John 10:27,28

give unto them eternal life.

I have omitted any special study of the phrase "eternal life" hitherto, although it has several times occurred in John. It occurs forty-four times in the New Testament, and of these occurrences seventeen are in the Fourth Gospel and six in the First Epistle of John, making twenty-three instances of its use by this single author. It never means simply endless existence, but always implies. blessed immortality. In Matthew 25:46, it is opposed to everlasting punishment, which is endless existence in. state of punishment, while eternal life is endless existence in. state of bliss. The word rendered life (zoee) means, in its primary sense, "existence" as opposed to non-existence or annihilation. In this sense it occurs thirteen times in the New Testament, of which (1 Corinthians 15:19), "If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men the most miserable," is. good example. It is also used in the sense of spiritual life quite frequently and especially by John; for instance, "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." It is also used without the adjective for eternal life as in John 5:29: "They that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life," or into. blessed existence beyond the grave.

The word life, as used by John when predicated of God, means absolute being. Man created in the image of God hath this being from God and "in him lives and moves and has his being.". man may have this life and yet in another sense be dead. "Let the dead bury their dead" (Matthew 8:22), "He that believeth... hath passed from death unto life" (John 5:24), "This my son who was dead is alive again" (Luke 15:24). The usage of the New Testament sanctions the following conclusions:

1. All humanity are endowed with existence (zoee), nor is there any indication that this existence ever comes to an end. At death man yields up the soul (psuchee, in classic Greek "the breath"), the spirit (pneuma) returns to God who gave it, but there is no indication that the existence (zoee) closes. When Christ said, "I lay down my life," he used psuchee instead of zoee. The same is true when he says, "He that loseth his life shall find it." Much confusion has arisen from not distinguishing these two Greek words of different meaning in the translation. The zoee, (life, existence) is never said to end, or perish. It is the psuchee (breath, or animal life), that is laid down, or perishes. Death and destruction are not used in the sense of non-existence.

2. Life, in the sense of spiritual being, spiritual life, is the gift of Christ, and in its origin differs from the natural life. Those only have the spiritual life who are in union with Christ. He is the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, and came in order to bestow life (spiritual life, not mere existence) upon the world.

3. Eternal life is the inheritance of all who have been born of water and the Spirit, who have the spiritual life, and who, "by. patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, honor and immortality." It is the gift of Jesus Christ. It is. blessed immortality, and the phrase is never applied to an existence in. state of condemnation. The deathless angels that sinned do not have eternal life, but only those who have been freed from sin and delivered from the dominion of the grave by our Lord. It cannot be made too clear that eternal life is different from and higher than eternal existence and that therefore the fact that it is. gift does not imply that all who do not receive this gift are annihilated beyond the grave. The rich man in hades had existence beyond the grave but not eternal life; Lazarus, in Abraham's bosom, enjoying "good things," had eternal life.