“24Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ τὸν λόγον μου ἀκούων καὶ πιστεύων τῷ πέμψαντί με ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ εἰς κρίσιν οὐκ ἔρχεται ἀλλὰ μεταβέβηκεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν. 25ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν ὅτε οἱ νεκροὶ ἀκούσουσιν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀκούσαντες ζήσουσιν. 26ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτως καὶ τῷ υἱῷ ἔδωκεν ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ: 27καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ κρίσιν ποιεῖν, ὅτι υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν. 28μὴ θαυμάζετε τοῦτο, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ἐν ἧ πάντες οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις ἀκούσουσιν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ 29καὶ ἐκπορεύσονται, οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως. “(John 5:24-29)
This is the way the Greek reads which is the language spoken by most when Jesus was born. What WE have is umpteen opinions of men as to how to translate those words into English. Here is what I believe to be the best unbiased translation of the above into English, the Concordant Literal New Testament.
24 "Verily, verily, I am saying to you that he who is hearing My word and believing Him Who sends Me, has life EONIAN and is not coming into judging, but has proceeded out of death into life.
25 Verily, verily, I am saying to you that coming is an hour, and now is, when the dead shall be hearing the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall be living.
26 For even as the Father has life in Himself, thus to the Son also He gives to have life in Himself.
27 "And He gives Him authority to do judging, seeing that He is a son of mankind.
28 Marvel not at this, for coming is the hour in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,
29 and those who do good shall go out into a resurrection of life, yet those who commit bad things, into a resurrection of JUDGING. (John 5:24-29 CLNT)
First note the words I have capitalized. If your English version says something different I believe it is wrongly translated.
Second note that whatever you think about this passage only those who “do good” works shall be involved in the resurrection of life, and those who “commit bad things” get the resurrection of judging. No sound bible believing Christian who has read the letters of the Apostle Paul could possibly think this is referring to being eternally saved or condemned.
Third, and most important is the context of the passage. Jesus has been traveling around Israel addressing JEWS ONLY with the message “repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. What did he mean and how did the Jewish listeners understand what he was saying?
This is the way the Greek reads which is the language spoken by most when Jesus was born. What WE have is umpteen opinions of men as to how to translate those words into English. Here is what I believe to be the best unbiased translation of the above into English, the Concordant Literal New Testament.
24 "Verily, verily, I am saying to you that he who is hearing My word and believing Him Who sends Me, has life EONIAN and is not coming into judging, but has proceeded out of death into life.
25 Verily, verily, I am saying to you that coming is an hour, and now is, when the dead shall be hearing the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall be living.
26 For even as the Father has life in Himself, thus to the Son also He gives to have life in Himself.
27 "And He gives Him authority to do judging, seeing that He is a son of mankind.
28 Marvel not at this, for coming is the hour in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,
29 and those who do good shall go out into a resurrection of life, yet those who commit bad things, into a resurrection of JUDGING. (John 5:24-29 CLNT)
First note the words I have capitalized. If your English version says something different I believe it is wrongly translated.
Second note that whatever you think about this passage only those who “do good” works shall be involved in the resurrection of life, and those who “commit bad things” get the resurrection of judging. No sound bible believing Christian who has read the letters of the Apostle Paul could possibly think this is referring to being eternally saved or condemned.
Third, and most important is the context of the passage. Jesus has been traveling around Israel addressing JEWS ONLY with the message “repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. What did he mean and how did the Jewish listeners understand what he was saying?
They were Jews. The Jews had been promised in the Old Testament that a Messiah would come and reestablish ON THE PRESENT EARTH the Kingdom given to Israel.
Jesus was saying to these JEWS that those Jews who had believed God would be resurrected to life and reign with Messiah during the Kingdom Age (Revelation tells us it will last 1000 years). Those Jews who did NOT believe God and have died will not be raised to live during that period but would have to wait until the end of the 1000 years to be resurrected and be judged by Jesus at the Great White Throne. There he will determine which JEWS get to live and reign during the Age that follows the 1000 years, the Age of the New Heaven and New Earth. Some will get to live during that Age and some will be put to the second DEATH by means of the Lake of Fire…to await the abolishing of death by Jesus when all mankind will be “made alive” and God is then "ALL in all" of his creation (1 Corinthians 15:22-28).
This is NOT complicated, but it does require one to actually read, understand and harmonize ALL Scripture….and stop listening to those who do not.
Jesus was saying to these JEWS that those Jews who had believed God would be resurrected to life and reign with Messiah during the Kingdom Age (Revelation tells us it will last 1000 years). Those Jews who did NOT believe God and have died will not be raised to live during that period but would have to wait until the end of the 1000 years to be resurrected and be judged by Jesus at the Great White Throne. There he will determine which JEWS get to live and reign during the Age that follows the 1000 years, the Age of the New Heaven and New Earth. Some will get to live during that Age and some will be put to the second DEATH by means of the Lake of Fire…to await the abolishing of death by Jesus when all mankind will be “made alive” and God is then "ALL in all" of his creation (1 Corinthians 15:22-28).
This is NOT complicated, but it does require one to actually read, understand and harmonize ALL Scripture….and stop listening to those who do not.