Luke 20:38 kjv
For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
Luke 20:38 nkjv
For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."
Luke 20:38 niv
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
Luke 20:38 esv
Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him."
Luke 20:38 nlt
So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him."
Luke 20 38 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 3:6 | He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."... | Jesus' source for God of living patriarchs. |
| Matt 22:31-32 | But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God... I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob... | Parallel passage, core argument for resurrection. |
| Mark 12:26-27 | And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him... He is not God of the dead, but of the living. | Parallel passage, affirms resurrection from Moses. |
| Acts 7:32 | ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.’ | Stephen’s defense quoting Exod 3:6. |
| Heb 11:16 | But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God... | God identifies with those now in heaven. |
| John 11:25-26 | Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live..." | Jesus' power over death and promise of life. |
| 1 Cor 15:16 | For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. | Emphasizes resurrection's centrality. |
| Rom 14:8 | For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. | Believers belong to Christ in life and death. |
| Phil 1:21-23 | For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain... My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. | Paul’s desire to be consciously with Christ after death. |
| 2 Cor 5:8 | Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. | Immediate presence with Lord after death. |
| Lk 16:19-31 | (Lazarus and the rich man)... Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime...' | Souls remain conscious after physical death. |
| Gen 5:24 | Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. | Example of immediate removal to God’s presence. |
| Heb 11:5 | By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. | Enoch's physical life not ending by death, but translated. |
| Rev 20:4-6 | Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God... They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. | Souls of martyrs living and reigning with Christ. |
| Eccles 12:7 | and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. | Spirit's return to God after physical death. |
| Ps 16:10 | For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. | Hope in not being abandoned to death's domain. |
| John 5:24 | Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. | Present possession of eternal life. |
| Rom 8:38-39 | For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers... will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. | God’s love transcends death, ensuring relationship. |
| Dan 12:2 | And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. | Old Testament prophecy of future resurrection. |
| Isa 26:19 | Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! | Old Testament prophecy of bodily resurrection. |
| Job 19:26-27 | And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold... | Old Testament confession of seeing God beyond death. |
Luke 20 verses
Luke 20 38 Meaning
Luke 20:38 states that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, because from His eternal perspective, all, including those who have physically died, continue to live to Him. This declaration affirms the ongoing existence of individuals beyond physical death and underscores God's unbreakable covenant relationship with His people, directly supporting the doctrine of resurrection and an active afterlife.
Luke 20 38 Context
Luke 20:38 is part of Jesus' teaching in the Temple, where various Jewish leaders, including the chief priests, scribes, and elders, challenge His authority (Luke 20:1-8). Following their attempts, the Sadducees approach Jesus with a specific theological challenge (Luke 20:27-40). The Sadducees were a Jewish sect primarily associated with the priesthood, known for their strict adherence to the Torah (the first five books of Moses) and their denial of oral tradition. Critically, unlike the Pharisees, they denied the existence of the resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). Their question about a woman married to seven brothers in sequence, asking whose wife she would be in the resurrection, was designed to make the idea of resurrection seem absurd and illogical, intending to discredit Jesus' teachings on the subject. Jesus responds by correcting their faulty understanding of the afterlife, explaining that resurrection life is different from earthly marriage (Luke 20:34-36), and then provides a direct scriptural argument from the books they accepted—the Pentateuch—to prove the reality of the resurrection, culminating in verse 38.
Luke 20 38 Word analysis
- For (γάρ - gar): A conjunction introducing a reason, explanation, or amplification for what precedes. Here, it introduces Jesus' ultimate theological basis for His claim about resurrection life, explaining why the Sadducees were mistaken.
- he is not (οὐκ ἔστιν - ouk estin): A strong negative affirmation. "Is not" emphasizes the absolute truth that God's character and nature are incompatible with being associated with death as an end state.
- a God (Θεὸς - Theos): Refers to the singular, true God of Israel. The very nature of this God, defined by life and covenant, makes the concept of being God of the "non-existent dead" contradictory.
- of the dead (νεκρῶν - nekrōn): Refers to those who are deceased, having experienced physical death. The Sadducees believed death was annihilation. Jesus rejects this, asserting God's reign is not over a state of nothingness or permanent non-existence.
- but of the living (ἀλλὰ ζώντων - alla zōntōn): A strong adversative conjunction, "but," highlighting a direct contrast. This points to God's inherent connection with life and His sustained relationship with His creation, especially humanity. "Living" here encompasses a continued existence, transcending physical mortality.
- for (γὰρ - gar): Again, an explanatory conjunction, providing the crucial reason for God being the God of the living: because from His perspective, everyone lives.
- all (πάντες - pantes): Refers to all individuals who have ever lived, particularly in the context of the argument, the faithful patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It can extend to all humanity whose essence continues.
- live (ζῶσιν - zōsin): Present tense, active verb. This indicates an ongoing, continuous state of existence. It is not about resurrection in the future tense but the present reality that they are, even in death, living to God. This can refer to their spirit's consciousness or their entire being being sustained by God's eternal life.
- to him (αὐτῷ - autō): A dative case, meaning "to Him," "before Him," "in His sight," or "for Him." It signifies God's perspective and ultimate reality. Regardless of earthly status (dead or alive), all are continually existing in God's eternal view and within His purview and care. Their continued existence is dependent on and accounted for by Him.
Luke 20 38 Bonus section
The force of Jesus' argument in Luke 20:38 is not merely a philosophical point but a direct polemic against the Sadducean theological error. Their denial of resurrection stemmed from a very literal, perhaps reductionist, interpretation of the Pentateuch, where explicit references to resurrection are less numerous than in later prophetic books. Jesus deftly uses one of their own accepted scriptures to demonstrate that the doctrine of continued existence and future resurrection is implicitly woven into the very fabric of God's covenant with His people, even from the earliest texts. The "life" here is not just an ethereal existence but implies the eventual restoration of the whole person, body and soul, as indicated by the concept of "resurrection" (anastasis), which means "standing up again" from the grave. This verse is foundational for understanding the continuity of relationship with God beyond earthly life.
Luke 20 38 Commentary
In Luke 20:38, Jesus delivers a profound theological statement that demolishes the Sadducees' denial of resurrection. By referring to Exod 3:6 (and parallels) where God declares "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," Jesus underscores a fundamental truth about God's nature and covenant. God's declaration, spoken to Moses long after the patriarchs had died, asserts an active, present relationship with them. If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had truly ceased to exist, God could not be "their God" in the present tense. His continued identification with them implies their continued existence.
The core argument lies in God's unchanging nature and His covenant faithfulness. God is eternally bound to those with whom He makes a covenant, and death does not sever this bond. For God to be the "God of the living" means that from His infinite, eternal perspective, all who are in relationship with Him, whether physically present or absent, continue to exist and are accounted as alive. This implies more than mere remembrance; it points to the continued consciousness and existence of the spirit, awaiting future bodily resurrection. This verse stands as a strong biblical testimony against any concept of "soul sleep" or annihilation upon physical death, particularly for those in Christ. It provides assurance that our loved ones in faith are not gone into oblivion but are with God, living "to Him."