Difference between revisions of "Promise"

<div> '''A — 1: ἐπαγγελία ''' (Strong'S #1860 — Noun [[Feminine]] — epangelia — ep-ang-el-ee'-ah ) </div> <p> primarily a law term, denoting "a summons" (epi, "upon," angello, "to proclaim, announce"), also meant "an undertaking to do or give something, a promise." Except in &nbsp;Acts 23:21 it is used only of the "promises" of God. It frequently stands for the thing "promised," and so signifies a gift graciously bestowed, not a pledge secured by negotiation; thus, in &nbsp; Galatians 3:14 , "the promise of the Spirit" denotes "the promised Spirit:" cp. &nbsp;Luke 24:49; &nbsp;Acts 2:33; &nbsp;Ephesians 1:13; so in &nbsp;Hebrews 9:15 , "the promise of the eternal inheritance" is "the promised eternal inheritance." On the other hand, in &nbsp;Acts 1:4 , "the promise of the Father," is the "promise" made by the Father. </p> &nbsp;Galatians 3:16&nbsp;Genesis 12:1-3&nbsp;13:14-17&nbsp;15:18&nbsp;17:1-14&nbsp;22:15-18&nbsp;Romans 9:4&nbsp;Hebrews 6:12&nbsp;7:6&nbsp;8:6&nbsp;11:17&nbsp;Galatians 3&nbsp; Galatians 3:21&nbsp;Galatians 4:23,28&nbsp;Ephesians 2:12&nbsp;2 Corinthians 1:20&nbsp; Hebrews 11:33&nbsp;Hebrews 7:6&nbsp;Ephesians 6:2&nbsp;1 Timothy 4:8&nbsp;2 Timothy 1:1&nbsp;Hebrews 4:1&nbsp;2 Peter 3:4,9&nbsp;1 John 1:5&nbsp;Acts 26:6&nbsp;Romans 4:20&nbsp;1 John 2:25&nbsp;Romans 9:8&nbsp;15:8&nbsp;Galatians 3:29&nbsp;Hebrews 11:9&nbsp;Romans 4:13,14&nbsp;Galatians 3:14-22&nbsp;Hebrews 10:36 <div> '''A — 2: ἐπάγγελμα ''' (Strong'S #1862 — Noun Neuter — epangelma — ep-ang'-el-mah ) </div> <p> denotes "a promise made," &nbsp;2 Peter 1:4; &nbsp;3:13 . </p> <div> '''B — 1: ἐπαγγέλλομαι ''' (Strong'S #1861 — Verb — epangello — ep-ang-el'-lo ) </div> <p> "to announce, proclaim," has in the NT the two meanings "to profess" and "to promise," each used in the Middle Voice; "to promise" (a) of "promises" of God, &nbsp;Acts 7:5; &nbsp;Romans 4:21; in &nbsp;Galatians 3:19 , Passive Voice; &nbsp;Titus 1:2; &nbsp;Hebrews 6:13; &nbsp;10:23; &nbsp;11:11; &nbsp;12:26; &nbsp;James 1:12; &nbsp;2:5; &nbsp;1 John 2:25; (b) made by men, &nbsp;Mark 14:11; &nbsp;2 Peter 2:19 . See Profess. </p> <div> '''B — 2: προεπαγγέλλω ''' (Strong'S #4279 — Verb — proepangello — pro-ep-ang-ghel'-lom-ahee ) </div> <p> in the Middle Voice, "to promise before" pro, and No. 1), occurs in &nbsp;Romans 1:2; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 9:5 . See Aforepromised. </p> <div> '''B — 3: ὁμολογέω ''' (Strong'S #3670 — Verb — homologeo — hom-ol-og-eh'-o ) </div> <p> "to agree, confess," signifies "to promise" in &nbsp;Matthew 14:7 . See Confess. </p> &nbsp;Luke 22:6[[Consent]]

<p> The idea of promise is one of the great elements of [[Scripture]] teaching. It is a peculiarity of the Bible; no other religious book has that as a distinguishing feature. It is the element of promise that runs through its various books, binds them into an organic whole, and unites in a vital union the OT and the NT. The promise of the OT is fulfilled in the blessing of the NT. Many promises may be taken as predictions. They constitute at least part of the content of prophecy. To write about promise in all its relations would involve the discussion of prophecy, the preparation for the coming of Christ, the manifestation of the grace of God, etc. In what follows, reference is restricted to ‘promise’ in the apostolic writings of the NT. </p> <p> In Acts and the Epistles the element of promise is very prominent. The words ἐπαγγελία, ἐπάγγελμα, ἐπαγγέλλομαι are of frequent occurrence. </p> <p> (1) They are used in a general sense as in the phrases ‘looking for a promise from thee’ (&nbsp;Acts 23:21); ‘the first commandment with promise’ (&nbsp;Ephesians 6:2; also &nbsp;1 Timothy 4:8; &nbsp;2 Peter 2:19). </p> <p> (2) They are employed with special reference to the promises of God, out of which arose the economy of grace as it is set forth in all the variety of its blessing in the NT. Reference is often made (a) to the great fundamental promises given to Abraham, relating to the birth of Isaac, the blessing of his descendants, and the inheritance of the land of [[Canaan]] (e.g. ‘for this is a word of promise … Sarah shall have a son’ [&nbsp;Romans 9:9; also &nbsp;Romans 4:20, &nbsp;Galatians 4:23, &nbsp;Acts 7:17, &nbsp;Hebrews 11:9; &nbsp;Hebrews 13:17, etc.]); (b) to the whole spiritual content of the Messianic blessing involved in the promise (e.g. ‘Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers’ [&nbsp;Acts 26:6], ‘strangers from the covenants of the promise’ [&nbsp;Ephesians 2:12; also &nbsp;Romans 9:4, &nbsp;Galatians 3:16-17, &nbsp;Hebrews 6:12, etc.]). The passage whore the significance of ‘promise’ is expressed is &nbsp;Galatians 3:6-29 (cf. also &nbsp;Romans 4:13-21). St. Paul is the chief exponent of the meaning of the promise given to Abraham and his seed. He emphasizes the fact that the promises in all their variety and fullness were fulfilled in Christ, ‘for how many scever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen’ (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 1:20). The blessings of the promise are those which Christ brings (‘fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel’ [&nbsp;Ephesians 3:6]). They who receive the blessings are those who belong to Christ: ‘if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise’ (&nbsp;Galatians 3:29). Faith is the general condition of receiving: ‘the scripture hath shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe’ (&nbsp;Galatians 3:22). [[Particular]] emphasis is laid on the fact that the promise is of grace, and not of works of the law; ‘for this cause it is of faith, that it might be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all’ (&nbsp;Romans 4:16). The term ‘promise’ is itself a witness to the spontaneity of the grace of God. Among the Messianic blessings the promise is sometimes identified with the gift of the Holy Ghost: ‘that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit’ (&nbsp;Galatians 3:14; also &nbsp;Acts 2:39, &nbsp;Ephesians 1:13). The forgiveness of sins is also regarded as included in the promise (&nbsp;Acts 2:38-39). </p> <p> (3) The Messianic promises of the OT are not only fulfilled in Christ, but out of His work many other promises are referred to, as ‘whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises’ (&nbsp;2 Peter 1:4). Among these we must include ‘life’ (&nbsp;2 Timothy 1:1), ‘eternal life’ (&nbsp;1 John 2:25), ‘the crown of life’ (&nbsp;James 1:12), ‘new heavens and a new earth’ (&nbsp;2 Peter 3:13, etc.). </p> <p> Literature.-Art._ ‘Promise’ in HDB_ (J. Denney) and CE_ (J. F. Driscoll); J. Orr, The Problem of the OT, 1907, pp. 35 ff., 42. </p> <p> John Reid. </p>

<p> ''''' prom´is ''''' (most frequently in the Old Testament דּבר , <i> ''''' dābhār ''''' </i> , "speaking," "speech," and דּבר , <i> ''''' dābhar ''''' </i> , "to speak" also אמר , <i> ''''' 'āmar ''''' </i> , "to say," once in &nbsp; Psalm 77:8 , <i> ''''''ōmer''''' </i> , "speech"; in the New Testament ἐπαγγελία , <i> '''''epaggelı́a''''' </i> , and the verbs ἐπαγγέλλομαι , <i> '''''epaggéllomai''''' </i> , and compounds): Promise holds an important place in the [[Scriptures]] and in the development of the religion that culminated in Christ. The Bible is indeed full of "precious and exceeding great promises" (&nbsp;2 Peter 1:4 ), although the word "promise" is not always used in connection with them. Of the more outstanding promises of the Old Testament may be mentioned: (1) the <i> proto-evangelium </i> (&nbsp; [[Genesis]] 3:15 ); (2) the promise to Noah no more to curse the ground, etc. (&nbsp;Genesis 8:21 , &nbsp;Genesis 8:22; 9:1-17); (3) most influential, the promise to Abraham to make of him a great nation in whom all families of the earth should be blessed, to give to him and his seed the land of Canaan (&nbsp;Genesis 12:2 , &nbsp;Genesis 12:7 , etc.), often referred to in the Old Testament (&nbsp;Exodus 12:25; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:8 , &nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:11; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 6:3; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 9:28 , etc.); (4) the promise to David to continue his house on the throne (&nbsp;2 Samuel 7:12 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 7:13 , &nbsp;2 Samuel 7:18; &nbsp;1 Kings 2:24 , etc.); (5) the promise of restoration of Israel, of the Messiah, of the new and everlasting kingdom, of the new covenant and outpouring of the Spirit (&nbsp;Isaiah 2:2-5; &nbsp;Isaiah 4:2; &nbsp;Isaiah 55:5; &nbsp;Isaiah 66:13; &nbsp;Jeremiah 31:31-34; &nbsp;Jeremiah 32:37-42; &nbsp;Jeremiah 33:14; &nbsp;Ezekiel 36:22-31; &nbsp;Ezekiel 37:11 f; &nbsp; Ezekiel 39:25 f, etc.). In the New Testament these promises are founded on, and regarded as having their true fulfillment in, Christ and those who are His (&nbsp; 2 Corinthians 1:20; &nbsp;Ephesians 3:6 ). The promise of the Spirit is spoken of by Jesus as "the promise of my Father" (&nbsp;Luke 24:49; &nbsp;Acts 1:4 ), and this was regarded as fulfilled at Pentecost. The promise of a [[Saviour]] of the seed of David is regarded as fulfilled in Christ (&nbsp;Acts 13:23 , &nbsp;Acts 13:32 , &nbsp;Acts 26:6; &nbsp;Romans 1:2; &nbsp;Romans 4:13; &nbsp;Romans 9:4 ). Paul argues that the promise to Abraham that he should be "heir of the world," made to him before circumcision, is not confined to Israel, but is open to all who are children of Abraham by faith (&nbsp;Romans 4:13-16; compare &nbsp;Galatians 3:16 , &nbsp;Galatians 3:19 , &nbsp;Galatians 3:29 ). In like manner the writer to the Hebrews goes back to the original promises, giving them a spiritual and eternal significance (4:1; 6:17; 11:9, etc.). The New Testament promises include manifold blessings and hopes, among them "life," "eternal life" (&nbsp;1 Timothy 4:8; &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:19; &nbsp;2 Timothy 1:1; &nbsp;James 1:12 ), the "kingdom" (&nbsp;James 2:5 ), Christ's "coming" (&nbsp;2 Peter 3:9 , etc.), "new heavens and a new earth" (&nbsp;2 Peter 3:13 ), etc. For "promise" and "promised" in the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) has frequently other terms, as "word" (&nbsp;Psalm 105:42 ), "spake," "spoken" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 10:9; &nbsp;Joshua 9:21; &nbsp;Joshua 22:4; &nbsp;Joshua 23:5 , &nbsp;Joshua 23:15 , etc.), "consented" (&nbsp;Luke 22:6 ), etc. References to the promises occur repeatedly in the [[Apocrypha]] (Baruch 2:34; 2 Macc 2:18; The Wisdom of [[Solomon]] 12:21; compare 2 [[Esdras]] 3:15; 5:29). </p>

<p> (some form of אָמִר '', To Say,'' or דָּבִר, ''To Speak; Ἐπαγγελία'' ) is a solemn asseveration, by which one pledges his veracity that he will perform, or cause to be performed, for the benefit of another, the thing which he mentions. A promise, in the scriptural sense of the term, is a declaration or assurance of the divine will, in which God signifies what particular blessings or good things he will freely bestow, as well as the evils which he will remove. Promises differ from the commands of God, inasmuch as the former are significations of the divine will concerning a duty enjoined to be performed, while the promises relate to mercy to be received. The "exceeding great and precious promises" are applicable to all believers; they appertain to the present and the future life (&nbsp;2 Peter 1:4). Some particular promises are predictions, as the promise of the Messiah, and the blessings of the Gospel (&nbsp;Romans 4:13-14; &nbsp;Galatians 3:14-29). Hence the Hebrews were called the "children of the promise" (&nbsp;Romans 9:8). So all the true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called "children" and "heirs of the promise" (&nbsp;Galatians 4:20; &nbsp;Hebrews 6:12; &nbsp;Hebrews 6:17). There are four classes of promises mentioned in the Scriptures, particularly in the New Test.: </p> <p> '''1,''' promises relating to the Messiah; </p> <p> '''2,''' promises relating to the Church; </p> <p> '''3,''' promises of blessings, both temporal and spiritual, to the pious; and, </p> <p> '''4,''' promises encouraging the exercise of the several graces and duties that compose the Christian character. </p> <p> The first two of these classes, indeed, are many of them predictions as well as promises. (See Prophecy). The consideration of the others should prove. </p> <p> '''1,''' an antidote to despair; </p> <p> '''2,''' a motive to patience under affliction; </p> <p> '''3,''' an incentive to perseverance in well-doing; </p> <p> '''4,''' a call for prayer. </p> <p> PROMISE is a solemn asseveration by which one pledges his veracity that he shall perform, or cause to be performed, the thing which he mentions. The obligation of promises arises from the necessity of the well-being and existence of society. "Virtue requires," as Dr. Doddridge observes, "that promises be fulfilled. The promise, i.e. the person to whom the promise is made, acquires a property in virtue of the promise. The uncertainty of property would evidently be attended with great inconvenience. By failing to fulfil my promise, I either show that I was not sincere in making it, or that I have little constancy or resolution, and either way injure my character, and consequently my usefulness in life. Promises, however, are not binding, </p> <p> '''1,''' if they were made by us before we came to such exercise of reason as to be fit to transact affairs of moment; or if by any distemper or sudden surprise we are deprived of the exercise of our reason at the time when the promise is made; </p> <p> '''2,''' if the promise was made on a false presumption, in which the promiser, after the most diligent inquiry, was imposed upon, especially if he were deceived by the fraud of the promise; </p> <p> '''3,''' if the thing itself be vicious, for virtue cannot require that vice should be committed; </p> <p> '''4,''' if the accomplishment of the promise be so hard and intolerable that there is reason to believe that, had it been foreseen, it would not have been an accepted case; </p> <p> '''5,''' if the promise be not accepted, or if it depend on conditions not performed." But really this question concerning the ''Validity'' and obligation of a promise given or obtained under false views is a matter that falls within the [[Casuistry]] of Ethics — a very uncertain ground. See Grotius, De Jure, lib. ii, cap. xi; Paley, [[Moral]] Philosophy, vol. i, ch. v; Grove, Moral Philosophy, vol. ii. ch. 12:p. 2; Watts, Sermons, ser. 20; Dymond, Essays; Verplanck, On Contracts. (See [[Obligation]]); (See [[Probabilism]]). </p>