SAVIOR (sav'yor), is a name eminently appro priated to our Lord Jesus Christ. He was pre figured by those to whom the Old Testament gives the appellation, as Joshua, the judges of Israel, the kings David, Solomon and Josiah, and the other great men raised up to deliver the people of God, as Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus, and the rest. The prophets have described Jesus under the name of Savior in many places: as Is. xii :3, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation," or of the Savior. The Lord shall send them a Savior, even a great one, and he shall deliver them," chap. xix :20. "I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior," chap. xliii :11. And the Apostles and sacred writers of the New Testament generally give to him the name of "the Savior," by way of eminence.
When the angel foretold his birth, he said he should be called Jesus, that is, a Savior, assigning, as the reason, that he should "save his people from their sins" Matt. i :21. (See also John iv :42; Acts xiii :23; Philip. iii :20, etc.) (See SALVA TION.) The expression of the Samaritans (John iv:42), with regard to our Savior, is particularly strong. "We know that this is indeed THE CHRIST, THE Savior of the world," where the articles pre fixed to the nouns have a special force in them, to gether with a general import.
It is somewhat unfortunate that the term prince has been adopted in connection with Savior, in Acts v :31, since it suggests the notion of temporal priority, not to say of temporal authority. It is
rendered in the margin author, and seems to de note properly a leader, the first of a company, or body of followers. "Him (Jesus) bath God ex alted to he leader—precursor of his followers into heaven—also Savior, by giving repentance to Israel, and remission of sins." Christ is called the "Savior of the body," in Eph. v :23, where the comparison is to the head, which is the pro tector, the guardian of the whole person; that which completes, governs and superintends the entire man. The Savior is said to be expected from heaven (Phil. iii :2o; Titus ii:13), and in short, the title of Savior is so connected with Deity, that it seems to be impossible to separate them, and to draw the line of distinction between them (Titus i :3 ; :to; iii :4; 2 Pet. i :1 ; Jude verse 25).
God often takes to himself the name of Savior of Israel ( z Sam. vii :8), and David calls him his strength and his Savior (2 Sam. xxii :3). "There is no Savior beside me," says the Lord, in the prophet Hosea, xiii :4. And Is. xvii :to, "Thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation," or thy Savior. And in truth, God is the Savior of saviors, the God of gods; without him there is neither salvation, nor deliverance, nor succor. He raised up saviors to his people, in the persons of Othniel (Judg. iii :9) ; Ehud (iii:15, etc.)