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| | '''Eternal life''' has two complementary meanings in the [[New Testament]]: | | '''Eternal life''' has two complementary meanings in the [[New Testament]]: |
| − | *its primary meaning, as repeatedly used in the [[Gospel of John]], is complete happiness in this life;<ref>John 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 12.</ref> | + | *its primary meaning, as repeatedly used in the [[Gospel of John]], includes immediate, complete, perpetual happiness in this life, thereby overcoming [[anxiety]], [[addiction]], and pain, now and forever;<ref>John 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 12.</ref> |
| − | *its additional meaning, as used in the [[Gospels]] of [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]], is realizing endless happiness in [[heaven]],<ref>Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:44; Luke 18:30</ref> and to some extent the fullness of life in this lifetime to those that embraced his lessons on living a good life. | + | *its merely temporal meaning, as used in identical ways by the [[Gospels]] of [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]], is realizing endless happiness in [[heaven]],<ref>Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:44; Luke 18:30</ref> and to some extent the fullness of life in this lifetime to those that embraced his lessons on living a good life. |
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| − | Today a more powerful term may be "[[infinity|infinite]] life" to best convey the original meaning, which connotes benefits now and not merely in the distant future. | + | Today a more powerful term may be "[[infinity|infinite]] life" to best convey the original meaning, which connotes benefits now and not merely in the distant future. An addition of the connotation of [[God]] or good would also be appropriate. |
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| | Eternal life is the same as [[infinity|infinite]] time, and the development of the concept of infinity was primarily [[Christian]]. Before Christianity, the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]]s mocked the idea of infinity. | | Eternal life is the same as [[infinity|infinite]] time, and the development of the concept of infinity was primarily [[Christian]]. Before Christianity, the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]]s mocked the idea of infinity. |