[cornelis]

What do you think?

I think that there are several related questions and that they should be kept distinct and treated in some kind of order:

(a) eternity
(b) eternity in space and time (aeon is created)
(c) eternity as a strictly divine property (aeon as uncreated)
(d) eternity as a human property (created or uncreated?
(e) metaxy, or the human participation in divine properties
(f) metaxy, or the divine participation of human properties

I don't think the question for (e) and (f) will yield identical answers. But this is too quick a reply for a big topic. I just wanted to remark on the other meanings of aeon for A. Pole--I'm off now to bring my daughter to her violin lesson.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you all so much for this fascinating sidebar on the nature of time!

If I may, I'd like to add one distinction for your consideration - that is the difference between infinite time and timelessness.

It is roughly the same difference between zero and null.

God precedes "all that there is" both spiritual and physical (Col 1).

He is the existence which is ("I AM that I am") and is therefore uncaused and relevant to this discussion exists in not just zero dimensions, but no dimensions: no time, no space, no energy, no matter, no physical causation, no thing.

OTOH, infinite time is time without boundaries. It is thingly, dimensional.

We Christians usually speak of infinite time when we talk of eternity, but per Col 3:3 - we are actually alive in timelessness, with Christ in God the Father, even while yet in the flesh. That is the Spiritual leaning I have - the awareness I experience, my testimony on the matter.

[betty boop]

But this is too quick a reply for a big topic.

Then I hope if you can find the leisure some time you'd consider fleshing out the topic for us. I'd love to hear your thoughts!