What is Eternal Life?

I was re-reading my last post “More about God's new kingdom” in the Romans chapter 2 part when something caught my eye. It was verse 7 which read, “On the one hand, he will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work.” The word “immortality” just doesn't seem right to me; does a Christian seek immortality?

I read this passage in “biblegateway.com” in a number of translations and most do have “immortality”. I looked at this passage in my “Ultimate Bible Study Suite; KJV Bible” on my Kindle and here is how it reads; “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life”. I found that the Greek word translated “immortality” is ““aphtharsia {af-thar-see'-ah}” Definitions: incorruptibility; genitive unending existence; (figurative) genuineness: -immortality, incorruption, sincerity.”

You know, I think there is a great misconception with what eternal life is and this misconception played a part for the interpreters of the original Greek to pick “immortality” instead of one of the other meanings. I have found only one passage in the Bible that tells us what eternal life is and that is in John chapter 17. It is here that Jesus himself tells us.

John 17:1-5Common English Bible (CEB)

Jesus prays

17 When Jesus finished saying these things, he looked up to heaven and said,“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son can glorify you.2 You gave him authority over everyone so that he could give eternal life to everyone you gave him. 3 This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. 4 I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I shared with you before the world was created.

Revelation 19:6-9 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

The Wedding Celebration of the Lamb

6 And I heard something like the sound of a great crowd and something like the sound of many waters and something like the sound of powerful thunder, saying,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord God,[a] the All-Powerful, reigns!
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him the glory,
because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has prepared herself.
8 And it has been granted to her that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).

9 And he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet of the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 

More about God's new kingdom

I want to expound more about my post “God Will Be All in All”. I believe we will all be there in God's new kingdom, the new heaven and earth, but fixed. I say fixed but it is that we will have been perfectly judged by God. We will now know that true self and be put in our rightful place; some inside the new city Jerusalem (the place of honor and respect) and the rest outside the city (the place of obscurity). Knowing that true self will grieve so many of us and is the scriptures saying “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 13:50; ; Matthew 25:30). These scriptures also say that they will be thrown into “outer darkness.” The Greek word translated as darkness is “skotos {skot'-os}” which means shadiness, i.e. obscurity. Obscurity means the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unimportant. Can you see that this is describing those outside the city?

I believe that “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is another way of saying to grieve bitterly just like the apostle Peter did (Matthew 26:75) when God showed him that he was not that strong person he thought he was; the one who said to Jesus, “Even though all may fall away, I will not” (Mark 14:29).

None of us have to be among those who are thrown outside the city if we but join ourselves to Jesus (Yeshua); become a member of His body and let Him direct our ways as the head of the body does.

John 14:6 Common English Bible (CEB)

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

What I am saying here is the same thing that the apostle Paul was saying in his writings to the Romans.

Romans 2 Common English Bible (CEB)

Jews are without excuse

2 So every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things. 2 We know that God’s judgment agrees with the truth, and his judgment is against those who do these kinds of things. 3 If you judge those who do these kinds of things while you do the same things yourself, think about this: Do you believe that you will escape God’s judgment?4 Or do you have contempt for the riches of God’s generosity, tolerance, and patience? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is supposed to lead you to change your heart and life? 5 You are storing up wrath for yourself because of your stubbornness and your heart that refuses to change. God’s just judgment will be revealed on the day of wrath. 6 God will repay everyone based on their works.[a] 7 On the one hand, He will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work. 8 But on the other hand, there will be wrath and anger for those who obey wickedness instead of the truth because they are acting out of selfishness and disobedience. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 10 But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.11 God does not have favorites.

12 Those who have sinned outside the Law will also die outside the Law, and those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. 13 It isn’t the ones who hear the Law who are righteous in God’s eyes. It is the ones who do what the Law says who will be treated as righteous. 14 Gentiles don’t have the Law. But when they instinctively do what the Law requires they are a Law in themselves, though they don’t have the Law. 15 They show the proof of the Law written on their hearts, and their consciences affirm it. Their conflicting thoughts will accuse them, or even make a defense for them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the hidden truth about human beings through Christ Jesus.

Jesus told us what “eternal life” is.

John 17:3 Common English Bible (CEB)

3 This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.

What does it say in Revelation about who those inside the city are? They are the bride of Christ; the Lamb. Who knows the bridegroom better than the bride?