“The good news gospel
Is saving you,
If you hold firmly
To the message
That I proclaimed to you.
Otherwise,
You believed
In vain.”
δι’ οὗ καὶ σῴζεσθε, τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε.
Paul said that the good news gospel is saving them (δι’ οὗ καὶ σῴζεσθε), if they hold firmly (εἰ κατέχετε) to the message that he had proclaimed to them (τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν). Otherwise, they have believed in vain (ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε). Only the Pauline letters used this word εἰκῇ, that means without cause or reason, vainly, in vain, or for nothing. Paul’s gospel message had saved them from sin and eternal death. They have to hold firmly to this evangelical message that Paul had preached to them. Otherwise, their belief would be useless or in vain. Do you hold on to the message of Jesus?
