What does soteria mean?

Soteria (Greek σωτηρία, Strong's G4991) means salvation, deliverance, or rescue, being brought safe out of danger and made whole. Its verb sozo can mean to rescue, to heal, or to make whole.

What does the Bible mean by salvation?

Salvation in the Bible is God's rescue of people from sin and death and the mending of all that is broken. It is described as a gift received by faith, not a wage earned (Ephesians 2:8), centred on Jesus.

Greek · The Great Words

Soteria: Salvation

Soteria is the Greek word for salvation: rescue and deliverance, being brought safe out of danger and made whole, which the New Testament ties to the very name and work of Jesus.

The original word

σωτηρία

soteria (soh-tay-REE-ah) · Greek

salvation, deliverance, rescue; from soter (saviour) and sozo (to save, heal, make whole)

Strong's G4991

How the Bible uses it

“This day is salvation come to this house... For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:9-10

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”

Romans 1:16

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

Ephesians 2:8

What it means

The word family behind soteria is wide. The verb sozo can mean to rescue from danger, to heal a body, or to make a person whole. Salvation in the Bible is at least that big: not only forgiveness of sins but the mending of everything broken, body and soul, now and finally.

It is rescue language. It assumes there is something to be saved from, sin, death, the ruin of ourselves, and someone able to do the saving. And in the New Testament salvation is consistently described as a gift received, not a wage earned.

And Christ

The connection is written into his name. ‘Jesus’ (Hebrew Yeshua) means ‘the LORD saves’, and the angel gave the reason: ‘thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). Soteria is not first a doctrine but a Person who came ‘to seek and to save that which was lost’ (Luke 19:10).

Frequently asked questions

What does soteria mean?: Soteria (Greek σωτηρία, Strong's G4991) means salvation, deliverance, or rescue, being brought safe out of danger and made whole. Its verb sozo can mean to rescue, to heal, or to make whole.
What does the Bible mean by salvation?: Salvation in the Bible is God's rescue of people from sin and death and the mending of all that is broken. It is described as a gift received by faith, not a wage earned (Ephesians 2:8), centred on Jesus.
Why does the name Jesus mean salvation?: The name Jesus (Hebrew Yeshua) means 'the LORD saves'. Matthew 1:21 gives the reason: 'thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.' Salvation is bound up with who he is.

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The Word did not stay on the page

These are beautiful words, but they were never meant to stay words. Christians believe the meaning behind every one of them, the love, the grace, the peace, the life, took on flesh and walked among us. You do not have to take our word for it. Read his own, watch what he does, and see. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

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