Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

27. “To God alone wise, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory unto ages of ages; amen.” In
this beautiful and prolix benediction pronounced on the Roman saints, we have the phrase “eternal
God.” The Greek word is aioonas, which occurs frequently in the New Testament. It is from aei
“always,” and the participle oon, from the verb eimi “to be.” Hence it literally means being or
existing always. Here you see it applies to God Himself, defining the duration of His existence
(Hebrews 9:14). It is applied to the Holy Ghost, defining the duration of His existence, who is none
other than very and eternal God (Hebrews 9:12). It is applied to the redemption we have in Christ,
defining its duration (Matthew 25:46). The same word defines the duration of the life of the saints
in glory. In the same verse the same word is used to define the duration of the punishment of the
wicked. In v.41 it is used by our Savior to define the duration of the fire into which the wicked will
be cast. Hence you see the lying nonsense of the dogmatism that would take eternal punishment out
of the Bible; since the very identical word which tells how long the wicked will be punished in the
fires of hell describes the duration of both the life and redemption enjoyed by the saints in glory; the
same word also describing the duration of God Himself. Hence the only way to get rid of the
teaching of eternal hell-fire is to throw away the Bible. In the last clause of this benediction, “to God
only wise, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory unto ages of ages; amen,” I have eis tous aioonas
toon aioonoon. That powerful Greek adjunct consisting of two nouns in the plural number, literally
translated “into ages of ages or unto eternities of eternities,” here defines the duration of God’s glory.
It repeatedly occurs in the Scriptures, defining the existence of God. This very same powerful
adjunct tells how long the torment of the wicked in hell will continue to ascend up; vide Revelation
14:11 and 19:3.