Biblical Concept: Life

Prologue: The New American Standard translation contains 550 uses of life. This study focuses on the Gospel of John and the Epistles. Statements concerning Jesus Christ and life in these books are one of the heights of Biblical Christian Theology.

Findings:

Gospel of John and Epistles: Almost all the Bible verses containing life are rich in meaning and application. Very little is contextual filler.

Jesus Christ = life.

In Jesus Christ: Eternal life for anyone.

Relationship: God, love, world, Son, believes, eternal life.

Relationship: believe, Son, eternal life.

Relationship: not obey, Son, no life, wrath.

“gathering fruit for life eternal”

“Father raises the dead and gives them life”

Jesus: “I am the bread of life.”

“I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”

“so we too might walk in newness of life”

“the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace”

“give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you”

“holding fast the word of life”

“Christ, who is our life”

“godliness … promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

“take hold of the eternal life to which you were called”

“take hold of that which is life indeed”

“the promise of life in Christ Jesus”

“he will receive the crown of life”

Tongue: “sets on fire the course of our life.”

“you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow”

“led a life of wanton pleasure”

“your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers”

“grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life”

¹⁰ For, "Let him who means to love life and see good days Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from

speaking guile.

2 Peter 1:3-4 ³ seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true

knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ For by these He has granted to us His precious and

magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that

is in the world by lust.

“the Word of Life”

“boastful pride of life”

²⁵ And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

“we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren”

“no murderer has eternal life abiding in him”

¹⁶ We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the

brethren.

1 John 5:11-13 ¹¹And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has

the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name

of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.

“he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death”

“This is the true God and eternal life.”

Revelation 2:7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who

overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

“I will not erase his name from the book of life.”

Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of

their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.

“they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”

“the Lamb's book of life”

“a river of the water of life”

“the tree of life”

^___________

^NAS John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (Jesus Christ = life.)

^NAS John 3:15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. (In Jesus Christ: Eternal life for anyone.)

¹⁶ "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (Relationship: God, love, world, Son, believes, eternal life.)

³⁶ "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (Relationship: believe, Son, eternal life.) (Relationship: not obey, Son, no life, wrath.)

^NAS John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

³⁶ "Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. (“gathering fruit for life eternal”)

^NAS John 5:21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. (“Father raises the dead and gives them life”)

²⁴ "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

²⁶ "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;

²⁹ and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

³⁹ "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;

⁴⁰ and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life.

^NAS John 6:27 "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal."

³³ "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."

³⁵ Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (Jesus: “I am the bread of life.”)

⁴⁰ "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

⁴⁷ "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

⁴⁸ "I am the bread of life.

⁵¹ "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh."

⁵³ Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.

⁵⁴ "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

⁶³ "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.

^NAS John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

^NAS John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. (“I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”)

¹¹ "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

¹⁵ even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

¹⁷ "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.

^NAS John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies,

^NAS John 12:25 "He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.

⁵⁰ "And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."

^NAS John 13:37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You."

³⁸ Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny Me three times.

^NAS John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

^NAS John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

^NAS John 17:2 even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life.

³ "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

^NAS John 20:31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

^NAS Romans 2:7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;

^NAS Romans 4:17 (as it is written, "A father of many nations have I made you") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

^NAS Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

¹⁷ For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

²¹ that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

^NAS Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (“so we too might walk in newness of life”)

¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

²² But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

^NAS Romans 7:10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;

^NAS Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, (“the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace”)

¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. (“give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you”)

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

^NAS Romans 11:3 "Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."

¹⁵ For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

^NAS Romans 16:4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

^NAS 1 Corinthians 3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you,

^NAS 1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?

⁴ If then you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?

^NAS 1 Corinthians 7:28 But if you should marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin should marry, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.

^NAS 1 Corinthians 15:19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

³⁶ You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;

^NAS 2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

^NAS 2 Corinthians 2:16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

^NAS 2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

^NAS 2 Corinthians 4:10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

¹¹ For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

¹² So death works in us, but life in you.

^NAS 2 Corinthians 5:4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

^NAS Galatians 1:13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it;

^NAS Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

^NAS Galatians 3:21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

^NAS Galatians 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.

^NAS Ephesians 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

^NAS Philippians 1:20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

^NAS Philippians 2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. (“holding fast the word of life”)

³⁰ because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

^NAS Philippians 4:3 Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

^NAS Colossians 3:3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (“Christ, who is our life”)

^NAS 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you;

^NAS 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.

¹¹ For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

^NAS 1 Timothy 1:16 And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

^NAS 1 Timothy 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

^NAS 1 Timothy 4:8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (“godliness … promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”)

^NAS 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (“take hold of the eternal life to which you were called”)

¹³ I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

¹⁹ storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (“take hold of that which is life indeed”)

^NAS 2 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, (“the promise of life in Christ Jesus”)

¹⁰ but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

^NAS 2 Timothy 2:4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

^NAS Titus 1:2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

^NAS Titus 3:3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

⁷ that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

^NAS Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.

¹⁶ who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

^NAS Hebrews 11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised;

^NAS James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (“he will receive the crown of life”)

^NAS James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. (Tongue: “sets on fire the course of our life.”)

^NAS James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (“you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow”)

^NAS James 5:5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. (“led a life of wanton pleasure”)

^NAS 1 Peter 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (“your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers”)

^NAS 1 Peter 3:7 You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (“grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life”)

¹⁰ For, "Let him who means to love life and see good days Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. (All)

^NAS 2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (All)

^NAS 1 John 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life-- (“the Word of Life”)

² and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--

^NAS 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (“boastful pride of life”)

²⁵ And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. (All)

^NAS 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. (“we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren”)

¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (“no murderer has eternal life abiding in him”)

¹⁶ We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (All)

^NAS 1 John 5:11 And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (All)

¹² He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (All)

¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (All)

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. (“he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death”)

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (“This is the true God and eternal life.”)

^NAS Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

^NAS Revelation 2:7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'

⁸ "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

¹⁰ 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”)

^NAS Revelation 3:5 'He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. (“I will not erase his name from the book of life.”)

^NAS Revelation 7:17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes."

^NAS Revelation 8:9 and a third of the creatures, which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

^NAS Revelation 11:11 And after the three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were beholding them.

^NAS Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. (All)

^NAS Revelation 13:8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

¹⁴ And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

^NAS Revelation 17:8 "The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.

^NAS Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (“they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”)

⁵ The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

^NAS Revelation 21:6 And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

²⁷ and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (“the Lamb's book of life”)

^NAS Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, (“a river of the water of life”)

² in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (“the tree of life”)

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

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