Introduction
There has been contention over a number of scriptures on whether we are immortal after the resurrection or not. This has arisen as many bible teachers over spiritualise the scriptures and will not accept the straight forward literal meaning. This post gives 8 principles on how we can be more accurate with our understanding of the scriptures.
Only God is Immortal
1 Timothy 6:15-16 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. NKJV
Paul states clearly that only God possesses immortality, since He is YHVH, the all-sufficient One. All other life depends on a continuous flow from Him, the source of all life. It is only through the Gospel that the way to immortality is provided for believers 2 Timothy 1:10.
2 Timothy 1:10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. NKJV
Many bible teachers try and use 1 Corinthians 15:53 to state that although Paul stated in 1 Timothy 6:16 that only God is immortal, he also stated in 1 Corinthians 15:53 that we become immortal.
That is not what Paul said:-
1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corrupt thing [1] [is] required too put on [2] non-corruption, and this dying thing to put on immortality.
[1] The corpse that is buried
[2] The verb implies to clothe one’s self. Thus, the mortal, human body will be clothed with God’s immortality in the resurrection. It is significant that Paul did not use the word “become,” change from one state to a different state. Paul’s clothing language implies that the outer garment does not become part of the person. Rather it is a covering concealing the person beneath it. Paul uses the same language regarding the resurrection in 2 Corinthians 5:4.
This implies that immortality in the resurrection will always remain dependent upon God, the only one who is inherently immortal (1 Timothy 6:16). This is also further confirmed by Revelation 2:7, Revelation 22:2 & 14.
2 Corinthians 5:4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. NKJV
Revelation 2:7 The one having an ear, listen to what the Breath is saying to the assemblies: ‘To the one being victorious, I will give to him to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Garden of God.’”
Why is there a tree of life if we are immortal? Also 12 different types of fruit for each month? The reason is that even with resurrected bodies we are not immortal. We are dependent of God for everything.
Revelation 22:2,14 In the middle of its street, and on this side and that side of the river, was the tree of life, producing twelve [kinds of] fruit, each according to its month. And the leaves of the tree are to cure the nations.
14 Blessed are those doing His commandments, so that they should have a right to the tree of life, and they may enter through the gates into the city.
In Ezekiel it mentions the same trees that bear fruit every month.
Ezekiel 47:12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.
Conclusion
Since we have to eat from the tree of life regularly implies that even after resurrection our bodies are not immortal.
This is all in keeping with what we see in the Garden of Eden in Genesis with Adam and Eve. God put an angel with a sword in front of the Tree of Life so that they could not eat not stay immortal.
The plain reading of the above scriptures confirm that we are not immortal after the resurrection but need to eat from the trees of life.
The below post is a detailed Study on will we become Immortal in The Resurrection.
Living as a Christian in this World 