Bible Study Seattle

“ I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. ”  1 Timothy 6:13-16

If we assume that God and Jesus are the same person, then this passage doesn’t give us too many problems.  Except that it says ‘whom no man has seen’.  Jesus was clearly seen.  If we assume that God and Jesus are separate persons, then we have two choices.  “Who alone…”  If we assume Jesus is immortal, then God is not.  If we assume God is immortal, then Jesus is not.  But 99.99% of Christians believe that Jesus is immortal as a reward for his enormous perfect sacrifice.  Another consideration is that Jesus and his bride must be in the same condition if they are to be one flesh.  Could it be that the state of never dying is granted after resurrection?  Or does the marriage happen long after the resurrection.  But who bears the earthly children of resurrection?

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus before ages, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ”  2 Timothy 1:8-10

This passage suggests that a path toward immortality has been revealed by the appearing of Jesus.  And we know that the last enemy to be conquered is death itself.  If death is impossible, then at the that point all creatures remaining would be immortal.  The main question is when?  This author tends toward the view that immortal is not instant upon the heavenly resurrection, but that death must be completely destroyed first.  Some could argue that death is defeated individually and not corporately.  What do you think?