Sin, Life & Death
 

Let's start this off first with a question.

I know this is kind of off the wall question but I hope to begin a discussion from this question.

If Jesus had not been killed by men... being sinless... would he have ever died?

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

Being that he was God in the flesh, he died only when he chose to die. With that said, it is interesting that the scriptures never indicate that he even got sick. It is clear that he came for the purpose of laying down his life. I believe he could have lived on forever in the flesh, if hypothetically, his purpose would or could have been circumvented.

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

He was fully man, He would have died. Adam, apparently, needed the tree of life even though he was sinless.

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

The wages of sin is death.... is that where you're going?

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

Yes, this question does lead us back to Genesis. The question would be, was death inevitable before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? I'm not sure that it was, since death was first mentioned as part of the curse (Genesis 3:19). It may be difficult to prove that death had been reserved for them from the beginning. Could Adam and Eve have lived indefinitely without sin? Why not? Their genetics were obviously different, and one might suppose that they were pure in that regard. Even after the curse of death, men still lived quite lengthy lives, e.g., Adam, Methuselah, etc. So I would contend that Adam needed the Tree of Life to live indefinitely, after he sinned, not before.

I also contend that Jesus was also fully God (Colossians 2:9). And my conclusion is that he could have lived indefinitely in that bodily form.

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

He knows the end from the beginning and came knowing when and how He would die.

As to whether He could have lived forever, I don't know, since Mary being His earthly mother and coming here as a man with the laws of man and not as God then I think He would have either died or else He would have been raptured up like Elijah. JMO

Haven't really ever thought about it before and probably too early to this morning.

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

:hypercoffee

I believe Jesus could only be subject to death after he tasted of the cup of our sin and took it upon himself to remove the curse from humanity. I believe that he was born of Mary, so that as God in flesh, it would be possible for him to taste death. It was his purpose.

But hypothetically, it is easy for me to believe that the one who demonstrated power over death on this earth, e.g. Lazarus, the Widow's son at Nain, Jairus' daughter, etc., could have denied death too. Yes, he was human like us, but the Spirit gave him immortality (John 10:18).

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

He did no sin, but was He at least in part "born in sin and shapen in iniquity" through His descent from His earthly mother? Catholics answer this with the "Immaculate Conception" of Mary, thus, they say, Jesus was born without the "taint" of original sin.

Without the Immaculate Conception, did Jesus have "original sin?" This of course assumes that original sin even exists.

Death spread to all men... (Romans 5:12) because of sin, and Jesus was a man. I'd say "yes," He would have died a natural death hypothetically.

However, if it weren't for His appointment at the cross He would never have even been born (John 18:36-37).

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

(2 Corinthians 5:21). What about his descent from his heavenly father (the eternal spirit)? Naturally speaking, we inherit our blood from our father. Isn't that what made him the "pure lamb of God?" I see your point though, and I agree, that hypothetically, he may have died a natural death. Of course, it would have been so, voluntarily and on his terms. :)

Re: Sin, Life & Death
 

There are two types of death just as there are two types of life. Physical and spiritual. How is the word, death, being used in this context? Can it be used both ways at once? Is Paul saying the wages of sin is physical and spiritual death? The wages of sin is only spiritual death? The wages of sin is only physical death?