Eternal Life verses "Afterlife"

I can't find the phrase "afterlife" in the Bible. And very much of what I see written about "eternal life" is for the benefit of here and now. Very much of what I read about "eternal life" speaks of the QUALITY of life more so then the "WHEN" or duration of that life.

Where are the passages in the Bible focusing more on the experience of "eternal life" in the present age as a high quality life?

I plan to enumerate the passages emphasizing the present age experience of the "eternal life" more so then the thought of an "after life" happiness.

Ie. "Ham where we Am" More so then "Pie in the Sky when we Die".

Remember this when objectors to the Christian faith complain that it is too wrapped up in the "AFTERLIFE". Ie. Which I take as an appeal to realism of practicality involving the here and now.

Two of the givens of the Bible, which as far as I can see are non-negotiable.

1.) If anything exists an eternal source of all things must eternally exist.

Does your cell phone exist?
Does you laptop exist?
Does the room and chair and walls around you exist?

Then something must have existed always as the ultimate source of the existence of all things.

2.) Do lives exist? Does life exist?

If life exists, unless it is ever proven that non-life can produce life, then SOME life as the ultimate source of all other lives must exist eternally.

Genesis 1:1 argues for the first assumption, imo - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

John 1:3 - 4 argue for the first AND the second non-negotiable - "All things came into being through Him and apart from Him not one thing came into being which has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

To the problem directly. And my submissions will not be in a particular order.

Paul told Timothy in this present age to "lay hold on the eternal life."

"Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold on the eternal life, to which you were called ..." (1 Timothy 6:12)

Why didn't Paul say "Expect in the future after you die an afterlife of eternal life" ?

Argue or comment if you don't want this to be a blog. (On the subject matter please).

Rajk999, Is the eternal life the Christian has only like a ticket for the future?

You have said some things which led me to this impression. That we do not have eternal life today. But we only have the promise of eternal life for the future.

Is your concept of "eternal life" only that which awaits the Christian after death or resurrection ?

@sonship said
I can't find the phrase "afterlife" in the Bible.

@sonship said
Rajk999, Is the eternal life the Christian has only like a ticket for the future?

You have said some things which led me to this impression. That we do not have eternal life today. But we only have the promise of eternal life for the future.

Is your concept of "eternal life" only that which awaits the Christian after death or resurrection ?

@divegeester

You can’t find the phrase (word) “trinity” in the Bible either, but you seem to have no trouble creating an entire doctrine around and it and even making the belief in it a requirement for salvation.

In this age, the church age, the NT tells us to lay hold of " the life that is really life. " It means to lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ, plain and simple.

"Laying away for themselves a good foundation as a treasure for the future, that they may lay hold on that which is really life." (1 Tim. 6:19)

" ... God has given to us eternal life and this life in in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1 John 5:11,12)

"I have written this things to you that you may know that you have eternal life, to you who believe into the name of the Son of God." (v.13)

Ten Verses on the Enjoyment of the Eternal life in the present age:

1.) "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4)
Today - Jesus the life of God coming into you brings divine light to your conscience and consciousness.

2.) "The spirit is life because of righteousness" (Rom. 8:10)

this speaks of regeneration. The receiving of Jesus Christ into your innermost being causes it to be enlivened with eternal life because of justification. Emphatically, this refers to the present age. Look at the whole verse.

"But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the [human] spirit is life because of righteousness."

3.) "Because the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the [regenerated human] spirit is life and peace." (Rom. 8;6)

The mind set on the born again human spirit is eternal life enjoyed today rather than the weakness of death. It is divine life and peace to learn to set the mind on the re-born human spirit. It is not the mind set on the spirit in the next age only will be life. Today, eternal life and peace can be ours.

4.) "According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:20,21)

Paul was in a terribly oppressive situation being chained to a Roman guard in a prison. His rivals gloating that he was behind bars. He was unable to attend to the many local churches under his ministry. His rivals were working to undue his labors. It was outwardly a very discouraging situation for the apostle.

But he said he became like a magnifying glass. The life of Christ was magnified and made bigger to his observers in his body. It is Paul's body by Paul is living Christ and manifesting Christ. Christ is being seen IN THIS AGE as eternal life.

Here he says Christ was magnified in his body. In Second Corinthians he says that the life of Jesus would be manifested in the bodies of him and his suffering companions.

"Always bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Cor. 4:10)

@sonship said
@divegeester

You can’t find the phrase (word) “trinity” in the Bible either, but you seem to have no trouble creating an entire doctrine around and it and even making the belief in it a requirement for salvation.

Strictly speaking AFTER this natural life dies, there is resurrection and everlasting life for the saved. So though I don't find the t ...[text shortened]... onscious, that by "trinity" I mean "three Gods" it is pretty futile to repeat past debates with you.