1 Timothy - Card 0004

1 Timothy 6:13-16:  Christ the only immortal?

 

1 Timothy 6
1 Tim 6:13-16
13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:16 is not stating that Christ is the only one who is immortal; it is stating that it is only He who can confer or give immortality to others.  Clearly, God the Father is immortal so the verse could not be saying that Jesus only is immortal.  Notice the commentary:

  

[Who only hath immortality] The word here-athanasia (NT:110)-properly means "exemption from death," and seems to mean that God, in his own nature, enjoys a perfect and certain exemption from death. Creatures have immortality only as they derive it from him, and of course are dependent on Him for it. He has it by his very nature, and it is in his case underived, and He cannot be deprived of it. It is one of the essential attributes of His being, that He will always exist, and that death cannot reach Him; compare the expression in John 5:26, "The Father hath life in himself,".                        (from Barnes' Notes)

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