Bible Lexicons

Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old TestamentGirdlestone's OT Synonyms

Salvation

The doctrine of salvation in the N.T. derives its name from a word which was engrained in the history and language of Israel from the period of the deliverance of the people out of Egypt up to the time of their restoration from captivity. The word yasha (ישׁע ), to save, which generally answers to the Greek σώζω, has given a name not only to Joshua, but to Jesus, who should save his people from their sins. Our translators have rendered yasha by the words save, help, preserve, rescue, defend, and deliver.

Yasha is used of the deliverance of Israel from the Egyptians (Exodus 14:30; Isaiah 43:3), and from other enemies (Numbers 10:9; Deuteronomy 20:4). The reference to this fact in 1 Samuel 10:19 is very striking: 'Ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations.'

This salvation was often effected through the instrumentality of man. Thus the Lord said to Gideon, 'Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the h and of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?' (Judges 6:14). Again, He says to Samuel concerning Saul, 'Thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the h and of the Philistines' (1 Samuel 9:16). Yet in such cases it was to be clearly understood that the work was God's, not man's; accordingly, Gideon's company was reduced in number, 'lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own h and hath saved me' (Judges 7:2). Actuated by this conviction, Jonathan reminded his armour-bearer that 'There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few' (1 Samuel 14:6); and Saul, when appealing to the name of God, describes Him as the Lord who saveth Israel (1 Samuel 14:39) in 2 Kings 13:5 we read that 'the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the h and of the Syrians.' With this passage may be compared the words of Isaiah with regard to Egypt, 'They shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them' (Isaiah 19:20).

Over and above the national salvation depicted in these and many similar passages, there are numerous references in the O.T. to the fact that God exercises a saving care over individuals, especially over those who in their helplessness and trouble need and claim his protection. Eliphaz says of God, 'He saveth the po or from the sword, from their mouth, and from the h and of the mighty' (Job 5:15); 'He shall save the humble person' (22:29). The Psalmist says, 'He saves the meek' (Psalms 76:9), the needy (72:4, 13), the contrite (34:18), the righteous (Proverbs 28:18), but not the wicked (Psalms 18:41).

The principle up on which this salvation from trouble is extended to man is simply the merciful disposition of God (Psalms 109:26) and his own honour (Isaiah 37:35). He saves for his own Name's sake. He says emphatically, 'I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour' (Isaiah 43:11); 'Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else' (Isaiah 45:22).

There is nothing in the word yashawhich indicates the mode or which limits the extent of salvation. It evidently includes divinely bestowed deliverance from every class of spiritual and temporal evil to which mortal man is subjected in Psalms 24:5, and elsewhere, it is set forth in connection with righteousness; in Psalms 25:5, with truth; in Psalms 40:10, with faithfulness; in Psalms 51:12; with joy; in Psalms 68:19-20, with spiritual gifts; in Psalms 69:13, with the hearing of prayer; and in Psalms 79:9, with the forgiveness of sins.

The Messiah was to be the embodiment of the Divine help and salvation. his coming is thus proclaimed, 'Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him' (Isaiah 62:11); 'Behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation' [The word here is passive, and perhaps refers to the resurrection of Christ.] (Zechariah 9:9); 'Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you' (Isaiah 35:4).

It is to be noticed that Chayah (חיה ), to save alive or make alive, is used several times in the O.T., e.g. Genesis 12:12; Ezekiel 3:18; Ezekiel 13:18-19; Ezekiel 18:27 in these and other passages preservation in life is what is generally referred to. Compare 1 Peter 3:18, which may be rendered 'being kept alive in the spirit.'

Teaching of the NT on Salvation

The Greek representative of yashain the N.T. is σώξω. We find it used of both temporal and spiritual deliverances, though the latter sense strongly predominates. 'To be saved' and 'to be made whole' are sometimes taken as renderings for the same word. Over and over again in this physical sense Christ 'saved others,' though He could not - the Jews supposed - 'save Himself.' There are also some passages in the Epistles which appear to refer to temporal salvation, whilst others are open to two interpretations.

The references in the N.T. to the 'great salvation' wrought by Christ are very constant and most remarkable. Sometimes this salvation is identified with entrance into the kingdom of God (Mark 10:26; Luke 13:23); sometimes it is regarded as a present salvation (Luke 19:9; 2 Corinthians 6:2); in other passages it is postponed till the Great Day (1 Corinthians 3:15), which is the day of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:5). It is everywhere set fort has attainable only through Him (John 10:9; Acts 4:12). It follows on repentance (1 Corinthians 7:10), on belief (Mark 16:16), on receiving the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10), on public confession of Christ's resurrection (Romans 10:9) in some passages salvation is deliverance from sins (Matthew 1:21); in others it appears to mean a continuous preservation from surrounding evil (2 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 5:9); whilst in a third class of passages it is deliverance from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9; Romans 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 9:28).

The being saved is brought several times into contrast with the being lost. It is a present loss or perdition from which Christ comes to seek and to save in the first place. He is never represented as saving from final perdition those who deliberately reject his saving work here. his mission was essentially remedial and restorative. So long as He was up on earth He restored health to the sick, sight to the blind, and cleanness to the leper; now that He has died, risen, and ascended into heaven, He restores the moral being of those who trust Him, not only by healing their backslidings and pardoning their offences, but also by giving them spiritual health, and power to live unto God. Hereafter will come the restoration of the body and of the whole physical fabric of things connected with the body, together with the full development of spiritual life.