Some of us on this site come from a philosophy forum that was flamed by a fundie for 10 years, Raphael -who told us everyone was going to hell (see “Raphael is backâ€); who is not by the way Jennyheart. The forum was shut down by spam. Raphael’s dogmatic ravings led me to a 1 year study of the word eternal.
I know enough theology & Bible to study the scholars.
I may be slow getting back with a reply as I’ moving now.
Esp. I don’t feel like arguing with religious people.
Even with the facts right before them they will stick with their traditions.
I’ll give some links at the end of this posting if anyone wants to look into this eternal hell issue in more detail.
Here is a condensed version of my study:
[size=150]Sorry Preacher, Humanity is not DAMNED FOREVER!!! The Etymology of “eternal†& Church tradition.
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Since 1875 there has been much study on one important word, mis-translated by orthodox churchianity as,†eternity or “everlastingâ€â€. The true interpretation of the earliest Bible texts (originally in Greek) of this New Testament word, “aion”; is; “eon or age-pertaining or age-lastingâ€. In the Old Testament Hebrew the word equivalent is; “olam.” IT DOES NOT MEAN ETERNAL.
If the Bible is a communication from God, (in a correct interpretation ) every statement should fit into it’s place & lend support to all the rest. We should not expect contradictions. If God’s “mercy endures forever,” Psalm 96:13; we should expect that , " He will reconcile ALL things unto Himself(in the ages to come); Col 1:20. He would restore His creation;“the restitution of ALL things.” Acts 3:21.
Revelation21:1 ( the last book of the Bible) speaks of , "a new heaven & a new earth." Revelation 21:4;"there shall be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain, for the former things are passed away."
Revelation 22:2 speaks of the; "healing of the nations, " in the millenium.
Etymology; (the roots & origin of a word) is a very developed science
[size=150]very few Churchians ever study objectively outside of their[/size][size=150]dogmatic, old-line denominational, traditional religious view. [/size]
Lexicons, concordances, and etymology books are needed to ascertain the true meaning of a word within a given culture & period of time .Liddel & Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon: Aion: A period of existence; one’s lifetime; life; an age; a generation; a long period or dispensation.
The New Testament in Modern Speech, by Dr.R.F. Weymouth: eternal: Greek: “Aeonion,â€- of the ages. Etymologically this adjective signifies “belonging to†the aeons or ages.
‘Aion’, ‘age’; has a plural form. Mis-translated as ‘eternal’, which means infinite.
We cannot have several infinities. In the 124 Bible New Testament occurrences of ‘aion’ in its various forms, sixty cases are in the plural.-eternities or ages? The plural is also used, “through the aions of the aionsâ€, signifying all the successive ages of time, foreverS of the everS- the traditional mis-translation should read, but they changed it to, “forever & everâ€.
A linguistic law is that the meaning of a word is defined by its usage.†Before times eternal†in the King James Bible Version, is a contradiction in 3 words. Titus 1:2; 2Timothy 1:9.
“It is impossible that anything should take place, before times eternal†- Dr. Marvin Vincent; Word Studies of the New Testament. Translate eternal as ages & we do not have this confusion, (pro chronon aionion)- “Before the times of the ages or eonsâ€.
There are Bible words for everlasting, if the idea is demanded. That “aiodios” rarely occurs in the New Testament goes to show that less importance was attached to the bare idea of everlastingness than orthodox tradition has given it.
Also in the Bible original Greek texts we have:
En gets; no end. En mispar; no number. Akatalutos; endless; Heb.7:16. Aidios; perpetual.
Aphtharto; Now unto the King eternal, immortal. 1 Tim.1:17.
Athanasian; Who only hath immortality; 1 Tim.5:1.
To all the ages; to God our Saviour, now & ever; Jude 25.
These words are never applied to the punishment of mankind.
Again, a linguistic law is that the meaning of a word is defined by its usage.
This noun is found frequently in all the Greek Classical writings contemporary with the 1st New testaments. None of the writers extending through about 6 centuries down to the age of Plato ever employ the word, “aion†in the sense of eternity. In the Iliad & Odyssey “aion†occurs 13 times. Homer never uses it as signifying eternal duration. Hippocrates, “A human aion is a seven days matter.â€
[size=150]Tradition[/size]
Writing in Greek, Justinian 11, the first Roman Emperor to be interested in theology said, “The church teaches an endless (ateleutetos) punishment for the wickedâ€. He added a word not found in the original text of the Bible. (ateleutetos) to qualify it. He insisted that;’ Bishop Menas shall frame a canon that shall indisputably express the doctrine of endless torment’.
The doctrine was not fully developed till 696 & it was not established by discussion but by ecclesiastical authority. He closed the Academies in Athens & Alexandria.
Only 1 of the 6 earliest theological schools taught eternal torment.
After Justinian the Greek empire contracted & the Latin & Roman power expanded with Augustine’s solidifying of this doctrine. The horrid & cruel invention of eternal torment from the medieval theology has no hint in the nearly 11,000 inscriptions uncovered in the catacombs beneath Rome where the early Christians hid. The Christianity of the catacombs became the church of the popes & of the Inquisition (with a union of the state). Their dogma contradicts most of the early Christians (who believed God would restore all humanity in the coming ages) these were in part witnesses & their fathers sat with the Apostles & Paul.
For the writings of the 1st 5 Centuries there were no printing presses & the few manuscripts; (the original handwritten codexes from the early Christians; e.g. Clement & Origen of Alexandria), were destroyed by bigoted opponents into whose hands they so easily fell.
This Bible word, “eternalâ€, from these reworked orthodox over writings, with its resulting contradictions, has since puzzled the human intellect & grieved the human heart through all the long centuries. Some Bibles have corrected this mis-translation but most Bible publishers will not go against the vast immovable denominational traditional doctrines.
There are three or more different meanings or places for the word hell.
Hell, Hades, can mean: unseen state, grave, prison; in the original Hebrew, Greek Bible manuscripts. Derived from, Hado; “all receiving.†Gehenna;A burning garbage dump where bodies were burned outside of Jerusalem.
Our Father Who art in heaven said we were made in His image. What earthly father punishes a child forever? It’s for a limited time.
The right interpretation of the word punishment is, pruning, chastisement; correction.
God probably has as many means & different degrees of punishment as there are in this life.
[u] Why does the Bible say: Col.1:20; to reconcile ALL things (to change thoroughly-Greek) unto Himself (in the ages to come) having made peace through the blood of His cross,
1 Cor. 15:22 As in Adam all die so in Christ shall ALL be made alive.1 Tim. 4:10 Who is the Saviour of ALL men, specially of those that believe.
Lk.6:35, 36. “God tells us to forgive our enemies.â€
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“Are you tired? Worn out? Burnt out on religion? =D> Come to me. Get away with me & you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me & you’ll learn to live freely & lightly. St. John. 3:16; He that believes on the Son of God shall not perish but has whole & age-lasting life.
-Words of Jesus from a Bible in today’s English
Scholars who spent years researching this, check links:
http://members.cox.net/tmurr10/aswundivided.html
http://www.tentmaker.org/ScholarsCorner.html
