Here you go ... There are three nontraditional ways to interpret _aionios_ ("eternal") in Matthew 25:46: ------------------ *Interpretation #1 -- **_aionios_** is temporary for both sheep and goats* (1) _Aionios_ almost always means "eonios" or "of an eon" or "of an age," just like it sounds. I could give many examples. So in this particular verse, Jesus was only promising to the righteous "sheep" life in the age to come -- not eternal life. This isn't the first understatement in the Bible. For example, the phrase "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" understates the number of people God is God of. (2) This interpretation doesn't threaten eternal life for believers, because many other verses, which don't use _aionios,_ do promise eternal life: (a) verses that include "immortality," "imperishable," "unfading" or "incorruptible" (1 Cor. 9:25, 15:42, 51-55, 2 Tim. 1:10, 1 Pet. 1:3-4,23, 5:4) (b) Isa. 25:8, Hos. 13:14, Luke 20:36, John 6:37, Rom. 8:19-21, 38-39, 1 Cor. 15:26, Rev. 20:14, 21:4. (3) In Matt. 25:46, the _aionios_ punishment for the unrighteous "goats" is also "of an age" (Point 1). (4) Therefore, the traditional argument is invalid. Life is eternal for the righteous "sheep" (Points 2a & 2b), while the Matt. 25:46 punishment for the unrighteous "goats" is temporary (Point 3). ------------------ *Interpretation #2 -- **_aionios_** is endless for sheep but temporary for goats* An adjective *can* means two different things in the same sentence. Examples: *_aionios_** in Rom. **16:25**-26,* Habakkuk 3:6, "A huge man is climbing a huge mountain." "Jesus is referring to two completely different things -- life and punishment. Eternal life is divine life that comes from God. That divine life never ends. Eternal punishment is divine punishment from His hand. The duration of that divine punishment may certainly be temporary, lasting only until it accomplishes its purpose." -- George Sarris, _Heaven's Doors,_ 2017, pg. 140 "Augustine raised the argument that since _aionios_ in Mt. 25:46 referred to both life and punishment, it had to carry the same duration in both cases. However, he failed to consider that the duration of _aionios_ is determined by the subject to which it refers. For example, when _aionios_ referred to the duration of Jonah's entrapment in the fish, it was limited to three days. To a slave, _aionios_ referred to his life span. To the Aaronic priesthood, it referred to the [time] preceding the Melchizedek priesthood. To Solomon's temple, it referred to 400 years. To God it encompasses and transcends time altogether." -- Gerry Beauchemin, _Hope Beyond Hell,_ 2010, pg. 26 In other words, _aionios_ doesn't make God eternal, but God makes _aionios_ eternal. ------------------ *Interpretation #3 -- **_aionios_** is indeterminate for both sheep and goats* Jesus meant in Matt. 25:46 what he said in John 17:3: "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." There, "eternal" _(aionios)_ means "spiritual" or "divine," and has no specified time frame. ------------------ *Conclusion:* It's extremely likely that one of these three nontraditional interpretations is correct, especially considering the long list of scriptures teaching, implying or strongly suggesting ultimate restoration: John 12:32, 17:2, combination of (John 3:35, 6:37), Rom. 5:18-19, 8:19-21, 11:32,36, 14:11 , *1 Cor. 15:22,28* , Eph. 1:10, Phil. 2:10-11, 3:21, Col. 1:20, 1 Tim. 2:3-6, 4:10, Titus 2:11, 1 Pet. 4:6, 1 John 2:2, 4:14, Rev. 5:13, 15:4, 21:5,24-25, 22:2, combination of (Rev. 22:1,14-15,17a,17c), Psalm 22:27,29, 65:2-3, 145:10a, Isa. 25:6-8, 45:22-25, 57:16, Lam. 3:22,31, Ezek. 16:53,55, Mal. 3:2-3.