Salvation

What is life eternal — a term expressing quality or duration?

“Life eternal,” as that phrase is used in Scripture, is not the equivalent of “immortality” or unending duration of being. Eternal life is a phrase of quality of life, rather than of duration merely. It is Christ’s own life, and only he who has the Son has His life (1 John 5:11, 12; John 3:36).

How can we explain the fact that in the early part of our Lord’s ministry and also in the preaching immediately following Pentecost, repentance is emphasized as a condition of salvation, while in the later ministry of the apostles, the emphasis is upon faith?

There is no conflict between the testimony of Christ and of His apostles concerning the conditions of salvation (cf. John 3:36 with Acts 16:31). The preaching from Acts 2 to 9 inclusive is wholly to Jews, and to that generation of Jews which had seen, heard and rejected Messiah. They, unlike Gentiles (Eph. 2:11, 12), were already in covenant relations to Jehovah. The specific charge against them was: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Convicted of this specific act they said: ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The answer was, “Repent” (metanoesate — ‘change your minds”), etc. It was not faith in a Messiah which they lacked, but faith in the Messiah, whom they had adjudged an imposter and blasphemer. As Meyer says: “Metanoesate demands the change of ethical attitude as the moral condition of being baptized, which directly and necessarily supposes faith” (Mark 1:15).

Was the prize mentioned in Philippians 3:14 eternal life?

The prize Paul was seeking was not at all salvation. That he always had (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 7:25, etc.). The prize he is striving for is the reward spoken of in Revelation 22:12; 11:18.

If the heathen live up to the light they have, never having heard the gospel, is there any hope for them?

Romans 1:20 reveals the Creator’s path to Himselt for those outside the gospel limits — those whom the gospel has not reached. If such will follow that light, they will find their way to God. In other words, the judgment for the heathen who have never heard the gospel will probably be based on creation testimony and natural conscience (Rom. 2:14, 15).