Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
There is a false teaching being spread about on this forum which says that no one received eternal life until after the Lord Jesus died on the Cross and was resurrected from the dead. However, the following words of the Lord Jesus spoken before the Cross prove that eternal life was given to believers before the Cross. The Lord said the following about His sheep who follow Him:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (Jn.10:27-28).
The Greek word translated "give" is in the Greek present tense, which is defined in the following way:
"The present tense represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. In most cases this corresponds directly with the English present tense." (Blue Letter Bible).
If no no one received eternal life until after the Cross the Lord Jesus would have told his sheep; "And I will give unto them eternal life."
But that is not what He said. Perhaps this information will result in a cessation of the false teaching that no one received eternal life until sometime after the Cross.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (Jn.10:27-28).
The Greek word translated "give" is in the Greek present tense, which is defined in the following way:
"The present tense represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. In most cases this corresponds directly with the English present tense." (Blue Letter Bible).
If no no one received eternal life until after the Cross the Lord Jesus would have told his sheep; "And I will give unto them eternal life."
But that is not what He said. Perhaps this information will result in a cessation of the false teaching that no one received eternal life until sometime after the Cross.