We have an intriguing Bible question today from a listener named Brandy.

Hello Pastor John, thank you for your ministry.

I have a question regarding death and the types of death Paul refers to in his epistles.

I know we all face a physical death and for nonbelievers there's a second spiritual

death and eternal death as well.

However when Paul is speaking in Romans 8 to believers he says, if you live according

to the flesh you will die, Romans 8, 13, does Paul mean that our sins somehow shorten

our earthly lives or our believers' subjects to eternal death?

And what does Paul mean when he says that the man in Corinth who has his father's wife

is to be handed over to Satan, quote, for the destruction of his flesh, end quote.

First Corinthians 5, 5, what kind of death is this?

I feel like I am missing an integral piece to the puzzle.

Thank you for your help Pastor John.

I love this question partly because it pushes me to do something I've never done before

namely see how many different ways the New Testament speaks of a Christian dying.

I've never done that.

So instead of just addressing two of the examples that Brandy raises, Romans 8, 13 and first

Corinthians 5, 5, let me mention six ways I see the New Testament speaking of a Christian

dying and take up those two where they turn up in the sequence.

Number one, paradoxically the Christian life begins at conversion with a death, Galatians

2.20, looking back on his conversion Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh

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