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Bible Encyclopedias
Hope
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
or
1. In the Old Testament
In the Revised Version (British and American) the New Testament "hope" represents the noun ἐλπίς ,
2. In the New Testament
(1) The proclamation of this coming kingdom of God was the central element in the teaching of Jesus, and the message of its near advent (Mark 1:15 , etc.), with the certainty of admission to it for those who accepted His teaching (Luke 12:32 , etc.), is the substance of His teaching as to hope. This teaching, though, is delivered in the language of One to whom the realities of the next world and of the future are perfectly familiar; the tone is not that of prediction so much as it is that of the statement of obvious facts. In other words, "hope" to Christ is "certainty," and the word "hope" is never on His lips (Luke 6:34 and John 5:45 are naturally not exceptions). For the details see
(2) Hence, after the ascension the early church was left with an eschatological expectation that was primarily and almost technically the "hope" of the New Testament - "looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13 ), "unto a living hope ...., unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,... reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pet 13-5; compare Romans 5:2; Romans 8:20-24; 2 Corinthians 3:12; Ephesians 1:18-21; Colossians 1:5 , Colossians 1:23 , Colossians 1:17; Titus 1:2; Titus 3:7; 1 John 3:2 , 1 John 3:3 ). The foundations of this hope were many: (a ) Primarily, of course, the promises of the Old Testament, which were the basis of Christ's teaching. Such are often quoted at length (Acts 2:16 , etc.), while they underlie countless other passages. These promises are the "anchor of hope" that holds the soul fast (Hebrews 6:18-20 ). In part, then, the earliest Christian expectations coincided with the Jewish, and the "hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20; compare Acts 26:6 , Acts 26:7; Ephesians 2:12 , and especially Romans 11:25-32 ) was a common ground on which Jew and Christian might meet. Still, through the confidence of forgiveness and purification given in the atonement (Hebrews 9:14 , etc.), the Christian felt himself to have a "better hope" (Hebrews 7:19 ), which the Jew could not know. (b ) Specifically Christian, however, was the pledge given in the resurrection of Christ. This sealed His Messiahship and proved His lordship (Romans 1:4; Ephesians 1:18-20; 1 Peter 3:21 , etc.), so sending forth His followers with the certainty of victory. In addition, Christ's resurrection was felt to be the first step in the general resurrection, and hence, a proof that the consummation of all things had begun (1 Corinthians 15:23; compare Acts 23:6; Acts 24:15; Acts 26:6 , Acts 26:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 , 1 Thessalonians 4:14 , etc.). (c ) But more than all, devotion to Christ produced a religious experience that gave certainty to hope. "Hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us" (Romans 5:5; compare Romans 8:16 , Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14 , etc., and see HOLY SPIRIT ). Even visible miracles were wrought by the Spirit that were signs of the end (Acts 2:17 ) as well as of the individual's certainty of partaking in the final happiness (Acts 10:47; Acts 19:6 , etc.).
(3) Yet, certain though the hope might be, it was not yet attained, and the interim was an opportunity to develop faith, "the substance of the things hoped for" (Hebrews 11:1 ). Indeed, hope is simply faith directed toward the future, and no sharp distinction between faith and hope is attainable. It is easy enough to see how the King James Version felt "confession of our faith" clearer than "confession of our hope" in Hebrews 10:23 , although the rendition of
(4) One passage that deserves special attention is 1 Corinthians 13:13 , "Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three." "Abideth" is in contrast to "shall be done away" in 1 Corinthians 13:8 , 1 Corinthians 13:9 , and the time of the abiding is consequently after the Parousia; i.e. while many gifts are for the present world only, faith, hope and love are eternal and endure in the next world. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 is evidently a very carefully written section, and the permanence of faith and hope cannot be set down to any mere carelessness on Paul's part, but the meaning is not very clear. Probably he felt that the triad of virtues was so essentially a part of the Christian's character that the existence of the individual without them was unthinkable, without trying to define what the object of faith and hope would be in the glorified state. If any answer is to be given, it must be found in the doctrine that even in heaven life will not be static but will have opportunities of unlimited growth. Never will the finite soul be able to dispense entirely with faith, while at each stage the growth into the next can be anticipated through hope.
3. Practical
Only adventist bodies can use all the New Testament promises literally, and the translation of the eschatological language into modern practical terms is not always easy. The simplest method is that already well developed in the Fourth Gospel, where the phrase "kingdom of God" is usually replaced by the words "eternal life," i.e. for a temporal relation between this world and the next is substituted a local, so that the accent is laid on the hope that awaits the individual beyond the grave. On the other hand, the cataclysmic imagery of the New Testament may be interpreted in evolutionary form. God, by sending into the world the supernatural power seen in the Christian church, is working for the race as well as for the individual, and has for His whole creation, as well as for individual souls, a goal in store. The individual has for his support the motives of the early church and, in particular, learns through the cross that even his own sins shall not disappoint him of his hope. But both of the above interpretations are needed if religion is fairly to represent the spirit of the New Testament. A pure individualism that looks only beyond the grave for its hope empties the phrase "kingdom of God" of its meaning and tends inevitably to asceticism. And, in contrast, the religion of Jesus cannot be reduced to a mere hope of ethical advance for the present world.
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Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Hope'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/h/hope.html. 1915.
