A

|

LIFE (1: 4).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (3: 15, 16, 36).

A

|

LIFE (3: 36).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (4: 14, 36; 5: 24).

A

|

LIFE (5: 24, 26, 39).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (5: 39).

A

|

LIFE (5: 40).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (6: 27).

A

|

LIFE (6: 33, 35).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (6: 40, 47).

A

|

LIFE (6: 48, 51, 53).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (6: 54).

A

|

LIFE (6: 63).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (6: 68).

A

|

LIFE (8: 12; 10: 10).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (10: 28).

A

|

LIFE (11: 25).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (12: 25, 50).

A

|

LIFE (14: 6).

B

|  ETERNAL LIFE (17: 2).

A

|

LIFE (20: 31).

Are we to draw a distinction between these two sets of statements? Are we to say

"Life" is one thing and "Eternal life" is another? Apart from the inspired Word none can

answer, and none to whom the foregoing list is a list and nothing more is qualified to

express even an opinion. For example, upon examination we find that when Christ said,

"The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (John 6: 63); Peter

replied, "Lord to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6: 68).

Are we to see some subtle distinction here? Or does the word "life" cover all its

subdivisions? In the same chapter the Lord said, "The bread of God is He which cometh

down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (John 6: 33).  Was there any

intentional difference when He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on

Me, hath everlasting life, I am that bread of life" (John 6: 47, 48)? Or, once again, when

we read verses 53 and 54, "Ye have no life in you . . . . . hath eternal life", is there an

intentional distinction?

In the third chapter we have "eternal life" in the presentation of the gospel

(John 3: 15, 16, 36), but in the summary and conclusion we read, "Shall not see life". It

is evident that "life" in John's Gospel includes "eternal life", and this life is not to be

confused with the life lived by fallen man, for John never once uses it in that way. He

does, however, say:--