Days of Praise [Creation Devotional]

Institute for Creation Research ^ | March 06 | John D. Morris, Ph.D.

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He Shall Never See Death

March 6, 2012

 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." (John 8:51)

 

This passage has been a difficult one for commentators. Most would interpret it to mean that a Christian will not experience spiritual death. While it is very true that a Christian--one who has been born twice (the second birth being a spiritual birth) will not experience spiritual death, in this passage Jesus seems to be talking about physical death. This is evidenced by the fact that the Jewish skeptics around Christ called Him a heretic for saying it, since it was obvious that Abraham and the other prophets had died physically. Christ did not correct them by clarifying His words to mean spiritual death. Despite the fact that the grave is full of those who physically died while believing in Christ, He teaches that His followers will "never see death."

 

Actually, the Greek is very emphatic here. The combination of words could be literally translated "He shall absolutely not see |physical| death, never." Perhaps Christ is teaching that a believer will never see real death, since, to such a one, death is, in reality, only "sleep."

 

But perhaps the key to understanding this teaching might be in the word "see." What does this mean? Several Greek words are translated by the English word "see," but this one merits special study. It implies a look that is more than indifferent, but one of pondering; intensely interested; preoccupied; and fully acquainted with its object.

 

A Christian, therefore, will not "see" death with such interest, for his attention will not be on death's terrors, but upon the One who Himself bore all that death had to offer, yet conquered it forever. A Christian can look even at his own approaching death calmly, with passive interest, for it holds little influence over him. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). JDM

 

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God bless you.

[Tax-chick]

Excellent piece. Father Ho Lung says, "There is no such thing as death for a Christian who believes in the Resurrection." My version is, "Dead is just a materialist obfuscation."

[Sopater]

"Dead is just a materialist obfuscation."

Very nice...

I sure do wish I could read the Greek and Hebrew text in the original language... I imagine that an enormous veil would be lifted from my eyes if I knew the languages.

[Tax-chick]

I’ve been studying New Testament Greek with one of my sons, but we’re still at the basic-grammar level, “The brothers see the house of the man,” and so on.

[OrangeHoof]

I have an NASB-NIV-Greek parallel New Testament and it gives us John 8:51 thusly in Greek:

“Truly, Truly I tell you if anyone my word keeps, death by no means will he behold unto the age.” So see = behold. Perhaps we will not behold death as the end of life for those who keep His words, but as a transition from life to a new phase of life.

This book, by the way, is compiled by Alfred Marshall and is published by Regency (c) 1987 should anyone seek to find a copy.

[Sopater]

I have an NASB-NIV-Greek parallel New Testamentand and it gives us John 8:51 thusly in Greek

My NT Greek says it like this:

αμην αμην λεγω υμιν εαν τις τον λογον τον εμον τηρηση θανατον ου μη θεωρηση εις τον αιωνα

It's all greek to me. ;-)

All kidding aside, my Interlinear Greek NT on e-Sword translates it like this:

αμην 281[VERILY] αμην 281[VERILY] λεγω 3004(5719)[I SAY] υμιν 5213[TO YOU,] εαν 1437[IF] τις 5100 τον 3588[ANYONE] λογον 3056 τον 3588[WORD] εμον 1699[MY] τηρηση 5083(5661)[KEEP,] θανατον 2288 ου 3756[DEATH] μη 3361[IN NO WISE] θεωρηση 2334(5661) εις 1519 τον 3588[SHALL HE SEE] αιωνα 165[FOR EVER.]

The Greek word translated "behold" in your translation is "θεωρηση", Strong's #G2334:

From a derivative of G2300 (perhaps by adverb of G3708); to be a spectator of, that is, discern, (literally, figuratively [experience] or intensively [acknowledge]): - behold, consider, look on, perceive, see. Compare G3700.

G2300 is θεάομαι

A prolonged form of a primary verb; to look closely at, that is, (by implication) to perceive (literally or figuratively); by extension to visit: - behold, look (upon), see. Compare G3700.

G3700 is ὀπτάνομαι, ὄπτομαι

The first a (middle voice) prolonged form of the second (primary) which is used for it in certain tenses; and both as alternates of G3708; to gaze (that is, with wide open eyes, as at something remarkable; and thus differing from G991, which denotes simply voluntary observation; and from G1492, which expresses merely mechanical, passive or casual vision; while G2300, and still more emphatically its intensive G2334, signifies an earnest but more continued inspection; and G4648 a watching from a distance): - appear, look, see, shew self.

My Vine's Dictionary defines G2334 as such:

denotes "to be a spectator of," indicating the careful perusal of details in the object; it points especially, as in No. 1, to the action of the person beholding, e.g., Mat_28:1; the RV frequently renders it by "to behold," for the AV, "to see," e.g., Joh_14:17, Joh_14:19; Joh_16:10, Joh_16:16-17, Joh_16:19. The difference between this verb and Nos. 1 and 2 is brought out in Joh_20:5-6, Joh_20:8; in Joh_20:5 blepo is used of John's sight of the linen cloths in the tomb, without his entering in; he "saw" at a glance the Lord was not there; in Joh_20:6 the closer contemplation by Peter is expressed in the verb theoreo. But in Joh_20:8 the grasping by John of the significance of the undisturbed cloths is denoted by eidon.


It sounds like the word can be taken to mean seeing as an "experience". More than just noticing or seeing, but to behold or partake of something. Death to the unsaved is all consuming. The wages of sin is death. "Death" is the final consequence for all those who reject God and His gift of salvation. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." - John 5:24.