1 Timothy 6:16

Does only God have immortality or do humans also have it?

PROBLEM: According to Paul in this passage, God “alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light.” However, in other places, Paul speaks of Christians being raised in “immortal” physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:53) and partaking of “immortality” through the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:10). But if God alone has immortality, then how can anyone else have it?

SOLUTION: God is the only one who has immortality intrinsically, by virtue of His very nature. All believers get it as a gift from God, but it is not inherent to their very nature as creatures. Or, to put it another way, only God is immortal—human beings simply have immortality. Likewise, God alone is existence (cf. Exodus 3:14)—creatures only have existence (cf. Acts 17:28). Further, God’s immortality is without beginning or end. Our immortality has a beginning with no end. In summary:

GOD’S IMMORTALITY HUMAN IMMORTALITY

Intrinsic to His nature Not intrinsic to our nature

1 Timothy 6:16 — Does God dwell in darkness or in light?

PROBLEM: According to Paul, God “dwells in unapproachable light.” However, the Bible repeatedly says things like “the Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud” (1 Kings 8:12) because “He made darkness His secret place (Psalms 18:11; cf. 97:2). Which is it—darkness or light?

SOLUTION: In considering this discrepancy, we must remember, first of all, that “light” and “darkness” may be figures of speech and need not be taken literally. Both describe God’s unsearchableness (cf. Romans 11:33).