Isn't the tree of life only given to those who obey?
, and what John says God's commandment is.
The short answer Settled
No. The tree of life is given to those who believe, and obeying is not its price. blesses God's people by what marks them: they do His commandments. God blesses His people for keeping His commandments, but obedience does not earn eternal life.
Free, and written
The same chapter says, "Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (). Only "those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" enter the city (), and Revelation speaks of names written "in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world" (), before anyone had done anything.
The right, and His commandment
John uses the same word, right, for what Christ gives to those who believe: "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (). And he says what God's commandment is: "that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another" (). Those who do His commandments are those who have believed.
The usual objection
blesses "those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life," and two verses earlier Christ says His reward is "to give to every one according to his work" (). On this view obeying is how the right to eternal life is gained.
The water of life is free, the city is for those written in the book from the foundation of the world, and the right is given to those who believe. speaks of reward for work, which is a different thing (see Doesn't the final judgment look at deeds?).
The words behind it
| Word | Where | Form | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἵνα ἔσται ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς hina estai hē exousia autōn epi to xylon tēs zōēs, "that they may have the right to the tree of life" (Strong's 1849, 3586, 2222) | Future indicative | The word for "right" ... | |
| ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν edōken autois exousian, "He gave the right" (1325, 1849) | Aorist active indicative | ... is the word John uses for what Christ gives to those who believe. | |
| δωρεάν dōrean, "freely" (1432) | Adverb | As a gift. | |
| ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου apo katabolēs kosmou, "from the foundation of the world" (2602, 2889) | Preposition with nouns | Names written before anyone acted. | |
| αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν hautē estin hē entolē autou, hina pisteusōmen, "this is His commandment: that we should believe" (1785, 4100) | Aorist subjunctive | His commandment begins with believing. |
No textual variants affect the conclusion.
This study checks the Greek Received Text against the Majority Text, and the written Hebrew against its traditional reading. If a difference could change a conclusion, this note explains it. Otherwise it says that none does.