Lexical Summary thnétos: Mortal Original Word: θνητός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mortality. From thnesko; liable to die -- mortal(-ity). see GREEK thnesko HELPS Word-studies 2349 thnētós – properly, subject to dying (death), mortality; the inevitability of physical death. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom thnéskó Definition subject to death NASB Translation mortal (6). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2349: θνητόςθνητός, θνητῇ, θνητόν (verbal adjective from θνῄσκω) (from Homer down), liable to death, mortal: Romans 6:12; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:53; 2 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 5:4. (θνητός subject to death, and so still living; νεκρός actually dead.) STRONGS NT 2349a: θορυβάζωθορυβάζω: (θόρυβος, which see); to trouble, disturb (i. e. τυρβάζω, which see); passive present 2 person singular θορυβάζῃ in Luke 10:41 L T Tr WH after manuscripts א B C L etc. (Not found elsewhere (Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word, quotes Eusebius of Alexandria (Migne, Patr. Graec. vol. 86:1), p. 444 c.).) Strong’s Greek 2349 highlights the condition of being subject to death—human frailty in contrast to God’s incorruptible life. In Scripture the term describes both the bodies believers now inhabit and the temporal order that awaits redemption. Paul consistently sets “mortal” over against the promised “immortal,” underscoring the gospel tension between the already and the not-yet. Occurrences in the New Testament “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.” “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.” “For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body.” “So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.” “For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ” Pauline Theology: Mortality and Resurrection Paul treats mortality as the decisive arena where divine power meets human weakness. The mortal body is not despised; it is the vessel through which Christ’s resurrection life will be displayed (Romans 8:11). Yet it remains liable to decay, corruption, and death until the final transformation. The apostle links mortal existence to Adam’s legacy (Romans 5:12–21) and contrasts it with the life-giving Spirit bestowed in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45). Mortality and Sanctification Because the mortal body is the battleground of sin, believers must refuse its illicit cravings (Romans 6:12). Sanctification is embodied: the Spirit empowers obedience precisely in the sphere still marked by weakness. Victory, therefore, is not escape from the body but Spirit-driven stewardship of it. Mortality in the Context of Suffering and Ministry In 2 Corinthians 4:7–12 Paul explains that apostles carry the treasure of the gospel “in jars of clay.” Their mortality magnifies divine power; persecution, illness, and fatigue become stages on which the life of Jesus is exhibited. Suffering is thus reframed: it is not a contradiction of the message but a confirmation that resurrection life operates within mortal limits. Eschatological Hope: From Mortal to Immortal The climactic treatment in 1 Corinthians 15:53–54 announces a future clothing of the mortal with immortality. This is no mere spiritualization; the body itself will be transformed. Mortality will be “swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:4), echoing Isaiah 25:8 and signaling the final defeat of death. The hope is corporate and cosmic: creation awaits the same liberation from decay (Romans 8:19–23). Pastoral and Practical Implications 1. Assurance amid frailty: physical decline, sickness, and death are real yet temporary. Historical Reception and Doctrinal Development Early church fathers cited 1 Corinthians 15 to defend the bodily resurrection against Gnostic spiritualizing. The Apostles’ Creed (“the resurrection of the body”) and Nicene formulations reflect this emphasis. Reformers reaffirmed that salvation encompasses the whole person, countering any notion that the material realm is inherently evil. Related Old Testament Foundations Genesis 3 introduces death as the penalty for sin, establishing human mortality. Psalm 90 laments life’s brevity, while Isaiah 25:8 promises death’s ultimate defeat, a prophecy Paul directly applies to Christ’s victory. Thus the New Testament vocabulary of mortality stands on a robust Old Testament backdrop of creation, fall, and redemption. Conclusion Strong’s 2349 concentrates the biblical tension between present weakness and future glory. Mortality is neither ignored nor idolized; it is acknowledged, sanctified, and ultimately overcome by the life-giving power of the risen Christ. Englishman's Concordance Romans 6:12 Adj-DNSGRK: ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι NAS: reign in your mortal body KJV: in your mortal body, that INT: in the mortal of you body Romans 8:11 Adj-ANP 1 Corinthians 15:53 Adj-NNS 1 Corinthians 15:54 Adj-NNS 2 Corinthians 4:11 Adj-DFS 2 Corinthians 5:4 Adj-NNS Strong's Greek 2349 |
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