Salvation in the Bible: Rescue, Renewal, and Real Change
Our Weekly Heat Map | Greek/Lexical Translation Series
Greek Word: σωτηρία (sōtēría) — Salvation
At its core, sōtēría means rescue, deliverance, preservation, or safety.
In the ancient Greek world, this word wasn’t religious by default. It was used for very real situations:
being rescued from danger
surviving a battle
escaping death
being preserved when destruction was imminent
In other words, someone was in trouble, and someone else intervened.
When the New Testament uses sōtēría, it carries that same weight—but applies it to the deepest human danger: sin, death, and separation from God.
Biblical salvation is not:
self-improvement
moral cleanup
spiritual potential unlocked
It is God stepping in to save someone who cannot save themselves.
Sōtēría includes:
deliverance from sin’s power, not just its penalty
rescue from judgment, not denial of guilt
restoration to wholeness, not just a change of destination
It’s closely tied to the verb σῴζω (sōzō), which means to save, heal, make whole, or restore. It shows salvation isn’t only about where you go after death—it’s about being made whole under God’s authority.
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