"World without end, Amen?"

[josiecoe]

Why do we implore this at he end of so many prayers?

Just curious, thanks

God bless

 

[NWUArmyROTC]

I am no theology expert, but I will try my hand.

In a way, that prayer is true. It is a world without end. It just is not this world. As Christians we are in this world, but not of it. Perhaps that prayer concerns the World that will not end, the eternal world, with Christ Jesus.

Just my two cents, sure an apologist will arrive and correct me.

 

[josiecoe]

Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut NWU

 

[Fidelis]

Actually it derives from a mistranslation of the Latin. More accurately it means “from generation to generation.”

I’ve heard this mistranslation was originally perpetrated by Henry VIII, who fancied himself a Latin scholar.

 

[josiecoe]

Fidelis:

Actually it derives from a mistranslation of the Latin. More accurately it means “from generation to generation.”

I’ve heard this mistranslation was originally perpetrated by Henry VIII, who fancied himself a Latin scholar.

Now that is interesting! Thank you too and bless you

 

[NWUArmyROTC]

Fidelis:

Actually it derives from a mistranslation of the Latin. More accurately it means “from generation to generation.”

I’ve heard this mistranslation was originally perpetrated by Henry VIII, who fancied himself a Latin scholar.

I told you my interpretation would be incorrect, lol. Further proof, right here. I like my interpretation more though

 

[batteddy]

Yes, its a mistranslation of “in saecula saeculorum” which means, roughly, “in ages of ages”.

The Glory Be should probably be translated:

“Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, who was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, even unto ages of ages” or “forever and ever” if you don’t literally translate the latin idiom.

I mean, in one part of the KJV it says that the souls in hell will be “tormented world without end,”. Hardly makes sense if we view “world without end” as a sudden arbitrary insertion of a flawed cosmological view.

But “world without end”, for better or worse, became an English idiom for “forever and ever”…due to the mistranslation. And now, that archaic English isn’t read much…its leading to a lot of confusion.

And it probably will keep leading to confusion world without end.

 

[trumpet152]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought it was a quote from Ephesians 3:21.

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

[catholic2]

trumpet152:

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought it was a quote from Ephesians 3:21.

You’re pretty sharp in finding that quote in the DR, but here’s 3:21 directly translated word for word from the Greek original. Watch the sentence structure, but you’ll see how the english idiom was developed. Other posts above have already touched on it.

“to him the splendor in the assembly in Christ Jesus for all the generations of the age of the ages, amen.”

(from the Greek New Testament, UBS 3rd edition)