What Does Luke 15:32 Mean Concerning the Prodigal Son, That He Was Dead But Is Alive Again?

Summary

Grace in Focus – Episode Summary

Episode: What Does Luke 15:32 Mean Concerning the Prodigal Son, That He Was Dead But Is Alive Again?
Date: October 7, 2025
Host: Bob Wilkin
Guest: Sam Marr

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Overview of the Episode

This episode addresses a listener's question about Luke 15:32, focusing on the phrase used by the prodigal son’s father: “This brother of yours was dead and is alive again.” Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr engage in a deep theological discussion about what “dead” and “alive again” mean in this context, examining Greek textual variations, implications for salvation and fellowship, and how this shapes Free Grace Theology’s understanding of assurance and sanctification.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Textual Variations and Their Theological Impact

• Greek Manuscripts Disagreement

  • The phrase “alive again” comes from the verb anazao, present in the majority of manuscripts.

  • The critical text simply reads ezēsen ("came to life" or "is alive").

    “The expression alive again is from the verb anazai or, which would be to be alive again. That’s in the majority of manuscripts. But the critical text just reads ezeson from zao, which means to be alive.” — Bob Wilkin [01:46]

• Implications for Calvinism

  • If “alive again” is correct, it challenges Calvinist doctrine, as one cannot be “born again again.”

    “Which doesn’t fit, by the way, Calvinism, because you can’t be born again again. And the issue here isn’t the new birth.” — Bob Wilkin [02:08]

2. Meaning of "Dead" and "Alive" in Luke 15

• Not About Gaining or Losing Eternal Life

  • The son's “death” refers to loss of fellowship, not loss of salvation or spiritual life.

  • Analogy: Just as someone may say "you're dead to me" without literal death, the father's phrase means the son was relationally estranged.

    “He was alive in the sense of being in fellowship with his father. When he went to the far country, he ceased being in fellowship with his father. And so he was dead to his father. And then when he came back, he was alive again.” — Bob Wilkin [02:23]

• Spiritual Death: Various Biblical Uses

  • “Dead” can mean lacking eternal life (Ephesians 2:1-3), bondage to sin, or being out of fellowship.

    “Even spiritual death has two major components, or three…being spiritually dead means I lack eternal life.” — Bob Wilkin [03:30]

3. Supporting Passages and Theological Clarifications

• Ephesians 2:1-3 and John 8:24

  • These passages support “death” as lacking eternal life and being in bondage to sin.

  • At conversion, believers are set free positionally and experientially.

    “You were dead in the sphere of your trespasses and sins. That’s why Jesus said in John 8:24, if you do not believe I am he, you will die in your sins.” — Bob Wilkin [04:20]

• Difference Between Fellowship and Salvation

  • In Luke 15:32, the son is not unsaved; he is a believer lacking fellowship.

    “But in Luke 15:32, the death there is talking about a person who has eternal life but is dead in terms of his fellowship with the Father.” — Bob Wilkin [05:21]

4. Walking in the Light vs. Darkness (1 John)

• Analogy to Fellowship

  • Walking in the light = living in God's revelation and enjoying fellowship.

  • Walking in darkness = being out of fellowship, though still possessing eternal life.

    “If we’re walking in the darkness, we’re obviously not having fellowship with God because there’s no darkness in God. God has no fellowship with darkness.” — Bob Wilkin [06:04]

• Ongoing Sin and Confession

  • Confessing sin restores fellowship, not salvation.

    “As we walk in the light, the revelation of God, God reveals sin, we acknowledge it and we move on. And that is part of the living experience of the believer who’s in fellowship with God.” — Bob Wilkin [07:35]

5. Metaphors and Modern Analogies

• Out of Fellowship: Car Without Gas

  • Faith without works or a believer without fellowship is like a car without gas—still a car, just nonfunctional.

    "A car without gasoline is dead. It’s still a car…It just won’t work until you put fuel in it. In the same way, faith without works is unprofitable, ineffective. It’s useless." — Bob Wilkin [11:39]

• Estranged Relationships

  • Parable illustrates restored relationship, not restored salvation.

6. Link to James 2: Faith Without Works

• Faith’s Productivity

  • “Dead” faith is unproductive, not nonexistent.

    "He doesn’t say faith is dead. He says faith without works is dead. It’s about like saying this. A car without gasoline is dead. It’s still a car." — Bob Wilkin [11:39]

7. Broader Pastoral and Practical Reflections

• Reconciliation in Estranged Relationships

  • Christ’s desire is always for reconciliation—mirrored in both the parable and in advice for struggling marriages.

    “That’s why couples that are having difficulties…should say this Relationship is our priority and before God, we are committed till death do us part. Divorce is not an option.” — Bob Wilkin [09:50]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The prodigal son, the younger son, represents someone who is out of fellowship…If a believer walks in darkness now, he's Dead to God. In terms of his fellowship, he has eternal life, but he's not enjoying it.” — Bob Wilkin [07:35]
• “If you’re not in fellowship with God, you’re a car without gas. So get back in fellowship and you're fueled up again.” — Sam Marr & Bob Wilkin [12:39–12:44]
• “He was alive again, kind of like…Mr. Wonderful [on Shark Tank]…says, ‘You’re dead to me.’…Well, that’s what happened when the prodigal son was in the far country.” — Bob Wilkin [02:40]
• “Walking in darkness doesn’t mean sinning, because 1st John 1:8 and 1 John 1:10 are very clear. We all sin all the time…it’s about walking in God’s revelation.” — Bob Wilkin [06:29]

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:59 | Introduction to the Prodigal Son question | | 01:34 | Examination of “dead…alive again” phrasing & Greek textual issues | | 02:08 | Challenge to Calvinism: “alive again” refutes being “born again again” | | 03:30 | Uses of "dead" in scripture; Ephesians 2 and bondage to sin | | 05:21 | Distinction: Death in Luke 15 is about broken fellowship, not lack/loss of salvation | | 05:42 | Analogy to 1 John: walking in the light vs. darkness | | 07:00 | On confession, forgiveness, and daily fellowship (1 John 1:9) | | 08:09 | Further analogy: staying in Father's house vs. leaving, consequences for fellowship | | 09:50 | Tangent on marriage estrangement and biblical reconciliation | | 11:20 | Summary: the textual reading and restoration meaning in Luke 15 | | 11:39 | James 2 analogy: faith without works as “dead”—unproductive, not non-existent | | 12:33 | Prodigal son = believer without fellowship (car without gas) |

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Conclusion

Main Takeaway:
The episode argues that in Luke 15, the "death" and "coming to life again" of the prodigal son refers to his relational and spiritual restoration—moving from broken fellowship with the father to restoration—not a loss and regain of salvation. This distinction supports Free Grace Theology’s emphasis on assurance, clarifies “dead” and “alive” in various New Testament contexts, and underscores the importance of ongoing fellowship with God.

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. Welcome to Grace in focus. In Luke 15:32, the prodigal son's father said his son had been dead but was now alive again. According to the story that Jesus told, it is not said that the son died and came back to life. So what was meant by this? So here we will discuss it. This is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. So glad you're with us today. Our website is faithalone.org we also produce weekly YouTube videos. Our channel is YouTube Grace Evangelical Society. Please subscribe and like and learn from our videos at YouTube Grace Evangelical Society, our website once again, faithalone.org and now with our discussion of the day, here are Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr.

[B]

Well, Bob, we have another question from David, and it's on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Specifically, this is about the last verse in that parable, verse 32, where he says, this brother of yours was dead and either has begun to live or has came back to life, depending on which version you're reading from. And then it says he was lost and has been found. So the question is, what does it mean that the son or the brother died and came back to life or has come to life again?

[C]

Okay, good question. And if you have the new King James, and I think you have it, I believe it says this, my son, your brother was dead and is alive again.

[B]

For your brother was dead and is alive again.

[C]

Yeah. Now when you look at the Greek text, you can see why there's a difference of opinion, because there's a textual issue. The expression alive again is from the verb anazai or, which would be to be alive again. That's in the majority of manuscripts. But the critical text just reads ezeson from zao, which means to be alive. And so you can see why they wouldn't say he was dead and is alive. Or I think some of the other translations might say has been made alive or something along those lines. But I take the majority text is correct that he's alive again, which doesn't fit, by the way, Calvinism, because you can't be born again again. And the issue here isn't the new birth. The issue is before he left to go to the far country, he was in fellowship with his father. That is, he was alive in the sense of being in fellowship with his father. When he went to the far country, he ceased being in fellowship with his father. And so he was dead to his father. And then when he came Back, he was alive again, kind of like I like that show shark tank and Mr. Wonderful. He will sometimes, when he decides he's not going to do business with a particular person, he's not going to do any venture capital. He'll say, you're dead to me. Well, he doesn't mean they're physically dead, but he means, I'm not going to have anything to do with you. Well, that's what happened when the prodigal son was was in the far country. He more or less said to his dad, you're dead to me now. He didn't say that, but that's what he did by leaving. And I think it's important to recognize that this term dead in scripture is used many ways. Even spiritual death has two major components, or three. Maybe one spiritual component of being spiritually dead means I lack eternal life. Like look at Ephesians 2:1:3. Paul is talking about the believers in Ephesus before they were made alive by God. What does he say in Ephesians 2:1:3?

[B]

He says, and you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins in which he once walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit, who now works in the sons of disobedience.

[C]

So notice now a lot of people think it says you were dead because of trespasses and sins. No, that's not what it says. They were dead in trespasses and sins. And what this is talking about is they were in bondage to sin. Romans 6 talks about that, that when we come to faith, we're set free from sin's bondage. Jesus talked about that in John 8, 30, 32 and said that when we come to faith, we're positionally set free. And then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. And in your experience. So when it's talking about dead there, it's talking about lacking eternal life. You were dead in the sphere of your trespasses and sins. That's why Jesus said in John 8:24, if you do not believe, I am he, you will die in your sins. That's talking about physical death. And it's saying, you will go to your grave a slave of sin if you don't come to faith in me. But when we come to faith in Jesus, we're not only given eternal life, but were also set free from sin's bondage. So I would argue that the Ephesians 2, 1:5 or so the deadness there is talking about lacking eternal life. But in Luke 15:32, the death, there is talking about a person who has eternal life but is dead in terms of his fellowship with the Father, which is alluding to a believer who's gone to the spiritual far country and is out of fellowship with God the Father.

[B]

Right. Is this the same as First John walking in the light versus walking in the darkness? His son was chose to continue walking in darkness and to the point that we would characterize him as dead, but then he chose to come back to his Father and walk in the light and he was alive again.

[C]

Yeah, that's a good point. Because in First John God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. So if we're walking in the darkness, we're obviously not having fellowship with God because there's no darkness in God. God has no fellowship with darkness. Now, walking in darkness doesn't mean sinning, because 1st John 1:8 and 1 John 1:10 are very clear. We all sin all the time. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned. Past tense and present tense fall short of the glory of God. Every one of us falls short of the glory of God now and every day. But walking in the light means walking in God's revelation. The light is his revelation, his truth. So I'm part of a church, a believing community that proclaims the light of God's word clearly. And if I am, then I'm walking in the light. And as long as I do that first John 1:7 if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin.

[A]

Just jumping in here to make you aware of our magazine Grace in Focus. It is a bimonthly, six issues per year, 48 page magazine, full color, and we want you to subscribe by emailing your name and your snail mail address to gesaithalone.org the subscription is free, it can be accessed electronically or it can be actually physically sent to you. If you live in the lower 48 United States, that's our Grace and Focus magazine. Send your name and snail mail address to Gesaithalone.

[C]

And First John 1:9 if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to both forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all trespasses. So as we walk in the light, the revelation of God. God reveals sin, we acknowledge it and we move on. And that is part of the living experience of the believer who's in fellowship with God. But you're right, if a believer walks in darkness now, he's Dead to God. In terms of his fellowship, he has eternal life, but he's not enjoying it.

[B]

Maybe it's stretching the metaphor too far. But the son could have stayed in his father's house and still sinned against his father. But if he was there with his father, trying to walk, according to him, and stumbled, then his father would have been forgiving. But what put him in darkness was leaving. Taking his inheritance and leaving and squattering it and abandoning his father and then coming back to his Father is what gave him that life back and not that he just stopped sinning.

[C]

Yeah, that's a good point. And the three parables in Luke 15 all have something departing, right? The first one, this good shepherd, you got 100 sheep in the fold, and one wanders off. And the shepherd goes and finds the one that wanders and brings him back to the fold. And with the lost coin, the woman loses one of the ten coins. She sweeps out the house, finds it, brings it back. And then with the son, he's got two sons, one departs. In this case, instead of the father going all the way to the far country, getting him and bringing him back, the picture is the father is walking out and looking to see if the son is coming repeatedly. Because the day he comes home, the father's out there looking for him, and he runs and falls on his neck and prays with him, cries with him, weeps with him, gives him the robe, the ring, gives him sandals, because the guy had lost everything in the far country. And that's the thing. If we are out of fellowship with God, then we are experiencing the pain and suffering that goes along with those who are walking in darkness. You know, Proverbs, you got to be careful, because if you walk in darkness, you're going to stumble and you're going to get hurt. The New Testament says that as well, that we're going to fall if we're walking in the darkness. First John talks about that. So, yeah, I think the key is to recognize that the prodigal son, the younger son, represents someone who is out of fellowship. Now, you use the illustration of someone could be at home and still out of fellowship. Yeah. I mean, you do find that with children out of fellowship with their parents, with a husband out of fellowship with his wife, but hopefully they get back in fellowship. Right. There can be estrangement between a husband and wife that can ultimately lead to separation and even divorce. But that doesn't need to happen. That's why couples that are having difficulties, they should go to counseling and they should say this Relationship is our priority and before God, we are committed till death do us part. Divorce is not an option. We're going to make this work and we're going to find help to understand why it is we're hitting these problems. The believers who just throw up their hands and go, oh, I can't live with him, I can't live with her. They're just too much of a pain. That person is rebelling ultimately against God unless they have biblical grounds. Matthew 5, 32 and Matthew 19, 9 and 10. But again, even there, I would say the biblical principle is reconciliation is desired.

[B]

So to bring it Back to Luke 15, the come back to life, you would argue the majority of text is correct there. He came back to life, not that he.

[C]

Or he's alive again.

[B]

Or he's alive again.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And like in James 2, if something is dead, like your faith is dead, that death proves that there was once life there.

[C]

Yeah. And in fact, I wouldn't even say that the faith is dead because James says three times in James 2, 17, 20 and 27, at least the majority text, three times in the critical text, twice, faith without works is dead. He doesn't say faith is dead. He says faith without works is dead. It's about like saying this. A car without gasoline is dead. It's still a car. It still exists, it's still functional. It just won't work until you put fuel in it. In the same way, faith without works is unprofitable, ineffective. It's useless. In fact, that's why 214 and 216 start and end with what does it profit or what use is it? But anyway, that's another example of the word dead where it doesn't mean faith without works is not faith. It means faith without works is unproductive.

[B]

So the prodigal son would be a believer without fellowship with God is dead or is unproductive.

[C]

Right.

[B]

So if you're not in fellowship with God, you're a car without gas. And so you need.

[C]

So get back in fellowship and you're fueled up again.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Amen. So, great question, David. If you have other questions, send them in. Keep them short. We'd like to answer your question on the air. And in the meantime, let's keep Grace Focus.

[A]

Be our guest and subscribe to our 48 page magazine, six issues per year, also called Grace in Focus, by emailing your name and snail mail address to gesfaithalone.org that's faithalone.org on this program. We keep our requests for financial partners to a minimum. But if you are interested in becoming a financial partner with grace and focus, you can find out how to do [e-mail] on our next episode. Did John the Baptist command individuals to repent of all their sins? Please join us for that. And in the meantime, let's keep grace in focus. The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.