Folia Theologica et Canonica 10. 32/24 (2021)
Sacra theologia
36 ATTILA THORDAY divine promise, which we can sum up in Jesus’ words, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20). I. The nature of the promise What is the nature of God’s promises? What characteristics of God’s promises can be highlighted when we compare them with promises that people make to one another? First and foremost, God always does what he has planned: there can be no doubt about the authenticity of his promises, even if they do not happen at the time and in the way we humans imagine. Following from this a second realisation emerges, that, for us, God’s action in the world, even in the fulfilment of his promises, usually has the power of surprise, insofar as it is unpredictable and, most of all, unexpected and unusual.1 It is worth noting that the Greek word epangelia in the Scriptures is translated ‘promise’, which means ‘word given’, and in particular emphasises its revelatory character. It is thought to be semantically related to euangelion, the word for “good news”. This association may refer to the third characteristic of God’s promises, namely that God’s promises are always for the benefit of humankind. God’s unsurpassable greatness is manifested in the way He makes and fulfils His promises for the good of human beings. The question then arises can we fully receive the gift of God’s promises regarding our salvation? Above all, will we receive the gift of faith, in the light of which we will glimpse God’s promise of new horizons, and will we have the courage and strength to set out on the path revealed by that promise, fulfilling the conditions freely undertaken, which will make the fulfilment of God’s promises visible to us? “Many times and in many ways God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets in the old days, but in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son (...)”, we read in the preface to Hebrews (1:1-2). The purpose of our study is to consider how, in the many ways in which God who gave himself to us has spoken to us, how have the Creator and his creation been brought closer together, how has their relationship deepened throughout salvation history, and what role have God’s promises played in this process? We also seek to understand how, throughout salvation history, human beings have recognised and responded to God’s promises and, consequently, how his relationship with God has become more and more alive. First, we will look at the Old Testament tradition of promises, with particular reference to the holiness of God and the divine desire to share in that holiness, which is experienced by his elect in his promises and covenants. In the 1 1 See article Epangelia, in Balz, H. - Schneider, G. (ed.), Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, II. Grand Rapids, MI. 1991.
