The then Bishop of Durham, Dr. Brooke Foss Wescott, was making a train journey. In those days carriages contained separate compartments for six people and he sought out an empty compartment then settled down for a read. Just as the train was about to depart, the door opened, and a young girl in Salvation Army uniform jumped in. After she had settled herself into her corner she realized she was sharing the compartment. With his purple clerical shirt, white collar and oversized silver cross, she was sharing the compartment with a real live bishop. She hadn’t long been a Christian, and was keen to win others for Christ. Presently she leaned across to the bishop, who was reading, and said very abruptly, “Excuse me, are you saved?”
This short, but unexpected question caught Dr. Wescott by surprise, and he said in his kindly way, “Pardon me, but what did you say?” She thought, “There, he doesn’t even know what I’m talking about!” and so explained, “I simply asked if you were saved.” The bishop’s face disappeared behind his book and his eyes twinkled merrily for a moment; then, leaning toward her he asked her, “Excuse me, my dear, but do you mean sotheis or sezosmenos or sozomenos?” The girl’s face went blank, then puzzled, then startled. Finally she blurted out, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I simply asked you — were you saved.” “Yes, my dear,” replied Dr. Westcott, “I asked you which ‘saved’ you mean. Did you mean ‘I was saved’ or ‘I will be saved’ or ‘I am being saved’?” And for the rest of the journey this Greek scholar explained to this young believer the wonder and immensity of God’s salvation — past, future and present.