Hope @ one of the three main elements of Christian character ( 1Corinthians:13:13). It is joined to faith and love, and is opposed to seeing or possessing Romans:8:24; 1John:3:2). "Hope is an essential and fundamental element of Christian life, so essential indeed, that, like faith and love, it can itself designate the essence of Christianity ( 1Peter:3:15; Hebrews:10:23). In it the whole glory of the Christian vocation is centred Ephesians:1:18Ephesians:4:4)." Unbelievers are without this hope Ephesians:2:12; 1Thessalonians:4:13). Christ is the actual object of the believer's hope, because it is in his second coming that the hope of glory will be fulfilled ( 1Timothy:1:1; Colossians:1:27; Titus:2:13). It is spoken of as "lively", i.e., a living, hope, a hope not frail and perishable, but having a perennial life ( 1Peter:1:3). In Romans:5:2 the "hope" spoken of is probably objective, i.e., "the hope set before us," namely, eternal life (comp. 12:12). In 1John:3:3 the expression "hope in him" ought rather to be, as in the Revised Version, "hope on him," i.e., a hope based on God.
Home
Bible
PCARR
Discuss
Help
BibleTools>