Word Studies¶

Key Terms for the Immortality Question¶

athanasia (G110) -- "immortality" (deathlessness)¶

Original: athanasia Transliteration: athanasia Part of Speech: feminine noun Definition: From a-thanatos (un-death); deathlessness, immortality Occurrences: 3 total in NT

Translations: - "immortality" -- 3x (1 Cor 15:53, 54; 1 Tim 6:16)

Key verses: - 1 Tim 6:16: God "only hath immortality (athanasia)" - 1 Cor 15:53: "this mortal must put on immortality (athanasia)" - 1 Cor 15:54: "this mortal shall have put on immortality (athanasia)"

Historical significance: This word appears ONLY 3 times in the NT. It is attributed exclusively to God (1 Tim 6:16) and to resurrected believers (1 Cor 15:53-54). It is never attributed to the human soul. The Greek philosophical concept of an inherently immortal soul uses different terminology (athanatos psyche), but the NT does not apply athanasia to the psyche.

aphtharsia (G861) -- "incorruptibility"¶

Original: aphtharsia Transliteration: aphtharsia Part of Speech: feminine noun Definition: From aphthartos (incorruptible); incorruptibility, unending existence Occurrences: 8 total in NT

Translations: - "incorruption" -- 4x - "immortality" -- 2x - "sincerity" -- 2x

Key verses: - Rom 2:7: "seek for glory and honour and immortality (aphtharsia)" - 1 Cor 15:42: "sown in corruption; raised in incorruption (aphtharsia)" - 2 Tim 1:10: Christ "brought life and immortality (aphtharsia) to light through the gospel" - Eph 6:24: "all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity (aphtharsia)"

Historical significance: Like athanasia, aphtharsia is something to be sought (Rom 2:7), received at resurrection (1 Cor 15:42), and revealed through the gospel (2 Tim 1:10). It is never described as an inherent human property.

psyche (G5590) -- "soul"¶

Original: psyche Transliteration: psyche Part of Speech: feminine noun Definition: From psycho (to breathe); breath, spirit, the soul; by implication life itself Occurrences: 105 total in NT

Translations: - "soul" (major usage) - "life" (common usage) - "mind" (occasional) - "heart" (occasional)

Historical significance: The Greek word psyche was used by Plato for the immortal soul. The same word appears in the NT but with a Hebrew semantic background (nephesh). In Platonic usage, psyche is the divine, pre-existent, immortal essence imprisoned in the body. In biblical usage, psyche/nephesh means the whole living person (Gen 2:7 -- man BECAME a living psyche), or life itself (Matt 16:25 -- "lose his psyche"), or appetite/desire. The NT never calls the psyche "immortal" (athanatos). Instead, Jesus says God can DESTROY the psyche (Matt 10:28).

The conflation of Platonic psyche (inherently immortal) with biblical psyche (mortal, whole person) is the central linguistic channel through which Greek philosophy entered Christian theology.

thnetos (G2349) -- "mortal"¶

Original: thnetos Transliteration: thnetos Part of Speech: adjective Definition: From thnesko (to die); liable to die, mortal Occurrences: 6 total in NT

Translations: - "mortal" -- 5x - "mortality" -- 1x

Key verses: - Rom 6:12: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal (thnetos) body" - Rom 8:11: "shall also quicken your mortal (thnetos) bodies" - 1 Cor 15:53: "this mortal (thnetos) must put on immortality" - 2 Cor 4:11: "the life of Jesus manifest in our mortal (thnetos) flesh" - 2 Cor 5:4: "that mortality (thnetos) might be swallowed up of life"

Historical significance: The NT explicitly calls the human condition "mortal" (thnetos). This directly contradicts the Platonic claim that the human soul is inherently immortal (athanatos). The mortal must "put on" immortality -- it is not already possessed.

Summary of Word Study Findings¶

The biblical vocabulary consistently treats immortality as: 1. Belonging to God alone (athanasia -- 1 Tim 6:16) 2. Something to be sought (aphtharsia -- Rom 2:7) 3. Put on at resurrection (athanasia -- 1 Cor 15:53-54) 4. Brought to light through the gospel (aphtharsia -- 2 Tim 1:10) 5. NOT an inherent human property (thnetos -- humans are mortal) 6. The soul (psyche) can be destroyed (Matt 10:28)

The Platonic concept of an inherently immortal soul (athanatos psyche) has no lexical support in the NT. The NT never combines athanasia/athanatos with psyche.

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