Hope
Hope is a sustaining force in the Christian life—a firm anchor for the soul. Christian hope is not uncertain wishful thinking, but a confident expectation based on God's promises and Christ's resurrection. Even in dark times, we can hold fast to hope.
A Living Hope
Through Christ's resurrection, we have received a living and unshakable hope.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν διʼ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν,
4into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for you,
εἰς κληρονομίαν ἄφθαρτον καὶ ἀμίαντον καὶ ἀμάραντον, τετηρημένην ἐν οὐρανοῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς
2Through him we have also gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
διʼ οὗ καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν, καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ·
3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ⸀καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται,
4endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα.
5And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει· ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.
The Source of Hope
God himself is the source of hope and gives us joy and peace.
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς ἐλπίδος πληρώσαι ὑμᾶς πάσης χαρᾶς καὶ εἰρήνης ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐν δυνάμει πνεύματος ἁγίου.
11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD—plans for peace and not for harm, to give you a future and a hope.
כִּי֩ אָנֹכִ֨י יָדַ֜עְתִּי אֶת־הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י חֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה מַחְשְׁב֤וֹת שָׁלוֹם֙ וְלֹ֣א לְרָעָ֔ה לָתֵ֥ת לָכֶ֖ם אַחֲרִ֥ית וְתִקְוָֽה׃
6Why are you cast down, my soul, and why do you groan within me? Hope in God, for I will praise him again—the salvation of his presence.
מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וַתֶּהֱמִ֢י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֥וֹד אוֹדֶ֗נּוּ יְשׁוּע֥וֹת פָּנָֽיו׃
12Why are you cast down, my soul, and why do you groan within me? Hope in God, for I will praise him again—my salvation and my God.
מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וּֽמַה־תֶּהֱמִ֢י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֽ͏ֵ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֣וֹד אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֝נַ֗י וֵֽאלֹהָֽי׃
Hope in Suffering
Even in difficult times, we can have hope because God is with us.
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.
Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν θεὸν πάντα ⸀συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν, τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιν.
22The LORD's acts of mercy never cease; his compassions never come to an end.
חַֽסְדֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ כִּ֣י לֹא־תָ֔מְנוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כָל֖וּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃
23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃
24"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
חֶלְקִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אָמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֔י עַל־כֵּ֖ן אוֹחִ֥יל לֽוֹ׃ ס
6For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor a lifetime. Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.
כִּ֤י רֶ֨גַע ׀ בְּאַפּוֹ֮ חַיִּ֢ים בִּרְצ֫וֹנ֥וֹ בָּ֭עֶרֶב יָלִ֥ין בֶּ֗כִי וְלַבֹּ֥קֶר רִנָּֽה׃
The Anchor of Hope
Hope is like a secure anchor for the soul, fixed in the holy place.
18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to him for refuge might have a strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι ⸀θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ καταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος·
19This hope we have as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It reaches within, behind the curtain,
ἣν ὡς ἄγκυραν ἔχομεν τῆς ψυχῆς, ⸀ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ βεβαίαν καὶ εἰσερχομένην εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος,
20where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, having become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
23Let us hold unwaveringly to the confession of our hope, for he who promised is faithful.
κατέχωμεν τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀκλινῆ, πιστὸς γὰρ ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος·
Eternal Hope
Our ultimate hope is the coming glory and the resurrection.
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.
Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις
12It trains us to renounce godlessness and worldly desires, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι,
13as we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ⸂Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ⸃,
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne say: "Look, God's dwelling is with humanity. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.
καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ ⸀θρόνου λεγούσης· Ἰδοὺ ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ σκηνώσει μετʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ⸀λαοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ⸂μετʼ αὐτῶν ἔσται⸃,
4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; there will be no more grief or crying or pain. The former things have passed away."
καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ⸀ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ⸀ἔτι. τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν.
20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν,
21who will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control.
ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ⸀ἡμῶν σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ὑποτάξαι ⸀αὑτῷ τὰ πάντα.