In the remainder of the passages there are no means of determining whether ' salvation ' be future or present. For Mt 18'i (TR only) the reference to the present is supported by Lk 19'". In Lk 8'^ ' that they may not believe and be saved,' the eschatological sense would be quite plausible, but the other view is slightly favoured by the general import of the parables dealing with the present invisible aspect of the Kingdom. In general, the representation of the Kingdom as both present and future creates a presumption in favour of the view that our Lord regarded salvation as both a present and an eschatological experience. The form aw^dfj-evot, ' those who are being saved,' in Lk 13-^, probably reflects the two-sidedness of the process, as belonging to both present and future, and therefore unhnished in this life. In the case of the Johannine sayings (Jn 3i«- '^ 4^2 5^^ 10») we shall have to assume, in harmony with the generali- zation of the conception of 'life,' 'eternal life,' in the discourses of this Gospel — which makes out of it a conception inditt'erent to the distinction between present and future — that the same will be true of the synonymous conception of salvation. The future in 10'' is purely logical in its force.
(3) The third question concerned Avhat may be gathered from the Gospels in regard to the posi- tive or negative context of the idea of religious salvation. The negative aspect — escape from death —stands in the foreground in Mt 2i-\ Mk 1320 : if the days had not been shortened, not even the elect would liave escaped the fate of deatli in the Judg- ment ; similarly in Mt 16-^, Mk 8^^^ Lk 9^^ : he who will sacrifice his life here shall escape the loss of life in the Judgment. Probably Mt lO^^ and 24'^ slionkl be interpreted on the same principle : the enduring noAV will save from greater calamity in the Last Day. On the other hand, in Mt 19=^ Mk 10-'', Lk 18-", where ' salvation ' is equivalent to entrance of the Kingdom and inheriting of eternal life, the emphasis rests on the positive side. In the Johannine passages the positive content of the idea is very marked. According to Jn 3'®- ", ' to have eternal life ' and ' to be saved ' are synonymous. In .In 5''"' also the preceding context revolves around the idea of life (vv.-^--^), and in the sequel the same idea is again brought forward (v.39). Again, in lO^- 1» 'salvation' and 'life' appear in close conjunction ; 12^^ receives its inter- pretation from 3'''. The same difiierence as is ob- servable with reference to eschatological salvation may be observed where present salvation is spoken of. Sometimes the conception is negative (Mt 1'-', Lk 7^"), sometimes positive as well .ms negative (Lk 19'") ; the salvation which came to Zacdupus' house certainly included more than pardon, since it issued in renewal of life. The facts, therefore, do not bear out the contention of B. Weiss, who main- tains that <Tui^e<yda.i has everywhei'e a purely nega- tive meaning.
In the saying of Lk 19'" Jesus declares ' saving ' to be the highest category under wliicli His Messi- anic activity is to be sub.sumed. He came to save,
i.e. His entrance into the world was for this specific purpose (cf. Mk lO"*^). The connexion between Him and salvation consists not merely in this, that as a preacher of the gosjjel He proclaims it. Everywhere the supposition is that salvation is in some way bound to His Person. For the Johan- nine discourses this needs no proof. But it is no less true for the SynoiJtics. Because He lodged with Zaccluvus, salvation entered the latter's house. The rich young man was not saved, because he refused to follow Jesus. The saving acts in the physical sphere are suspended on faith, and this faith involves trust in Jesus, — in Jesus, to be sure, as the instrument of God, but none the less so that on Jesus' Person together with God the act of faith terminates. It is psycliologically incon- ceivable that in those who were helped by the miracles of Jesus, faith should not have assumed the form of personal trust in Him. Faith in God and faith in Jesus here inevitably coalesce. On the occasion of the storm, Jesus rebukes the disciples for their lack of conhdence in His presence with them as a guarantee of absolute safety (Mt 8-^). Similarly Peter, when walking upon the water, calls upon Jesus to perforiu the saving act. From the close connexion in which these transactions stand to the specific religious salvation, it may be safely inferred that in the latter also Jesus occupies a necessary place. This is confirmed by Lk 7^", where the woman's faith, which is declared to have saved her, consists in the attitude of trust she had assumed towards Jesus ; the love shown the Lord is here the result of the forgiveness of sins (v.'"), and inasmuch as this love terminated on Jesus, the faith which conditioned the forgiveness must likewise have had Him for its object. Simi- larly in the discourse at Cffsarea Philippi, 'salva- tion ' in the Last Day is made dependent on following of Jesus and sacrifice of life for Jesus' sake and the gospel's sake, and the corresponding acknowledg- ment by Jesus in the Judgment (Mk 8**- '^^- ^ || Mt. and Lk. ).