In the OT a term generally meaning life on this earth. It frequently refers to one’s life span (Deut 4:9; Jer 52:33) and is often contrasted with death (Gen 47:19). Life is God’s basic blessing (Deut 30:19). Sometimes life means not only survival, but health and well-being (Prov 3:13-18). In Deuteronomy and wisdom literature, life is associated with keeping the commandments of God (Deut 30:15-20; Prov 4:4). In the NT, “life” is often shorthand for “eternal life” (John 6:33; John 6:51; John 10:10), which includes life after death. Receiving such life is costly (Matt 7:14; Mark 9:42-48) and closely associated with following Jesus (Mark 10:28-31). In John’s Gospel, Jesus is the “bread of life,” the “light of life,” the “resurrection and the life,” and the “way, and the truth, and the life” (John 6:48; John 8:12; John 11:25; John 14:6). For Paul, baptism into Christ enables Christians to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4). “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Eternal life begins in the present—Christians live in God by the Spirit—and will continue after death (Rom 6:13; Gal 5:25).
