Eternal Life and the Kingdom of God: Interpreting zoen aionion

 

The confusion surrounding the definition of the gospel frequently involves the misconception that the good news refers to a penal substitutionary death of Jesus instead of humans, in which he takes their punishment from God and they take his righteousness, thereby permitting humans to attain eternal life, either in heaven or in the resurrected body of new creation. While the gospel, in truth, is best defined as the Kingdom of God and Jesus as its king, the misconception that mistakes one of the gospel’s implications for the whole continues to squint at the magic eye of “justification by faith”, hoping to see a gospel with blurred vision. However, one occasionally hears a voice noting that the idea of inheriting “eternal life” appears frequently in Scripture, indicating that the concern of Jews in the first century was more about living eternally than hoping for the coming of God’s Kingdom. Let’s set the record straight.

The phrase zoen aionion is frequently translated as “eternal life” but is better to be translated as “the age to come”, referring to the age of the Kingdom of God, as opposed to “this present evil age” (Gal 1:4). This is most clearly seen in Mark 10:17-30. The rich young ruler asks, “What shall I do to inherit the age to come?” Note verses 23 & 24: “How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!” The phrase “eternal life” then is practically synonymous with the “Kingdom of God.”

Therefore, we see the following verses:

1 Tim 6:12 – “take hold of the life of the age to come to which you were called”

Matt 19:29 – “inherit the life of the age to come”

Matt 25:34 – “inherit the kingdom”

Mark 10:17 – “inherit the life of the age to come”

Luke 10:25 - “inherit the life of the age to come”

Luke 18:18 – “inherit the life of the age to come”

1 Cor 6:9 & 10 - “inherit the kingdom of God”

1 Cor 15:50 – “inherit the kingdom of God”

Gal 5:21 - “inherit the kingdom of God”

John 3:3 – “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:36 - “He who believes in the Son has the life of the age to come; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 3:4 – “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter (eiserchomai) a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

John 3:5 – “unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter (eiserchomai) into the kingdom of God.”

John 3:15 - “whoever believes will in Him have life in the age to come.”

John 3:16 – “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have life in the age to come.”

Again, the phrase “eternal life” must be understood as another way of describing the “Kingdom of God.” Will that age to come be one in which believers are resurrected into Spirit-empowered bodies so as to live forever in the perfect new creation of glory? Yes, of course, but that is a part of the Kingdom that must not be mistaken for the whole. One can understand the gospel as including release from prison of sin/idolatry (Luke 4:18; Acts 14:15), favor (Luke 4:19; Acts 20:24), peace (Acts 10:36; Eph 6:15), and salvation (Luke 1:69-71; Acts 16:17), if that latter term is properly understood. But all of those individual aspects are parts of the whole that is the Kingdom of God as the rule & reign of God in Jesus. To say the gospel is about salvation (properly understood) is no different than saying the gospel is about peace. Don't mistake a part for the whole.