By: Gen. Jim – 8/24/25
Death, in whichever sense it is used, is always, in Scripture, viewed as the penal consequence of sin, & since sinners alone are subject to death (Rom. 5:12), it was as the Bearer of sin that Jesus Christ the Lord submitted thereto on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree (cross), that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes (lit., wounds) you were healed.” – NKJV.)
This is not all: “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” – Heb. 9:28. Another translation reads: “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.”
The above text follows the previous one: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” This means that judgment for each soul follows DEATH, & this interpretation would be consonant with his (the author’s) thought throughout. God’s estimate of each soul will be honest & fair & a judicious one. We may cheat in life, but we will never cheat death: it comes to all. After this, judgment of how we lived our lives, the climax!
Old vs New
Paul writes: “… we have been delivered from the (Jewish) law, having died to what we (as Jews) were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit & not in the oldness of the letter.” – Rom. 7:6, NKJV
Paul, before he wrote the above (7:6), wrote: “but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; & circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God,” 2:28. One must be born-again in order to enter the Kingdom. Being a racial Jew will not qualify.
Nouns:
Death: (Gk.) Thanatos/ Θάνατος, is used in Scripture of:
(a.) the separation of the soul (the spiritual part of man, i.e., humanity) from the body (the physical/material part), the latter ceasing to live/function & turning to dust (e.g., Jn. 11:13; Heb. 2:15; 5:7; 7:23. Hebrews 9:15 says “… He (Christ) is the mediator of the N.T., that by means of DEATH, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
The Mediator, Christ Jesus, brings God & man into the new relationship: “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity by the DEATH of the testator,” vs.16.
(b.) the separation of man from God; Adam died on the very day they disobeyed God (Gen. 2:17, & so ALL humankind are born in the same spiritual condition: the minute we are born we start dying! (see Rom. 5:12,14,17,21, from which, however, those who believe in the Lord are delivered from spiritual death (Jn. 5:24 is proof; see also 1 Jn. 3:14).
DEATH is the opposite of LIFE; it never denotes non-existence. Some believe in extinction, annihilation after death. The Bible never teaches this – the soul/spirit/body of man will live eternally: in Heaven if an overcomer Christian; in Hell if an apostate or non-Christian. As spiritual life is CONSCIOUS existence in communion with God, so spiritual death is CONSCIOUS existence in separation from God.
(2) Death: Anairesis/ἀναίρεσις, another word for “death”, lit. signifies a taking up or off (ana, up, airō, to take), as of the taking of a life, or putting to death; it is found in Acts 8:1 = the murder of Stephan! (note: some MSS. have it in 22:20. See anaireō, under “kill”. In the Gk. O.T., Num. 11:15; Jud. 15:17, “the lifting of the jawbone”).
(3) Teleute/ τελευτή, an end, limit (telos, see “End”), the end of life, death, is used of the death of Herod in Mt. 2:15 et al.
Adj.
Epithanatios/ἐπιθανάτιος, “doomed to death” (epi, upon, thanatos), see 1 Cor. 4:9. I have an article posted on this text = “Apostles, lost, as men condemned to death.”
Verbs
(1) Thanatoō/ Θάνατος, to put to death (see Mt. 10:21; Mk. 13:12; Lk. 21:16, is trans. “shall… cause (them) to be put to death,” lit. “shall put (them) to death” (R.V.); the A.V./KJV has, “they will put some of you to death.”
The Gk. verb is used of the Death of the Lord Jesus in Mt. 26:59; 27:1; Mk. 14:55 & 1 Pet. 3:18. In Rom. 7:4 (Passive Voice) it is trans. “ye… were made dead” (in the R.V.; in the A.V., “have become dead”).
Paul writes: “For if you live according to the flesh you will DIE; but if by the Spirit you put to DEATH the deeds of the body you will LIVE.” -Rom. 8:13, NKJV
Some translations have “make to DIE,” of the act of the believer in regard to the sinful deeds of the body; in 8:36 = “For your sake we are KILLED all day long.” (see also 2 Cor. 6:9 = “… as dying & behold we live; as chastened, & yet not KILLED,” NKJV. (see also “mortify”).
(2) Anaireō/ἀναιρέω, literally, to take or lift up or away, to put to death, is usually translated to kill or slay: “put to death” in Lk. 23:32, NKJV/KJV; Acts 26:10. It is used 17 times, with this meaning, in Acts.
(3) Apagō/ἀπάγω,lit., to lead away (apo, away, agō, to lead), is used esp. in a judicial sense, to put to death, e.g., Acts. 12:19.
(4) Apakteinō/ἀποκτείνω, “to kill”, is translated in the R.V., for the KJV, “put to death”, in Mk. 14:1; Lk. 18:33; in Jn. 11:53; 12:10 & 18:31, R.V., “put to death”.
[note: The Gk. phrase eschatōs echō, lit., “to have extremely”, i.e., “to be in extremeity, (inextremis), at the last (gasp), to be at the point of death,” see Mk. 5:23.
Can a Christian fall into Death?
I have many articles on this question (posted on our several websites).
Salvation is a FREE gift: we do not work to be saved; We merely repent, ask forgivness – God does the rest. Jesus paid for our sins to be forgiven but we must accept this sacrifice. (see my articles on Salvation / Being Born Again). Once saved we, as the Bible teaches, MUST ENDURE TILL THE END! Lets talk about this.
Pt. 2
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” – Mt. 24:13, KJV
The Greek word for endure is hopomenō = to stay, remain, i.e. bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere, endure, suffer, tarry behind (ὑπομένω). There are numerous Scriptures that use this one Gk. word (out of 7 Verbs & 1 Noun). But what did Jesus mean “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved?” The author of Hebrew wrote something similar: “But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house one we, IF we hold fast the confidence… firm unto the end.” Heb. 3:6. KJV. (see my articles on the “if” clause). Jesus also, before Mt. 24:3, wrote, “… but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Mt. 10:22 KJV. Twice Jesus spoke about enduring till the end… to be saved or remain saved. What if one does not endure till the end?
All this about enduring is related to death! If one does not endure till the end of his/her walk as a believer, the end will be eternal DEATH, not eternal Life!
Scholars believe Jesus’ warning – “he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” – suggest the first great persecution of Christians under crazy Nero in the year A.D. 64 (see Tacitus Annals, XV.44). Later persecutions were, in fact, because of the “Name” alone (see Pliny Epistles 96,97). Mark 13:13 states the same thing. Scholars believe Mark’s statement refers to the great tribulation at the end of the age; here in Matthew, it is believed to mean that ones who endure persecutions historically will save his/her soul. But the question remains: what happens to the ones that fail to endure till the end? We know Christ warned His people about the coming Roman persecution (A.D. 70) in which multitudes were killed – the ones who obeyed the Spirit were kept safe. (note: the Jewish war began in A.D. 66, as history recorded it: see Eusebius, Church History III.5.3, which says that at that time, in obedience to a divine Spirit revelation, God’s true people moved to Pella in Trans-Jordan; see vs.23. there are good sources that give this account.
Death (physical) came to the Jews who stayed in Jerusalem. But what of those who forsook Christ? Did they lose their souls? (spiritual death).
Mt. 24:13
Verse 12, Jesus spoke, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Then He puts forth His matter-of-fact statement: “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved,” KJV.
The Rhm translation read: “But he that hath endured throughout…”; the NEB reads, “… holds out to the end”; the Ber reads, “… perseveres…”; the Wey, “… stands firm…” et al.
Q. was Matthew (quoting Jesus) writing a general statement – enduring one’s Christian walk till the end – or making a specific statement (Jesus’) to the Christian believers in the trying period in which he lived?, when despite the apostasy (falling away, never to return to Christ) the gospel must still be preached (vs.14).
So, what we’re looking at is Persecution/Endurance in Discipleship – who will finish their course and remain in eternal life as opposed to the ones who fall away into eternal death.
Jesus says in vs.10, “… many be offended, & shall betray one another, and shall hate one another,” KJV. Another translation reads: “And then many will fall away, and betray one another, & hate one another.”
Under the threshings of persecution (by the world), many in those days fell away, i.e. apostatized, denying the Christian faith, never to return.
[note: for living examples see our PX2 & PX3 Files; posted]. We know Judas got the ball rolling, followed by who knows how many left the faith under persecution. It matter not when this Mt. 24:12-14 took place or was to take place, there was a period of apostasy during the early Church & it has continues till this day (8/24/25). There will always be some who receive eternal life but fall away, thus, enter into eternal death once again = “Dog returns to his vomit!”.
All human life is on trial. Will they choose to stay in eternal DEATH or will they choose eternal LIFE?
There are times in our walk/warfare we cannot advance. Do we stop altogether or do we, as Paul wrote, “…, having done all, to STAND.” – Eph. 6:13, KJV… we “Stand therefore,” vs.14. We endure till the END!
Pt. 3
Is it scriptual to endure death? Well, we live in a DEATH CULTure but we, as born-again believers, are not part of it. Death is all about but we do not have to DIE AGAIN!
As stated beforehand, there are 7 Gk. words for endure/enduring. We’ve looked at Humpomenō already. Here are the other 6:
(1) Menō/μένω, “to abide”, is rendered to endure in the KJV/A.V. in Jn. 6:27 & 1 Pet. 1:25; the R.V. has “abideth”. Heb. 10:34 in the A.V. has “enduring (substance)”; “abiding” in the R.V.
(2) Pherō/φέρω, “to bear”, is trans. “endured” in Rom. 9:22 & Heb. 12:20.
(3) Hupopherō/ὑποφέρω, a strengthened from of Pherō, “to bear or carry, by being under”, is said metaphorically of enduring temptation, e.g., 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Tim. 3:11 Paul wrote about persecutions, afflictions he endured, “but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” KJV. Peter wrote about “endure grief, suffering wrongfully”. 1 Pet. 2:19 KJV
(4) Anechō/ἀνέχω, “to hold up”, always in the Middle Voice in the N.T., is rendered “endure” in 2 Thes. 1:4, or persecutions/tribulations (see our PX2, PX3 Files); in 2 Tim. 4:3, of sound doctrine.
(5) Kartereō/καρτερέω, “to be steadfast, patient”, is used in Heb. 11:27, “endured”, of Moses in relation to Egypt: In the O.T. Gk., Job 2:9 & Isa. 42:14.
(6) Markrothumeō/μακροθυμέω, “to be long-tempered”, is rendered “patiently endured” in Heb. 6:15, said of Abraham.
[note: In 2 Tim. 2:9, kakopatheō, “suffer evil” (or “trouble” as in KJV), is translated “endure hardness” (KJV); “suffer hardness” in the R.V.; “endure afflictions”, KJV (2 Tim. 4:5); elsewhere in James 5:13 we find the word “afflicted”, KJV.
Suffer/Endure Hardness
What if one does not? Paul wrote to Timothy, “Thou (Timothy) therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” KJV. The most authentic mss. have sunkakopatheō, = “to suffer hardship” (2 Tim. 2:3). Paul also tells Timothy “… be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God,” 2 Tim. 1:8. Again, what if one STOPS following the Spirit (our guide)?
Paul writes, “… how ye TURNED to God from idols to SERVE the living & true God.” – 1 Thes. 1:9; on the other hand Paul wrote about “… some are already turned aside after Satan,” 1 Tim. 5:15. Is it possible for a believer to turn back to Satan after they have received eternal life? … go back into DEATH after walking in newness of LIFE?
Don’t Flirt with Death!
Those who want to live in flirtation, will end in deviation & likewise abandon Christ because of the demons they allow to rule them. Just look at the horrid condition of today’s Church – full of flakes, fakes, & snakes!
Come Out!
If you go to or belong to one of these world-loving Churches – LEAVE! Save your souls. (Rev.18:4)