Please note that all Biblical quotes, in this and all other lessons posted to Greek Thoughts, are from The Literal English Translation of the Bible produced by BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America.
We are continuing with our study of συνείδησις (Strong's #4893, pronounced “sön ā dā sēs”), which means "conscience" or "to be consciously aware." This Greek word is compounded from σύν (Strong's #4862, pronounced "sön"), which is a preposition meaning "with," and οἶδα (Strong's #1492, pronounced "oi dä") meaning "to know" or "to comprehend." Basically, συνείδησις means "to know with something else;" but a translation more readily understood in English would be "to know something about one's self" or "to be conscious of something."
In our last study, we presented the conscience as an information gathering device within the mind that must be programmed with information. We also presented that a person’s perception of right and wrong is based on the information he has acquired; because of this, each person’s consciousness of right and wrong is different. We also discussed that a Christian’s consciousness of right and wrong, from God's perspective, is developed through growth stages that are attained through the study of God's Word.
In the New Testament, Paul shows us two developmental stages of believers, which he designates as the stronger and the weaker. The following verses show his instruction to the stronger believer, the one whose conscience has been informed by the Word of God as to his liberty in Christ:
Romans 14:1 - "Now the one being weak in the faith receive, not for judgment of opinions."
Romans 14:11-13 - And is the brother who is weak being destroyed over your knowledge, on account of whom Christ died? And in this way while sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience (συνείδησις) being weak, you are sinning against Christ. On account of which if food is causing my brother to stumble, I will never eat flesh forever, in order that I should not offend my brother."
Romans 15:1 "We ourselves who are strong are indebted to carry the weaknesses of the ones who are without strength, and to not please ourselves,"
Paul clearly instructs that a strong believer is to receive a weak brother without disputing opinions with him (Rom. 14:1). The strong one also has a responsibility before God to live in a way that does not offend the conscience of another, whether or not the other believer’s conscience is correct in its judgment and evaluation (Rom. 14:11-13). Additionally, the stronger believer is responsible to make sure the weaker believer does not violate his own conscience at the stage it is in.
True liberty for the Christian, then, is not the freedom to do whatever he wants to do, but is rather expressed in what he is free not to do. When a believer is able to sacrifice his own rights to keep from offending a weaker Christian, that believer is truly free. So the issue for a strong believer is not whether something is right or wrong to do; but is, instead, a consideration of how his actions will affect the people around him, without regard to whether the weak are right or wrong in their convictions.
Next week we will continue to study, from the New Testament, the various conditions of the conscience.
*SUNEIDESIS is the English font spelling of the Greek word συνείδησις.
English pronunciation of vowel sounds & accented syllables: āle, ăm, fäther; ēve, ĕnd; īce, ǐll; ōld, ǒdd, whö; oi as in oil; ow as in cow; ūse, ŭp, rüde.
Bold type indicates an accented syllable.
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Bill Klein has been a pastor, counselor, and educator for the past 41 years. He has had extensive training and education in biblical languages, and has authored a Biblical Greek course.
He is currently serving as Professor of Biblical Greek at Master's Graduate School of Divinity, and president of BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America, a non-profit organization located in California that provides Bible study tapes and Greek study materials through their website BTEMinistries.org.