What did Jesus mean when he said we would receive “Eternal Life”?
Have you ever thought about it?
In Sunday school, I was taught that “eternal life” was life after death – a kind of immortality imposed on those who believed in Jesus. The Free Dictionary online agrees with this definition, calling it “life without beginning or end“.
Yet, the more I study and read the Gospel text, that definition of “eternal life” just doesn’t fit…
Since when were the Jewish people concerned with living forever? No where in the Old Testament (at least as far as I can tell) does the mention that we would be immortal… Live for hundreds of years, yes. But not immortal.
Immortality was more of a Greek thing – a way to become a ‘god’ and cheat death. Since the Greeks took over Middle East a few hundred years before Jesus, it may be that their priority on cheating death had creped into the Jewish way of thinking.[@more@]
But then we are right back were we started in that the context of the Gospel does not seem to fit with the idea of cheating death and living forever, even if it was a “life-after-death-immortality”.
The phrase “eternal life” is used interchangeable with the phrases “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven”. Those phrases we know refer to God’s rule and reign – or in other words, the coming of the Age to Come into this Present Age. The prophets of old called it the Day of the Lord, when the God Almighty would come in judgment and mercy.
With that context in mind, allow me to propose something:
What if the phrase “eternal life” was referring to the life of the Age to Come? So when Jesus is saying that we would receive “eternal life”, he was not referring to immortality, but to the mercy, salvations, justice and glory of the Day of the Lord coming in and upon us today in this Age, right now.
Using this interpretation, the verses of the Gospels – shoot of the entire New Testament – come alive with new meaning. No longer is Jesus, Paul or the other writers mainly concerned with cheating death. Instead they are begging us to enter into the victory and power of the Age to Come – when the Spirit of the Lord would be poured out upon all mankind; when those who are sick would be healed and those held captive will be set free.
What an amazing concept!
A side note: hmmm… I wonder how this would affect the idea of “eternal damnation”?
um, wasn’t the original idea that humans were to live forever? The revised edition that included dying come later.
was it?
I guess if “death” is part of “sin”, then before sin there was no death. In which case Adam and Eve would of lived “forever”. (does that make them elves?)
hmmm…interesting point. I will have to continue my pondering about “life after death”. However, I do stand by the view that Jesus was talking about receiving the life of the Age to Come vs immortality. That view holds better to the context of the NT and OT then the other one. (at least, it does to me at this point) =P
The Jews were not particularly concerned about living forever, however it was excepted as fact by them (or most of them).
Ex 3:6 God introduces himself stating He IS the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when talking with Moses – present tense. This was pointed out by Jesus (who I consider an expert on the subject) in MK 12:18-27, LK 20:27-38. David considered it a fact that he would see his son who has died 2 Sam 12:22-23. Job also thought that he would live again, 25-27.
In the NT the Pharisees believed in eternal life while the Sadducees did not. Interestingly, the Pharisees were the ones who held to traditional Judaism while the Sadducees were more Hellenized. This belief difference was emphasized by Paul when he faced the Sanhedrin, Act 23:6-10
These are only a few examples found of what was normal in Judaism.
Also, stating that immortality was a “Greek” idea is a bit narrow. A belief in immortality is common the world over and was around long before the Greeks came to power. Why not consider that it came from Egypt centuries before? Or perhaps consider the why – why is it such a commonly held belief by so many cultures? I think it is a common grain of truth, remains of what they used to know.
um, eternal means without end. If he said eternal. he said without end. The truth of God is simple.
Most likely it’s a both/and situation where Jesus is talking about receiving the life of the Age to Come now in this life AND living forever after death.
However, I must admit that I’m struggling with the whole immortality deal. Yes, I know that the Bible talks about the resurrection and living with God after death….
Yet at the same time, it seems very odd to me that “man” should live forever. In thinking about the Old Testament, there isn’t a lot of talk about life after death. Most of the talk is about the coming of the Lord into THIS world to redeem THIS time
It is the New Testament that really promotes the view of immortality after death – and that is usually based upon the phrase “eternal life”, which I have problems with.
Could it be that when the Age to Come is fully established at Jesus’ second coming, the dead come back to life. Live a long time – thousand years or so – and then disappear?
Wow… I could see how this could get into sticky territory. =/
I have posted this question on a theology forum (don’t worry, it’s a good forum). We shall see that develops… =) I might have to post the responses on this blog so you guys can see them.
For God life and time are not co-dependent. He lives outside of time and I’m thinking that the Age to Come will exist in that same realm. As a human you’ll never be able to wrap your head around that concept – we’re too time oriented. So stop over analyzing it and just come to terms with the mystery!
hear hear
Josh, have you ever tried explaining e=mc^2 to a curious 5 year old? Try it sometime. 8-}