At the End of the Ages...the Abolition of Hell

G. Campbell Morgan is one of the most well-known and respected Bible teachers and preachers in history. He worked as an associate of D. L. Moody in the Northfield Bible conferences, and he served as pastor of Westminster Chapel in London from 1904-1917 and again from 1933-1945. During his second term at Westminster Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones served as his associate.

Morgan has become known as the "Prince of Bible Expositors," and has written a host of well known and respected books. The primary focus of his ministry was the study and teaching of the Bible.

In his book "God’s Methods With Men" (pages 185-6) Morgan says:

"Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the
word ‘eternity.’ We have fallen into great error in our constant use of that word.
There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with our ‘eternal’
which as commonly used among us means absolutely without end. The strongest
Scripture word used with reference to the existence of God is— ‘unto the ages
of the ages,’ which does not literally mean eternally."

DON’T TAKE A MAN’S OPINION

Mr. Morgan was a serious student of the Bible, and he served within a very "orthodox" church setting, and he continues to this day to be highly respected by preachers and scholars; yet he tells us that when we read the word "eternity" in our modern English Bibles, it is not a correct translation ... at least not as we understand the word "eternity."

While Mr. Morgan was a life-long student of the Bible, we should not take his opinion on this matter without further study. The most important thing we learn from him is that not all qualified Bible teachers are in agreement on the issue of "eternity." When I first took my stand as to the beliefs expressed in this book, I was quickly challenged and told that the Greek word "aionian" which is found throughout the New Testament means, and has always meant, "eternal." As we can see, not all studied men and women agree on this point. Many will stand up today and tell you that "aionian" must be translated "eternal." Mr. Morgan is just one example of a well studied man who would disagree.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE BIBLE ITSELF?

You can buy a Greek study book, and depending on the author you may find that "aionian" means "eternal," or you may find that it means "age-abiding." You can read the translation of the Bible you have chosen, placing your faith in the translators ... that they got it right. You can listen to your pastor or your professor. You can read the opinions of men like G. Campbell Morgan or others who have written on the topic.

Or... you can look at the Bible and see for yourself!

You don’t need to be a Greek scholar. Read on!

INCONSISTENCIES IN THE TRANSLATIONS

In most cases our common English translators have taken the Greek word "aionian" or "aions" and translated it "eternal", "eternity", "forever", or some such word as these meaning endless. In many of these cases the word is referring to God Himself, or to "eternal life" or "eternal damnation."

But the translators encounter many difficulties, because in a fair number of cases the same word is used ("aionian" or "aion") and it cannot possibly mean endless.

To give you a quick summary, the words "aion" and "aionian" occur 199 times in the New Testament. In the King James Version the word is translated "ages" 2 times, "course" one time, "world" 43 times, and "eternal" or some variation the remaining 153 times. So in 46 of of the 199 times where we find the word "aion" or "aionian" (or 23% of the time) the King James Version recognizes that the word cannot be properly translated "eternal," since it is clearly a limited duration being expressed.

How could God, who is wanting to reveal things to us through the Bible, confuse us by using a single word that sometimes means "eternity" while other times carries a very different meaning? I realize that when we translate from the Greek it is sometimes necessary to use English "idiom" or expression to relay the meaning ... but could a single Greek word carry such opposite meanings as "eternal" and "temporary?"

LET’S LOOK AT JUST A FEW SAMPLE PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE

Compare the following passages. Note that in the Concordant Literal New Testament (CLNT) translation when the word "aionian" or "aion" is found, the English equivalent "eonian" or "eon" is used.

Ephesians 2:7
"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace..." (KJV)
"that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace..." (NIV)
"that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches..." (CLNT)

Colossians 1:26
"the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is
made manifest to his saints:" (KJV)
"the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now
disclosed to the saints." (NIV)
"the secret which has been concealed from the eons and from the generations,
yet now was made manifest to His saints..." (CLNT)

Matthew 12:32
"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him;
but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven
him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." (KJV)
"Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone
who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age

or in the age to come." (NIV)
"And whosoever may be saying a word against the Son of Mankind, it will be
pardoned him, yet whoever may be saying aught against the holy spirit,
it shall not be pardoned him, neither in this eon nor in that which is
impending." (CLNT)