ἀθανασία

immortality

Definition

The noun ἀθανασία (athanasia) means 'immortality' or 'incorruptibility,' specifically referring to the state of being free from death and decay. In the New Testament, it consistently denotes the imperishable, eternal life that belongs to God and is granted to believers. In 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, it describes the future, transformed state of the resurrected body, which must 'put on immortality' to inherit the kingdom of God. In 1 Timothy 6:16, it is used uniquely as an attribute of God Himself, who alone possesses immortality inherently.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only three times in the New Testament, exclusively by Paul, and always in a theological context concerning eternal life. In 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, it appears twice in a discussion of the resurrection, describing the necessary transformation of the mortal body into an immortal one. In 1 Timothy 6:16, it is used doxologically, declaring that God alone possesses immortality in an unapproachable light. The usage pattern ties the concept directly to eschatological hope and divine nature.

Etymology

Derived from the alpha-privative prefix ἀ- (a-), meaning 'not' or 'without,' combined with the root θάνατος (thanatos, G2288), meaning 'death.' Thus, it literally means 'deathlessness.' It is a compound noun formed in Greek to express the philosophical and theological concept of a state exempt from dying.

Semantic Range

This word is central to Christian hope and theology. It distinguishes the Christian belief in a bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) from mere spiritual survival, emphasizing a future physical existence free from decay. It also underscores God's unique, self-existent nature as the only source of life (1 Timothy 6:16). Understanding this Greek term enriches reading by highlighting that the believer's immortality is not innate but is a gift 'put on' through Christ's victory over death.

In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of immortality (athanasia) was often discussed in philosophical circles, sometimes referring to the soul's indestructibility. The New Testament usage, particularly in 1 Corinthians, confronts and redefines this by anchoring immortality not in a natural human quality but in the future resurrection of the body through Christ, a concept that was foreign or foolish to many contemporary Greek thinkers (1 Corinthians 1:23).

ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios, G166) — 'eternal life'; focuses more on the quality and unending duration of life, while ἀθανασία emphasizes the state of being deathless and incorruptible, especially of the body.

Word Details

Scripture References