What does the word ‘SOZO’ mean?
A brief study of the Greek word: SOZO
Teresa Liebscher and I started the Bethel Sozo ministry over 20 years ago. Today it’s in over 80% of the countries across the globe.
I love Bethel Sozo, and I love seeing how God uses the ministry to bring healing into peoples’ lives.
Sozo is just one of many great inner healing ministries out there, and many of our earliest tools came from other inner healing and deliverance ministers who were gracious enough to teach us some of their ideas (like Randy Clark and Pablo Botarri).
What does the word sṓzō mean?
The word sṓzō comes from the Greek and appears in the New Testament 111 times. The word means saved, healed, and delivered:
While there are other words that mean “saved”, other words that mean “healed”, and others that mean “delivered”, sṓzō combines all 3 to denote a complete package: salvation, healing, and deliverance.
Perhaps the most famous use of the word sozo in scripture is the story of the 10 lepers. After Jesus prayed for and healed them, only one came back to show his gratitude. The passage says:
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks… And Jesus answering said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?'”
The story ends with: “And he [Jesus] said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole [sṓzō]” (Luke 17:15-17, 19 KJV).
Teresa and I believe that this instance was an example of sṓzō. All 10 lepers were healed, but only one experienced salvation, healing, and deliverance.
What does it mean to get a sṓzō?
Our mission is to see people experience the full reward Jesus paid for. Part of this is equipping the church to receive complete physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Yes, Jesus did a complete work on the cross. When we are saved, His grace is sufficient to cover us.
However, when we open doors to the demonic realm through sin, this can bring spiritual, physical, and emotional issues. Sozo is just one of the ways we can partner with God to clean out any unhealthy areas in our lives.
If you’re interested in learning more about Sozo, or if you’d like to schedule an appointment, click here to visit the website. You can also check out our first book, SOZO: saved, healed, and delivered.
