Several expressions in Scripture contain the word aionios, the adjective of aion. An incorrect reading or translation of these texts creates a hopeless picture, because the age-bound is then interpreted as endless.
Eternal fire, punishment, and judgment
An example of such an expression is “eternal fire” (Matthew 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7). Another can be found in Matthew 25:46, where the Statenvertaling (also the KJV) speaks of “eternal pain” and the NBG of “eternal punishment.” However, the literal meaning here is aeonian chastisement. Furthermore, Hebrews 6:2 also mentions “eternal judgment.” In these translations, all of this takes on the character of a hopeless and endless event, while the idea is that it is age-bound and therefore temporary.
What is meant by “eternal fire” can best be seen in light of Jude verse 7.
Jude NKJV
7 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them (… ) are there as an example, under the punishment of eternal fire.
restored
Here we hear the word “eternal fire,” while we know that the fire with which Sodom and Gomorrah were judged has long since ceased to burn. The cities there are, as an example, under the punishment of aeonian fire. The fire itself has been extinguished, but in the area around the Dead Sea, the consequences of that judgment are still visible.
At the same time, this does not mean that the situation of Sodom and Gomorrah will never end. They serve as an example for the duration of this aeon. Scripture even speaks of their future “return to their former state” and being restored to the glory they once had (Ezek. 16:55).
eternal punishment?
In Matthew 25:46, the unrighteous are pitted against the righteous. The righteous enter aeonian life, the unrighteous aeonian punishment. The word used here literally means “chastisement.” According to the Study Bible, it can also mean pruning or trimming: a measure of an educational and corrective nature. An endless punishment or chastisement cannot, by definition, be educational; it lacks any purpose. God’s actions, on the other hand, are never aimless. Missing the mark is precisely the core meaning of what sin is.
purpose oriented
The same applies to Hebrews 6:2, which speaks of an aeonian judgment. The text does not explain this concept further, but mentions it only as part of the first principles. In Scripture, however, judgment is always purposeful, with a view to restoration and correction. When “eternal judgment,” “eternal fire,” or “eternal punishment” is understood as endless, nothing is corrected, and judgment loses its essential meaning.