Bear with me for a moment of technicality but it is
important: Languages cannot be perfectly translated to capture all the precision
of the meaning. Oftentimes, context changes the meanings entirely and so does
tense. The “tense” of a verb expresses time or duration; usually past, present
or future tense. Generally, tense is determined by the translators who
make assumptions as to the time and duration. At other times tense can be
detected by the form of the verb itself.
Consider the phrase “shall be saved” as in “And it shall
come to pass, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved”
(Acts 2:21). The time interval “come to pass” indicates a future event in that
the past has passed. Therefore, “shall be” is the proper tense. However, “saved”
is used in the past tense as if it has already occurred.
Not to get overly technical but “shall be saved” is in the “future
tense passive voice” which is “used to talk about an action that is going to
happen in the future. In the passive voice, emphasis is put on
the effect of an action rather than on the doer” (GrammarTop.com). Who decides
where the emphasis is placed? The translator. The Greek word in that passage is
“sozos” which can be used as “safe” or “saved.” The context must be
considered, and the translator decides that.
The King James Translators rendered it past tense as if it
has already occurred. Based on the “assurance of salvation” that is reasonable.
Certainly, Christians must trust that their hope is completed. In fact, Jesus
redeemed all mankind, so the saving part has been accomplished. Jesus has
provided the “ark” and now all that is necessary is to leave the past behind
and board the “ship.” All are welcome on board, but the qualifier is trusting in
the “ark” and God for safety.
The door of the ark will be opened for an ample amount of
time for all who will enter to enter. Then God shuts the door, as he did on the
good ship “Noah.” The question remains; Was Noah and his family saved when
they entered the ark or when the ark was on solid ground or sometime even later?
Their earthly existence remained “safe” and as such they were “safe” until the
death angel took them. Once they died, the door closed on their soul. It was a
different “door” but if the eight had not come aboard, they would have died
long before, both in body and spirit.
Once, on board however, they could have jumped ship. The ark
was built to God’s instructions and so long as they stayed onboard, they were
safe. God would never have created turbulence to tip them over the guard rail
because His boat was designed perfectly for the security of its passengers. Shem
and Japheth remained reverent to God and their father. Ham did not. Although
God had kept Ham safe, by his irreverence, he jeopardized his own safety.
God cursed Ham and his seed. Scripture indicates that the
seed of Shem and Japheth worshiped in the same “tent” — the tabernacles of God
(Gen 9:27). The conclusion is that Ham did not worship the One True God and Scripture
shows that to be true. Hence, Ham’s body was kept safe, but his soul was
not. Ham, by getting on, saved his flesh (for a short time) but his soul perished.
Ham’s soul should have been saved but it was not. Before
he got on the ark, he had hope that God shall save him. His hope was
that he will be saved in the end.
The circumstances of Noah and God’s Ark is symbolic of
salvation. The open door to the ark was open to everyone in a time when there
were no races. All mankind should be saved, and the ark made it appear
as it was already accomplished. That is the passive tense. The best translation
of John 3:16 is that “whosoever… should be saved, as in the King James
Version.” And how would possible salvation come about? By entering the door.
What had the eight on God’s Ship to do? Endure the tribulation unto the end. When would that happen? When the waters were stilled and their feet on the promised land. Promised land? Certainly, they had confidence that they would not wander forever in the waters, as the Hebrews did during the exodus from Egypt. The latter lost hope and they never entered in. All aboard God’s Ark had a hope in the future. That is the same for Christians:
He that endureth to the end shall be saved (Mat 10:22), “Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thes 5:8), and “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)
Ham hoped for land as well so that he could be saved from drowning. His
body was indeed saved but did he really endure all the way to the end?
He had trusted God and the ark to bring him safety in th world, but had he to
bring him to salvation?
He endured turbulent waters, and he
found solid ground when he stood on Arrarat’s precipice. However, there is no
evidence that he was God’s “chosen and peculiar people” as were the Shemites and
Japhetites. He may have hoped that both his body and soul would be
saved, but that does not seem to be what happened. Satan can destroy the body
and soul, and that is who should be feared (Mat 10:28). They are discreet and
separate events. The converse of that is that Jesus can save the body or the
body and the soul.
Many times, God has saved my own body when it looked as if I would die. God opened the door for me, and I entered into His safety. Remembering that future events are dependent on time, and that salvation is future tense, then consider this: “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom 13:11b). “Salvation is the state of being saved” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It is the exact state wherein a Christian is glorified as imperishable. Right now, believers are nearer that time than when they believed. What is it that they believed on that special day that regeneration began? That Jesus can and will save them… but if and only if they endure in their faith that He will!
Should be expresses expectation, shall be is used
to express what seems likely to happen in the future, and will be
is used to express inevitability. Acts 2:21 is translated in different versions
as “shall be” and “will be.” John 3:16 is translated as “should not perish,” “shall
not perish,” and “will not perish.” Words mean things and make a big
difference. Certainly, with the ancients, they should not have perished because
the Way was obvious; the path was there, the gate was open, and all could go
in. They were without excuse.
What if they had all got on board, and then the rain ceased
immediately. They would think that they had not been saved. Most had to
die so that the others were assured that they were saved. That gave them
confidence that they had been saved. Saved from what? The deluge, but not
necessarily that they would know that they were saved from the wrath of God.
Noah knew that and apparently two of his three sons.
They then trusted that at the end of their life that they
would be saved as well. In fact, the safety they had on God’s Ark persuaded
them that God is honorable, powerful, and true to His Word. Since God had saved
their flesh, then they had the confidence that He will save their souls
at some future time.
When the Hebrews were safe from the biting fiery serpents, their
flesh was preserved, and they understood from the lifeless dead Serpent in his “tree”
that their souls shall be saved likewise. Trusting that to be true and
promised, they continued on in the assurance that in the end, they would make
it all the way to the Promised Land; not just their bodies in the land of milk
and honey, but their souls in the Paradise of Aplenty! Moses did not make it to
the Promised Land, but his soul made it to Paradise. That is known because the
soul of Moses, in his form, was at the Transfiguration so that he could finally
see the One who saved Him from perishing… his body all those years in the wilderness,
and his soul from the world and the evil one.
Apply that to all things in the Bible. Examine different translations.
Rely on the ones that have continuity in context. “The Word” is Jesus, and when
He said things, He meant certain things!
(picture credit: Harry Pettit, Senior Digital Technology and Science Reporter | The Sun)
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