SPECIAL TOPIC: ETERNAL (aiōnios)

Robert B. Girdlestone, in his book Synonyms of the Old Testament, has an interesting comment on the word "eternal":

"The adjective aiōnios is used more than forty times in the N.T. with respect to eternal life, which is regarded partly as a present gift, partly as a promise for the future. It is also applied to God's endless existence in Rom. 16.26; to the endless efficacy of Christ's atonement in Heb. 9.12; 13.20; and to past ages in Rom. 16.25; 2 Tim. 1.9; Titus 1.2.

This word is used of

1. Israel's God as eternal
   1. OT ‒ Deut. 33:27; Ps. 90:1-2
   2. NT ‒ Rom. 16:26; Rev. 10:6; 15:7
2. Jesus as eternal ‒ Heb. 13:8; Rev. 1:18; 11:15
3. the Spirit as eternal ‒ Heb. 9:14
4. New Age, resurected, eternal life
   1. Gospels
      1. Matt. 19:16,29; 25:46
      2. Mark 10:17,30
      3. Luke 10:25; 18:18,30
      4. John 3:15,16,36; 4:14,36; 5:24,39; 6:27,40,47,54,68; 10:28; 12:25,50; 17:2,3
   2. Acts ‒ 13:46,48
   3. Paul ‒ Rom. 2:7; 5:21; 6:22,23; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12; Titus 1:2; 3:7
   4. 1 John 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11,13,20
   5. Jude v. 21
5. salvation ‒ Heb. 5:9
6. redemption ‒ Heb. 9:15
7. believers' inheritance ‒ Heb. 9:15
8. God's covenant ‒ Heb. 13:20
9. eternal judgment ‒ see Special Topic below

For more information on the concept of "everlasting" or "forever" see:

SPECIAL TOPIC: ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam)

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