Christ is King of Aions

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Ti. 1:17). The context is Christ. Christ is mentioned in verses 12, 14, 15, and 16. Therefore, verse 17 is a doxology of Christ. It is a doxology of God with the focus on Christ. The word “eternal” is the Greek aion, which refers to ages both of space and of time. The world system, the universe, was made as the sphere for the working out of God’s eternal purposes. Christ created the aions (Heb. 1:2), and He sits as King over them (1 Ti. 1:17). Aion is often translated “world,” but it is also translated “age” (Eph. 2:7; Col. 1:26) and “forever” (most often referring to God and Christ) (Joh. 12:34; 14:16; Ro. 9:5; 11:36; 16:27; 2 Co. 11:31; Ga. 1:5; Php. 4:20; 1 Ti. 1:17; 2 Ti. 4:18; Heb. 1:8; 5:6; 7:24; 13:8; 1 Pe. 5:11; 2 Pe. 3:18; Jude 1:25; Re. 1:6, 18; 4:9, 10; 5:14; 7:12; 10:6; 15:7). The eternal aions also refer to the Word of God. In 1 Pe. 1:23, 25, we are told that the Word of God “liveth and abideth for ever” and “endureth for ever.” This is eis aion, or into the ages. The eternal torment of the unsaved is said to be eis aion aion (Re. 14:11; 20:10), a most fearful concept. In the following verses, aion seems to have the dual meaning of world (physical) and of age (Ac. 15:18; 1 Co. 2:7-8; 3:18; Eph. 4:4; Ga. 1:4; Eph. 1:21; 3:9; 1 Ti. 6:17; 2 Ti. 4:12; Tit. 2:12). The ultimate goal of the aions is described in Ephesians 1:10, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” The word “time” here is the same concept as “age.” Note in Ephesians 1:10 that there are “times,” plural. There are past aions (Col. 1:26), the present aion, and aions to come (Eph. 1:21; 2:7; Heb. 6:5). In Eph. 3:21, “world without end” is aion aion. In brief, aion refers both to the physical universe and to the time universe. Aion refers to worlds of matter and to the worlds of time. The physical universe is the realm or sphere in which God’s plan for the aions take places. The present heaven and earth is the sphere of the past and present ages, while the new heaven and new earth will be the sphere of the ages to come. Christ is King of the aions.

(Friday Church News Notes, June 14, 2019, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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