Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.
3:20 our commonwealth exists in heaven Roman citizenship was highly prized, but Paul encourages believers to embrace a far better identity as citizens of God’s kingdom. Most residents of Philippi probably lacked Roman citizenship (see note on 1:1). For any believers who did hold Roman citizenship, Paul’s statement here presents a challenge to look beyond their earthly status and show highest allegiance to Christ.
a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ In the Roman Empire, the emperor was known as the savior and lord. By applying these titles to Jesus, Paul is calling the Philippians to live under the authority and reign of the universe’s true Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. It was likely this kind of message that landed Paul and Silas in jail in Philippi (Acts 16:21).
The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters is a one-of-a-kind reference work. Following the format of its highly successful companion volume, the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, this Dictionary is designed to bring students, teachers, ministers and laypeople abreast of the established conclusions and significant recent developments in Pauline scholarship.
Savior
The letters of Paul contain twelve of the twenty-four NT uses of the word sōtēr (“savior”). Ten of the twelve instances are in the Pastorals, of which six are in Titus. In the Pauline literature, as in the overall NT usage, savior (sōtēr) means “one providing salvation,” and often includes the related meanings of “deliverer” or “protector.” The salvation that the savior brings is principally spiritual and usually eternal in scope, but it is also linked to the physical dimension. In the Pauline corpus the term savior is always applied either to Jesus Christ (six times) or to God (six times). Thus the question arises as to how both God and Christ can function as savior.
1. Savior in Hellenism and Judaism
2. Savior in Ephesians and Philippians
1. Savior in Hellenism and Judaism
Paul lived and ministered in a cultural environment where the term savior could be ascribed to gods, heroes and humans. Gods such as Zeus, Asclepius, Serapis, Isis and Sandon-Heracles (of Paul’s native Tarsus) could be called “savior” for their reputed ability to deliver from the seasonal “death” of nature or from disease, mortality and other afflictions of life (see Religions). In the Hellenistic ruler cults that followed after Alexander the Great divine honors were attributed to rulers in life and in death. Thus after the death of Ptolemy I (c. 280 b.c.), he and his wife Berenike were honored as theoi sōtēres, “savior gods.” And Ptolemy II and his wife Arsinoe II were deified while yet living.
Likewise, beginning with Augustus, the Roman emperors were given the titles “lord” and “savior” in the emperor cult, which particularly prevailed in the cities of Asia Minor. In the case of rulers, their power as savior was evident in ending war and serving as the great benefactor (euergetēs) in bringing peace and prosperity (the news of this peace was frequently called euangelion, “good news”).
Thus a wide range of deific associations attended the word sōtēr (see Bousset, Foerster and Fohrer, Nock, Wendland). But while the history of religions school attributed early Christianity’s use of savior (and lord) to Hellenistic mystery religions (e.g., Serapis and Isis; see Bousset), such a genetic relationship has since been discredited (see Lord; Paul and His Interpreters; Religions).
To whatever extent sōtēr was used of gods, heroes and humans in the first century, it should be seen as evidence of how the term could be used of a revered or transcendent figure, as a salutary reminder of how the term sōtēr might be misunderstood when attributed to Jesus, and as a contrast with the claims early Christians made of Christ.
The more likely background for savior in the Pauline corpus is the use of the term in the OT. There it is primarily God who is called “Savior” or identified as the one who brings salvation (e.g., Deut 32:15; Mic 7:7; Hab 3:18), particularly in the Psalms (e.g., Ps 24:5; 27:1; 62:2) and in Isaiah (e.g., Is 12:2; 45:15, 21; 60:16; 63:8). Though humans may be called saviors, they serve only as agents of God’s salvation (e.g., Judg 2:16; 3:9, 15; 2 Kings 13:5; Neh 9:27).
The coming Davidic king was never identified as “savior,” though Zechariah could speak of him as “having salvation” (Zech 9:9; cf. Servant, Is 49:6). The LXX regularly uses sōtēr to translate the Hebrew yešû‘â (“salvation”), yēša‘ (“deliverance,” “rescue,” “salvation”) and the participle môšîa‘ (“savior”). The Greek texts of early Judaism do not use sōtēr of a messianic figure but limit it to God (Wis 16:17; Sir 51:1; Bar 4:22; 1 Macc 4:30; 3 Macc 6:29, 32; 7:16; Pss. Sol. 8:33).
2. Savior in Ephesians and Philippians
Outside the Pastorals the term savior appears only in Ephesians 5:23 and Philippians 3:20. In considering these passages it is instructive to compare the usage in Acts 13:23, where Luke records Paul’s early preaching.
In Acts 13:16–41 Paul addresses Jews and Gentile God-fearers in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14) on his first missionary journey. He proclaims Jesus as the “Savior” whom “God has brought to Israel” (Acts 13:23 NIV) from David’s line (Acts 13:22–23). Paul’s “message of salvation” (ho logos tēs sōtērias, Acts 13:26), that is, of Jesus as Savior, focuses on the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, in fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures.
Although there is no evidence that savior was a messianic title in the NT period (Foerster, 1014), nevertheless Jesus is set forth as the Savior (Acts 13:23) who provides forgiveness of sins and justification, which are to be received through faith in him and his victorious redemptive work (Acts 13:38–39). This is consistent with Peter’s preaching in Acts 5:31 (cf. 2 Pet 1:1, 11; 2:20; 3:2, 18), as well as with the angel’s proclamation in Luke 2:11 (cf. Lk 1:47) and the significance attached to Jesus’ name in Matthew 1:21 (“he will save his people from their sins”).
In Philippians 3:20 savior is used in an eschatological context. Paul reminds the Philippian believers that their primary citizenship is in heaven, from which they “await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. 1 Thess 1:10). His coming will be accompanied by the glorious transformation of the believers’ “body of humiliation” to be conformed to the “body of his glory,” a working of the same power by which he subjects all things to himself (Phil 3:21; cf. Phil 2:9–11).
The eschatological context of the title squares with Paul’s use of the term salvation to refer to the completion of God’s saving work in the end. From a critical perspective, this is the only use of savior in the generally acknowledged Pauline letters. And some have argued that the use of savior in Philippians 3:20 is due to Paul’s use of pre-Pauline tradition at this point (see commentaries) or that Paul, having developed the metaphor of earthly and heavenly citizenship, or commonwealth (politeuma), wishes to contrast Christ the coming heavenly Savior with the earthly emperor as “savior.”
Ephesians 5:23–32 develops the relationship of Christ to the church as the body of Christ (see Body of Christ). Paul discusses the way husbands should love and cherish their wives (Eph 5:25–32) by analogy with Christ, who is head of the church and—he adds—“is himself the Savior of the body” (Eph 5:23).
The significance of Christ as “Savior of the body” seems clear enough: it is summed up in his loving death for the church, his cleansing it from sin (Eph 5:26), his presenting it spotless to God (Eph 5:27) and his providing for its welfare (Eph 5:29). Here the Savior’s work is seen as realized eschatology. Ephesians 5:23–32 paints a picture of Christ as Savior that includes both the ideas of salvation from destruction, sin and death, and of protection and provision.
But a point of comparison may be drawn between Ephesians 5:23 and Philippians 3:20: in both contexts the theme of subjection appears with the title Savior, as does the title “Lord” (cf. Phil 3:20; Eph 5:22) In Philippians 3:21 his future action on behalf of believers will be by the same power with which he subjected “all things”; in Ephesians 5:24 the church is subjected to Christ, a theme reminiscent of Ephesians 1:22–23, where the church is the manifestation of the future subjection of all things to Christ.
The future benefits of the Lord Jesus as Savior described in Philippians 3:20 are given a predominantly present-tense focus in Ephesians 5:23, where the emphasis lies on Christ the Savior’s provision and protection.
3. Savior in the Pastorals
There is a notable shift from the rare appearance of sōtēr outside the Pastorals to ten occurrences within the Pastorals. Six of these instances refer to God as Savior—three in 1 Timothy (1 Tim 1:1; 2:3; 4:10) and three in Titus (Tit 1:3; 2:10; 3:4). Jesus Christ also is called “Savior” (2 Tim 1:10), and sometimes both God and Christ are referred to as Savior in close proximity to each other (i.e., the frequent use of God as “Savior,” especially as “Savior of all people,” in the Pastorals: 2 Tim 1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6).
Foerster is representative of those who understand this emphasis on the “Savior of all people” against the backdrop of an emerging Gnosticism that claimed that salvation was only for the few (Foerster, 1017). However, the presence of full-blown Gnosticism during the NT period has been widely questioned.
A more plausible alternative is to understand the designation of God as Savior as derived from the OT (see 1 above; see Fee). The expression, “God our Savior,” occurs five times in the Pastorals (1 Tim 1:1; 2:3; Tit 1:3; 2:10; 3:4). The repeated use of “our” seems to indicate an appropriation of OT language to speak of God’s spiritual deliverance of and provision for Christians. But the formulation may intentionally provide a counterpoint to the growing influence of the emperor cult.
God is also called “the Savior of all people” (sōtēr pantōn anthrōpōn) in 1 Timothy 4:10 (cf. Tit 2:10–11). Such a designation, however, is not intended to communicate a universalism in which all people will ultimately be saved. Rather, this expression is tempered by the statement that God as sōtēr “desires (thelei) all people to be saved” through Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:3–4).
Such salvation is freely offered to all through the channel of preaching (Tit 1:3), but it is only actualized fully in the lives of those who believe (1 Tim 4:10). God’s grace as Savior has been displayed to all people (Tit 2:10–11), and spiritual renewal and justification come only through “Jesus Christ as Savior” (Tit 3:6).
Jesus Christ is also called “our Savior” in Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Timothy 1:10, and probably in Titus 2:13 (cf. Schneider and Brown, 220). Because of the appearance (epiphaneia) of Christ as Savior in history (2 Tim 1:10), God’s grace is made available through the apostolic gospel (2 Tim 1:9–11).
Christ as Savior is likewise involved in the application of divine saving grace in the believer’s rebirth and justification (Tit 3:4–7).
The future appearing (epiphaneia) of Jesus as Savior is the Christian’s “blessed hope” and generates a lifestyle of godly gratitude (2 Tim 2:11–14). Thus the references to Christ as Savior in the Pastorals can speak of the past, present and future of God’s salvation in Christ (cf. Eph 5:23; Phil 3:20; cf. Acts 13:23).
That God and Christ are both seen as sōtēr and closely interrelated has significance for the developing theological perspective in the Pauline literature and the entire NT. In Titus 1:3–4 “God our Savior” (Tit 1:3) is closely followed by a reference to “God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior” (Tit 1:4 NIV). In Titus 3:4–6 “the love of God our Savior” (Tit 3:4) becomes a concrete reality in the Christian’s life (Tit 3:5) “through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Tit 3:6). Titus 2:13 even appears to equate God and Savior with Jesus Christ (see Harris; Schneider and Brown, 220; see God).
Certainly there is no developed doctrine here, but the delicate balance of the distinction between persons (Tit 1:4) and roles (Tit 3:4–6), and the apparent equality of God and Christ as Savior (Tit 1:3–4; 3:4, 6) and Deity (Tit 2:13) may be seen as a further development of the Pauline ascription of the attributes of God to Christ (see Christology; God)
See also Christology; Emperors, Roman; God; Lord; Religions, Greco-Roman; Salvation.
Bibliography.
W. Bousset, Kyrios Christos (Nashville: Abingdon, 1970) 310–17; R. Bultmann,
Theology of the New Testament (2 vols.; New York: Scribners, 1951, 1955) 2.292–306; J.-F. Collange,
The Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians (London: Epworth, 1979); O. Cullmann,
The Christology of the New Testament (rev.ed.; Philadelphia: Westminster, 1963) 238–45; M. Dibelius and H. Conzelmann,
The Pastoral Epistles (Herm; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1977) 100–103; G. D. Fee,
1, 2 Timothy, Titus (GNC; San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1984); W. Foerster and G. Fohrer, “σῴζωκτλ,” TDNT VII.965–1024; R. H. Fuller,
The Titles of Jesus in Early Christology (London: Lutterworth, 1969); M. J. Harris,
Jesus as God: The NT Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992); G. F. Hawthorne, Philippians (WBC 43; Waco: Word, 1983); A. D. Nock,
Early Gentile Christianity and Its Hellenistic Background (New York: Harper & Row, 1964 [1928]) 35–44; J. Schneider and C. Brown, “Savior,” NIDNTT 3.219–23; V. Taylor,
The Names of Jesus (London: Macmillan, 1953); P. Wendland, “Σωτήρ,” ZNW 5 (1904) 335–53.
A. B. Luter, Jr
Luter, A. B., Jr. (1993). Savior. In G. F. Hawthorne, R. P. Martin, & D. G. Reid (Eds.), Dictionary of Paul and his letters (p. 867). InterVarsity Press.
Talmidimblogging 