WHO CREATED DEATH?
A Scriptural Teaching in KJV & NKJV
By Minister Christopher Robert Holder
Dated January 1, 2026
FOUNDATIONAL ANSWER
God did not create death.
Man created death through choice.
God, who is Eternal Life, can only produce life.
Death is the absence of God, not a creation of God.
I. GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE – HE CAN ONLY CREATE LIFE
1. Psalm 36:9 — God is the Fountain (Source) of Life
KJV
“For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”
NKJV
“For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.”
Teaching Point:
- A fountain produces water by its nature.
- God produces life because His nature is life.
- God cannot produce death.
2. John 1:4 — Life Was in Christ From the Beginning
KJV
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
NKJV
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
Teaching Point:
Life is not something God gives occasionally—
- Life is who God is.
- Christ is the manifestation of the eternal life already existing in God before creation.
II. God Does Not Create Death — The Scriptures Say He Only Creates Life
- Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV/NKJV) –
God sets before man life and death, but commands: “Choose life.” - James 1:17 (NKJV) –
“Every good gift… comes from the Father.” Death is not a good gift. - John 10:10 (KJV) –
Jesus: “I am come that they might have life.”
God provides life, but man decides whether he will receive it.
III. Figures Of Speech In Genesis – The Two Trees Represent Choice
- “Tree of Life” → choosing God, union, obedience, and eternal life
- “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” → choosing independence, self-will, sin, and death
These are spiritual metaphors, not botanical mysteries.
God placed life before man, but He also gave man a free-will choice.
V. James 1:13–15 — The Bible Explains Where Death Comes From
KJV
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God…
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:
and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
NKJV
“Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires…
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Teaching Point:
Death begins inside man, not in God.
Human desire → sin → death.
Man is the origin point of death.
VI. Romans 5:12–21 — Apostle Paul Explains How Death Entered
KJV
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin…”
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned…”
NKJV
“Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin…”
“By one man’s offense death reigned…”
Teaching Point:
- Paul does not say: God created death
- Paul does not say: Satan created death
He says Adam opened the door to death by sin.
Thus:
Death is the product of man’s decision, not God’s design.
VII. Supporting Scriptures On Man’s Choice
KJV
- Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way which seemeth right… but the end… is death.”
- Hosea 13:9 – “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.”
- Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death.”
NKJV
- Ezekiel 18:4 – “The soul who sins shall die.”
- Galatians 6:8 – “He who sows to his flesh will… reap corruption.”
All of these passages affirm that death is man-made, not God-made.
VIII. The Theological Law
- God is Life
- Man has free will
- Sin is the rejection of Life
- Death is the result of rejecting God’s Life
Therefore:
Death is not a created thing—
death is the absence of God’s life, brought into existence by man’s choice.
IX. Final Summary
Who created death?
Man did.
God:
- Is Life,
- Gives Life,
- Breathes Life,
- Restores Life,
- Redeems Life,
- Is the Fountain of Life (Psalm 36:9).
Man:
- Chose independence,
- Chose self-will,
- Chose sin,
- Chose death.
Death exists because man turned from the only source of life.