Eternal life
The phrase "eternal life" appears about 12 times in the Gospels.
But the same words we see translated "eternal[1] life[2]" appear in slightly different forms many times.[3]
In the first three gospels eternal life is equated by Jesus with keeping the commandments. Yet many bible tracks salvation with eternal life and state that it "is all about being "born again."Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag Jesus does talk about and even promises physical salvation as well.
We should make note of the fact that the word salvation does not even appear in Matthew or Mark and only once in John where it refers to the salvation of the Jews.[4]
Jesus is clear about Eternal life and does mention that all the time as we see in Matthew 19:16:
- "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?... but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Jesus goes onto say in Matthew 19:18-19:
- "He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
And we see these doctrines of Jesus in Mark 10:17:
- "...what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?... Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother."
Mark 10:30 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Luke 10:25 "...what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."
Luke 18:18 "And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother."
John seems to treat the subject of "eternal life" a little different, as usual:
John 3:15 "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
This is where many Preachers stop but there is more.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Then John repeats with emphasis on beleiving in the "name" of the only begotten son of God.
John 3:17 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
So, what does it mean to believe in the "name"?
The Greek word "onoma" is defined as "the name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name" which is "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved".
John tells us we must believe in "everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name" as Christ intended.
If Christ is in us then we will have the same sacrificial nature of Christ and the LORD God who gave of himself that we might be saved.
This is just another way of saying what we see Jesus saying back in Matthew 19 when He was asked by the young man what more could he do.
Matthew 19:21 "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me."
The same is also seen in Mark 10:21 and in Luke 18:22. This idea of giving up all to serve the Lord opens a door that completes the discipleship of Christ.
If you believe in Christ giving up your life will become easy...
John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
Jesus is talking about the testimony of the Old Testament because that was the scripture then. And the Pharisees had twisted it so though they studied they did not know what the read and did not know Christ.
Many Christians today would not know Christ.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
This again is symbolic of taking on Christ's character deep within our internal self which must manifest Christ in al that we do.
In the old testament it does not seem to mention eternal life or does it but with different terms?
Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
2 Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
You will find the phrase "not die"
Yet these men died. When they say not tie are they talking about an eternal life after death because they repent and sin not. Because they do the will of the Father??
Psalms 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Life or death is a choice we make every day and have since the time in the garden.
- ↑ 166 ~αἰώνιος~ aionios \@ahee-o’-nee-os\@ from 165; adj AV-eternal 42, everlasting 25, the world began + 5550 2, since the world began + 5550 1, for ever 1; 71 1) without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be 2) without beginning 3) without end, never to cease, everlasting
- ↑ 2222 ~ζωή~ zoe \@dzo-ay’\@ from 2198; n f AV-life 133, lifetime 1; 134 1) life 1a) the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate 1b) every living soul 2) life 2a) of the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through him both to the hypostatic "logos" and to Christ in whom the "logos" put on human nature 2b) life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever.
- ↑ Eternal Life
- Matthew 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life <2222>1 halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting <166>2 fire.
- Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
- Matthew 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting <166> life <2222>.
- Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting <166> punishment: but the righteous into life <2222> eternal <166>.
- Mark 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
- Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
- Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
- Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
- Luke 18:30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life <2222> everlasting <166>.
- John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
- John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting <166> life <2222>.
- John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting <166> life <2222>: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life <2222>; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
- John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting <166> life <2222>.
- John 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
- John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
- John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
- John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
- John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
- John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
- John 12:50 And I know that his commandment is life <2222> everlasting <166>: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
- John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
- John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
- Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
- Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
- 1 Timothy 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
- Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
- Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
- 1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
- 1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
- 1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
- 1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
- 1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
- 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
- Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
- ↑ John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.