The Value of Life
Not many people know that the word life is mentioned in the Bible using three different words: bios, zoe, and psuche. Each word translates to the English word “life” but they also have their own meanings.
Bios
Bios is where we get the word “biology”. This refers to our biological or physical life. Most people live in this realm. Here are few verses where we find the word bios in Scripture:
“And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” Luke 8: 14
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2: 16
These two verses reflect the nature of bios being the kind of life that constantly gets entangled with pleasure and other things that this world has to offer. This is also what Paul was referring to in 2 Timothy 2: 4 when he wrote about soldiers getting entangled in civilian pursuits.
Zoe
Zoe means life in God. To be more direct about it, zoe is life as God intended it to be. This very definition connotes that life is born of the Spirit of God.
Jesus used the word zoe when he said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3: 16). We find the word mentioned by Jesus again chapters later: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10: 10)
Jesus is speaking here of a full life borne out of having exceeding abundance from God. This is the life that God has intended for us—a life that flourishes and does not perish; a life beyond measure. Such is the life we have received because Jesus came and saved us from our sins.
Psuche
Lastly, Psuche refers to that which has breath or life, and this word will be the focus of this post. In the last section of Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (25)
Jesus, in speaking to His disciples, said that psuche is more important than what we eat or drink. When our house is on fire, we do not reach for money or food, but reach for life instead—our family and friends.
In review of our series, Jesus made the point that (1) God is more valuable than money, (2) our bodies are more important than clothes and things, and now he makes the point that our relationships (that which has breath) are more important than food—that which comforts, fulfills, and is enjoyed by us.
Not Worth the Trade
As a pastor, I have counseled men (and occasionally women) who have squandered their relationships for lesser things of value. Sad to say, but some people really do think that they can trade a life for what food represents—comfort, fulfillment, and enjoyment.
To follow their example is being foolish. For those who really understand life know that true comfort, enjoyment, and fulfillment are found in our relationships. No food, object, or activity can comfort or fulfill us in the way that a human relationship can; and nothing can be as enjoyable as time spent building meaningful relationships. To put it simply, our relationships are what breathe life into our everyday experiences.
Let me put this together:
Our bios (physical life) is best lived in zoe (life as God intended it to be) because in zoe, we value psuche (relationships).
Ciao’.
!["Slide1"]("https:/joeybonifacio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Slide12-520x610.jpg")
My Comments Policy
While my site offers visitors the ability to converse, I have a few ground rules so that our conversations will remain civil and courteous.
1. You must register in order to leave a comment. I don’t entertain pseudo, anonymous or bogus individuals. This site is my home (it has a Home Page, get it). I don’t let strangers who don’t introduce themselves into my home.
2. I love questions. I love them because a lot of times they are similar to someone else’s questions and can even trigger other questions from others. Questions also keep us all sharp. This is also why I respond to them as best as I can and at the soonest possible time. I believe that group answering benefits more people than private email exchanges.
3. We don’t have to agree. Debates are welcome. However, whether it is with me or any other visitors of my site, my rule is this: disagree if you must but keep things civil. That’s just how I run my home, and you are a visitor here. No shouting; I have seen it done in writing. No cursing and no insulting.
4. I reserve the right to delete your comments. Like I said, this is my home. I do not have an obligation to publish your comments. As a human being, you may enjoy the freedom to express your opinions on your own site but not on mine. To be specific, I will delete your comments if you post content that is in my sole opinion: (a) snarky; (b) off-topic; (c) libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum, civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e. an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. You may, however, post a link to your site or your most recent blog entry.
5. You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from any and all liability that may result from those posts.
6. You grant me the license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. By posting comments on my site, you automatically grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, video, or presentation.
In short, my goal is to host interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this clear and simple comments policy will facilitate this.
