Chronos appears 54 times in the NT. It refers to time as measurable duration, sequence, or period — 'how long' something lasts. It is distinct from kairos (G2540), which refers to the quality or significance of a moment ('the right time,' 'the appointed time'). In English, 'chronos' gives us 'chronology,' 'chronicle,' and 'anachronism.' The NT often uses both words together to express the full dimension of time: Acts 1:7 says 'It is not for you to know the times [chronous] or dates [kairous] the Father has set by his own authority.'
The NT's theology of time is shaped by the conviction that all of history moves toward a divinely ordained goal. The incarnation represented the fullness of chronos — 'when the set time [plērōma tou chronou] had fully come, God sent his Son' (Galatians 4:4). Chronos is not cyclical (the Greek view) nor meaningless (postmodern view) but linear and purposeful. Peter uses chronos in his discussion of the apparent 'delay' of Christ's return: 'With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day' — God's relationship to chronos is categorically different from ours (2 Peter 3:8). The believer's task is to use chronos wisely: 'Make the most of every opportunity [kairos], because the days are evil' (Ephesians 5:16).