Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This weeks question:

To live forever upon this earth seems to be the search for many people as they try to find the so called "fountain of youth". Interestingly enough there is a way to eternal life, not upon this earth as we know it, but upon a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13), as we read in the scriptures. Jesus tells the Jews as He walks this earth, "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." (John 5:39-40). And for those that diligently seek Him with an honest, humble and open heart, they will find Him and life as they are found spotless and blameless (2 Peter 3:17).

And so, back to our question, "Which disciple was rumored to live forever". We begin our search by turning to the book of John where Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3). Our physical lives upon this earth are described as "seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years," (Psalms 90:10 ), while Methuselah's days were nine hundred and sixty-nine years (Genesis 5:27) as the oldest recorded human upon this earth. Although many before the flood did live much longer than God allows us today, that doesn't mean they were much more righteous and may have contributed to their evil state as they may have felt like gods as they are described as, "…the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:4-5), and God said that He would not strive with man forever but that his days would be "one hundred and twenty years" (Genesis 6:3). Abraham lived one hundred seventy-five years (Genesis 25:7), Joseph lived one hundred ten years (Genesis 50:26), and Moses lived one hundred and twenty years with a sharp eye and with vigor to his death (Deuteronomy 34:7).Sometimes it is easy to think that as Christians that we should live to a ripe old age without flaw as it says, "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace will they add to you." (Proverbs 3:1-2). While we understand that living a Godly life may keep us out of much trouble, standing for truth can sometimes be difficult, as Paul found out (2Corinthians 11:23:28).

But to finalize the answer to our question, we turn to the book of John where we see Jesus appearing to His disciples after His crucifixion and He tells Peter, "'Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch our your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.' Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to Him, "Follow Me!' Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also leaned back on his bosom at the supper and said, Lord, who is the one who betrays you?' So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!' Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?'" (John 21:18-23). So there we have the answer to our question, as it is the disciple that Jesus loves, the one who Jesus requested to take care of His mother, the disciple named John! And John did live to be a ripe old age as he wrote Revelation at about 95 AD!

Although men may take our lives away from us, they cannot take away our faith in the Lord, and His promise will always be true to the ends of this age, eternal life (1 John 2:25)!

Thank you again for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. Please visit our other windows on this site and tell a friend. This is Bible Break and have a good day.