Working through Ephesians today I noticed something I had not seen before. The word that is translated stewardship or administration in 1:10; 3:2 and 9 shares a root word with the word that is translated building up or edification in 4:12, 16; and 29.
The roots of the first word are house – law. The roots of the second are house – build. So the thing I am working through is are these words related in more than just the first root word. In other words how or does stewardship relate to building up one another in Christ.
This is both a good and bad example of a word study in Bible study. On the one hand the observation of the root connection raises some interesting questions. However, unless there is a connection in usage that can be demonstrated in the Scripture or the other literature of that era, one cannot make the connection. All too often we make words mean something that they do not if we lean too heavily on the roots of the words. I have seen folks make some serious errors by looking too closely at the root words. On the other hand word studies can add incredible depth to your study. Here is a simple guide on how to do a word study.
This is both a good and bad example of a word study in Bible study. On the one hand the observation of the root connection raises some interesting questions. However, unless there is a connection in usage that can be demonstrated in the Scripture or the other literature of that era, one cannot make the connection. All too often we make words mean something that they do not if we lean too heavily on the roots of the words. I have seen folks make some serious errors by looking too closely at the root words. On the other hand word studies can add incredible depth to your study. Here is a simple guide on how to do a word study.
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