
word ia aion1os. ALL lexicographers worthy of
mention agree that Gaonios always means - con
staut," lasting" perpetual" everlasting"
s.of long DURATION AZ eternal" No genuine
scholar will deny this. Sophoclee gfvos "e7er-
lasting," " eternal" as the only dainlt1ons.
Wherever in the New Testament the doctrine OF
future eternal life is taught, this adjective
aionios is used, conjofned with the Greek Tord
zoe-"life or some form or forms OF G1on
with the proper Greek proposition.
The doctrine OF future eternal life is foundt II
solely upon these words in the New Testament
If they do not prove the doctrine of eternal
life, then it cannot be proved in the Now Testa~
meut. THIS Same word aionios is expressly
used in tie New Testament to denote the future
punishment OF the wicked. II it means eter-
nal in relation to the life after death, it also
lust as surely means "eterpa1" in relation to
future punishment.
This conclusion is inevitable. will refer to
only ono verse to sustain my statement. might
refer to many The forty-eixth verse OF the tV'en-
tv-ifth chapter OF Matthew reads III the q om-
mon version thus Sand these shall 60 away
into everlasting punishment, but the rghteo GUS
into life eternal" The Greek word here ut:ed
to denote punishment" is kolasin, the acc u
ativo case Of kolasis aud the Greek wo:d
Il sed to denote 'life" is zoen, the accusati1'e
Ct 70 of zoe. The adjective used to denpt'e
' everlasting" before tho word "punshmon&, :"
is cionion, the accusaiiye case Of dlonios; rna
the same word and case, VIZ: aionion, is used
to .zenoto 81 eternal" before the word "ldn."
In 9th cases the adjective follows the noun.
b th a3iectiyeB should be translated by The
same English word. No one will deny this who
is at all familiar with the original Greek.
II This and kindred verses are changed end
tranB:ht 60 as to give to the adjective dioron
the n gaming of limited duration, then surely
the Ga me change ust be applied to both clauses,
which would make the life Of everybody after
death, whether righteous or wicaed, q limited.
and nsot an eIerna1, existence. If the life after
death ia limited duration, then the doctrine
{bee' red by but few Of ultimate ann;hi1ation
must lie true refer any person who may de-
sire to e1amin, this question to fow Of the
passages in the New Testament viz: Matthew,
viii, is; 1vix.. 16 and %; XIV. Al; Mark, ILL.,,
20; T., II and 80; Luke, z, 25; xviii. Is and
80; John. iii. IS. 16. and sc; II. Thessalonians,
l., o. esc. The 9sh verse OF II. Ihessalonians is
a significant antl awful warning to those who
deny God, and who do not obey the Gospel Of
Christ. Paul there says such persons shall be
furnished with everlasting destruction (o!e-
hron aionio,) from the presence Of the Lord,
and from the glory Of His power.
The Greek word olethron, there used, is the
accusative case Of ozethros which always denotes
either destruction, " I" rrin,' or "perdition."
It is from the Greek verb ouumi, which signifies
"to Destroy
II aionion. in this verse, signifies ''limited
DURATION" still the consequences to those who
know not God, and who donot obey the Gospel Of
Christ is all the same. It makes but little differ
enca ,yhetha: destruction or "ruin" ia Of
"liuited dur .tion or !" eternal"
More. far I. lore. can be said ON this question;
but will clio. e with brief statement of the de-
riyation Of al on and aionios. The derivation Of
oion is inyolv ed in some doubt. It comes either
from the adge RIB oet. which means "evor, "al-
ways" and on the participle Of the Greek
verb eirni, viii ich signifies to be, to exist
go that the word aion thus derived signifies
"ever-being,'' " always" "e1istlng;" or it is
derived from the verbs 40, de11i, which mean
nto blow" .-to Breathe" Scholars are divided
on this questit III.
The adjective aionios ia undonbtedlv derived
from the nor n aio1a. Inas1nuch as the noun
oiou in sone connections signifies 'forever,"
naternjtr" fas above ehown), it Seems clear and
reasonable thI t the adjective aionios WIS used
By tho Nor-Ta ,tament writer's to denote "eter-
nal s.overlas ing," in their statements concern
nc . future life It is the only word in the
Creek Language WHICH could have been used to to
tnro time / uil give q moro complete reference
to this subject, as taught in tho New1Ieatament a