NGRK 505 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Word Study Koinonia Philippians 21 _ASSIGNMENT_2024.pdf

Word Study Koinonia

Philippians 2:1

Douglas A Kuhl

NGRK 505 Greek Language Tools

February 10, 2024

Contents

Investigation...................................................................................................................................3

Lexicon Entry.................................................................................................................................3

proposed...................................................................................................................5

3. Find references of your word in the breadth of Greek literature from the ancient

world [read this section, but skip this step in the assignment]:...........................................6

4. Find references of your word in the Septuagint (LXX):..........................................7

5. Find references of your word in the New Testament:.............................................8

6. Consult the BDAG Lexicon.....................................................................................9

7. Consult an Exegetical Dictionary..........................................................................10

8. Formulate Conclusions:.........................................................................................11

This word study, investigates the meaning of the Greek word koinōnia as found in

with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Luke also uses the term "koinōnia" to depict how the early

church formed a tightly bonded community united by their faith in Christ, their communal

sharing, and their shared experiences of adversity and persecution for their faith. John describes

koinōnia as a way of joining with the apostle's path, being purified by the blood of Jesus, and

participating in their intimate journey with Christ.

Examining the use of "koinōnia" in Phil 1:5 revealed that the term had about four

meanings. The first meaning deals with a close association, referring to a relationship between

individuals who share mutual interests and engage in regular communication. This group of close

associates participates in communal activities and regularly cherishes fellowship. It denotes a

strong bond and deep connection between people who are closely related to each other. The

found that captured this meaning.

Bible translators typically use the term "contribution" to convey the last sense of this

term. The term "contribution" comes from the context, not the Greek word. The koinōnia that

exists among believers, stemming from their inner communion with Christ, leads them to

dedicate themselves and their gifts and possessions to serving one another. The Young's Literal

Translation was the only translation that used this meaning.

None of the translations can fully convey the rich meaning behind this term. The

following is a suggested footnote to an LSB study bible or commentary. In Philippians 1:5, Paul

expresses that the believers in Philippi, united in Christ and sharing faith in the gospel,

experienced a deep bond with him. They were not just followers but partners with him and with

equally important for the meaning of a clause, sentence, passage, etc.

Philippians 2:1 (NA28)

Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία

πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί,

This may be the hardest part of the word study procedure as a pastor preparing a sermon

or a Sunday School Teacher preparing a lesson. Time is limited and so picking what words to

study with limited time is a critical task. For this assingment I am given: κοινωνία.

So, this step was done for me.

(contri-) distribution, fellowship.1

for this word to get a sense of the categories that the editors have proposed.

Legacy Standard Bible 19 results in 17 verses

1 James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew

Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 42.

Acts 2:42And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and

to thefellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

Rom 15:26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased tosharewith the poor among the

saintsin Jerusalem.

1 Cor 1:9God is faithful, through whom you were called intofellowshipwith His Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Cor 9:13Because of the proven character given by this ministry, they will glorify God

foryourobedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the generosity of

yourfellowshiptoward them and toward all,

2 Cor 13:14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and thefellowshipof

the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

Gal 2:9and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and

John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand

offellowship, so that wemightgoto the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Phil 1:5 because of yourfellowshipin the gospel from the first day until now.

Phil 2:1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of

love, if there is anyfellowshipof the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

1 John 1:3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also

havefellowshipwith us; and indeed ourfellowshipis with the Father, and with His Son

Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:6If we say that we havefellowshipwith Him andyetwalk in the darkness, we

lie and do not do the truth;

1 John 1:7but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we

havefellowshipwith one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all

sin.

3. Find references of your word in the breadth of Greek literature from the ancient world

[read this section, but skip this step in the assignment]:

ὁμιλίαις Id.Lg.861e, cf. Smp.182c; ἡ περὶ .. ἀνθρώπους πρὸς ἀλλήλους κ. ib.188c; ἐν διαλύσει

τῆς κ. Id.R.343d; ἡ τῶν γυναικῶν κ. τοῖς ἀνδράσι, viz. co-education, ib.466c; ἀνθρωπίνη κ.

human society, Id.Plt.276b; ἡ κ. ἡ πολιτική Arist.Pol.1252a7; αὕτη ἡ κ., of marriage, ib.1334b33;

πόλις ἡ γενῶν καὶ κωμῶν κ. ib.1281a1; fellowship, Act.Ap.2.42, al.; ἡ πρὸς τὸν Δία κ.

Arr.Epict.2.19.27; ἀπὸ τῆς Ζήν[ω]νος κοινωνί[ας Kafizin 119.

b. joint-ownership, PLond.2.311.2 (ii A.D.), etc.

IV. Pythag. name for 2, Theol.Ar.8.2

4. Find references of your word in the Septuagint (LXX):

2 Henry George Liddell et al., A Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), 970.

In contexts of Leviticus 6:2 involving this word can mean something left in his care

In the context of the Wisdom of Solomon 8:18 this word can mean sharing.

In the context of 3 Maccabees 4:6 this word can mean a partnership.

5. Find references of your word in the New Testament:

In step 2 I looked up references of κοινωνία in the Legacy Standard Bible here it was translated

by the editors to means Fellowship 14 time and to shair or shairing 5 times.

translations doing this. The Young’s translation is known by scolars as one of the most strictly

literal english translation. It was a translation published in 1862 by Robert Young. It is based

upon the Textus Receptus from Erasmus’s Novum Instrumentum omne a Byzantine text-type.

Most modern translations on the other hand are based on an edition of the

Nestle-Aland/United Society text. I found this interesting and feeds into our first week study on

Textual Criticism.

5 William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian

Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 553.