|
Vertical Divider
|
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
Life is a major theme in the Bible. The word “life” is used 551 times; 339 in the Old Testament and 212 times in the New Testament. Among other things about life, the Bible reveals that the lower, earthly life of fallen mankind is incompatible with the higher, heavenly life of God. Consequently, the fundamental need for fallen humanity is new life suitable for fellowship with the living (zoe) God.
Original Language The New Testament contains several Greek words translated into the English word “life.” Two of them are used most frequently; zoe (dzo-ay’)(135 times) and psuche (psoo-khay’) (103 times). Context of usage serves to reveal an interesting relationship between zoe and psuche. The Greek word zoe is often used in the New Testament in reference to life in fullness or the absolute sense. In the absolute sense, it refers to the perfect, eternal, higher life of God. The Greek word psuche is most often translated as “life” and “soul” in the New Testament. When context dictates an interpretation of “life,” psuche generally refers to the temporal, earthly life of mankind that is shared in common with the animals. Psuche is interpreted as “soul” in the New Testament only when its context is more specifically related to the immaterial part of man, the seat of his personality. Regardless of whether interpreted as “life” or “soul,” psuche is commonly used in the New Testament to refer to man’s earthly, temporal, lower life. The Greek words zoe and psuche are sometimes used together in the New Testament in contrast to one another. For example, “He who loves his life (psuche) loses it, and he who hates his life (psuche) in this world will keep it to life (zoe) eternal.” (John 12:25) The contrast between psuche and zoe can be distinguished as follows: |
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
Message of Life
The Holy Bible unveils the eternal plan of God to establish His redemptive, living (zoe) presence on the degenerated earth. It is revealed from Genesis to Revelation. The biblical “message of…life (zoe)” is first revealed in Genesis. (cf. Acts 5:19-21) It is clarified in the first book of the Bible that God gave more than just physical, earthly life (psuche) to human beings. He also created man to exist on earth in union with His heavenly life (zoe). “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27) As indicated previously, when God said, “Let us make man in our image,” He used the Hebrew noun for “man” ('adam) in a collective sense. It provided a clear indication that God made mankind as one collective, covenantal entity. Therefore, it was not just Adam, the covenantal head of humanity, that was made to share life with God but also his covenantal body, the entire human race. Relative to the creation of mankind, Moses did not use the words “image” and “likeness” to communicate two different concepts. Instead, he used them for the sake of emphasis. The English word “image” is translated from the Hebrew word selem (tseh'-lem). It can refer to a copy, model, shadow, or representation. In contrast, the English word “likeness” is translated from the Hebrew word demuwth (dem-ooth'). It generally means shape, figure, form, or pattern. Rather than communicating a different idea, the word “likeness” (demuwth) was intended to amplify the word “image” (selem) and provide specificity of meaning. Being created in the “image” and “likeness” of God indicated that humanity was created as a “vessel” to accommodate the “treasure” of divine life (zoe) on earth. (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7) It is often presumed that the image-likeness of God in Adam was the manifestation of nothing more than some of the specific attributes of the divine nature. Concordant with the biblical “message of…life (zoe)”, however, the image-likeness of God in Adam was not indicative of a select number of divine attributes but the very presence of indwelling, divine life (zoe). Made in the image-likeness of God, Adam was not merely created to serve as a legal representative of God on earth. Accommodative of divine life (zoe), he was also made to be organically representational of God on earth.[1] |
|
Vertical Divider
|
Union of Life
God initially created Adam as a tripartite being with body, spirit, and soul. Therefore, he was provided with a functional awareness that was physical, spiritual, and personal. “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (LXX - zoe); and man became a living (zoe - LXX) being (psuche -LXX).” (Genesis 2:7) God first gave Adam a physical body “formed….of dust from the ground.” (2:7a) Consequently, he had a physical life function by which he could relate to the material world around him. God also equipped Adam with a spiritual life function. He “breathed into his nostrils the “breath of [eternal] life” (zoe - LXX). By the breath (sometimes translated “spirit” in the Old Testament) of His life, God filled Adam with His presence, and as a result, the two were joined as one in a spiritual union of life. (cf. Job 26:4) United to the living God by shared life, Adam gained spiritual understanding or enlightenment and conscience by which he could distinguish between right and wrong. (Job 32:8; Proverbs 20:27) By his spiritual life function, he had an intimate awareness of God in him and the opportunity to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. Lastly, God gave Adam a behavioral life function. It provided him with a sense of personal identity or a personality by which he became an independent person. As a consequence, he could think, feel and make choices for himself that would affect his physical, behavioral, and spiritual well-being. Nevertheless, God made Adam more than just an independent soul. The inbreathing of divine life (zoe) made him alive to God. Thus, Adam became a “living” (zoe) soul. Adam was created with physical, spiritual, and behavioral life function to accommodate the indwelling life (zoe) of God. As a result, he served as much more than a legal representative of God on earth. In His image-likeness, He was also organically representational of God on earth. Separation of Life Before the foundation of this present world, a large number of angelic beings made the unenviable choice to challenge the nature of God. It constituted a monumental act of rebellion. The justice of God required the angelic challenge and its consequences to be remedied. Therefore, He judged the rebellious angels and sentenced them to eternal condemnation. According to eternal plan, however, the sentence was temporarily suspended. It allowed for the fulfillment of a greater purpose. During the suspension, the fallen angels would contribute, albeit unwittingly, to the revelation of the nature of God in the heavens and on earth. Although God temporarily suspended their sentence, the fallen angels were not exempt from the immediate consequences of their rebellion. As a result, they experienced legal alienation from God, organic separation from the living (zoe) God, and banishment from His kingdom. It was a tragic reality that resulted in death, degeneration, and darkness for the rebellious angels and their earthly habitat. Relative to His eternal plan, God renovated the earth within a covenantal framework. According to what can be considered as the “Renovation Covenant,” He renovated it in spatiotemporal form and populated it with a new type of creature; mankind. The renovated earth and its creatures provided God with an arena to demonstrate the attributes of His nature and serve as a source from which He could replenish His kingdom with new citizens. Within the arena of space and time, the heavenly host, comprised of angels holy and unholy, would witness a progressive demonstration of the attributes of the divine nature through the gradual repopulation of the kingdom of God. For the holy angels, the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan would be nothing less than awe-inspiring. (cf. 1 Peter 1:12) In contrast, the fallen angels would view it with burning anger and intense jealousy. The Renovation Covenant was a conditional covenant of law. However, it had only one stipulation. For Adam to continue in covenant partnership with God, he could not eat from a specific tree in the Garden of Eden. “…from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) As stated, the consequence of his disobedience would be significant. Adam would experience spiritual death by separation from God, the highest source of life (zoe). Recognizing an opportunity, the fallen angels did not remain passive. They devised a scheme to cause further death, degeneration, and darkness. By the success of their scheme, the fallen angels hoped mankind would look less favorable and, by comparison, they would appear less unfavorable. In other words, it would serve to “level the playing field.” Congruent with their scheme, the fallen angels believed that God would be forced to lessen the severity of their eternal sentence. Foreknown by God, Adam, the progenitor and covenantal head of the human race fell for the devilish scheme and ate from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Consequently, like the fallen angels, Adam also experienced legal alienation from God, organic separation from God, and banishment from His kingdom. Legally and organically separated from the living (zoe) God, Adam experienced degeneration. Its effects extended to every part of his being; spirit, soul, and body. His spirit became dead to God. As a result, Adam’s soul became utterly self-serving, characterized by a darkened mind, deceitful emotions, and perverse will, and His body became subject to disease and eventual physical death. Separated from divine life (zoe), Adam’s primary life source shifted from heaven to earth, God to self. Therefore, rather than dependently and faithfully living by God's indwelling life (zoe) and incomparable power, Adam was forced to live independently on earth by self-effort. Concordant with Adam’s headship and the covenantal union of the human race, the entire human race, his covenantal body, experienced his same judgment. Consequently, the entire human race became guilty of transgression, became separated from divine life (zoe) and experienced the degeneration of soul and body. Testifying of the fallen state of mankind apart from God, the Bible states, “…the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth”; every member of the human race is conceived in sin, “brought forth in iniquity” and naturally “estranged from the womb.” (Genesis 8:21; Psalm 51:5; 58:3) As a result, the Apostle Paul states that fallen human beings are “dead in….trespasses and sins” and are the “sons of disobedience” who “[live] in the lusts of [their] flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind” because they are “by nature children of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:1-3) He further adds that they are “…alienated and hostile in mind.” (Colossians 1:21) God had created humanity to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. However, Adam’s original sin and consequent fall caused discord and disharmony between God and humanity. As a result, mankind forfeited its privilege of intimate fellowship with God. Despite the rebellion and consequent fall of mankind, God graciously chose to pursue reconciliation with the human race. It was not related to any apparent worthiness in the fallen. Instead, it was congruent with the attributes of His nature. |
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
Restoration of Life
In light of its separation from God, the redemption of mankind necessitated the revival of His living (zoe) presence on the degenerated earth. According to plan, it was predetermined to occur by the restoration of shared life between God and mankind. The biblical message of life (zoe) reveals the human need for redemption from sin and the promise of restoration to life (zoe). While communicated in both Testaments, in the New Testament it is unveiled in the Gospels, developed in Acts, and expounded in the Epistles. The Gospel of John unveils the biblical message of life (zoe) more fully than any other New Testament author. For example: |
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
The biblical message of life (zoe) is developed in the Book of Acts. It traces the movement of heavenly life (zoe) in and through the early church as follows:
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
Providing more significant detail about the opportunity for restoration to shared life, the biblical message of life (zoe) is expounded in the Epistles. For example:
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
Fundamental Need
In light of his natural, lifeless (zoe) state, the fundamental need for mankind is not the practice of religion. It is the reception of new life. God longs to share His life with undeserving, fallen man. It is a wondrous, undeserved gift received by faith alone. According to the biblical message of life (zoe), the sharing of life (zoe) with God is acquired through the instrumentality of the real church of the New Testament. It was made available from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. © 2022 James Hiatt |
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
|
Vertical Divider
|
|