A Glimpse of Spirituality 靈修一瞥 91 (John 17:1-11)           Fr. Abraham Chiu 趙必成神父

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Eternal life is communion with God because believers possess this life already while they are still on earth, even though it is not ultimately fulfilled until the eschatological vision of God is experienced.

Eternal life is achieved through communion with God and his Son Jesus Christ or through Jesus who leads humankind into communion with God. Moreover, the result of believing is eternal life which is also the knowledge of God and Jesus. This knowledge of salvation is rooted in a historical person who can be dealt with in a personal relation. This one is Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Jesus did not give a definition of eternal life; rather, he just highlighted that knowing the Father and Jesus Christ with intimate fellowship with one’s person and the glad acceptance of love.

The term “eternal life” (aiōnios zōē) here denotes knowing the only true God. This eternal life is perfect, absolute, timeless, and exempting from death. In Johannine connotation, eternal life can be possessed concretely by the believers in this world. It is faith. As God is eternal, anyone who commits his/her life with God partakes in God’s eternity. Thus, eternal life is a glory which is the result of believing God and the believers are unified in the Father and the Son in eternity.

Essentially, eternal life is the goal of the believers. In other words, anyone who believes and commits in the life of the Father and the Son will have eternal life. This eternal life is the communion with the Father and the Son who are united in love. Eventually, eternal life is the completion of human life and it is worthy to give up all sins in order to achieve this absolute and peaceful life.

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永生是與主共融，天人合一。

信徒在世上已經擁有永生，儘管到世界末日才終極實現。

獲得永生，除了通過與天父以及聖子耶穌基督共融，可以直接通過耶穌與主合一。此外，信德的結果是永生，也就是認識天主和耶穌的真義。這救恩知識植根於一位在歷史出現過並且跟人互動的人物，是耶穌。

耶穌說：“永生就是：認識你，唯一的真天主，和你所派遣來的耶穌基督。”在這里耶穌沒有給永生下定義，他只強調認識天父和耶穌基督，是個人以愛與天主建立深度關係。

這裡的“永生”（aiōnios zōē）指認識唯一真天主，這永恆生命是完美的、絕對的和永恆的，並且免於永死。在若望神學，永生可以具體地被現世信徒所擁有，是信德。由於天主永恆，任何人將自己生命交託給天主的，都分享了天主的永恆。因此，永生是光榮，是相信天主的結果，信徒在永恆中與父子合而為一，從現在知道永遠。

本質上，永生是信徒畢生目標；換言之，任何相信並將生命委身於父與子的人，都將獲得永生。這永恆生命就是在愛中與天父與聖子共融。

永生是人生的圓滿，值得放棄所有罪惡，好能獲得這絕對平安生活。