Bible Lexicons

θεμέλιος, θεμέλιον (θέμα (i. e. thing laid down)), laid down as a foundation, belonging to a foundation (Diodorus 5, 66; θεμέλιοι λίθοι, Aristophanes av. 1137); generally as a substantive, ὁ θεμέλιος (namely, λίθος) (1 Corinthians 3:11; 2 Timothy 2:19; Revelation 21:19), and τό θεμέλιον (rarely so in Greek writings, as (Aristotle, phys. auscult. 2, 9, p. 200a, 4); Pausanias, 8, 32, 1; (others)), the foundation (of a building, wall, city): properly, Luke 6:49; τιθέναι θεμέλιον, Luke 6:48; Luke 14:29; plural οἱ θεμέλιοι (chiefly so in Greek writings), Hebrews 11:10; Revelation 21:14, 19; neuter τό θεμέλια, Acts 16:26 (and often in the Sept.); metaphorically, the foundations, beginnings, first principles, of an institution or system of truth: 1 Corinthians 3:10, 12; the rudiments, first principles, of Christian life and knowledge, Hebrews 6:1 (μετανοίας genitive of apposition (Winer's Grammar, 531 (494))); a course of instruction begun by a teacher, Romans 15:20; Christ is called the θεμέλιος, i. e. faith in him, which is like a foundation laid in the soul on which is built up the fuller and richer knowledge of saving truth, 1 Corinthians 3:11; τῶν ἀποστόλων (genitive of apposition, on account of what follows: ὄντος ... Χριστοῦ (others say genitive of origin, see ἐποικοδομέω; cf. Winer's Grammar, § 30, 1; Meyer or Ellicott at the passage)), of the apostles as preachers of salvation, upon which foundation the Christian church has been built, Ephesians 2:20; a solid and stable spiritual possession, on which resting as on a foundation they may strive to lay hold on eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:19; the church is apparently called θεμέλιος as the foundation of the 'city of God,' 2 Timothy 2:19, cf. 2 Timothy 2:20 and 1 Timothy 3:15. (the Sept. several times also for אַרְמון, a palace, Isaiah 25:2; Jeremiah 6:5; Amos 1:4, etc.)