Anthony Pritchard
Active Member
Absolute Assurance and Absolute Negation
“In No Wise”: The Strongest Promise Ever Spoken
“In No Wise”: The Strongest Promise Ever Spoken
Introductory Note:
I am posting this meditation to explain the meaning and force of the phrase “in no wise” as it appears in Scripture. It is not written in response to anyone, nor is it intended to provoke debate. It is simply a study of the language of Scripture and the assurance Christ gives to those who come to Him. This is the truth I confess because it is the plain sense of the biblical text.
The Absolute Negation of the New Testament and Its Assurance for the Believer.
The phrase “in no wise” appears throughout Scripture as one of the strongest expressions of certainty and assurance in the English Bible. It is not casual language. It is not conversational. It is the translators’ way of preserving the full weight of the Greek expression behind it, an expression that carries the force of an absolute, unconditional, covenantal guarantee. When the New Testament uses this phrase, it is declaring that something is utterly impossible, entirely excluded, or absolutely assured.
In the Greek text, the phrase “in no wise” translates the construction “ou mē,” which is the strongest form of negation in the language of the New Testament. It means “by no means,” “under no circumstance,” “never in any way.” It is not a mild denial. It is not a polite refusal. It is the emphatic form of absolute negation. It is the language of certainty. It is the language of divine guarantee. It is the language of a promise that cannot be broken.
Bible translators chose the phrase “in no wise” because it matched the solemn, formal, covenantal tone of the Greek. The English word “never” can be emotional or conversational. But “in no wise” sounds judicial. It sounds like a decree. It sounds like the language of a covenant that cannot be altered. It is the English equivalent of a divine oath. It is the translators’ way of saying, “This is as strong as language can make it.”
This phrase is not only a grammatical construction. It is also a rhetorical device. It is a form of absolute negation, a deliberate and emphatic denial that leaves no room for exception. In classical rhetoric, it is a form of apophasis of denial, a way of stating that something is categorically impossible. When Jesus uses this form, He is not merely informing. He is assuring. He is guaranteeing. He is closing the door on all doubt.
One of the clearest examples is found in John 6 verse 37. Jesus says, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” The force of the Greek is absolute. It means He will never, under any circumstance, in no possible scenario, cast out the one who comes. It is not a conditional promise. It is not a tentative assurance. It is the strongest form of divine certainty. The believer who comes to Christ is received forever. Christ Himself guarantees it.
Another example appears in Matthew 5 verse 18, where Jesus says, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Here again the phrase expresses absolute impossibility. Not one smallest part of God’s Word can fail. Not one stroke of the pen can be broken. The promise is as strong as the language can make it. The Word of God stands until all is fulfilled.
This same force appears in the promises of God’s presence. In Hebrews 13 verse 5, Scripture says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” The Greek contains multiple negatives, a stacking of denials that intensifies the certainty. It is the same rhetorical force as “in no wise.” God is saying, “I will not, I will not, I will not ever leave you.” It is the language of absolute assurance. It is the language of covenant faithfulness.
When the New Testament uses this form of negation in the context of personal salvation, it is declaring that the believer’s standing with Christ is secure. The one who comes to Christ is received forever. The one who believes on Him is saved forever. The one who trusts in Him is kept forever. The promises of Christ are not fragile. They are not conditional. They are not subject to change. They are anchored in the strongest form of divine speech.
The phrase “in no wise” is therefore one of the most comforting expressions in the Bible. It tells the believer that Christ’s promises are absolute. It tells the believer that Christ’s salvation is certain. It tells the believer that Christ’s acceptance is final. It tells the believer that Christ’s word cannot be broken. It is the language of assurance. It is the language of rest. It is the language of the gospel.
When Jesus says, “I will in no wise cast out,” He is speaking with the full weight of divine certainty. He is declaring that the believer is safe. He is declaring that the believer is secure. He is declaring that the believer is His forever. This is not the language of possibility. It is the language of promise. It is the language of a Savior who cannot fail.
Negatio absoluta - Absolute negation.
Colophon
This meditation was written to explain the meaning and rhetorical force of the phrase “in no wise” in the Bible, using fully quoted Scripture and presented in simple continuous prose for clarity and assurance.
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 1979 -
Free to use with proper attribution.
