The Blessing of Eternal Life
I believe that eternal life dwells in the children of God now and that it is our most precious possession in the world. Life is produced by and proceeds from life. All life originates with the author or source of life. The author of life is the Eternal, the uncreated one. "For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light do we see light" (Psalm 36:9). "He himself gives to all men life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:26).
The Greek language was rich and full. Our own English language which has had to borrow from so many sources is rather poverty-stricken by comparison. Thus we have to use the one word "life" to express the thought contained in a number of Greek words, and because this is the case we frequently overlook or do not grasp important distinctions. It is difficult to distinguish between persons who all wear identical cloaks.
The problem is augmented by the fact that in classical Greek one of these words had princely status while the others were inferior in rank; whereas, in the scriptures, one of the inferior terms has been elevated and the others suffer somewhat by comparison. This is further complicated by the fact that death, which is the natural antithesis of the inferior in classical usage, becomes the antithesis of the other in scripture when a moral element is included. Surely this offers a fruitful field of research for the thoughtful and discerning student.
The word pneuma is rendered "life" only once in the King James Version, in Revelation 13:15, but since in most versions and revisions it is translated "breath," it can be eliminated from further consideration in this study. The word psyche, which is generally translated soul, heart, or mind, is also rendered life forty times. It is translated by "soul" 58 times. It literally refers to the animal life as an examination of all the passages in which it is contained will readily demonstrate.
By projection it can also refer to personality as W. E. Vine points out in his Expository Dictionary of New Testament words. In Luke 9:24, the term "his life" occurs twice, but the next verse says, "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" The expression "his life" is thus equated with "himself." Since we will be talking about something transcendently greater than animal life, or even personality, we can now dismiss this word also.
This leaves the two principal words, bios and zoe. Concerning the first, even the casual reader can ascertain from such a source as Young's Analytical Concordance that it is used for either the manner, means or period of life. It has entered the English language in such forms as biography, the history of a person's life; and biometry, a calculation of the probable duration of human life. In the new covenant scriptures it is used in all these senses of meaning. An example is found in John 3:17, "If anyone has this world's goods (bios) and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" Here it is used for the means of life, for James points out that the things called "goods" are needful for the body (2:16).
An example of bios when used in relation to the improper manner of life occurs in 1 John 2:17 when we read of "the pride of life," and an example when used with reference to a proper frame of life is found in 1 Timothy 2:2, where we have the expression "a quiet and peaceable life." One of the best illustrations of the usage in connection with the period or duration of life occurs in 1 Peter 4:3, "Let the time that is past suffice for doing what the Gentiles do." The King James version follows the manuscripts which use the term "the time past of our life."
The word with which we will be primarily concerned in this connection is zoe. It has also come into our vocabulary in combined forms such as zoology, zoometry, and in its transfer has come to mean, primarily, that which has to do with animals. This is unfortunate since it places a great limitation upon the term which is not characteristic of its Biblical usage.
In the word of God zoe is used of life as a principle, not merely as animal existence. Thus, the first time it is translated "life" in the new covenant scriptures is in the familiar words of Jesus, "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:14). The last time it appears is in Revelation 22:19, "And if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which is described in this book."
When we speak of life as a principle, we are not referring to a mere principle of animation, or of power or mobility. When Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly," he was not speaking of mere physical existence. Actually, many of those who accepted him, shortened their lives on earth because they were killed for the faith. The life of the Christ is not the life of the calendar. It is a quality of existence, not quantity. It is not length of days, or days of length, but depth of love. I like to say that the abundant life is not mere duration, but dedication; not just time, but trust; not simply continuation, but consecration.
If you will bear with us we would like to share with you some of the results of the work done by Richard Chenevix Trench in his book, "Synonyms of the New Testament," which has gone through many editions since it was originally published in Cambridge in 1854. The author was Professor of Exegesis and New Testament at King's College, Oxford, when he wrote his memorable study. He points out that the true antithesis of zoe is thanatos (death), but that this is true only so long as life is physically contemplated. When a moral element is introduced and life is regarded as the opportunity of living nobly or otherwise, the antithesis is not between thanatos and zoe, but between thanatos and bios.
Trench shows that in the classics bios is the ethical word, but in the sacred scriptures this is reversed, "for no one will deny that zoe is there the nobler word expressing as it continually does all of the highest and best which the saints possess in God." He accounts for this by saying that only revealed religion connects death and sin in an inseparable manner, and thus automatically places life and holiness as their opposites. Where death exists, sin was there first, and life is proof that sin has never been present, or has been conquered and driven out. Where life (zoe) exists in an absolute sense holiness must exist in the same degree.
That will account for the fact that revelation points out that God has life in himself. He possesses life as a divine nature. It is not derived or acquired. No sin has touched or affected God. Thus his holiness is absolute, untouched or untinctured. He can say, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." To have life is not to multiply the number of heartbeats nor extend the period of breathing, but to become a partaker of the divine nature. When one becomes a partaker of this nature he becomes a partaker of eternal life, for eternal life is simply the life of God. It is our intention to state the case for the present possession of this life in systematic fashion so that all may see and understand, and also become aware of the grandeur and majesty of this promise of eternal life.
1. The Father has life in himself and has granted the Son also to have life in himself (John 5:26). An examination of this passage will show the importance of the two little words "as" and "so." They convey the idea of equality in degree. If one can determine the degree of the first, expressed by "as," he can at once know the degree of the second as expressed by "so." Thus the Son has life even as the Father. "In him was life and the life was the light of men."
2. This life which was with the Father from the beginning, was manifested in Jesus. It was embodied, and the apostolic witnesses had audible, visual and manual contact with it. "The life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us" (1 John 1:2). That this was not merely the physical life of Jesus is evident in the fact that it was the eternal life which was with the Father, and further that it was proclaimed as something in which men might become participants. Those who heard the proclamation already possessed physical life as did the witnesses to whom the eternal life was manifested.
3. Men became possessors of eternal life on the basis of faith in Jesus as the Son of God. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14, 15). There is a difference in believing a person, or even believing on a person, and believing in him. One may believe on another by merely accepting the testimony concerning his existence. He may exercise such faith from a distance or as a remote experience. But to believe in one involves commitment to and identification with that one. Such belief in Jesus guarantees that one enter into life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
4. Because the exercise of faith in Jesus make one a believer in him, and since such belief is the key to eternal life, it is God's will that all who thus believe should have such life, the life of God himself. "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). There are those who interpret this verse to mean that eternal life is future. They emphasize the word "should" and make it appear that this is merely the intention of God and that eternal life cannot be ours until after the resurrection. In a sense, this is true, for our complete enjoyment of eternal life cannot be ours during the time when we suffer in the flesh. But there is a difference between possessing a thing and being fully able to enjoy it. If a child is given a bicycle while in the hospital he has it but he cannot fully appreciate it because of present limitations.
5. In the same speech to which we have just referred Jesus plainly says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life" (John 6:47). Again, he says, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests on him" (John 3:36). Eternal life is the present possession of the believer. The only ones who do not have eternal life are those who do not obey the Son and upon whom the wrath of God dwells.
6. If our previous reasoning is correct, it is obvious that believers have passed from death to life, for one cannot have eternal life and abide in death. That we are not mistaken is apparent from the words of Jesus. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). The condition here stated for crossing the frontier from death to life is to hear the word of Jesus and believe God who sent him.
But there is a tangible way by which one may know he has made the passage. "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love remains in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:14, 15). We cannot wait until we are raised from the dead to love the brethren, but when we do love them we pass from death into life. We know this is life eternal because "no murderer has eternal life abiding in him," and if one who loved did not have eternal life, in this regard he would be no better than a murderer. It would be foolish for the apostle to declare that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him, if no one else has either.
We must not mistake what is here said for love of some of the brethren, or for those brethren who agree with us. Nor must we think of love as a patronizing, condescending attitude for those who differ with us. That is not love in sincerity but in hypocrisy. The real test of the love that takes us from death into life is not whether we will put up with our brethren in life but whether we would be willing to lay down our lives for the brethren. This is the criterion of the love that is under consideration. "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16).
Love is not something to be casually mouthed by those who would appear generous and benevolent because they are caught on the scriptural hook. It is a genuine willingness to die for another because, in the final analysis, brotherhood is of greater value than mere physical existence. Life without such love is not worth living because it is not eternal life at all.
7. Since eternal life is not mere duration or continuation of existence it becomes necessary that we determine just what it is, and there is no other place from which we can glean such information than from the scriptures. Before we go any farther we can affirm that eternal life is a relationship. It is a personal relationship, a human-divine relationship made possible by the fact that Jesus emptied himself and took upon him the form of a slave by coming to share our lot. When we enter that relationship we enter into eternal life, for the relationship is life in Christ.
Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the Father and himself. "And this is eternal life, that they know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Because of our association of the word "know" with the mental perception that enables us to grasp certain facts, there is a danger that we will regard it in a limited sense and think of it merely as acquiring an intellectual concept of the Father and Son, that is, to know about them through the reading of the testimony that has been provided. It is true that the Greek term is thus used. It is employed with reference to "the servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will" (Luke 12:47); for the universal awareness that Ephesus was the temple-keeper of the goddess Artemis (Acts 19:35); and for acquaintance with the law (Romans 7:1).
But it is also used in a much greater and deeper sense. It signifies the entering into a meaningful relationship with its object. It refers to such intimate unions as that of marriage. Indeed, the very first time the word appears in the new covenant scriptures it has this meaning. Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, was informed of the fact that she would bear a child begotten by the Holy Spirit. "When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus" (Matthew 1:24). When Mary was informed of this impending event she asked, "How can this be, seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34). The word "know" implies a close and intimate relationship which is creative, producing new life.
Nothing is clearer in the scriptures than the fact that we must enter into a spiritual bond or union with Christ which is as close as the physical union which constitutes marriage. After speaking of sexual congress by which a man becomes one body with a woman, the apostle continues, "But he who is united with the Lord becomes one spirit with him" (1 Corinthians 6:17). It is this absolute and unrestrained surrender to God and His Son which constitutes eternal life. One who embraces Christ in glad and complete involvement dies to self and Christ becomes his life. "For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then you will also appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:2, 4). Christ is our life, but Christ is eternal, so the life we share in Christ is eternal life.
8. Eternal life is abiding in the Father and in the Son. It must be noticed that it is abiding in both. One cannot deny the Son and have the Father, nor can he deny the Father and have the Son. "No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he has promised us, eternal life" (1 John 2:23-25). Our abiding in the Son and Father is contingent upon that which we heard from the beginning abiding in us. That which we heard from the beginning was the eternal life which was manifested, seen, heard and proclaimed unto us. It was eternal life as exhibited in the Son. So long as the Good News remains in us as a vital part of our spiritual existence, we have eternal life for that life is the result of the acceptance of the glad tidings.
9. Eternal life is vested in the Son of God. One who has a living relationship with Jesus has eternal life. "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son has not life. I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:11, 12). "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).
We believe that the things we have cited definitely support the view that eternal life is a relationship with God and Christ, and that we have eternal life now. John plainly declares that he wrote his epistle so we would know that we have eternal life. To explain the scriptures in such a manner as to deny this would be to array the word of God against itself.
In spite of these there are certain statements which make it appear that eternal life is yet future. One cannot be honest and objective and not face up to them. We shall list a few of them.
1. Eternal life is said to await dispensation in the day when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. Until that day some are said to be storing up wrath while others seek for something better. Of these last it is said, "For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life" (Romans 2:6, 7).
2. Eternal life is described as a harvest to be reaped from what is sown in this life. "For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:8).
3. Eternal life is said to be something which we lay hold upon in the future. "Thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future; so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed" (1 Timothy 6:19).
4. Eternal life is said to be our lot in the age to come and that age is contrasted with this time or now. "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution, and in the age to come eternal life" (Mark 10:29, 30).
5. Eternal life is declared to be the hope of the elect. "In hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago" (Titus 1:2). "So that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life" (Jude 21).
It would appear from these passages that eternal life is yet future and has no reference to our present state except in hopefulness and expectancy. But the scriptures are not contradictory. There are too many passages which plainly state that we now possess eternal life and we cannot simply toss them aside. We must seek for that harmony which comes to light with better understanding.
Fortunately we have a parallel in the teaching concerning the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven. John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles all taught prior to the death of Christ, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Later, Paul wrote to the Colossians that God "has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son" (1:13). John declares that Jesus has "made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father" (Revelation 1:6).
In spite of this, we are informed by Paul that inheritance of the kingdom is contingent upon our resurrection from the dead and the spiritual and imperishable bodies to be received in conjunction there-with. "I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable" (1 Corinthians 15:50). Peter tells us that our call and election must be confirmed with zeal, "so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
The perceptive reader will immediately recognize that there is a sense in which we are now in the kingdom and sharing in its blessings, but there is another sense in which we have not inherited the kingdom, being inhibited by the flesh. The same things hold true with reference to eternal life. We know that we have eternal life for at least one of the apostolic epistles was written to establish this very fact. Yet there is a fulness of this life which we can never experience so long as we are in the body, subject to limitation of time and space, and victims of suffering, pain and physical deterioration.
Death is separation. Life is union. Eternal life is union with the Eternal One. "If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son. . . . And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life, he who has not the Son has not life" (1 John 5:9, 11, 12).