2 Timothy 1:10 – Who abolishes death

…Christ Jesus, Who, indeed, abolishes death, yet illuminates life and incorruption through the evangel.

What is the good message here according to Paul? This: that Christ Jesus nullifies death and brings life to light. See the Gospel there in a nutshell. This is neither a story nor a moral. It is a message. Every message with a threat of ‘never-ending death’ is not the good message that Paul was trumpeting.

Many translations display the above verse as complete (“… who has abolished death”). But that’s not right. In Greek there is a timeless verb form here (aorist) and we also know from 1 Corinthians 15: 22-28 that death will only be abolished at the end of Christ’s rule. As the last enemy.

Death has already been conquered (two thousand years ago), but it will be destroyed. How? By making all people alive! Just as Christ was made alive as the firstfruits. In incorruptibility, glory and power. Only when all have been made alive in this way is death nullified. Then Christ’s mission is complete and He will return a perfect Kingdom to God the Father. Where nothing and nobody is missing and GOD will be “all in all”! What a good message!

Delen: