Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Truth to Learn
Christians can have joy, peace, and hopeful expectation.
Behind the Words
The word translated “hope” in this verse is a form of the Greek word elpis, which means, “the desire of something good with full expectation of obtaining it.” It is different than the English word “hope,” which implies simply a desire for something but not knowing whether it will happen or not. Paul calls our God the God of hope because we know that His promises will definitely come true.
“Fill” is from the verb plēroō, which means “to fill.” Actually, it means more than just filling something; it means to cram it as full as possible. It is expressed here in the Optative mood, indicating a wish, or desire on the part of the Apostle Paul.
The word translated “all” is the Greek word pas, which means “all, the whole, completely, with nothing missing.”
“Joy” is translated from the Greek noun chara, meaning “cheerfulness” or “calm delight.”
The noun “peace” is from eirēnē, which means “peace or tranquility.” It is a state in which there is no perceived threat or cause for worry present.
The word translated “abound” is the Greek word perisseuō, which means “to be in excess in number or measure.”
Meaning Explained
Having finished his treatise on the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ, Paul closes this section with a benediction. He starts off invoking the benediction from the “God of hope.” In all that Paul has been teaching us since the first verse of chapter fourteen, it is hope which, among other things, unites us. It is to both the Jew and Gentile the hope of the return of the Messiah, and it is also to both the Jew and the Gentile the hope of the resurrection and salvation that He promised. Not just empty hope, but expectant hope.
In this benediction Paul asks that God will fill us “with all joy and peace” in our believing faith. That is, Paul is asking that God cram us completely full with all possible joy and peace. Not just a lot of it, but all of it, with nothing missing!
And, as a result of that joy and peace that we have in our saving faith, we can thus abound in hope. Because of the joy and peace that we have in our faith, we can be filled to overflowing with expectant hope.
Our salvation is not a salvation of worry or fear (worrying or being afraid that we might lose it), but a salvation of hope, with full expectation and assurance that God will deliver on His promises.
Application
If you have submitted yourself to the lordship of Jesus Christ and have accepted the sacrificial offering of His blood as full payment for your sins, then God will save you according to His promises! This is the greatest truth ever proclaimed to man. Even though none of us is righteous, all of us are sinners, and even though God demands righteousness, we can avoid the penalty of our sinfulness through the blood of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed to pay the penalty of our sins! Praise God!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved