What does Matthew 25:46 mean? Is punishment “eternal”?

Matthew 25:46 is the poster child verse for those who believe in eternal conscious torment in hell. It’s the ONLY verse in the entire Bible where we find the word “eternal” beside the word “punishment”. It’s the verse that fire-and-brimstone pastors love, but the verse that squashes the hopes of those who are hoping in their hearts, that surely God has a better plan for the universe.

It was like that for me at least.

When I first started digging into the Scriptures for greater truths, it was because I knew in my heart that God’s perfect justice couldn’t possibly include everlasting torture – yet I couldn’t get past this verse. Theologians and pastors I trusted sounded logical when they reasoned “if life is eternal, punishment is also eternal, because the same Greek word, “aionion“, is used for both”.

Because of that, my search for truth was stopped in its tracks. It wasn’t until about a year later that I picked my research back up and realized both words “hell” and “eternal” punishment are not found in the original languages of the Bible AT ALL! In fact, when translated correctly, the Bible actually shows that the punishment for sin is experienced in a limited duration and for the purpose of restoration! You will only find these erroneous mistranslations in some English Bible translations. Here are just a few translation examples for proof of these discrepancies:

As you can see, there are many translations (most you probably haven’t heard of) that don’t include “hell” on a single page of the entire Bible!! And other than the King James Versions, all modern Bibles do not include hell in the Old Testament at all! THAT’S A HUGE RED FLAG! You’re telling me that God didn’t even mention ONCE for thousands of years about this place called hell? And then all of a sudden it just randomly pops up in the New Testament and no one is alarmed that the wages of sin is now “eternal punishment” instead of death?!

No. It doesn’t add up.

What I think is more important for this specific discussion though is to note that most pastors who study this verse completely ignore the Greek word that is translated as punishment. Let’s take a look.

Using Biblehub‘s online lexicon, we can see that the Greek word for punishment is “kolasin” which means CORRECTION. Which of course is the complete opposite type of punishment we have been taught to believe.

First, here’s the definition of correction understood in today’s use of English:

MacMillian’s Dictionary also has the same understanding: “the action of changing something in order to make it correct or accurate”

This is important to highlight because the English word “correction” understood today still maintains the original purpose first used in Old English that came from Latin origins: “corrigere” – which means to ‘make straight, bring into order’

Doesn’t sound too much like endless torture, does it?

Now for the word “eternal”, which comes from the Greek word “aionion/aionios“: Strong’s 166:

[Important note: If you’re unfamiliar with the Greek, just know that the endings of the same word change (inflection) to indicate its mood, case, gender, etc. Therefore, “aionion” may appear with different endings such as “aionion, aioniou, aionios,” depending on how it’s used in a sentence, but it is the same root word.]

Notice how it says the definition could be “agelong” or “eternal”. Keep note of this, we will address this shortly. First, since “aionion” is an adjective, its necessary to understand the noun that it’s originally derived from, which is the Greek word “aion“: Strong’s 165:

As you can see, it says “aion” means “a space of time, an age”, or a synonym word we could use is “eon“. So, if “aion” means “age/eon”, and “aionion” is simply the adjective form of “aion“, following basic rules of language, we would have to conclude that the adjective form can only mean something that pertains to its noun. Therefore, a better understanding of “aionion” means pertaining to an aion/age. Aka, having to do with an age.

If not defined this way, we have several logical fallacies happening in one verse. Let’s break it down. First, when have we ever seen an adjective that is an antonym of its respective noun?! The entire purpose and definition of an adjective is “a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.”

So how on earth did “agelong” and “eternal” – two diametrically opposing concepts – get BOTH placed as possible definitions for the same word?!

In the English language, we understand the word eternal to mean: “without beginning or end, lasting forever, outside of time“:

Whereas agelong has the complete opposite concept: “lasting for an age”, with “age” clearly referring to something with a beginning and an end that is bound by time.

It’s absolutely ludicrous therefore to force the adjective form of “aion” to then mean “eternal”. “Aion” would have to mean something similar to “eternity” in order for its adjective form to be “eternal” – but instead, we clearly see throughout scripture that “aion” means “age”.

Just to visualize this further, look at some of these common nouns and their adjective forms:

You get the point. It’s crystal clear that adjectives describe their related nouns – this is just how language works. Simply put, aionion doesn’t mean eternal any more than angry means happiness. THEY ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE CONCEPTS!

Now let’s address the common misconception: “But if you believe Christians will have eternal life, then “aionion” has to mean eternal, which then forces you to admit that punishment is also eternal since the same Greek word is used to describe both.”

As we’ve demonstrated, though there is punishment, it is corrective – which automatically should disqualify “eternal” as a possible translation if given only the two options of: age-long & eternal. Why? Because, though God could theoretically torture someone for all eternity, how could he correct someone for all eternity? Again, with the understanding that the definition of “correction” means “to make right”, don’t you think an all-powerful God attempting to correct someone would eventually produce the level of righteousness that He desires in that person?

The Greek scholar, A.E. Knoch, brilliantly covers this concept in his book, All in All: “We protest against the translation of kolasis as “punishment.” Everywhere else in Greek this word denotes corrective chastisement, and is used of pruning. Some rightly reason that it cannot keep this meaning if it is to be translated everlasting. They therefore change the meaning to suit. Everlasting is itself wrong, so they change kolasis to correspond with the wrong translation punishment, making both wrong. Instead, they should have reasoned that kolasis was corrective, therefore eonian cannot be endless.”

Okay, so the correct translation is “agelong“?

Actually, no.

Both agelong and eternal are wrong. Here’s why.

Since the concept of “agelong” involves a beginning and an end, this would technically have the concept of being temporary. However, we do see that “aionion” is used to describe God himself, who is certainly not temporary – which is a large contributing factor in the confusion.

I will now quote the following from Merciful Truth:

The reason that aionios was translated “everlasting” is largely due to a false assumption. Their reasoning is that because this adjective is applied to life promised to believers (John 3:16), God himself (Romans 16:26), and punishment (Matthew 8:18), the word automatically means “eternal” on that basis alone. At a superficial level, that seems fine. But, at closer examination, both of logic and the scripture, it actually falls apart.

Just because aionios is applied to God does not mean “aionios” automatically means “eternal.” God can pertain to the ages, and also be immortal, and the scriptures testify to both as you will see. Likewise, believers may have “the life of the ages” and also be promised a future immortality. The scripture testifies to that as well. When we study that out to find that immortality and life are distinguishable concepts in the Bible, you might be surprised to what level the meaning of “life” is misunderstood by prevalent Christian theology.

God is holy, righteous, and good. Guess what? The word “aionios” doesn’t mean any of those things either. The word aionios neither means “infinite” OR “temporary.” Instead, it means “PERTAINING to the aions/ages.” Does God NOT pertain to the ages? Of course he does. Does the indwelling life of Christ NOT pertain to the ages? Of course it does. And, God’s judgment also pertains to the ages.

For now, here is another scriptural example of how God “pertains to” – without being limited to – what he creates: God is the “God of heaven and the God of the earth.” (Genesis 24:4-3) Which one cancels out the other? Neither. He is God of both. When somebody says that “aion” and “aionios” do not mean “ever” or “for ever,” he is not denying God’s immortality. Rather, “aionios God” refers to the generational presence of God throughout the ages, as David continually taught.

But, when another Christian claims that such a thing denies God’s immorality, he is committing the error of “Affirming a Disjunct.” Here is how you know:

1 Timothy 1:17 – Now unto the King eternal (aion), immortal (aphthartos), invisible (aoratos), the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever (eis aion aion). Amen.

According to that scripture:

1. God is of the age (aion)
2. He has glory and honor unto the ages of the ages (eis aion aion)
3. He is immortal
4. He is invisible

Which trait cancels out the other? None. All four traits apply to him. In this one scripture, not only does Paul affirm that God is of the age (aion), he also confirms that God has glory and honor “unto the ages of the ages,” just as King David also said that “God’s years are throughout all generations.“

However, in this scripture, Paul ALSO affirms God as both invisible and immortal. So, why confuse his immortality with his glory and honor in the ages he created, when they are not the same traits? They are traits which build up the total truth of God’s nature. Additionally, and curiously enough, in the King James Bible they translate eis aion aion (meaning – “unto the ages of the ages”) as forever and ever. Does forever actually need another “ever” attached to make it infinite? Really, it doesn’t because the very concept of eternity defies pluralization of itself. But, the true meaning of aion does not, because ages do multiply unto themselves.

So what does aionios really mean?

Let’s recap the facts we’ve already discussed:

• Aion means “age”, and can also suggest a world associated with that age (eg Industrial Age, Industrial World)
• The word aionios is composed of aion + ios which means, as demonstrated before, “pertaining to aion”
• God is “aionios” which means God pertains to the ages

Why should anyone assume that such facts would limit God? Such an understanding does not rob God of his immortality, but simply underscores the important relationship drawn in the New Testament between God and the ages He created to execute his plan to live within his followers. God will never die, or end just because ages do, but doesn’t God relate to what he creates, even if He is not limited to what he creates? Is this so difficult to understand? If God did not relate to the ages, how could we ever know Him?

He created the aions/ages to reveal his plan to the Israelites through their prophets of ages past (Hebrews 1:1-2). He is God of what He creates. God is big, even bigger than the universe, but is He limited to being big? Is not God also smaller than the tiniest atomic particle, able to see all things? King David said this:

Psalm 102:24 – I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

Generations represent continual progression of ages in time. Now, did King David mean to suggest that because God’s years are throughout all generations, that such a thing LIMITS God? Of course not. In this issue, Christians often commit a logical error called Affirming a Disjunct, which is to fallaciously claim that one distinction cancels out all other distinctions. If a cat is both fuzzy and gray, affirming that the cat is gray does not deny the fuzziness. Likewise, God’s distinction of pertaining to the ages, does not cancel out his immortality.

The Bible says that Jesus died for the church (Ephesians 5:25). It also says he died for the whole world (1 John 2:2). Which one cancels out the other? Neither. They are both true.

So what does Matthew 25:46 really mean? It means that there will be an age of correction and an age where those in Christ will be experiencing “life of the ages”. Let’s first see some examples of better translations that don’t erroneously translate “eternal” into this verse:

The Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible, 1976

“And these shall go away into age-abiding *correction, but the righteous into **age-abiding life.”

The twentieth Century New Testament, 1900

“And these last will go away ‘into onian punishment, but the righteous ‘into onian life.”

The People’s New Covenant, 1925

“And these will depart into age-continuing correction, but the righteous, into age-continuing life.”

Emphatic Diaglott, 1942 edition

“And these shall go forth to the aionian 1 cutting-off; but the RIGHTEOUS to aionian Life.”

The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Anointed, 1958

“And these shall go away into agelasting cutting-off and the just into agelasting life.”

The New Testament, a Translation, 1938

“And these will go away into eonian correction, but the righteous into eonian life.”

The New Testament, A New Translation, 1980

“Then they will begin to serve a new period of suffering; but God’s faithful will enter upon their heavenly life.”

Concordant Literal New Testament, 1983

And these shall be coming away into chastening eonian, yet the just into life eonian.”

Rotherham Emphasized Bible, 1959

“And these shall go away into age-abiding correction, But the righteous into age-abiding life.”

It should be noted that even if the word “aionios” actually could mean “eternal,” in some contexts, as far as Matthew 25:46 is concerned, the most one could make of the phrase is “correction or chastening pertaining to eternity.” This is how scholars like William Barclay, who believed in universal salvation dealt with this word. He believed “eternal punishment or chastisement was simply the punishment or correction that pertained to eternity. This still does not prove a hell of endless torture.

And finally, I leave you with a powerful quote by Gary Amirault:

“A loving Father knows how to bring correction to His children without consigning them to an endless torture chamber. Tyrants and a few demented earthly parents may do such things to their children. But for Christians to ascribe such activity to the Creator of all mankind is simply terribly misguided thinking.”