The Two Hopes: Expectation (Elpis) vs. Assurance (Plerophoria) ✨
The New Testament uses two main Greek concepts for “hope,” and their distinction clarifies that the believer’s final expectation is not a mere possibility, but a guaranteed certainty.
1. The Hope of Expectation: Elpis (ϵˊλπις)
- Meaning: This is the standard Greek word for “hope” or “expectation.” It refers to a positive, confident anticipation of future good.
- Theological Focus: Elpis is the object of our faith—the future reward we confidently await. The resurrection of Christ established this hope: “By His great mercy we have been born again to a living hope (elpis) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
- The Common Misunderstanding: In English, “hope” often implies doubt (“I hope it happens”). In the New Testament, elpis is a certainty, but it is still focused on a future, unseen reality.
Elpis is the confident anticipation of the unseen future.
2. The Hope of Assurance: Plērophoria (πληροϕοριˊα)
- Meaning: This word literally means “full carrying,” “full assurance,” or “complete certainty.” It refers to a state of absolute conviction that leaves no room for doubt.
- The Shocking Tie: This word is used in connection with hope to describe the unwavering, deeply felt certainty required to sustain the Christian life: “We desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance (plērophoria) of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:11).
- The Contrast: Our final reward is the object of our Elpis (confident anticipation), but the believer is commanded to maintain full Plērophoria (complete assurance) about that Elpis. The final promise is not just something we wait for, but something we are entirely certain will happen.
The Eschatological Conclusion
The final resurrection is guaranteed by the combined certainty of these two concepts:
- We have the confident Elpis (hope) of receiving an incorruptible body.
- We must hold that hope with full Plērophoria (complete assurance), knowing that Christ’s resurrection is the unbreakable down payment guaranteeing our own.
The ultimate shocking truth is that for the believer, the final redemption is not a matter of positive thinking; it is a matter of absolute, divine certainty that demands a life of uncompromising vigilance.
The Return Question
If the promise of the resurrection requires not just Elpis (anticipation) but Plērophoria (full assurance), what specific promise of God are you currently holding onto with residual doubt, preventing the complete certainty required to navigate the final days?