Brian,
(Is this the type of thing you are looking for, only with more detail?) The following is an excerpt from EONS AS INDEFINITE DURATION part 2 on the
www.concordant.org site. Of some interest to are the last 2 paragraphs concerning the religious systems usurping the authority of Christ, the secular authority (Justinian) trying to get the upper hand, and the doctrinal formulations of the Institutional Church near the time it first used
anathema which was in condemnation of Origen and certain of his views.
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TRANSCENDENTLY TRANSCENDENT
EONIAN BURDEN OF GLORY
It is often claimed that in 2 Corinthians 4:18, "eonian" (aiõnion) must mean "eternal" because it is set in contrast to the word "temporal," meaning pertaining to time as opposed to eternity. The Greek word, however, translated "temporal" in the AV (proskaira) has no connection with the word for "time" (chronos); in English form, the Greek is literally TOWARD-SEASON, and means "temporary" or "for [only] a part of a season."
Contrastive terms need not be antithetical in meaning. Our Lord deemed it sufficient contrast to compare temporary (i.e., a part of a season) with a single season–less than a year (Matt.13:21). Yet here, in 2 Corinthians 4:18, while the contrast is far greater, it does not follow that it is therefore infinite. The contrast is between our afflictions, which last, so to say, but for a brief "partial season," and our promised, long-enduring "eonian" glory which lasts throughout the oncoming eons, until the consummation, when God is All in all. The eonian life and glory which is our special portion (cp 1 Tim.4:10b; 2 Tim.2:10,11), no more debars the endless life and glory in which we shall participate as well (cp Luke 1:33b; 1 Thess.4:17b; 1 Cor.15:28), than youthful happiness precludes the happiness of maturity. Hence, in considering the "eonian" punishment of Matthew 25:46, none who are wise will make the claim that since we will be immortal, therefore the eonian life of which this passage speaks is to be understood as "life eternal," and, in turn, the eonian punishment which this passage entails is to be judged to be "everlasting."
Even if it should be conceded that "eon" signifies "duration" and never signifies "everlasting," and even that it is always used, in itself, to refer to terminable periods, some might still claim that it, nonetheless, in certain instances concerned with judgment, is used to refer to an infinite series of eons (the terminable periods themselves) of which the interminable future will consist. This ingenious claim seems to be the argument of the ancient Eastern church. It is important to note that this is a disputation concerning interpretation between early Greek-speaking believers, not an argument among scholars as to essential word meaning or translation.
While some of the early Greek believers held to eventual universal reconciliation, they also believed in eonian punishment. Certainly, those Greeks who believed in universal reconciliation did not claim that aiõn or aiõnion meant everlasting or eternal. Indeed, in affirming the doctrine of endless punishment, even the Byzantine Emperor Justinian did not contend that such ones had misunderstood the meaning of eonian hitherto. Instead, he simply claimed orthodoxy's divine investiture for deciding truth in matters of interpretation (similar to the "papal infallibility" of Rome). His point was that since they (the so-called "holy church of Christ") taught the ateleutêtos (i.e., unconsummating [a non-scriptural word]) punishment of the wicked, therefore such a doctrine was true. Evidently, thus it was claimed that a never-consummating series of eons lay ahead for the lost during which their frightful torments would never cease. *4
"The Emperor Justinian (540 A.D.), in calling the celebrated local council which assembled in 544, addressed his edict to Mennos, Patriarch of Constantinople, and elaborately argued against the doctrines he had determined should be condemned. He does not say in defining the Catholic doctrine at that time, 'We believe in aiõnion punishment,' for that was just what the universalist, Origen himself taught. Nor does he say, 'The word aiõnion has been misunderstood; it denotes endless duration,' as he would have said had there been such a disagreement. But, writing in Greek with all the words of that copious speech from which to choose, he says, 'The holy church of Christ teaches an endless [ateleutêtos] aiõnios life to the righteous, and endless (ateleutêtos) punishment to the wicked.' Aiõnios was not enough in his judgment to denote endless duration, and he employed ateleutêtos. This demonstrates that even as late as A.D. 540, aiõnios spoke of limited duration, and required an added word to [convey the thought] of endless duration." *5
*4. cf Alexander Thomson, Unsearchable Riches, vol.26, p.283.
*5. John Wesley Hanson, Aiõn-Aiõnios, p.74; Chicago: Northwestern Universalist Publishing House, 1875, p.74.
