II. By whom is everlasting life given?

God alone grants eternal life, as it is said, “the gift of God is eternal life.” (Rom. 6:23.) God the Father, as the author and fountain of all life, grants eternal life through the Son and Holy Spirit; the Son grants it through the Holy Spirit; and the Spirit through himself, which order of working is natural to the persons of the Godhead. Of the Father it is said: “As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them.” “As the Father hath life in himself.” (John 5:21, 26.) Of the Son it is said: “Even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.” “So hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” “In him was life.” “The everlasting Father,” (or the Father of eternity.) “I give unto them eternal life.” (John 5:21, 26; 1:4. Is. 9:6. John 10:28.) Of the Holy Ghost it is said: “Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” “He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (John 3:5. Rom. 8:11.) These testimonies are to be observed, inasmuch as they establish the divinity of the Son, and Holy Ghost, and prove their equality with the Father.

Obj. 1. But the ministers of the gospel also give eternal life, for, says Paul, “In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” “In doing this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.” (1 Cor. 4:15. 1 Tim. 4:16.) Therefore others besides God grant eternal life.

Ans. There may be many subordinate causes of the same effect. Christ and the Holy Spirit grant life by their own power. But ministers are merely the instruments through whom Christ works by the power of his Spirit. “Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed.” (1 Cor. 4:1; 3:5.)

Obj. 2. But Christ also grants life by a power communicated to him. Therefore it is not his own.

Ans. Christ gives life by a communicated power; but it is communicated by natural and eternal generation. Hence we may reply, that he grants life by a power communicated to him by eternal generation from the Father. Therefore he grants it by his own power. “As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” (John 5:26.)