A Bible dictionary is a great tool to help you better understand God’s word. Do you own a bible dictionary?
If not you may want to pick one up. It can be a valuable study aid in enhancing your understanding of God’s word. It can help understand the meaning of the word in its original context, not necessarily how we use the word in modern day.
Hope: Confident Expectation
The word “hope” is an excellent example of this. The Greek noun elpis in the New Testament has been translated as hope. (Rom 8:23-25). In modern day English many people associate the word hope with wishful thinking. I hope I win the lottery. They would like to win the lottery but are not really expecting to. This is not at all what the Greek word elpis means. As defined in Vine’s it means confident expectation. It has to do with the unseen and the future.
In these verses (Rom 8:23-25) the believer eagerly awaits with confident expectation for Christ to take us out of this world to be with Him and the redemption of our body. There is no doubt for the believer if this is going to happen, its just a matter of when.
As you can see having an accurate understanding of the meaning of the word, naturally helps you better understand God’s Word. Along with your favorite bible, a bible dictionary can help you get more enjoyment from your studies.
—Romans 8:23–25 NKJV “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
Leave a Reply