Luke Part 4: Eternal Life

Part 4 of my current blogging on the Gospel according to Luke - what does "eternal life" mean in Luke?

In Daniel 12, the term is used for the first time (in the ESV translated "everlasting life"):

At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.

This is certainly apocalyptic language, but it looks forward to a deliverance of Israel which includes a resurrection from the dead (presumably on earth). The imagery of people being resurrected and shining like stars draws comparisons with Isaiah's picture of the new heavens and new earth - Isaiah has the righteous people living long lives in Jerusalem.

The use of the term "eternal life" seems to become quite frequent in Jewish writing during the Second Temple period (see, for example, 1 Enoch), so by Jesus' day there is apparently a fairly general expectation - thus a ruler/magistrate asks Jesus:

Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

There may be a real risk for today's readers of Luke to assume a certain meaning of "eternal life" (perhaps a disembodied state and/or an existence transported to a distant "heavenly" location?). I would encourage more Christians to read some of the 2TJ (Second Temple Judaism) texts and think about such questions as what the "rich ruler" meant when he asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life.