John 1:4

1:4 In him was life, ¹  and the life was the light of mankind. ² 

John 11:25

11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live ³  even if he dies,

John 12:50

12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ⁴  Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” ⁵ 

John 14:6

14:6 Jesus replied, ⁶  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. ⁷  No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 17:3

17:3 Now this ⁸  is eternal life ⁹  – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, ¹⁰  whom you sent.

John 6:63

6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ¹¹  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ¹² 

[1:4]  ¹ tn John uses ζωή (zwh) 37 times: 17 times it occurs with αἰώνιος (aiwnios), and in the remaining occurrences outside the prologue it is clear from context that “eternal” life is meant. The two uses in 1:4, if they do not refer to “eternal” life, would be the only exceptions. (Also 1 John uses ζωή 13 times, always of “eternal” life.)

[1:4]  ² tn Or “humanity”; Grk “of men” (but ἄνθρωπος [anqrwpo"] is used in a generic sense here, not restricted to males only, thus “mankind,” “humanity”).

[11:25]  ³ tn That is, will come to life.

[12:50]  ⁵ tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”

[12:50]  ⁶ tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”

[14:6]  ⁷ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[14:6]  ⁸ tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”

[17:3]  ⁹ tn Using αὕτη δέ (Jauth de) to introduce an explanation is typical Johannine style; it was used before in John 1:19, 3:19, and 15:12.

[17:3]  ¹⁰ sn This is eternal life. The author here defines eternal life for the readers, although it is worked into the prayer in such a way that many interpreters do not regard it as another of the author’s parenthetical comments. It is not just unending life in the sense of prolonged duration. Rather it is a quality of life, with its quality derived from a relationship with God. Having eternal life is here defined as being in relationship with the Father, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent. Christ (Χριστός, Cristos) is not characteristically attached to Jesus’ name in John’s Gospel; it occurs elsewhere primarily as a title and is used with Jesus’ name only in 1:17. But that is connected to its use here: The statement here in 17:3 enables us to correlate the statement made in 1:18 of the prologue, that Jesus has fully revealed what God is like, with Jesus’ statement in 10:10 that he has come that people might have life, and have it abundantly. These two purposes are really one, according to 17:3, because (abundant) eternal life is defined as knowing (being in relationship with) the Father and the Son. The only way to gain this eternal life, that is, to obtain this knowledge of the Father, is through the Son (cf. 14:6). Although some have pointed to the use of know (γινώσκω, ginwskw) here as evidence of Gnostic influence in the Fourth Gospel, there is a crucial difference: For John this knowledge is not intellectual, but relational. It involves being in relationship.

[17:3]  ¹¹ tn Or “and Jesus the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[6:63]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”

[6:63]  ¹² tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”