LIFE | ETERNAL LIFE [ZOE];
BEING BODILY RAISED [ANISTEMI] FROM THE DEAD;
AND LIVING | BEING ALIVE [ZAO] FOREVER
To live | to be alive [zao] forever is not the same thing as being given eternal life [zoe].
When used in reference to created human beings, the one is referring to living | being alive in the body [zao].
The other is referring to life itself [zoe], which is IN GOD ALONE and is GIVEN IN CHRIST to created human beings. This can be clearly seen in passages such as Philippians 1:20-24, where the words zoe and zao are both used:
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life [zōḗ], or by death. 21 For to me to live [zao: to be alive in a body that is not dead] is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live [zao: to be alive in the body] in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
Compare the verses below:
Acts 9:41:
And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive [zao].
John 6:38-40 & 44 & 54-58:
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should ..
Bodily Raised: .. raise it up [anistemi] again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have ..
Eternal Life: .. everlasting life [zoe]: and I will ..
Bodily Raised: .. raise him up [anistemi] at the last day.
Bodily Raised: 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up [anistemi] at the last day.
Eternal life: 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life [zoe]; and ..
Bodily Raised: .. I will raise him up [anistemi] at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
To live | to be alive: 57 As the living [zao] Father hath sent me, ..
To be alive in the body: .. and I live [zao] by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live [zao] by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live [zao] for ever.
Both the word zoe and the word zao are used in John 5:25-26 & 28-29:
Jesus said:
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live [záō: alive in a body that is not dead]. For as the ..
Eternal life: .. Father hath (eternal) life [zōḗ] in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life [zōḗ] in himself. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto ..
Bodily Raised: .. the resurrection of life [zōḗ]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. "
Three New Testament passages where the doctrine and theology of many main-stream theological institutions and churches have the two conflated, and as a result, have changed the meanings:-
John 11:21-26
22 But I know that even now, whatever You will ask of God, God will give You.
24 Martha said to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection [anastasis: THE Resurrection of the body], at the last day.
25 Jesus said to her,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Romans 14:9
--- "For this reason Christ died [apothnesko] and rose again from the dead [anistemi], and lived again [anazao: lived again in a body that is not dead], so that he may be the Lord of both the dead [nekros] and living [zao: those who are alive in a body that is not dead]." ---
In the book of Acts we read that when Festus told king Agrippa about the apostle Paul's case, he said that Paul's Jewish accusers had "brought none accusation of such things as I (Festus) supposed: But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead [thnesko], whom Paul affirmed to be alive. [zao]" (Acts 25:13-14).
In the Revelation we read that Jesus said, "I am he that liveth [zao], and was dead [nekros]; and, behold, I am alive [zao] unto the ages of the ages; Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death [thanatos]." (Revelation 1:18).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
".. I am the Resurrection [anastasis] AND the (eternal) life [ZOE]! He who believes in Me, THOUGH HE DIE (the death of the body), yet he shall live [zao: those who are living | alive in the body, those who are not lifeless, not dead].
To be alive in the body: 26 And whoever is alive [zao] AND continues to believe in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? .."
Compare the above passage (John 11:21-26) with the following:
John 6:54-58:
"Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life [zoe]; and I will raise him up [anistemi] at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living [zao] Father hath sent me, and I live [zao] by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live [zao] by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live [zao] for ever."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus was announcing the gospel of redemption from death to Martha: The context of John 11:21-26 is:
(i) the death [apothnesko] of the body; and
(ii) the resurrection [anistemi, anastasis] of the body; and
(iii) life/being alive in the body [zao].
It is in this context that Jesus told Martha that her brother (who had just died) will rise again, and that Jesus IS the resurrection (of the body), AND the life (eternal life: zoe),
and the one who dies and rises again, is alive in the body [zao], and if that one continues to believe in Jesus, he shall never die (shall be immortal).
The churches' conflation of zoe with zao:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
25 ".. He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall be spiritually alive.
(Though this may come as a shock to many because of the teaching in main-stream Christian churches, the New Testament never talks about created human beings as being spiritually alive).
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
--------------------------------------------
2. Jesus & the Sadducees
To the Sadducees who were bringing arguments against the concept of the resurrection of the dead to Him, Jesus said:
"As touching the dead [nekros[, that they rise [egeiro]: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead [nekros], but the God of the living [zao: of those who are alive in a body that is not dead]: ye therefore do greatly err." (Mark 12:26-27).
His full reply was,
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the zao (of those who are alive in the body)." (Matthew 22:29-32).
"For this reason Christ died [apothnesko] and rose again from the dead [anistemi], and lived again [anazao: lived again in a body that is not dead], so that he may be the Lord of both the dead [nekros] and living [zao: those who are alive in a body that is not dead]." (Romans 14:9).
The Sadducees understood that they could bring no further argument against the resurrection (of the body) from the dead, because Jesus reminded them that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who were dead, and God is not the God of the dead, but of those who are alive in the body [zao].
--------------------------------------------
AI - generated reply to "God of the living" (derived from main-stream Christian theology):
"In the Bible, God is referred to as the "God of the living," emphasizing His relationship with those who are spiritually alive.
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
According to the Bible, a human soul | spirit without a living body is a human soul | spirit without a body. The Bible calls this death, and tells us that death is the enemy of God (1 Corinthians 15:26). Death is the absence of zao (which, in the case of created humans, is to be alive in the body).
Unlike the Sadducees, the leaders and teachers of many of today's main-stream churches do not understand what Jesus meant, which is why they teach the crossed out parts below:
"In the Bible, God is referred to as the "God of the living," emphasizing His relationship with those who are spiritually alive" (false).
True: In the Bible, the living [zao] God who alone is spiritually alive [zoe], having (eternal) life in Himself, is referred to as the "God of the living", emphasizing His relationship with created human beings who are alive in their created bodies [zao].
"Jesus used this phrase to argue against the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the body from the dead, to indicate that these patriarchs were still alive in God's presence." (false).
True: Jesus was referring to the fact that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not bodily living [zao], yet God was nevertheless still their God, therefore Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - who were at the time dead and not zao (alive),
would rise from the dead bodily, and hence will be zao - alive in their resurrected bodies - following their resurrection from the dead.
Hence, Jesus proved to the Saduccees that their arguments against the resurrection of the body from the dead were all false. (Mark 12:26–27).
The passage has nothing to do with (the fact that) our eternal life [zoe] is in Christ, or the fact that God has eternal life [zoe] in Himself. The subject of the exchange between Jesus and the Sadducees was the resurrection of the body.
--------------------------------------------
Falsely applying what Jesus said as a reference to created human beings being spiritually alive is a false doctrine that in its effect seeks to diminish the purpose for the sacrifice of Christ:
"For this reason Christ died [apothnesko] and rose again from the dead [anistemi], and lived again [anazao: lived again in a body that is not dead], so that he may be the Lord of both the dead [nekros] and living [zao: those who are alive in a body that is not dead]." (Romans 14:9).
Such doctrine in its effect also treats God's purpose (which has never changed) for creating mankind and placing the man to be alive [zao] in a created body on the created earth,
as though His purpose no longer matters, because (according to the false doctrine) death (the death of the body) does not matter anymore because created human beings who are in Christ "are now 'spiritually' alive".
There is also no such thing as a "spiritual" resurrection or a "spiritual" quickening (a quickening of a "dead human spirit") in the New Testament. It's false doctrine produced by the Church and repeated by main-stream Christian churches (see the page on Quickening).
--------------------------------------------
3. Revelation 20:4-6
"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands.
And they were alive in their own living bodies [zao] and reigned with Christ a thousand years –
But the rest [loipoí] of the dead did not live again [anazao] (in their bodies) until the thousand years were finished.
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. The second death has no authority over these, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:5).
In the context of the promises Christ makes to His churches and of the entire Revelation regarding Satan, the beast, the destruction of the beast by Christ at the time of His return, the resurrection that the New Testament teaches will occur when Christ returns,
and the meaning of the words used, the passage is talking about John seeing those souls alive in their own living bodies whom John had seen as beheaded for their refusal to worship the beast,
and John calls this the first resurrection of the body.
The conflation (adhered to especially by Amillennialists):
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands.
And they were spiritually alive in Christ and reigned with Christ a thousand years before He returned to usher in the ages of the ages.
But the rest of those who were spiritually dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first "spiritual" resurrection into Christ through the "quickening of the human spirit" of those who were once spiritually dead."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
--- ---
