Eternal life — Meaning in the Bible
Life without end, the life of the age to come, which the New Testament says God gives through Jesus. John's Gospel also describes it as knowing God now.
What it means
Daniel speaks of some awaking to everlasting life. In the Gospels people ask Jesus how to inherit eternal life, and John 3:16 promises it to whoever believes. Daniel 12:2Mark 10:17–22John 3:16
John defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, so it begins now as well as continuing for ever. Paul calls it the free gift of God. John 17:3John 5:24Romans 6:23
Key passages
- Daniel 12:2 — Everlasting life.
- John 3:14–16 — Whoever believes has eternal life.
- John 17:3 — Knowing God.
- Romans 6:23 — The free gift of God.
- 1 John 5:11–13 — God gave us eternal life in his Son.
Original language
αἰώνιος aiōnios
Greek · Strong’s G166 · gloss: “eternal”
The Greek adjective often translated "eternal", related to the word for an age. John 3:16
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Study further
- John 3:1–21 Nicodemus and eternal life.
- John 17:1–5 What eternal life is.
- 1 John 5:9–13 Assurance.