What causes human mortality?

Definition and Scope

Human mortality refers to the universal reality that every individual ultimately faces physical death. This entry explores the causes behind this condition as presented throughout Scripture, highlighting both the immediate origins and the broader theological implications.

Created in Goodness and Intended for Life

According to the biblical narrative, humanity was fashioned for a harmonious fellowship with the Creator and did not initially bear the burden of death. In Genesis 1:31, it is written, “God saw all that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” This goodness extended to the first humans, who were granted a unique role as caretakers of the earth (Genesis 1:28–29).

God provided an abundance of life without any inherent necessity for death, as seen in His instructions to Adam in Genesis 2:16: “And the LORD God commanded him, ‘You may eat freely of every tree of the garden…’” There is no indication in this early account that mortality was woven into human design. Instead, the text indicates that humans were offered access to the tree of life (Genesis 2:9), hinting at a divine intention for ongoing vitality.

The Origin of Mortality through Disobedience

Scripture pinpoints the origin of mortality in one historical event. In Genesis 2:17, God warns, “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” When Adam and Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6), this free choice led to direct spiritual brokenness and the eventual onset of physical death.

Genesis 3:19 underscores this consequence: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” The intrusion of death was not an arbitrary punishment but a result of rejecting the Creator’s command, illustrating that separation from the Source of life inevitably yields mortality.

Transmission of Sin and Death to All Humanity

The New Testament elaborates on how mortality spread beyond the first humans. Romans 5:12 states, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.” This suggests that human mortality is not merely an unfortunate existence but traces back to a definitive point where sin affected the entire human race.

The link between sin and death appears again in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…” The concept of “wages” indicates a moral transaction. Death, in both a physical and spiritual sense, follows sin as a natural outcome of separation from a completely holy and eternal God.

Spiritual and Physical Dimensions

Mortality involves more than the ceasing of biological function. In a spiritual sense, distancing oneself from God results in a state of separation referred to spiritually as “death.” Meanwhile, the physical component of mortality is visible in the eventual breakdown of the human body. First Corinthians 15:21–22 addresses both aspects: “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a Man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

This passage suggests that the problem of physical death arises from humanity’s linkage to Adam, while the solution for both spiritual and physical death flows from union with Christ, who uniquely conquered mortality through His resurrection.

Archaeological and Textual Corroborations

Ancient biblical manuscripts, such as fragments discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, affirm the consistency of these passages over centuries. These manuscripts—dating to before the time of Christ—demonstrate that the scriptural teaching on sin and death has been preserved faithfully. Comparative analysis of these ancient texts shows no doctrinal deviation in the message regarding humanity’s fallen condition, supporting the reliability of the biblical narrative.

Additional archaeological discoveries throughout the Middle East, including sites that fit with the general timeframe of early human civilizations, highlight consistent patterns of death and burial practices. These findings align with a world in which death is universally recognized, reflecting a condition that Scripture ties to a historical event shared by the whole human family.

Philosophical and Behavioral Considerations

From a behavioral science standpoint, human beings display an inherent awareness of mortality. This awareness influences moral decision-making, cultural expressions, and personal aspirations. Philosophically, people often grapple with the meaning of life and death, which Scripture explains as both a consequence of human wrongdoing and a call to seek reconciliation with the Creator.

Human beings share a longing for permanence and vitality, aligning with the notion of having been created for unbroken life. Many pursuits—whether technological, medical, or existential—reflect humanity’s attempt to evade or transcend mortality. Yet Scripture maintains that physical death remains inevitable apart from divine intervention.

Hope for Restoration

Amidst the reality of mortality, a hope emerges in the biblical record. First Corinthians 15:54–55 declares, “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.’ Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” Although mortality originated in the Garden through sin, resurrection life overcomes it through the atoning work of Christ.

This hope is not merely abstract. Historical documents and eyewitness accounts, preserved in manuscripts and echoed in the Gospels, detail the literal resurrection of Jesus. Even skeptical researchers like those who initially set out to disprove the event have been struck by the weight of manuscript evidence and eyewitness testimony.

Conclusion

Human mortality arises from humanity’s earliest choice to depart from divine instruction, ushering in both spiritual and physical death. Scripture consistently links this condition to human sin. Archaeological manuscripts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, uphold this message, showing that the Bible’s account of mortality has remained intact over millennia.

In sum, physical death entered the human experience when the first humans chose to reject their Creator. Yet, the biblical narrative also affirms that there is a resolution. Through the resurrection of Christ, the prospect of immortality becomes an offer extended to all. In that light, while death remains a universal fact, Scripture provides a clear hope for life beyond mortality.