Salvation (Soteria)
God's great rescue — drawing humanity out of sin and death into life that never ends
Salvation, soteria in Greek, is the whole of God's rescue of humanity from sin and death into eternal life with him. It runs throughout the New Testament as the heart of the gospel, embracing forgiveness, reconciliation, and the gift of life beyond the grave. Christians of every tradition affirm that salvation is God's work on behalf of a humanity unable to save itself, accomplished through Christ.
How it traveled
- 1 PeterRome · 64explains
- RomansCorinth · 67explains
- 1 CorinthiansEphesus · 67explains
- EphesiansRome · 67explains
- HebrewsRome · 67explains
- 1 TimothyEphesus · 67explains
- MatthewAntioch · 80explains
- ActsRome · 84explains
- LukeRome · 84explains
- JohnEphesus · 100explains
- 1 JohnEphesus · 100explains
- Dialogue with TryphoRome · 165explains
- The Life of Constantine with Orations of Constantine and EusebiusCaesarea · 339explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of InfantsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · 430explains
- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New TestamentHippo Regius · 430explains
- The ConfessionsHippo Regius · 430explains
- The EnchiridionHippo Regius · 430explains
- Anselm's Cur Deus HomoCanterbury · 1109explains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · 1274explains
- Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)Paris · 1274explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Fifteen Sermons. On Various SubjectsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- The great christian doctrine of original sin defendedNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- A History of the Work of RedemptionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of SalvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Inquiry Concerning Qualification for CommunionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New EnglandNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Catholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Man · Henri de Lubac
Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity · Karl Rahner
Systematic Theology · Paul Tillich
Crossing the Threshold of Hope · Pope St. John Paul II
Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90) · Thomas Aquinas
We have now to consider those who receive Baptism; concerning which there are twelve points of inquiry: (1) Whether all are bound to receive Baptism? (2) Whether a man can be saved without Baptism?
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for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
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Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90) · Thomas Aquinas
I answer that, A thing is necessary for salvation in two ways: first, absolutely; secondly, on a supposition. A thing is absolutely necessary for salvation, if no one can obtain salvation without it,
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For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
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The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
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A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
1. Shall so many prophets, and kings, and righteous men, have their minds so much taken up with the prospect, that the purchase of salvation was to be wrought out in ages long after their death; and w
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A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
O! that you who live negligent of this salvation, would consider what you do! What you have heard from this subject, may show you what reason there is in that exclamation of the apostle, Heb. ii. 3. “
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A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 62 [XXXIII.]—No One Can Be Reconciled to God, Except by Christ. He then proceeds thus, saying: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him sho
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A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 11.—The Ancients Assumed Original Sin. You see with what confidence this great man expresses himself after the ancient and undoubted rule of faith. In advancing such very certain statements,
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They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
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There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
1. All that we have hitherto said of Christ leads to this one result, that condemned, dead, and lost in ourselves, we must in him seek righteousness, deliverance, life and salvation, as we are taught
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City of God · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 4.—What the Christians Believe Regarding the Supreme Good and Evil, in Opposition to the Philosophers, Who Have Maintained that the Supreme Good is in Themselves. If, then, we be asked what t
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Fifteen Sermons. On Various Subjects · Jonathan Edwards
Dated, September, 1740. GEN. vi. 22. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. Concerning these words, I would observe three things: 1. What it was that God commanded Noah
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Fifteen Sermons. On Various Subjects · Jonathan Edwards
I. Prop. There is a work or business which men must enter upon and accomplish, in order to their salvation.—Men have no reason to expect to be saved in idleness, or to go to heaven in a way of doing n
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Fifteen Sermons. On Various Subjects · Jonathan Edwards
God did not save Noah on account of the labour and expense he was at in building the ark. Noah’s salvation from the flood was an instance of the free and distinguishing mercy of God. Nor did God stand
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Salvation (Soteria). These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Henri de LubacCatholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Man(1938)View on Amazon→
- Paul TillichSystematic Theology(1951)View on Amazon→
- Karl RahnerFoundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity(1976)View on Amazon→
- Pope St. John Paul IICrossing the Threshold of Hope(1994)View on Amazon→