Sozo

Sozo is the great New Testament verb for saving. Its range is wide: it is used for rescuing from danger, healing the sick, and delivering from sin and its judgment. When Jesus tells a healed woman thy faith hath made thee whole, the word is sozo; when Scripture promises that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, the word is sozo. To be saved is to be rescued, healed, and made whole all at once.

This breadth reminds us that salvation is not merely a legal transaction but a total rescue — of body and soul, now and forever. It is God's work, not ours: we are saved by grace through faith. The related noun soteria (salvation) and title Soter (Saviour) flow from this same root. Sozo is what God does for those who cannot save themselves.