Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassidy
The divine life (zoe) is a Person . . . .
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This is just one example of a small error with big extensions.
"Zoe" is not merely "divine life." It is more generally the completeness of life. It is not merely the physical life, nor the psychological life, nor the enjoyment of life (the "high life"), but is the combination of them all. It is the whole enchilada. It is the combination of physical, psychological life, coupled with the enjoyment of life.
Most dictionaries do include a reference to "God's life" down the list somewhere. This is because it is presumed theologically that God's life must be complete. But the other definitions do not require that God be included for the term to be meaningful.
We can correctly argue that you do not have the best that life can offer without God's life. But all those guys eating pizza and drinking beer as they watch a football game together are experiencing zoe. It may not rise to the level of satisfaction that the life we can live with God does, but it is still zoe.
My argument is not to say that we do not need God's life. But everywhere that the word "zoe" is found in the NT does not simply mean "God's life." It always means the fullness of life. And for those who are mired in a miserable life on earth, adding God's life does bring zoe to them, although not in the way that the world would expect it.
So, if whenever you find "zoe" you simply replace it with "God's life," you are not being faithful to the text. Zoe is not simply a person. Neither are grace, love, or mercy. These are all attributes, features, etc., of life, interactions, etc., that are observable outside of the spiritual context by very decidedly unspiritual people. And for the spiritual, grace is meaningless if it is not observed and experienced. The same goes for life (zoe), love, and mercy. And when I say "experienced," I do not mean that some kind of "experience of Christ" stands in for these because he simply is all of these. If you do not actually experience grace, then simply referring to Christ and saying he is grace is meaningless. Same for love, mercy, and life (zoe).