Tag: sodzo

Romans 11:26 – Our God, Our Deliverer

Posted on by Will

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

Truth to Learn

Our God and Savior is deserving of all praise and glory.

 

Behind the Words

“Saved” is translated from sōdzō, meaning “to deliver from danger or harm” or “to save.” The word Savior is from soterios, which is derived from this verb sōdzō.

The word “Deliverer” is from rhuomai, which is from the verb rhuō, meaning “to draw or drag along the ground.” Thus we see the word rhuomai means “to draw or snatch from danger, to rescue, or to deliver.”

 

Meaning Explained

The opening part of this verse has been debated for centuries. There are some who claim that Paul is asserting that all Jews of all time will be saved. This is clearly as absurd as saying that all of mankind will be saved. What Paul is referring to is a point in time in the future when all who are Jews will recognize the Messiah and will accept Him as their savior.

Paul then quotes a passage from Isaiah 59:20 which says,

The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says Jehovah.

As you can clearly see, Paul’s quotation and our translation of Isaiah 59:20 don’t agree. That’s because Paul is quoting from the Septuagint, with which it does agree. And it is also agreeable with the Chaldean paraphrase of the Hebrew Bible, called the Targum, which says,

the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to turn the rebellious ones of the house of Jacob to the law.

It is this Targum which is commonly read by Jews in their Synagogues today. Since this agrees quite well with Paul’s quotation, we can assume that it is an accurate translation.

So the question is, “When will all of Israel be saved?” And the answer is, “When the Messiah returns.” This return will occur at the end of the seven year Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week) described by the Apostle John in the book of The Revelation. This coming of the conquering Messiah at the final battle of the Tribulation, commonly referred to as Armageddon, is described in the 19th chapter of The Revelation. Immediately after this battle the sheep and goat judgment will take place in which unbelievers will be cast into Hades and the believers will be ushered into the thousand year reign of Christ upon this earth, commonly called The Millennium.

The first verse of this 19th chapter reads:

After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!

 

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you too will be among those in heaven proclaiming Halleluiahs to our God, giving Him all the glory and all the honor for what He has done. Let’s start practicing now by shouting Halleluiah and by giving Him all the credit and all the glory for what He is doing now in our lives. Then spread the word!

And all of God’s people said — “Amen!”

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 10:9 – Resurrected Lord

Posted on by Will

that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Truth to Learn

Christ must be both your Master and your risen Savior.

 

Behind the Words

 “Confess” is translated from the Greek word homologeo, which is a compound word made up of homos, meaning “together, or the same” and a form of logos, meaning “something said.” Actually it is more accurately the thoughts or ideas behind what is said. Hence, homologeo means “to agree with, or to have the same thoughts as someone else.”

The word “Lord” is the Greek word kurios, which means “one who is supreme in authority.”

“Saved” is from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save or to deliver and protect from harm.” It is expressed here in the future tense. In other words, it does not mean “you are saved” but “you will be saved.”

 

Meaning Explained

This verse and the next comprise another of the pinnacles of the book of Romans. This may, in fact, be the highest of the peaks. Paul proclaims here how the righteousness of faith is obtained. Remember, Paul has told us that all of us are sinners.

 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

And that the result of sin is death, that is, separation from God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Now, Paul tells us that the way to gain the righteousness of God, that is, the way to be saved from the death that sin has caused, is to confess and believe. We are told that we must agree with God that Jesus is our Lord.

Putting this all together we see that Paul is telling us that we need to agree with God that Jesus is the supreme authority over us. This means that He is our Lord, which requires submission on our part. We also need to believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead, which is proof that He is the sinless Son of God, and that His death was sufficient payment for our sins. If we do these things, Paul says that we will be saved.

If we do not do both of these things, that is if we do not submit to Jesus’ supreme authority or if we don’t believe that He is risen from the dead, then we will not be saved. All those people who believe that Jesus was a good man, perhaps even a prophet but who is now dead, will not be saved. Those who believe that Jesus was raised from the dead but have not submitted to His lordship over their lives will not be saved.

 

Application

Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Master? Do you believe that God has raised Him from the dead? Those may be the two most important questions you will ever answer!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 8:24 – Safe and Secure

Posted on by Will

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

Truth to Learn

Your salvation is as secure as God’s promise.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “saved” is sōdzō, which means, “to save, deliver, or make whole, or to preserve safe from danger, loss, or destruction.” This verb is expressed in the aorist tense which implies past, punctiliar action, that is, action that took place at a single point in time in the past, not continuous action. This tells us that salvation is not a process, but a single event.

“Hope” is translated from the word elpis, which means, “an earnest desire, and the expectation of obtaining the object of that desire.” It is not an uncertainty that we hope will come to pass, it is with a clear expectation that it will happen.

 

Meaning Explained

As we mentioned in the previous verse, the Holy Spirit was given to us as a kind of “firstfruits” offering. That is, He is God’s promise that our salvation and our adoption will be consummated. Paul now adds some explanation to that idea. He says that we are saved in hope. There are two possible interpretations of this. These two interpretations revolve around the word translated “saved” which we talked about above in Behind the Words. If you interpret the word to mean “to preserve from danger,” then the beginning of this verse could be interpreted to mean that we are being preserved from danger by our hope of our future glory. That’s how some interpret this verse.

The other interpretation, which is more fully supported by the Greek text, is that we were saved (at a single point in time in the past) in light of an earnest desire and expectation that this salvation will be consummated at some time in the future.

The point is this; Paul has been talking about all of creation groaning in pain in anticipation of our adoption as sons by God and the final redemption of our body. He is now saying that our salvation, which legally has already taken place, is really an event in the future to which we look with longing, fully expecting it to happen.

Now let me say that Paul is NOT saying that we are unsure of our salvation and “hope” that it will happen. That use of the word “hope” is contrary to the meaning of the Greek word. When we were saved (at a single point in time in the past) we were given the Holy Spirit as a seal and a promise (Ephesians 1:13, 14) that God will consummate that salvation at some point in time in the future. In other words, we cannot get un-saved! It is not possible because we couldn’t give God His Holy Spirit back even if we wanted to. The giving of the Holy Spirit is an action initiated by God, not by you or me. Since He did the giving, only He could do the taking and that would mean God’s promise is worthless.

 

Application

Do you live in fear that you might lose your salvation if you’re not careful? Paul makes it pretty clear that it can’t happen. Your salvation is as secure as God’s promise and there’s nothing more secure than that!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:9 – Saved from Wrath

Posted on by Will

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, through Him we shall be saved from the wrath.

Truth to Learn

Christians will not experience the effect of God’s wrath.

 

Behind the Words

The words “we shall be saved” are translated from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save, deliver, make whole, or preserve safe from danger.” It is written here in the future tense and passive voice, indicating something that will be done to us some time in the future.

“Wrath” is from the Greek word orgē, which refers to “wrath or anger as a state of mind.” Aristotle said that orgē, is strong desire with grief. Another word sometimes translated as “wrath” is thumos, which refers to “indignation, the outburst of angry actions stemming from wrath.” Thus we see that orgē refers to the angry feeling, not the action that stems from it.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul showed us the greatness of God’s love for us. Though we are sinners and not good or righteous people, Christ died for us. Paul continues with, “Much more then …” In other words, the statement to follow is of even greater significance.

He then says, “having now been justified by His blood.” At first appearance this may seem contradictory to what Paul has just taught us in the previous chapter, that we are justified by grace, through faith. Actually, these are fully in agreement with each other because the shedding of blood is what fulfills God’s law of justice making it possible for Him to mark us as righteous in His record book. As it says in Hebrews 9:22, “without shedding of blood there is no remission (of sins)”

Even though God is all powerful, He can only do what is consistent with His own righteousness and law of justice. That law requires that sin must be paid for with the shedding of blood. Therefore, it is the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross, the giving of His perfect life as substitutionary payment for our sins, that permits God to declare us righteous.

But Paul doesn’t stop there. The “Much more then” comment doesn’t refer to the shedding of Christ’s blood but to the fact that, “through Him we shall be saved from wrath.” Remember, while we are still sinners Christ died for us. But much greater than the fact that He died for us while we are still sinners is the fact that because of His blood we will be saved!

Once again this appears a little confusing since we refer to ourselves as having already been saved. You see, there are two aspects of our salvation. As a past and completed action we have already been marked in God’s book as righteous, and legally we have already been saved from the penalty of our sins. And, as a result, in the future we will be saved from the wrath of the Almighty Judge who will judge all men. That is to say, we will appear at the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ where we will be rewarded for the things we have done for Him, not at the Great White Throne Judgment where unsaved sinners will suffer the result of the wrath of God in the lake of fire.

 

Application

For a Christian, being saved doesn’t mean being saved from sin, it means being saved from the consequence of sin. It means that we will not experience God’s indignation. What a blessed truth!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:21 – Obedience From Faith

Posted on by Will

Which antitype now also saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

Baptism does not save us. It is simply a picture of salvation.

 

Behind the Words

The word “antitype” is translated from the Greek word antitupon, which is a compound word made up of anti, meaning “against, opposing, or resisting” and tupos, meaning “hard or solid.” This word originally meant, “resisting a blow or impression.” In the New Testament, however, it is used in a different sense. Here it means “a similar type” or “a model.”

The word translated “saves” is sōdzō, which, indeed, means “to save.” It is expressed here in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood, which indicates current action. In other words, “it is now saving us.”

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is another very difficult one and one that has been misinterpreted by some who try to espouse the idea that one must be baptized to be saved. Similar to other supposed proof texts for false doctrines, this verse actually argues against baptism being a means of salvation.

Peter has just made a reference to the spirit of Christ who was proclaiming to the unbelievers during the time that Noah was building the ark. Today’s verse starts off with,

Which antitype now also saves us …

There is significant disagreement by scholars about whether the former “antitype” was the ark or the water. In either case it was simply a model of salvation to which baptism is compared. Noah did not receive spiritual salvation through the ark or the water, he received it the same way Abraham did and the same way we do today, through faith; he believed God. The building of the ark simply demonstrated his faith, just as baptism is our act of obedience after salvation that demonstrates our faith.

You see, Peter could not have been saying that we are saved by baptism. Otherwise, he would have been saying that our salvation is based on works, not faith, which is quite contrary to Peter’s and the other apostles’ teaching regarding salvation through faith alone.

Peter goes on to address just such a misunderstanding in the following phrase, as if he knew that what he was saying was likely to be misinterpreted. He says that baptism has nothing to do with the putting away of the filth of the flesh (it matters not whether you interpret this as physical dirt or the filth of sin on our souls), but that of a clean conscience toward God. And where does a clean conscience come from? It comes from obedience.

Peter is saying that baptism is like the building of the ark; it is an act of obedience that demonstrates something which already occurred (faith unto salvation). The act of obedience is not the saving thing itself, just the evidence.

 

Application

Perhaps you have been taught that you have to be baptized to be saved. That would be a situation where you have to obey to be saved. In reality, however, you have to be saved to obey.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:10 – Unrighteous Deception

Posted on by Will

and with all deception of unrighteousness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Truth to Learn

The world ruler during the Tribulation will be a great deceiver.

 

Behind the Words

Apatē is the Greek word translated “deception.” It refers to that which is deceitful or a delusion (something that is perceived despite strong evidence to the contrary).

The word “unrighteousness” is from adikia, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and dikē, meaning “that which is right or just.” Thus, adikia means “not right” or “not just.”

 “Perish” is from the Greek verb apollumi, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and ollumi, meaning “to destroy.” Therefore, apollumi means “to completely destroy.” The word does not imply complete annihilation (cessation of being), but physical destruction.

The word “receive” is translated from the verb dechomai, which means “to take to oneself” or “to deliberately and readily accept something offered.”

“Saved” is translated from sodzō, which means “to preserve safe from danger, loss, or destruction.”

 

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul has been teaching the Christians in Thessalonica about the Day of the Lord. False teachers had told them that this day of God’s judgment against the “permanent earth dwellers” had already arrived. Why do I call them “permanent earth dwellers?” Because throughout the book of Revelation, the unbelievers are referred to as katoikountes epi tēs gēs , which means “those who are permanently dwelling on the earth.” This expression is in contrast to believers who are said to be “sojourners and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11)

In response to the false teaching about the Day of the Lord, Paul explained that this time of God’s wrath would not happen until two specific events occurred. The first is the apostasia, either a reference to a great “falling away” from true faith or to the rapture of the church. The second event is the revealing of “the lawless one,” the antichrist.

He taught that this “lawless one” would become evident because of great signs and miraculous deeds which will be performed through the power of our great adversary, Satan. Paul now gives some more details about how this future world ruler will become evident.

The antichrist will be a great deceiver who, like a modern day illusionist, will use deception to convince people that he is righteous. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, he will declare himself to be a god, and the great signs and wonders that he and his false prophet perform will convince many that he really is a god. To a Bible believing Christian, this seems hard to believe. We know that there is only one true God, but those who reject the truth taught in the Bible (the permanent earth dwellers) will readily accept this imposter for who he claims to be.

True Christians not only believe the truth about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, but they have a love of the truth taught in Scripture. We love to read our Bibles and we love to learn the truth about God’s desire to have a personal relationship with us. But, the unbelievers in the last days will not have this love of the truth and will be easily deceived. As a result, they will not receive salvation, but will, instead, perish in the lake of fire for all eternity.

 

Application

Do you love the truth of God’s Word? If so, hold fast to sound Biblical teaching. If not, prepare yourself to be easily deceived.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:16 – Proclaim It Fearlessly

Posted on by Will

hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has suddenly come upon them to the uttermost.

Truth to Learn

Christians are to share the Gospel, in spite of persecution.

 

Behind the Words

“Hindering” is translated from the Greek verb kōluō, which is related to the noun kolos, which refers to “a dwarf.” The verb kōluō means “to weaken” or “to cut off.” In its common usage, it means “to hinder, restrain, or prevent.”

Laleō is the verb translated “speaking.” It refers to verbal conversation in general, as opposed to the content of the conversation, which would be the word legō.

The word “Gentiles” is from the Greek noun ethnos. This word literally refers to “a group of people belonging and living together.” In Greek secular writing, it primarily refers to “a race of people” or “a nation.” The Jews used this word to refer to anyone who was not a Jew, that is, a Gentile.

“Saved” is translated from sodzō, which means “to rescue from danger or destruction.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility or probability of it happening.

“Always” is translated from pantote, which is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “then.” Therefore, pantote means “all the time.”

The words “fill up” are from anaplēroō. This is composed of ana, meaning “up,” used as an intensifier, and plēroō, meaning “to fill.” Thus, anaplēroō means “to fill up completely.

The words “has suddenly come upon” are from the verb phthanō, meaning “to come suddenly and unexpectedly.”

“Uttermost” is from telos, meaning “the termination,” “the completion,” or “the end.”

 

Meaning Explained

The Thessalonian Christians were just told that they are suffering in the same way as the Christians in Judea, at the hands of their own countrymen. Paul now describes the motivation behind such persecution. He says that their countrymen were hindering them from having conversations with the people around them so that these people might not hear and believe the gospel message, thus getting saved.

This sounds very contemporary, doesn’t it? Even in our own country, which was originally based on religious freedom and the freedom of speech, our countrymen are trying to prevent us from spreading the good news. Prayer has been taken out of our schools and teachers are forbidden from sharing the Gospel message. Discussions about sin and salvation are hindered in the workplace and many government offices have forbidden the display of Christian materials.

But Paul tells us that the consequences of such hindering of the Gospel will be far worse for those who are hindering our witness than they will be for us. Their actions will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment and they will experience the wrath of God, while we will only know the peace of God.

 

Application

Don’t be discouraged from sharing the Gospel message with people around you. Keep in mind that it is “… the power of God unto salvation …” (Romans 1:16) that causes people to believe, not your own persuasiveness.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:8 – God’s Gracious Gift

Posted on by Will

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Truth to Learn

Salvation by grace, through faith, is God’s gift.

 

Behind the Words

“Saved” is translated from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save, deliver, protect, or preserve from danger.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which indicates past, completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. Therefore this word means “in the past you were saved and as a result you are now saved.”

The word “through” is from the Greek preposition dia. This word indicates either “motion through” or “through the instrumentality of something.”

“Faith” is translated from pistis, meaning “faith or belief.” It is based on the verb peithō, which means “to persuade or to win over.” Hence, pistis is the condition of having been convinced of a truth so that the person now believes that truth.

The word translated “gift” is doron, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” Thus, doron refers to “a gift,” specifically “a sacrificial gift.”

 

Meaning Explained

This is a very important verse with regard to our salvation, but there are some details that we need to investigate completely. Biblical scholars and commentators make a strong statement about the pronoun “this.” Some make the assertion that it is a direct reference to “faith.” Others claim that it is a direct reference to “saved.” Still others say that it is a direct reference to “grace.” Here’s the problem with all those claims. In Greek, any word modifying or referencing another word must agree in number and gender with the word it modifies or references.

The word translated “this” is from the Greek word touto, which is a neuter form of houtos. The nouns translated “grace” and “faith” are both feminine nouns, and the word translated “have been saved” is a participle (a verbal adjective) which is masculine. Therefore, by standard rules of Greek grammar, the word “this” cannot specifically reference any of these three words. It must, therefore, be a reference to all three. In other words, Paul is saying “that which I have just described is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” This seems to corroborate what our Lord said in John’s Gospel:

And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." (John 6:65)

And, he told his twelve disciples:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, (John 15:16)

This is in keeping with how Paul started out this letter:

just as He [the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3)

This is a very touchy, and often contentious, concept among Christians today. In fact, it has been this way since the first Century. For if we believe in election, then what of:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Acts 2:21 – see also Joel 2:28-32)

To this One all the Prophets witness, so that through His name everyone believing into Him will receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)

For everyone, whoever might call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13 – see also Joel 2:32 which is quoted in this verse in Romans)

Whole chapters of theological treatises have been written to prove one or the other of these positions and it would be inappropriate for me to try to explain it in one short daily devotional study. Let me suffice it to say that we cannot fully understand the mind of God who is not bound by either space or time, except to say that both salvation by election and salvation by free will appear to conform with Biblical teaching.

 

Application

Now, having said all that, let me simply point out that this precious salvation is not something that we have earned. We did not do anything in and of ourselves to obtain it. According to Paul in today’s passage, salvation and the faith that procured it are a gift of God’s grace. They are a gift which He freely gave to us, simply because He decided to give it. Thank you, God, for our salvation through faith by your grace!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:5 – Undeserved Love

Posted on by Will

And we being dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

Truth to Learn

God loves us instead of giving us what we deserve.

 

Behind the Words

The words “when we were” are translated from the verb eimi, which is the verb of being, meaning “I exist.” It is expressed here in the first person plural (we exist), but it is written as a present participle as well. Thus, the most literal translation of this is “we being.”

The words “dead in trespasses” are translated from the same two words (ontas nekrous) translated that way in verse one of this chapter. Though verse one refers to “you” and this verse refers to “we,” in both cases Paul is talking about Christians before we were saved.

“Made us alive together” is from an interesting Greek word. It is sudzōopoieō, a double compound word made up of sun, meaning “together,” dzōon, meaning “to give life to,” and poieō, meaning “to make.” Thus, this word literally means “to make alive together.”

“Grace” is translated from charis, meaning “favor, good will, or kindness, especially that which causes joy and gratification.” When used of God’s grace toward us, since we don’t deserve it, it is sometimes referred to as “unmerited favor.”

The word translated “saved” is sōdzō, which means “to deliver, to protect, or to save.” It is expressed here as a perfect participle. The perfect tense in Greek indicates a past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect. So, the end of this verse could be translated literally as “you are having been saved.”

 

Meaning Explained

To understand this verse we must combine it with the previous verse:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, and we being dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

There are three significant things expressed here: a main idea, a parenthetical idea, and a great theological truth.

Let’s start with the parenthetical idea. It is “because of His great love with which He loved us, and we being dead in trespasses.” As we mentioned in yesterday’s verse study, the word translated “love” is God’s self-sacrificing agape love. The amazing truth that we are told here is that God loved us with this perfect love while we were sinners with a sentence of death on our heads, who were living in violent opposition to Him. We were so unlovable that only God could have loved us.

The main idea expressed in these two verses is: “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together with Christ” In the previous verse we said “mercy” means to overlook personal offenses and to treat an offender better than he or she deserves. While we were sinners, dead in trespasses, in violent opposition to God, He overlooked our offenses and gave us eternal life in Jesus Christ!

The great theological truth expressed here is that we are saved by God’s grace. We will expand on that in the next few verses.

 

Application

Before you were saved you were a dead sinner, in violent opposition to God, not deserving anything but God’s wrath. But – God loved you anyway! Can you say, “Thank you, God!”?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 3:15 – Enduring or Flammable?

Posted on by Will

If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Truth to Learn

We need to build with enduring works, not flammable works.

Behind the Words

Katakaiō is the Greek word translated “burned.” It is made up of kata, meaning “down,” used here as an intensifier and kaiō, meaning “to set on fire” or “to burn.” Thus, katakaiō means “to burn down” or “to burn up completely.” It is expressed here in the future tense, indicating action that will take place in the future.

The words “will suffer loss” are from the Greek verb dzēmioō, meaning “to bring loss upon someone” to “to suffer damage or loss.” This verb is also expressed in the future tense, indicating action that will take place in the future.

“Will be saved” is the translation of the verb sōdzō, meaning “to preserve safe from danger, loss, or destruction,” or “to keep alive.” Like the previous two verbs, this is expressed in the future tense.

Pur is the word translated “fire.” Although it is occasionally used metaphorically, here it is used as a reference to literal fire.

Meaning Explained

As we have pointed out previously, Paul has been scolding the Christians in Corinth about the divisions which had sprung up in the church. By direct application, the teachings of this third chapter refer to the teachers and preachers in the church who had either directly or indirectly caused such divisions. However, by indirect application we can see that Paul is writing about every member of the church, since each one of us has a responsibility to build up the body of Christ. Preachers and teachers need to be especially careful that what they say is based on the truth of the Word. James, in speaking directly to those who teach in the church declared this warning:

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. (James 3:1)

Keep in mind that we are all responsible for building on the foundation that has been laid. The work we do in building up the church will undergo the fire test. That which we do in humble submission to God, for His praise and glory, will endure the flames. Those acts of service that we do carelessly or for our own glory will all go up in flames and we will lose any profit we may have expected from them.

Nonetheless, we will not be consumed by the fire. Remember that this is referring to the judgment of our works, not the judgment of our souls. This is not a reference to the fire of Hell. Christians will not experience such tormenting flame. This is a judgment of our works. Notice that Paul says, “if anyone’s work is completely burned up.”

Also notice that Paul says that as our worthless works are burned up, we will be saved. Again, this is not a reference to our eternal salvation, but to the fact that we will not be harmed by the flames that consume our worthless works.

Application

Let’s take a few minutes to evaluate our own works in building up the body. Are they being done in the proper spirit and in submission to God and to the leaders He has placed us under? We need to be doing enduring works, not flammable works.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved