Back Ewiges Leben German Vivo eterna Esperanto Vida eterna (cristianismo) Spanish Vie éternelle French Kehidupan kekal (Kekristenan) ID 永遠のいのち Japanese ជីវិតអស់កល្ប Cambodian 영생 (기독교) Korean Vita aeterna Latin Fiainana mandrakizay Malagasy

Eternal life (Christianity)

The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an important icon kept and exhibited at Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, situated at the base of Mount Sinai in Egypt. The gold ground is typical of icons such as this, which was manufactured in the 12th century after a manuscript written by the 6th century monk John Climacus who based it on the biblical description of Jacob's ladder. It depicts the ascent to Heaven by monks, some of whom fall and are dragged away by black demons.

Eternal life traditionally refers to continued life after death, as outlined in Christian eschatology. The Apostles' Creed testifies: "I believe... the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting." In this view, eternal life commences after the second coming of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead, although in the New Testament's Johannine literature there are references to eternal life commencing in the earthly life of the believer, possibly indicating an inaugurated eschatology.

According to mainstream Christian theology, after death but before the Second Coming, the saved live with God in an intermediate state, but after the Second Coming, experience the physical resurrection of the dead and the physical recreation of a New Earth. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "By death the soul is separated from the body, but in the resurrection God will give incorruptible life to our body, transformed by reunion with our soul. Just as Christ is risen and lives for ever, so all of us will rise at the last day."[1] N.T. Wright argues that "God's plan is not to abandon this world... Rather, he intends to remake it. And when he does, he will raise all people to new bodily life to live in it. That is the promise of the Christian gospel."[2]

In the Synoptic Gospels and the Pauline Letters, eternal life is generally regarded as a future experience, but the Gospel of John differs from them in its emphasis on eternal life as a "present possession".[3][4] Raymond E. Brown points out that in the synoptic gospels eternal life is something received at the final judgment, or a future age (Mark 10:30, Matthew 18:8-9) but the Gospel of John positions eternal life as a present possibility, as in John 5:24.[5]

Thus, unlike the synoptics, in the Gospel of John eternal life is not only futuristic, but also pertains to the present.[6][3][4] In John, those who accept Christ can possess life "here and now" as well as in eternity, for they have "passed from death to life", as in John 5:24: "He who hears my word, and believes him that sent me, has eternal life, and comes not into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."[7] In John, the purpose for the incarnation, death, resurrection and glorification of The Word was to provide eternal life to humanity.[6]

  1. ^ "Catechism of the Catholic Church - I believe in the resurrection of the body". www.vatican.va. Archived from the original on 2002-09-10.
  2. ^ Wright, N.T. (2006). Simply Christian. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. p. 219. ISBN 0060507152..
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Bromiley161 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Images of Salvation in the New Testament, by Brenda B. Colijn 2010 ISBN 0-8308-3872-4 pages 87-90
  5. ^ The Westminster Theological Wordbook of the Bible by Donald E. Gowan 2003 ISBN 0-664-22394-X pages 115-116
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Mercer264 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mercer513 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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