Eternal life and Immortality

[Guest]

There is a difference between the meaning of the terms "eternal life" and "immortality." Many people seem to use them synonomously. Jesus alone has immortality(1 Tim 6:16), but we can have eternal life now. They are different.

Immortality is what we will have after the resurrection. Paul said:

1 Cor 15:51-54
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

Immortality means 'living forever'; our corruptible bodies are changed into incorruptible ones which will never die. However, those who have 'eternal life' die and go to the grave.

Paul makes a distinction in this verse:

Rom 2:5b-11
...God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

Paul says that those who are seeking immortality (at the resurrection) are given eternal life now.

'Eternal life' does not mean living forever. So, what does it mean?

John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may 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.

Both these scriptures seem to equate 'eternal life' with knowing God. It is about having "an understanding" of God and being "in Him." It is speaking about our life now and how "knowing God" affects it.

I have read it explained this way. From the Greek the term "eternal life" literally means 'the life of the age to come.' We can enjoy the blessedness of the life of the age to come now by knowing and understanding God.

In conclusion, when we read the term 'eternal life' in the New Testament we should not understand it to mean "living forever in heaven," which is immortality, we should understand that it means enjoying the blessedness of the age to come now by knowing God.

Todd

[Guest]

Paul says that those who are seeking immortality (at the resurrection) are given eternal life now.

Where does Paul say that they are given aionion life now?

Not in the passage you quoted from Romans 2!

You quoted:

...God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds

"will render" is in the future tense. Verse 7, which you quoted next, tells us what He will render to those who seek for glory, honour, and immortalilty. Answer: aionion life

I suppose you could maintain that the granting of aionion life is future with respect to those seeking for glory, honour, and immortality, and that they might receive it while still in this life.

But that'a a far cry from affirming that "Paul says that they are given aionion life now.

In Romans 2, Paul does not say when they will receive aionion life.
I think it will be at the resurrection.

Immortality is a characteristic of the resurrection body as Paul affirms in I Cor 15. Even the lost will be raised immortal.

But only the saved will go into aionion life at that time. The others will go into aionion correction. {Matthew 25:46}