Spiritual Gifts
Author: Steve Amato
Description: What the bible says about spiritual gifts
Keywords: spiritual gifts, bible, corinthians, tongues, prophecy, healing, miracles

# Eternal Life

Firstly, concerning life after death, the Bible reveals that life continues on after physical death. Jesus declared to the thief on the cross that "today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43 And Sheol itself is described in the Luke 16 where Jesus speaks of Lazarus and a rich man going to after they die. It is divided into two parts - paradise and hell separated by an impassable gap. Concerning hell, this illustration is also consistent with Jesus' parable of Matthew 18.

Matthew 18:
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Could you clarify your position on one point? Is it that you acknowledge these to be the case before the resurrection - that unbelievers are being consciously tormented in hell - but that you believe in addition to this that after the resurrection they are annihilated?

The reason I ask this is that it seems from your response that your concept of "eternal life" only refers to physical life. But the Bible indicates that there is life after death. In fact believers who have physically died are not referred to as being dead, but are referred to as "fallen asleep." (John 11:11; 1Cor 15:51; 1Thess 4:13-15) "Eternal Life" is not purely physical, but relational. It's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

The Bible declares that unbelievers are already dead, and we ourselves as believers were formerly dead, but not alive.

Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins

So we shouldn't think of eternal life in purely physical terms. For there are people who are physically alive but spiritually dead, who nonetheless have a conscious existence. (1John 5:12)

But let me attempt to answer your question: "how can eternal life be a gift and something that one must be worthy to have
[Acts 13:46] if both the wicked and the righteous are to receive it?"

Because "Eternal Life" is not simply existing forever, but rather it is having a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As such the "wicked" are "dead in their sins" (Col 2:13) even though they may be physically alive. And if they don't reconcile with God, they will suffer the eternal torments of hell and the lake of fire.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources