Eternal life (Christianity)
"[7] In John, the purpose for the incarnation, death, resurrection and glorification of The Word was to provide eternal life to humanity.
[6] Scholars such as John H. Leith assert that eternal life is never described in detail in the New Testament, although assurances are provided that the faithful will receive it.
"[10] The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible on the other hand, contends that "the nature of eternal life is only sketched in its essential elements in the New Testament".
[14] In Christian teachings, eternal life is not an inherent part of human existence, and is a unique gift from God, based on the model of the Resurrection of Jesus, viewed as a unique event through which death was conquered "once for all", permitting Christians to experience eternal life.
The existence of divine love in believers, then facilitates the influence of the gospel on the world, and lead to widespread salvation.
The reference in Matthew 19:16 is within the parable of Jesus and the rich young man which also appears in Mark 10:17–31 and Luke 18:18–30.
[23] The parable starts by a question to Jesus from the young man: "what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
[13] Reformed evangelical theologian D. A. Carson sees John 5:24 as giving the "strongest affirmation of inaugurated eschatology in the Fourth Gospel": it is not necessary for the believer to "wait until the last day to experience something of resurrection life.
[27][28] However, although as in John 3:16 God has provided the gift of eternal life to believers, the possibility of perishing (απόληται) remains if one rejects Jesus.
[12] This is often correlated to 1 John 5:13: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
"[31] In John 6:51 Jesus states that: "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
This has been transposed, not only into a relationship with Jesus in common with Christian Theology but also into the Eucharist as an element of obtaining eternal life.
[32] The Catechism of the Catholic Church (item 1212) teaches that Christians are born through the sacrament of Baptism and receive the "food of eternal life" in the Eucharist.
[33] In John 10:27–28 Jesus states that: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish."
[36][37] The English version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church promulgated by Pope John Paul II does not contain the term 'afterlife'.
This view is called conditional immortality Adventist also believe that when a person dies, death is a state of unconscious sleep until the resurrection.
[39][40] One group, referenced as "the little flock" of 144,000 people, will receive immortality and go to heaven to rule as Kings and Priests with Christ during the thousand years.
As for the rest of humankind, after the final judgment, it is expected that the righteous will receive eternal life and live forever on an Earth turned into a paradise.
This doctrine stems from their belief that the resurrection of Jesus Christ grants the universal gift of immortality to every human being.
Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, provided a description of the afterlife based upon a vision he received, which is recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants.
[48] Some sects who hold to the doctrine of baptismal regeneration also believe in a third realm called Limbo, which is the final destination of souls who have not been baptised, but who have been innocent of mortal sin.
Souls in Limbo include unbaptised infants and those who lived virtuously but were never exposed to Christianity in their lifetimes.
