Language Studies

Greek Thoughts

EUSEBEIA* - Part 4 - 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.

This week we continue with our series on the noun εὐσὲβεια (Strong's #2150), which means reverence, respect, or godliness. Εὐσὲβεια came to be used almost exclusively as a religious term representing a respectful attitude toward God and the living of a correct lifestyle in respect to Him and His order.

Our focus for the studies in this series has so far been taken from 2Peter. Peter, knowing that his death is imminent (2 Peter 1:13-14), writes 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).

We saw that Peter presents the first essential of the Christian faith—relationship—in 2 Peter 1:2-4 where he 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. In these verses (1:2-4), Peter emphasizes that believers are partakers of God's divine nature (1:4) and are empowered by His divine power which has given them all things pertaining to life and godliness (εὐσὲβεια). Using faith as a designation for one who has the divine nature of God living within, Peter then presents the second essential of the Christian faith— growth (1:5-7).

According to Peter's presentation in verses 5-7, growth is divided into seven phases. The first five phases have to do with the development of one's personal relationship with and response to the Lord, and the final two phases have to do with the believer's relationship with others. Last week, we studied the first two phases of the maturation process having gained the understanding that each phase of the growth process lays the foundation of the next while it also grows into the succeeding phase.

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.

Peter begins his description of growth by saying that the believer should let faith supply virtue (1:5). As established last week, faith here refers to the presence and activity of the divine nature of God in the heart of the believer. In the New Testament, virtue, ἀρετὴ (Strong's #703), means quality of character, moral excellence, or excellence of character. Peter is talking about the excellency of God's character when he refers here to virtue as the Greek text makes clear. Therefore, he is teaching that the interaction of a believer's spirit with God's indwelling Spirit produces the excellency of God's character in the believer. Peter then writes that out of the process of growth in virtue, knowledge is supplied. The Greek word translated "knowledge" is γνῶσις (Strong's #1108) and means the understanding or insight of the Lord. So the first two phases of growth are summarized as follows: from out of the presence and interaction of God's Spirit with your spirit, let His presence produce His character and virtues. From out of the development of His character and virtues, let His understanding and insight be developed in you.

This week we move on to the next three phases in the growth process, which we find in 2 Peter 1:6. They have to do with the believer's response to the Lord in the circumstances and trials of life. Peter writes that the believer is to let self-control be supplied from out of knowledge. The Greek word translated self-control (or temperance in some translations) is ἐγκρὰτεια (Strong's #1466), which means to have one's passions, desires, and appetites controlled from within. ̓Εγκρὰτεια comes from the preposition ἐν (Strong's # 1722) that means "in," and κρὰτος (Strong's #2904) which is the Greek word for "grip." So, technically ἐγκρὰτεια means "to be gripped or controlled from within." Paul, in Galatians 5:23, reveals the source of this control-of-self as part of the fruit (singular) of God's Spirit. When this understanding given by Paul is coupled here with Peter's teaching, we perceive that a believer's physical desires and appetites are to be controlled from within by the Spirit of God.

Peter continues to explain the growth process by writing that endurance is supplied from out of self-control. The word used here for endurance is ὑπομονὴ (Strong's #5281), which means "to remain under." ̔Υπομονὴ is derived from the preposition ὑπὸ (Strong's #5259) meaning "under," and μὲνω (Strong's #3306), "to abide," or "to remain." ̔Υπομονὴ is the usual word from which the English translation "patience" is rendered, because it is associated with patience or remaining under circumstances (whereas μακροθυμὶα (Strong's #3115) is translated "longsuffering" and refers to patience with people— literally meaning "to be slow in human reaction toward others.") Our word, ὑπομονὴ, represents the growth process that allows us to remain under our circumstances and trials because our physical responses have been brought under the control of the indwelling Spirit of God.

Peter then writes that godliness is supplied from out of endurance. The word translated "godliness" is our word of study εὐσὲβεια, which means reverence, respect, or godliness. Its meaning conveys an understanding of respect toward the Lord that is expressed in one's attitude, speech, and lifestyle. In the context of Peter's teaching, it refers to the attitude of respect for the Lord that is developed through the circumstances and trials of life. As every believer knows, we do not always have a good attitude toward the Lord as we go through life's difficulties. We often question God— when hardships arise, when a loved one is taken in death. Peter's text reveals that the Lord is developing and forming a correct attitude within each believer toward Himself through the experiencing of life's difficulties.

So far we have studied the first five phases of the growth process that is being developed within each Christian. The entire growth process is dependent upon and is developed from the indwelling presence of the divine nature of God. Through interaction with His Spirit, a Christian is exposed to the virtues and character of God. This exposure then influences his growth to spiritual maturity. From this growth process, a Christian gains God's insight into and understanding of the Spirit of God, the flesh, and the world in general. Once he has grown into the ability to discern between the flesh and the Spirit, a Christian is then able to submit to the control of God's Spirit over his desires and appetites. Then, when the Spirit of the Lord is in control of his self-life, he is able to endure and trust the Lord. When he experiences the faithfulness of the Lord sustaining him through the circumstances of life, he is then able to thank the Lord and live life in respect toward God as a witness to His glory, affirming 2 Peter 1:3—that God's divine power gives us "all things pertaining to life and godliness (εὐσὲβεια)."

Next week we will study the final two phases of the growth process (2 Peter 1:7), which are focused in the area of our relationship with others.

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

Copyright Statement
'Greek Thoughts' Copyright 2024© Bill Klein. 'Greek Thoughts' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each article, along with a link to https://www.studylight.org/language-studies/greek-thoughts.html  2) 'Greek Thoughts' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.