Two of Three
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, Titus 1:2 NASB
Long ages ago – Greek has three words for time: chronos, aeon and kairos. The latter actually has no English equivalent but it plays a very significant role in the gospels. In this verse, Paul uses the first two words in succession in order to communicate the strength of God’s eternal promise. The text reads, chronon aionion, “long ages ago,” but it’s really something like, “over the course of a great amount of measured time in the past.” God’s promise is from the ancient times—and it is still true. It hasn’t changed at all despite the intervening centuries. Why is this the case? Paul gives the answer in another little twist of grammar.
If we read this verse with greater literalness, we discover that the promise is made by the “cannot-lie God.” The Greek is apseudes theos. You probably recognize the word pseudo in the combination. Of course, here it is negative (the prefixed a) so that it reads “cannot lie,” but this word is an adjective modifying theos. We arrive at “the not-lying God.” Why do we still have hope in the promises God made those thousands of years ago? Why doesn’t our hope collapse under the weight of centuries of unfulfilled expectations? Why do we continue to believe when everything seems to disconfirm our faith? Because the promise was made by a not-lying God. What He says is true, no matter what the circumstances might seem to be or how long it takes for the fulfillment to occur. In fact, with a little bit of imagination, we can see that what really matters here is the Greek word for time that is not in this text. That word is kairos. It is the time when everything is perfectly in alignment so that a slice of the heavenly can arrive in a moment of chronos, the daily repetition of our lives. The reason we confidently wait through the long ages is that kairos is unpredictable. It is God’s perfect moment when the course of the universe is arranged so that God’s perfect purpose comes to pass. We have some examples of these kinds of moments, in the story of Yeshua and, perhaps, in our own lives. And they are enough for us to wait, in the hope of the promise made chronon aionion.
It is more than likely that you and I will not be living when the final alignment takes place. All those prior generations are an indication that we have no way to predict this kairos moment. But does it really matter? Haven’t we been assigned a role to play now, in this chronos, a role that is vital to the final alignment? Kairos will come. God will see to it. In the meanwhile, get on with what you must do today. The universe depends on it.
Topical Index: chronos, aeon, kairos, time, ages, Titus 1:2
I have noticed that every promise (over 3 thousand of them) in the Bible happens to be something that people naturally long for; not just some people – all people. Eternal life is no exception. In fact, our very sense of unfairness is hinged upon those promises. Why do we think that life is unfair? Well, I think to the extent that those promises are absent from our lives, we feel the lack, and it is an upsetting lack. It was not just the Law that was written on our hearts; it must have been every promise, too, “so that (we) are without excuse”. Not a person on the planet but that secrets or openly longs to live forever, for example.
I think people accuse God of lying or being ‘unfair’ to the extent that the manifestation of the promises are lacking in their lives or the lives of those around them. They think that is ‘proof’ that He does not care or does not exist. These are not dispassionate, rational conclusions, either; they are spontaneous, intensely emotional reactions to life. The content of the promises are blessings that the curses diminish or destroy. The promises are why the curses are painful, in fact, I have concluded. Otherwise, sinning, lost, hopeless people would just be content, or at least unconscious, of just how bad it is; but, they are not. They hurt. What causes the hurt? I think it is because the promises must be written on our hearts, too.
I look to Skip to help me understand ancient Hebrew and Greek but today’s lesson leaves me confused.
Skip says today’s word communicates the strength of God’s “eternal” promise but then in the next breath he says it really means, “a great amount of measured time”.
So, which is it? Does “aion” mean, “forever”, or, a finite eon or “age” (as the NASB translates it)?
Does it matter? I would think so as there is an infinite difference between the two. And the issue is, does God keep His promises forever or just for an age? That opens a big door.
Then Skip tells us (that Paul tells us) that God cannot lie. I believe that but just two weeks ago Skip told us that God can change His mind (e.g. story of Nineveh.) So, regarding these unfulfilled promises made by God thousands of years ago, maybe God didn’t lie to anyone, maybe He just changed His mind. Maybe we can’t know what to expect.
Or, as I prefer to believe, God doesn’t change His mind and we know exactly what to expect but we just don’t fully understand His operations and we are impatient about His timetable.
or maybe we are confused : (of a person) unable to think clearly; bewildered.
“she was utterly confused about what had just happened”
synonyms: demented, bewildered, muddled, addled, befuddled, disoriented, disorientated; More
showing bewilderment.
“a confused expression crossed her face”
synonyms: bewildered, bemused, puzzled, perplexed, baffled, mystified, nonplussed, muddled dumbfounded, at sea, at a loss, taken aback, disoriented, disconcerted; More
not in possession of all one’s mental faculties, especially because of old age.
“interviewing confused old people does take longer” I smile and take a deep breath give thanks and “go feed the rabbits ” Shalom Shalom
So now you get to share in the angst of interpretation. Remember Hebrew is not an either/or language.
Thanks Skip, you do the hard work, mining the nuggets and jewels, and we get to examine,adore and give thanks, and maybe a little transformation along the way.
Agreed Skip, and while we humble ourselves before the Scriptures, it is this angst that makes them so maddeningly interesting.
Excellent discussion. Some time ago I heard Jack Hayford speak on this exact topic it rings true today the revelation of Yeshua is not something most forget. I would like to add…. From the k a r i o s moment and prophetic timing these two together Yeshua is present. ( He added this does not happen often in our lifetime ).
Maybe this is why…. We are believe and trust in his word that is alive in present and active.
To the point about lying vs. changing of mind; lying requires an intent to deceive. You don’t lie by accident; a lie is a deliberate untruth. I hope we can all agree that such a trait is anathema to G-d. As such, in terms of intent, there is no synonymous relationship between “lying” and “changing of mind”–though people today seem to think there is. The confusion comes with our interpretation of an outcome. When an outcome doesn’t line up with our expectations, people are inclined to judge the words before the outcome as a lie rather than changing of mind.
But what makes anyone change their mind? New information. For example, did I lie when I said I believed that G-d was triune? No, I had unequivocal confidence in that statement at the time–but new information caused me to reassess my thinking, and I changed my mind. Does that make my first statement a lie? Not at all–because it goes back to intent. There was no deliberate effort to deceive. Circumstances changed my perception, and I changed my mind.
G-d created us with free will. That fact alone ensures that G-d must also be willing to change His mind as He cannot anticipate all the outcomes beforehand–if indeed our will is really free. But, if lying is a part of the equation, then a genuine change of mind is already made impossible. That what makes understanding “apseudes theos” so critical.
Perhaps we should not be so quick to impugn motives for either G-d or man but start with the position that there is always more behind the event than what seems apparent.
Excellent!
Does God really change His mind? Is God not immutable (Mal 3:16; James 1:17, Psa 102:27)? How do we square Jonah 3:4, 10 with the clear words of Numbers 23:19? And what about Genesis 6:5-7? Did God really regret creating humankind—because He lacked foreknowledge?
Just like Scripture uses anthropomorphisms to describe God, Genesis 6 is an example of anthropopathism: ascribing to God human feelings and thoughts. Nineveh, on the other hand, is an example of God making a conditional declaration (Jonah 3:4), which is distinct from an unconditional promise. The Abraham covenant is an example of the latter.
I find the subject verse fascinating on a number of levels. I like how Paul juxtaposes zōēs aiōniou, (‘life eternal’) “eternal life”, with pro chronōn aiōniōn, the latter most ‘literally’ as something like “before times of ages” or “before times of long durations”. “Eternal life”, I do believe (I’ve not checked all references), is always in the singular. The last phrase of the verse is in the plural.
I like the way Skip here has described this yet-future fulfillment of the pro chronōn aiōniōn promise as the kairos. Ο̉ χρόνος ζωῆς αἰωνίου ἐστιν τὸν καιρὸν, Ho chronos zōēs aiōniou estin ton kairon: “The time of eternal life is the special [/appointed] time”.
Aiōn (noun) and aiōnios (adjective) have a range of meanings, such as: long period of time, long time ago, period of unending duration, eternity. The usage here in the last clause of Titus 1:2 mirrors 2 Tim 1:9. The identical phrase, though without the preposition “before”, is present in Romans 16:25. There it’s rendered “long ages ago”. Thus, in 2 Tim 1:9 and Titus 1:2, it seems best to view this phrase as congruent with the idea found in the book of life/the Lamb of Rev 13:8. The idea, then, is something akin to ‘before the times of the [current] ages’. Both BDAG and Danker’s The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament render this “before time began”—though I think Skip may take exception to this rendering.