The term or concept of immortality, we find it in the old testament in the book of wisdom and in the new testament in epistles written by Paul. While immortality is an attribute of God, only God is immortal in an absolute sense, the use of the concept differs in the old and the new testament, immortality for Paul is different than immortality in the book of wisdom.
The book of wisdom suggests that immortality is access to the mysteries of wisdom, the mysteries of God:
"For though in the sight of men they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.
Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself." Book of Wisdom 3:4-5
In the gospels the goal of hope is eternal life, but in the book wisdom, hope has another meaning, the realization of immortality. It is the wise who possesses immortality in its true sense ("In the familiarity with the wisdom is the immortality", Wisdom 8:17); but in the righteous man, who follows the path of piety and mercy, immortality is a seed that must germinate and grow ("For to know you is perfect justice, and to know your power is the root of immortality" Wisdom 15:3). Immortality is the prize, an award, for a life of godliness and search of wisdom: "Because of her I shall have immortality, and leave an everlasting remembrance to those who come after me", Book of Wisdom 8:13.
All these explanations have a practical sense that we can see in the story of the three wise men, the wise men who visit Jesus are inspired, guided, enlightened people. They interpret the signs from heaven and avoid the danger of King Herod by receiving the assistance of God, the wise men possess "immortality". We can interpret immortality as a form of spiritual protection.
For Paul, on the other hand, immortality is related to the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead: "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ´Death has been swallowed up in victory´", 1 Corinthians 15:54.
For Paul resurrection is perfect immortality, immortality with immutability, because any change is like a death. According to Paul's idea, immortality will only be possible in the consummation of eschatological hope, the second coming of Jesus.
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