Ray's response to today's email "A little help" (
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,11924.0.html) is really good. I especially like Ray's response here (
red) to William's "friend" (
italics):
William's "friend" writes:
The KJV uses the word always,
and as you like to define words,
let's explore what always means.
Webster's American Dictionary
of the English Language (1828) reads:
"1. perpetually; throughout all time;
as God is always the same" (emphasis in orig.)
Perhaps that's not quite good enough.
How about perpetual, then?
"1. Never ceasing;
continuing forever in future time; destined to be eternal;
as a perpetual covenant; a perpetual statute.
[Literally true with respect to the decrees of the Supreme Being.]"COMMENT: Oh really? "Always" means "throughout all time, perpetually, never ceasing, continuing forever in future time, destined to be eternal?"
Let's see if that really works according to the SCRIPTURES:
Mat 26:11 "For ye have the poor always with you; but Me ye have not always." o the "poor" will be around for all eternity, but Jesus will not be around eternally? Is that what your friend thinks this verse is saying?
Mar 5:5 "And always [for all eternity?] night and day, he was in the mountain..." So we are to believe he was in the mountain for ALL ETERNITY!
No, "always" does not always means "throughout all time, never ceasing, or eternity. (Emphasis added.)
Gina
p.s. I wondered if a FAQ could be made regarding Ages and Eternities?