What does the word ‘SOZO’ mean?

Teresa Liebscher and I started the Bethel Sozo ministry over 20 years ago. Today it is 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:

sṓzō: “to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): –heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

While there are other words that mean “saved”, other words that mean “healed”, and others that mean “delivered”, sṓzō combines all three to denote — what I believe to be — a complete package of salvation, healing, and deliverance.

Perhaps the most famous instance of the word being used in scripture is with the story of the 10 lepers. After Jesus prayed for the lepers and healed them, only one came back to thank Jesus for His blessing. Scripture says:

“And he [Jesus] said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole [sṓzō]” (Luke 17:19 KJV).

Teresa and I believe that this instance was an example of someone being sṓzōed. All 10 lepers were healed, but only one received salvation, healing, and deliverance.

What does it mean to get a sṓzō?

Part of our heart is to see people get the full reward Jesus paid for. Part of this is seeing people receive complete physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Yes, Jesus did a complete work on the cross. Once we are saved, we can have faith that 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 many ways we can work with God to clean out any unhealthy areas in our lives.

If you are interested in learning more about Sozo, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, click here to visit the website. You can also check out our first book, SOZO: saved, healed, and delivered.