The Life

In Romans, Part 31 I related Paul’s statement—if you live according to the flesh, you will die[1]—to Jesus’ saying to Martha—The one who believes in me will live even if he dies.[2]  This connection was new to me, so I thought it deserved a little more study.  In the past I would have related Jesus’ saying to Martha (John 11:25, 26 NET) to the mystery Paul expounded (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 NET):

Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

In that case, those who sleep are like The one who believes in [Jesus] and lives even if he dies.  That may not be wrong.  But what got my attention was that Martha already believed in the resurrection.  I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection (ἀναστάσει, a form of ἀνάστασις)[3] at the last day,[4] she said.  It was to that belief that Jesus responded, I am the resurrection (ἀνάστασις) and the life (ζωή).[5]  Suddenly I saw those verses as follows:

Jesus said to her, “I am…

…the resurrection (ἀνάστασις)…

…and the life (ζωή).

The one who believes in me will live (ζήσεται, a form of ζάω)[6] even if he dies…

…and the one who lives (ζῶν, another form of ζάω) and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?”

John 11:25, 26 (NET)

Where I could believe both statements was in Romans 8:13 (NET) once I accepted that die meant death and not eternal damnation:

Jesus said to her, “I am…

…the resurrection (ἀνάστασις)…

…and the life (ζωή).

The one who believes in me will live (ζήσεται, a form of ζάω) even if he dies…

…and the one who lives (ζῶν, another form of ζάω) and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?”

John 11:25, 26 (NET)

…if you live (ζῆτε, another form of ζάω) according to the flesh, you will die…

…but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live (ζήσεσθε, another form of ζάω).

Romans 8:13 (NET)

The noun ζωή was used forty-seven times in the New Testament to name the new life believers find in Christ both here and now, and in the future.  It was used forty-four times with αἰώνιος[7] and translated eternal or everlasting life.  Jesus spoke of a time when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out – the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection (ἀνάστασιν, another form of ἀνάστασις) resulting in life (ζωῆς, another form of ζωή), and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection (ἀνάστασιν, another form of ἀνάστασις) resulting in condemnation (κρίσεως, a form of κρίσις; literally, judgment).[8]  Twice Jesus referred to Himself as the bread of life.  Peter called Him the Prince of life (Originator of life, NET).  I found five occurrences that seem to refer exclusively to the resurrected life of Jesus, and six others that seem to refer exclusively to the resurrected life of people as opposed to new life here and now.  It was used twice as Spirit of life, eight times as book of life, three times each as tree of life and water of life.  It was used twice of Melchizedek, which I called Immortal Life.  I found only eight occurrences of ζωή in the New Testament that seemed to refer to ordinary human life or mere vitality.  My list follows:

Life (now and future) Matthew 7:14; 18:8, 9; 19:17; Mark 9:43, 45; John 1:4 X 2; 3:36; 5:24, 26 X 2, 40; 6:33, 51, 53, 63; 8:12; 10:10; 11:25;[9] 14:6; 20:31; Acts 2:28;[10] 5:20; 11:18; Romans 5:17, 18; 6:4; 7:10; 8:6; 1 Corinthians 3:22; 2 Corinthians 2:16; 4:12; Philippians 2:16; Colossians 3:4; 1 Timothy 4:8; 2 Timothy 1:1, 10; 1 Peter 3:7, 10; 2 Peter 1:3; 1 John 1:1,[11] 2; 3:14; 5:11, 12 x 2, 16 47
Eternal Life Matthew 19:16, 29; 25:46; Mark 10:7, 30; Luke 10:25; 18:18, 30; John 3:15, 16, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 39; 6:27, 40, 47, 54, 68; 10:28; 12:25, 50;[12] 17:2, 3; Acts 13:46, 48; Romans 2:7; 5:21; 6:22, 23; Galatians 6:8; 1 Timothy 1:16; 6:12, 19; Titus 1:2; 3:7; 1 John 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11, 13, 20; Jude 1:21 44
Human Life Luke 12:15; 16:25; Acts 8:33;[13] 17:25; Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:19; Philippians 1:20; James 4:14 8
Resurrection[14] of Life John 5:29 1
Bread[15] of Life John 6:35, 48 2
Prince[16] of Life Acts 3:15 1
Resurrected Life of Jesus Romans 5:10; 8:10; 2 Corinthians 4:10, 11; Ephesians 4:18 5
Spirit[17] of Life Romans 8:2, Revelation 11:11 2
Exclusively Resurrected Life Romans 11:15; 2 Corinthians 2:16; 5:4; Colossians 3:3; James 1:2, Revelation 2:10 6
Book[18] of Life Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19 8
Immortal Life Hebrews 7:3, 16 (Melchizedek) 2
Tree[19] of Life Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14 3
Water[20] of Life Revelation 21:16; 22:1, 17 3

I went to this trouble because in the definition of ψυχή in Strong’s Concordance (the next word I want to consider) ζωή is described as “mere vitality.”  That may be true of ζωή in Greek generally.  I don’t know.  It is clearly not true of ζωή as used in the New Testament, except perhaps eight times.  It may be generally true of the verb ζάω even in the New Testament.  I didn’t check that closely.  I am suggesting that ζήσεται (another form of ζάω) in The one who believes in me will live even if he dies[21] means the resurrected life that Martha believed in and Jesus claimed to be.  And I am also suggesting that ζῶν (another form of ζάω) in the one who lives and believes in me will never die[22] means the new life that Jesus claimed to be and Paul described as being led by the Spirit of God.[23]

I had the most difficulty with 1 John 5:16 (NET), whether John meant mere vitality or not: If anyone sees his fellow Christian (ἀδελφὸν, a form of ἀδελφός)[24] committing a sin not resulting in death (θάνατον, a form of θάνατος),[25] he should ask, and God will grant (δώσει, a form of δίδωμι)[26] life (ζωήν, another form of ζωή) to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death (θάνατον, a form of θάνατος).  There is a sin resulting in death (θάνατον, a form of θάνατος).  I do not say that he should ask about that.

In the movie “Meet Joe BlackAnthony Hopkins’ character Bill Parrish instinctively restrained Brad Pitt’s character Death from stepping off the curb into traffic.  It is an ironic and humorous moment since the body Death took was killed in traffic, standing in the middle of the street longing for another glimpse of Bill’s daughter Susan, and because Death had just bragged about how much beyond Bill’s comprehension the work of Death was.  But it also displayed Bill’s character, instinctively protecting the life of his nemesis simply because he appeared in form as another human being.  I assume however that John was not talking about stepping off the curb in front of an oncoming bus as a sin resulting in death.

When the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons,[27] Jesus replied (Matthew 12:25-29a NET):

Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and no town or house divided against itself will stand.  So if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?  For this reason they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has already overtaken you.  How else can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man?

Then Jesus warned, people will be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται, a form of ἀφίημι)[28] for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται, a form of ἀφίημι).  Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται, a form of ἀφίημι).  But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven (ἀφεθήσεται, a form of ἀφίημι) [Table], either in this age or in the age to come.[29]  This, I think, is what John meant by a sin resulting in death.  John continued (1 John 5:17, 18 NET):

All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death (θάνατον, a form of θάνατος).  We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects (τηρεῖ, a form of τηρέω)[30] the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him [Table].

I am connecting this to the verse which precedes it.  The new life, that life fathered by God that does not sin—Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me[31]—because God protects that life and the evil one cannot touch him, is the true need of the fellow Christian committing a sin not resulting in death.  That life, this grace in which we stand,[32] fueled by the credited righteousness of God,[33] the fruit of his Spirit,[34] is far more important than my censure, my rebuke, even my restoration in a spirit of gentleness.[35]  And it is this life that we ask for ourselves and for all who call upon our Father whenever we pray (Matthew 6:9-13 NET):

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread [i.e., of life], and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.


[1] Romans 8:13a (NET)

[2] John 11:25b (NET)

[4] John 11:24 (NET)

[5] John 11:25a (NET)

[8] John 5:28, 29 (NET)

[9] Distinguished here from the resurrection (of life).

[10] Quote from Psalm 16:8-11 (NET)

[11] τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς might be a poetic reference to Jesus Himself, though I am reading it in context as the life message.

[12] Eternal Life is the Father’s commandment.

[13] Quote from Isaiah 53:7, 8 (NET)

[21] John 11:25b (NET)

[22] John 11:26a (NET)

[23] Romans 8:14 (NET)

[27] Matthew 12:24 (NET)

[29] Matthew 12:31, 32 (NET)

[31] Romans 7:20 (NET)

Romans, Part 31

So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation (ὀφειλέται, a form of ὀφειλέτης),[1] not to the flesh (σαρκὶ, a form of σάρξ),[2] to live according to the flesh (σάρκα, another form of σάρξ), Paul continued, (for if you live according to the flesh [σάρκα, another form of σάρξ], you will die [ἀποθνῄσκειν, a form of ἀποθνήσκω][3])[4]  If I consider myself the old man, the sin condemned in the flesh,[5] I will die along with the flesh.  This truism is equivalent to Jesus’ saying to Martha, The one who believes in me will live even if he dies (ἀποθάνῃ, another form of ἀποθνήσκω),[6] or to his disciples, The one who loves his life [i.e., in this world] destroys [or, loses] it.[7]  But no, I didn’t see that for a long time.

I thought Paul was threatening me with eternal damnation if I lived according to the flesh, even though the text said die.  I wasn’t happy about it, especially after everything else he had said, but I couldn’t make any other sense of it at the time.  And yes, it is embarrassing to keep admitting how stubbornly dull-witted I am.

Paul continued, but if by the Spirit you put to death (θανατοῦτε, a form of θανατόω)[8] the deeds (πράξεις, a form of πρᾶξις)[9] of the body you will live.[10]  If I identify with the new man created in the image of God, I will live.  But no, I didn’t see how well this fit with Jesus saying to Martha, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die (ἀποθάνῃ, another form of ἀποθνήσκω).[11]  And I didn’t relate it to Jesus saying to his disciples, and the one who hates his life in this world guards [or, keeps] it for eternal life.[12]

I thought it was best, if I wanted to go to heaven, to keep trying to put the deeds of my body to death by striving to keep the law, or at least by striving to love by keeping the definition of the love that fulfills the law as if it were laws.  The idea that I could put to death the deeds of the body by faith, by believing that my old man was crucified with [Christ] so that the body of sin would no longer dominate [me], so that [I] would no longer be enslaved to sin,[13] because God achieved what the law could not doBy sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful fleshso that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit,[14] was a slow train coming.

For all who are led (ἄγονται, a form of ἄγω)[15] by the Spirit of God are the sons of God,[16] Paul continued.  Surely I am a byword in heaven.  Over and over I was led back to these verses, and over and over I refused to drink them in.  But let me recount the word ἄγω as used in the Gospels as a contrast to my Do-It-Yourself religion.

And you will be brought (ἀχθήσεσθε, another form of ἄγω) before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles,[17] Jesus told his disciples.  When they arrest (ἄγωσιν, another form of ἄγω) you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.[18]  Go to the village ahead of you, Jesus said.  Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her.  Untie them and bring (ἀγάγετε, another form of ἄγω) them to me.[19]  They brought (ἤγαγον, another form of ἄγω) the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.[20]  Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led (ἤγετο, another form of ἄγω) by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he endured temptations from the devil.[21]

So here I have Jesus ἤγετο (another form of ἄγω) by the Holy Spirit, and handed over to the devil: Then the devil brought (῎Ηγαγεν, another form of ἄγω) him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the highest point of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here…”[22]  An angry mob got up, forced [Jesus] out of the town, and brought (ἤγαγον, another form of ἄγω) him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.[23]  A mob of duly authorized law enforcement types arrested Jesus, led (ἤγαγον, another form of ἄγω) him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house.[24]   Then the whole group of them rose up and brought (ἤγαγον, another form of ἄγω) Jesus before Pilate.[25]  Two other criminals were also led away (῎Ηγοντο, another form of ἄγω) to be executed with him.[26]

Now I look back at the meaning and usage of ἄγω and ask myself incredulously, “Just exactly what part of being led (ἄγονται, a form of ἄγω) by the Spirit did you think was your doing, Dan?”  But I’m not alone, though I might wish that I were.  I want to take the movie “Courageous” as my point of departure here.

Actually, a big part of me doesn’t want to do that at all.  As an independent filmmaker wannabe I have nothing but admiration for what the Kendrick brothers and Sherwood Baptist Church have done.  I can watch their movies without being embarrassed by the quality of the filmmaking, and each film gets better on that score than the one before.  I didn’t feel anything I’m about to say while watching the film (and I watched “Courageous” again last night).  What I feel is comfort, familiarity and a warm nostalgia for the religion of my childhood, my youth and beyond.  I like stirring music.  I want to be courageous, too.  That’s part of my problem, that I only see a problem in retrospect when I analyze the story in the light of the Gospel and the religious mind.

The storyline of “Courageous,” for those who haven’t seen it, is about a father Adam after his daughter Emily dies in a car crash.  She was his favorite, though he was almost as detached from her as from his son, concerned about his work and his appearance to others.  After her death he is concerned that he should have been a better father.  His wife reminds him that he is still a father.  He talks to his Pastor.  He studies the Bible.  He begins to make a rapprochement with his son.  So far so good.

Then he drafts a resolution, a list of rules derived from his Bible study about fatherhood.  He passes it out to his friends.  Most of them, interestingly enough, are other policemen.  He asks these policemen to hold him accountable to his list of rules.  They want to sign it, too.  Eventually, all the men join in a ceremony, effectively swearing an oath to abide by Adam’s rules.  It is all very moving, and courageous.  But Adam, a churchgoing man, was ashamed of the Gospel for exactly the same reason that Paul was not.

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes,[27] because the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, The righteous by faith will live.”[28]  Anyone might become dissatisfied with the righteousness of God that is showing through him and out into the world at any given moment.  It is an excellent time to return to Christ, to be joined to the one who was raised from the dead, like a wife seeking to enlarge her family comes to her husband, to bear fruit to God.[29]  It is not a time to attempt to have one’s own righteousness derived from the law.[30]  You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace![31]

Instead of rebuking and correcting them privately, Adam’s Pastor praises the men publicly for their resolution and their oath to keep it.  Then Adam is allowed to speak to the entire congregation.  Adam persuades other men to follow him in his defection from Christ.  I feel this defection deeply when I get away from the movie and its rousing music, Adam’s tear-filled eyes, his upraised arm and his hand grasping for something elusive.  But my anger is restrained for two reasons.

First, I find it extremely interesting that the character’s name is Adam.  For all I know there is a “Courageous 2” in the works where Adam (or Shane, but that’s another story) learns to be led by the Spirit rather than by the flesh.  And secondly, I know how much remedial help I’ve needed in the sense that the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ.[32]  The NET has it, the law had become our guardian until Christ.[33]  Neither word alone is quite right, governess, nanny, just don’t say it.  I think of Creasy, Denzel Washington’s character in “Man on Fire,” taking Pita, Dakota Fanning’s character, to school, guarding her, protecting her, and preparing her to learn.  He became much more than a bodyguard, but not her teacher.  Jesus is the teacher not the law, or living by laws.

Even those born only of the flesh of Adam bind themselves to laws, rules and ethical principles to keep from becoming complete sociopaths.  It doesn’t take a prophet to see that if the Kendrick brothers’ resolution fails to bring those born of the flesh and of the Spirit to Christ, Shariah is waiting in the wings.  But it must be equally clear that the Kendrick brothers’ resolution derived from the Bible is no more the Gospel than Shariah law is.  Both are of the old way, the old written code, and neither is the new life of the Spirit.[34]

Romans, Part 32

The Life 

Back to The Soul

Back to Romans, Part 34

Back to Romans, Part 35

Back to Romans, Part 48

Back to Romans, Part 82

Back to Romans, Part 83


[4] Romans 8:12, 13a (NET)

[5] Romans 8:3 (NET)

[6] John 11:25b (NET)

[7] John 12:25a (NET)

[10] Romans 8:13b (NET)

[11] John 11:26a (NET)

[12] John 12:25b (NET)

[13] Romans 6:6 (NET)

[14] Romans 8:3, 4 (NET)

[16] Romans 8:14 (NET)

[17] Matthew 10:18 (NET)

[18] Mark 13:11 (NET)

[19] Matthew 21:2 (NET)

[20] Matthew 21:7 (NET)

[21] Luke 4:1 (NET)

[22] Luke 4:9 (NET)

[23] Luke 4:29 (NET)

[24] Luke 22:54 (NET)

[25] Luke 23:1 (NET)

[26] Luke 23:32 (NET)

[27] Romans 1:16 (NET)

[28] Romans 1:17 (NET)

[29] Romans 7:4 (NET)

[30] Philippians 3:9 (NET)

[31] Galatians 5:4 (NET) Table

[32] Galatians 3:24 (NKJV)

[33] Galatians 3:24 (NET)