Life

Life in biblical thought is always derived from and dependent on God as its source: "In him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). God breathed into Adam's nostrils "the breath of life" (nishmat hayyim), making him "a living being" (Gen. 2:7). The prohibition against murder (Gen. 9:6) rests on human life as bearing the divine image and therefore belonging to God. In the New Testament, Jesus declares himself "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25) and "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Eternal life is defined not merely as endless duration but relationally: "that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3).