Saviour

Saviour

1. Introduction

   • Conzelmann states that salvation is at the very heart of Luke's theology and his theology is based on God saving everyone
   • Salvation comes from Greek verb 'sozo' - make safe and the Kingdom of God is open to all
   • Apart from a single reference in John, Luke is the only evangelist to use this title for Jesus
   • Luke uses this title for two reasons: 1) developed theology 2) early Christians believed the resurrection saved us
   • Barclay states that the idea of Jesus as saviour refers to the idea that human history is ordered by divine plan
   • It would appear the title 'saviour' became a popular title for Jesus towards the end of the first century - this confirms a developed theology

2. Origins

   • A title originally used for God or any human being who would "save" people from present or future dangers
   • In the Old Testament, "saviour" is sometimes applied to human leaders but is used mainly as a title for God in Luke's Gospel
   • In the New Testament, the title is rarely used in most New Testament writing - only other synoptic that uses it is John
   • It is used in both Luke and Acts and this shows an ongoing theology
   • The verb "to save" is frequently applied to Jesus' ministry

3. Salvation

   • 13 examples of 'salvation' in Luke's Gospel
   • Marshall: Luke's interest in salvation is critically important - "the idea of salvation supplies the key to the theology of Luke" - ongoing salvation history
   • 1:69 - Zechariah praises God who "raised up a horn of salvation in the House of David" - setting people free
   • 2:30 - when Simeon holds Christ in his arms at the temple he cries out, "For my eyes have seen thy salvation"
   • 19:9 - when Jesus was at Zacchaeus the tax collectors house he turned to God and said, "Today, salvation has come to this house"

4. Save

   • This has been seen 17 times throughout Luke's Gospel
   • McBride accentuated that Luke's portrayal of Jesus as the fulfilment of God's saving plan is evident through his universal theme
   • In 6:9, the term save is seen in the man with a paralysed hand, as it states, "to save someone's life or destroy it?"
   • Secondly, when Jesus is at the House of Simon the Pharisee, he told the woman that her faith, we will be saved
   • Finally, in 9:24, Jesus is speaking about his suffering and death as he exclaims, "for whoever wants to save their own life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will save it"
   • Luke shows that God cares for those who are outcasts and wants to save them
   • In chapter 15, it is the lost parables and it shows God's love for the lost and his desire that they are saved

5. Saviour

   • Drane states, "there is probably no other book in the New Testament depicts Jesus so vividly as the friend and saviour of men and women and this emphasises he was there for those in need
   • In 1:31, Mary was told to name her son Jesus and this meant saviour
   • In 1:47, when Mary greets Elizabeth she rejoices in the magnificat as it portrays, "God my saviour"
   • Finally, in 2:11 when the sheppards visit Jesus, they are told, "your saviour was born"

6. Universal saviour

   • Barclay states that the universal scope of salvation is an important theme in Luke's Gospel
   • Luke's genealogy traces Jesus' ancestry back to Adam who is the father of all mankind
   • Jesus also ate with sinners and broke the Sabbath rule

7. Divinely ordered plan

   • Fitzymer identifies that Luke touches on a divine plan for the salvation of humans - Jesus' words
   • "God's design" is identified in both Luke and Acts and this is seen in 7:30 and 2:"3
   • Luke uses expressions to show that God's plan has already taken place
   • In Acts 10:42, Jesus preached about one who was preordained by God to be the judge of the living and dead

8. Five elements in Luke's account that shows his concern for Salvation History

   • All o f these elemtns were proposed by Fitzmyer
   • 1) included many references to God's plan and this can be seen in the Garden of Gethsemane
   • 2) Luke tells us that certain things have been determined by God and this is seen at the crucifixion
   • 3) this gives reference to the necessity of things and there is a frequent use of the word 'dei'
   • 4) there is a common theme of fulfilment in the Gospel and this is of Jesus' life and seen in the infancy narrative
   • 5) Luke uses the title 'saviour' for Jesus and frequently uses the words save

9. Hans Conzelmann

   • Conzelmann states that Luke's Salvation History scheme was an attempt to deal with a crisis in the late first century
   • He also believed that Luke needed to revise his sources to explain the delay in the parousia
   • Conzelmann represents this period in three periods
   • 1) this is around the time of the prophets and can be seen with Anna the prophetess
   • 2) the period of Jesus' ministry and it ended with his ascension into heaven
   • 3) involves the early church and the holy spirit