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I attended Catholic catechism as a youth roughly 60 years ago in the decade
of the 1950's. My siblings and I were not given the full blown catechism to
study. We were given little handbooks that contained just enough
information to get us past First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
As a result, the difference between immortality and eternal life was never
explained because that was information we didn't need to know in order to
pass First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Maybe things are different
now: I wouldn't know, nor do I care to know.
Immortality always refers to a supernatural body that's impervious to aging,
death, and putrefaction. As such, immortality is something that Christ's
believing followers expect to obtain sometime in the future rather than the
present.
†. Rom 8:23-25 . .We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our
bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at
all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not
yet have, we wait for it patiently.
The New Testament Greek word for "hope" in that passage is elpis (el pece')
which means to anticipate (usually with pleasure); and to expect with
confidence. Note the elements of anticipation, expectation, and confidence.
In other words: elpis hope isn't a cross-your-fingers kind of hope. It's a kind
of hope that looks forward to something as a sure thing,.
So then, people crossing their fingers, while in the backs of their minds
dreading the worst; do not have elpis hope. They simply have a longing for
something better, but with absolutely no assurance whatsoever of obtaining it.
Eternal life, on the other hand; has nothing to do with the nature of a
supernatural body, but rather, the psychological nature of a divine being.
I am a human being; hence I have the psychological nature of a human
being. God is a divine being, hence He has the psychological nature of a
divine being.
Christ had the psychological nature of a divine being before he got here.
†. John 5:26 . . Just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the
Son also to have life in Himself
†. 1 John 1:2 . .The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we
proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared
to us.
Clearly then; eternal life isn't physical because before he came to the earth,
Christ was spirit as per John 1:1-3.
The psychological nature of human life was created as per the book of
Genesis. But the psychological nature of eternal life wasn't created; it
couldn't be created because eternal life is the life of God; the divine being who
never had a beginning; viz: God always was, God always is, and God always
will be.
So then, the possession of eternal life doesn't make one a divine being, nor
does it make one an eternal being. It only equips them with the
psychological nature of God; which is pretty amazing itself.
Is what I'm saying true? Well; Peter seemed to think so.
†. 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to
life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His
own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious
and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become
partakers of the divine nature.
I don't know if the nuns who taught my catechism classes knew any and/or
all of the stuff that I've composed here because they never mentioned it. But
even if they had, I was doubtless too young at the time to digest it.
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