# G4991 - soteria **Strong's:** [G4991](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4991/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** so-tay-ree'-ah **Part of speech:** feminine noun **Cognates:** [G4990 - soter](/codex/g4990-soter/), savior; [G4982 - sozo](/codex/g4982-sozo/), to save **Hebrew equivalents (LXX):** *H3444 - yeshuah* (pending, יְשׁוּעָה, salvation/deliverance, root of the name *Yeshua* / Jesus); also *teshu'ah*. **NT occurrences:** ~46 ## Semantic range (Thayer / BDAG) 1. **Rescue, deliverance, safety**, from physical danger, enemies, disease ([Acts 7:25](/codex/acts-7-25/); [Hebrews 11:7](/codex/hebrews-11-7/)). 2. **Spiritual / eschatological salvation**, deliverance from sin, judgment, wrath, hell; the comprehensive divine rescue accomplished through Christ. The dominant NT theological sense. 3. **Salvific state / status**, the present condition of being saved ([Romans 13:11](/codex/romans-13-11/)). 4. **Future consummation**, final glorification at Christ's return ([1 Peter 1:5](/codex/1-peter-1-5/), [9](/codex/1-peter-1-9/); [Hebrews 9:28](/codex/hebrews-9-28/)). ## Theological force *Sōtēria* is the noun-form of [G4982 - sozo](/codex/g4982-sozo/), "salvation." Where *sōzō* is the *act*, *sōtēria* is the *state* / *content*. Where *sōzō* answers the question "what does Christ do?" (saves), *sōtēria* answers the question "what do believers receive?" (salvation). The Pauline framework distinguishes: - **Sōtēria from** what we are saved *from*, sin's penalty, power, and (eventually) presence; God's wrath; spiritual death; eternal judgment. - **Sōtēria for** what we are saved *for*, eternal life with God; sonship; communion; glory. - **Sōtēria through** what we are saved *through*, Christ's death and resurrection. - **Sōtēria by** what means we receive salvation, grace, through faith, by the Spirit. The same three-tense pattern as *sōzō* applies: *sōtēria* is past (justification, [Eph 2:8](/codex/ephesians-2-8/) perfect), present (sanctification, [Phil 2:12](/codex/philippians-2-12/) working out), and future (glorification, [1 Pet 1:5](/codex/1-peter-1-5/) ready to be revealed). ## Notable verses ### The gospel as power for salvation - **[Romans 1:16](/codex/romans-1-16/)**, "the gospel… is the power of God for *sōtēria* to everyone who believes" - **[2 Corinthians 7:10](/codex/2-corinthians-7-10/)**, "the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to *sōtēria*" - **[Philippians 1:28](/codex/philippians-1-28/)**, "[their conduct] is a sign of destruction for them, but of *sōtēria* for you" ### Christ as exclusive source - **[Acts 4:12](/codex/acts-4-12/)**, "there is *sōtēria* in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" - **[Hebrews 5:9](/codex/hebrews-5-9/)**, Christ "became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal *sōtēria*" - **[Hebrews 2:3](/codex/hebrews-2-3/)**, "how will we escape if we neglect so great a *sōtēria*?" - **[Hebrews 7:25](/codex/hebrews-7-25/)**, "He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him" - **[2 Timothy 3:15](/codex/2-timothy-3-15/)**, "the sacred writings… are able to give you the wisdom that leads to *sōtēria* through faith which is in Christ Jesus" ### Believers' present possession - **[Romans 13:11](/codex/romans-13-11/)**, "now *sōtēria* is nearer to us than when we believed" - **[Philippians 2:12](/codex/philippians-2-12/)**, "work out your *sōtēria* with fear and trembling" - **[2 Corinthians 6:2](/codex/2-corinthians-6-2/)**, "now is the day of *sōtēria*" - **[1 Thessalonians 5:8-9](/codex/1-thessalonians-5-8-9/)**, "the helmet, the hope of *sōtēria*… God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining *sōtēria* through our Lord Jesus Christ" ### Eschatological consummation - **[1 Peter 1:5](/codex/1-peter-1-5/)**, "protected by the power of God through faith for a *sōtēria* ready to be revealed in the last time" - **[1 Peter 1:9](/codex/1-peter-1-9/)**, "obtaining as the outcome of your faith the *sōtēria* of your souls" - **[Hebrews 9:28](/codex/hebrews-9-28/)**, "Christ… will appear a second time for *sōtēria* without reference to sin" - **[Revelation 7:10](/codex/revelation-7-10/)**, "*sōtēria* to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb" - **[Revelation 12:10](/codex/revelation-12-10/); 19:1**, *sōtēria* in heavenly worship ### OT background, Yahweh's *yeshuah* - **[Psalm 27:1](/codex/psalms-27-1/)**, "the LORD is my light and my *sōtēria* (LXX)" - **[Psalm 62:1-2](/codex/psalms-62-1-2/)**, "from Him is my *sōtēria*" - **[Isaiah 12:2](/codex/isaiah-12-2/)**, "behold, God is my *sōtēria*" - **[Isaiah 49:6](/codex/isaiah-49-6/)**, "I will make You a light of the nations so that My *sōtēria* may reach to the end of the earth" (servant-song; cited in [Acts 13:47](/codex/acts-13-47/)) - **[Isaiah 52:7](/codex/isaiah-52-7/)**, "your God reigns! How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news of *sōtēria*" ### "By faith" / "through faith" - **[Ephesians 2:8](/codex/ephesians-2-8/)**, "by grace you have been saved through faith" (verb *sesōsmenoi*; the noun-state of being-saved is the corresponding *sōtēria*) - **[Romans 1:16-17](/codex/romans-1-16-17/)**, "the gospel… *sōtēria*… for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith" - **[2 Timothy 2:10](/codex/2-timothy-2-10/)**, "they may obtain the *sōtēria* which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory" ## Patristic / scholarly note The patristic and medieval traditions developed *sōtēria* into a comprehensive doctrine encompassing both forensic (legal) and ontological (participatory) dimensions: salvation is acquittal from divine condemnation *and* restoration of divine fellowship. The Eastern *theosis* tradition (Athanasius, Cappadocians, Maximus) emphasizes the participatory side; the Western *forensic* tradition (Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, the Reformers) emphasizes the legal side. Modern conservative scholarship (T. F. Torrance, *Atonement*, 2009; Michael Horton, *Justification*, 2018) seeks a synthetic reading that includes both. The Reformation pressed *sōtēria* through *sola fide* / *sola gratia* / *solus Christus*, salvation by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone. Calvin's *Institutes* III-IV is essentially a sustained treatment of *sōtēria* applied through the church and sacraments. Modern evangelical: J. I. Packer, *Knowing God* (1973); John Stott, *The Cross of Christ* (1986); Anthony Hoekema, *Saved by Grace* (1989); Michael Horton, *The Christian Faith* (2011); Sinclair Ferguson, *The Whole Christ* (2016). ## Verses in this codex _See Obsidian's backlinks pane for every verse page linking here._ ## See also - [G4982 - sozo](/codex/g4982-sozo/), cognate verb "to save" - [G4990 - soter](/codex/g4990-soter/), "savior" - [G5547 - christos](/codex/g5547-christos/), "Christ", the agent of *sōtēria* - *H3444 - yeshuah*, Hebrew equivalent - [Romans 10.13](/codex/romans-10-13/), "calling on the name… will be saved" - [Ephesians 2.8-9](/codex/ephesians-2-8-9/), "by grace through faith"