Hope (in Paul)The term "hope" appeared several times in Paul's letters, fifty-four in the NIV Bible to be exact. The Greek term Paul used for “hope,” “ἐλπίς,” conveys a sense of confidence in a divinely given future. Paul amplified this definition of hope in Romans; he wrote: “For in this hope we have been saved. But hoping that it will be seen is not a hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? » Paul expressed this same idea that hope comes from God throughout his letters. Paul prayed, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” » This prayer verse clearly illustrates Paul's belief that hope comes from God and that to receive this hope one must trust in God. It seems that Paul constituted Christian existence with this hope in God. It even seems that Paul considered those who were not Christians hopeless when he wrote: “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who sleep in death, so that you may not grieve. like the rest of men, who have no hope. » Throughout biblical history, the idea of ​​hope has transformed. It began with trust that God would provide the necessities of life – food, water and land; protection from danger – not only as an individual but also as a group; justice – the righteous would be rewarded and the wicked would be punished; and community – God would always be there for his chosen people, and they would live in peace with other humans. However, the way God would provide these four elements of hope changed in the New Testament. Characterizing this change, the Oxford Companion to the Bible says: There is a growing pessimism in the Bible that God's promises will be...... middle of paper ...... of the New Testament. Flight. 2. Edited by Gerhard Kittel. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964. “Hope.” Oxford Companion to the Bible, ed. Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan, online. Internet. http://www.oxfordreference.com, accessed January 15, 2014. “HOPE (NT).” The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Flight. 3. Edited by David Noel Freedman et al. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc, 1992. Pp. 282-284. Lash, Nicolas. “Hope versus Hope or Abraham’s Dilemma.” Modern Theology 10, no. 3 (July 1, 1994): 233-246. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost, accessed January 31, 2014. Price, James L. The New Testament: Its History and Theology. New York: MacmillanPublishing Company, 1987. Pp. 352-354.The Holy Bible. New international version. Colorado Springs: Biblica Inc., 2011.