Bible Strands
Matthew 19:16
Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A man approaches Jesus immediately after He has finished blessing the children (v.15). He addresses Jesus as "Teacher" and asks what good thing he must do to obtain eternal life.
The words — ἀγαθός (agathos, "good") is the word Jesus seizes on in v.17, turning the man's premise back on him. The man's use of "good" as a qualifier on his own action is precisely what Jesus challenges.
The thread — Mark 10:17 and Luke 18:18 preserve the same encounter with slight variation (Mark adds the man kneeling; Luke identifies him as a ruler). John 3:16 presents eternal life as received through belief, not earned through action.
Why it lands — The question assumes eternal life is a commodity to be obtained by performing the right deed. Jesus' reply in v.17 rejects that frame entirely, forcing the reader to examine whether they too are shopping for a transactional path to God.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Cross-references
- Mark 10:17 As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- John 3:15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
- Luke 18:18 Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.
- Matthew 25:46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
- 1 John 1:2 And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.
- 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
- Titus 3:7 so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
- Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
- Luke 10:25 One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”