Language Studies

Greek Thoughts

EUSEBEIA* - Part 2 - εχηγεομαι (Strong's #1834)
Reverence, piety, godliness

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.

Last week we began a series on the noun εὐσὲβεια (Strong's #2150), which means reverence, respect, or godliness. Εὐσὲβεια is made up of the adverb εὖ and the verb σὲβω. In Classical Greek, εὐσὲβεια expressed a "reverence toward the gods." In its nonreligious use, it represented the "respect" a child was to have toward a parent. Its domestic meaning was eventually lost and εὐσὲβεια came to be used almost exclusively as a religious term representing a respectful attitude toward God directly and the living of a correct lifestyle in respect to Him. Εὐσὲβεια is used in the New Testament to express reverence toward God from both believers as well as a form of reverence expressed from false teachers and non-believers. In the first few studies, we are going to concentrate on the reverence toward God that God's Spirit produces in the life of the believer. Last week we began our study from II Peter and this week we continue it from the same letter remembering that Peter is motivated by his imminent death (2 Peter 1:13-14) to write this, his second letter, to remind believers of three essentials of the Christian faith and to explain the course they are to follow when assembling together (2 Peter 1:2-11).

In the first few verses of this letter, Peter summarizes, from his many years of walking with Christ, his understanding of three areas of the Christian faith. We studied the first one concerning salvation (1:2-4) last week. We also saw that Peter, in his opening, addresses his readers as "the ones who have obtained an equally honorable faith with us" (1:1). He uses the word "faith" to describe those who have been born of the Spirit of God and are under God's influence and persuasion. Peter emphasizes, in verses 2-4, that believers are partakers of God's divine nature (1:4) and are empowered by "His divine power" which has given believers all things "pertaining to life and godliness (εὐσὲβεια)." He goes on to say that these provisions of God's Spirit are made known to us "through the complete knowledge of the One having called us through glory and virtue" (1:3). The glory and virtue referred to in this verse are characteristics of His Spirit that reside within each genuine believer in Christ. After establishing that "faith" is a designation for one who has the divine nature of God living within, Peter presents the second essential of the Christian faith - growth (1: 5-7).

2 Peter 1:5-7

5)

But also on account of this very thing, having brought in all diligence, completely supply in your faith the virtue, and in the virtue the knowledge,

6)

and in the knowledge the self-control, and in the self-control the endurance, and in the endurance the godliness (εὐσὲβεια),

7)

and in the godliness the brotherly love, and in the brotherly love the agape love.

In verse 5, Peter refers back to partaking of the divine nature through the use of the phrase, "but also on account of this very thing." He then proceeds to present the growth process that should be taking place within the life of every believer. The first element in this growth process is something the believer is to provide— diligence. The word for diligence is σπουδὴ (Strong's #4710) and refers to doing something in haste. However, when used with lists, it refers to "priority." So, those who belong to Christ are to give top priority to their growth in Christ, each being responsible to build a changed life through interaction with the indwelling presence of God's Spirit. Peter next presents the seven phases of this essential Christian growth process.

With faith representing a person who is partaking of God's divine nature, Peter next presents the "process" through which each believer matures, each phase laying the foundation for and growing into the next. He starts by saying, "Supply in your faith the virtue." The process of growth in the faith is to produce virtue. The process of growth in virtue is to supply knowledge.

Verse 6 continues to elucidate the growth process, showing that out of knowledge self-control develops (or the control of self). The process of growth in self-control then produces godliness (εὐσὲβεια), which is a reverence toward God expressed through respecting and living by His will and order.

Verse 7 continues to explain the process, with growth in godliness producing brotherly love and growth in brotherly love producing agape love— the believer's phase of maturity.

Since Peter presents the growth process as the second essential of the Christian faith and teaches it in such minute detail, we will study each one of the growth phases beginning with next week's study.

* EUSEBEIA is the English font spelling of the Greek word εὐσὲβεια.

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