Delivered (3860) (paradidomi from para = alongside, beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or something, especially to give over to the power of another.
The use of paradidomi in 1Corinthians 15:3 refers to the transmitting of or passing on of traditional instruction from Paul to the saints at Corinth. Paul is saying that he brought authoritative teaching, not something of his own origination. He did not design it, he only delivered what God had authored. Paul used paradidomi two other times in this same epistle to express a similar idea writing...
1 Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered (paradidomi) them to you.
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received (paralambano - the same verb Paul uses in 1Cor 15:3 of the gospel the Corinthians had received) from the Lord that which I also delivered to (paradidomi) you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread
Comment: Paul explained that these "traditions" were not the traditions of men but of God writing that "For I neither received (paralambano) it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:12) This is the message that Paul like a faithful steward delivered to the saints at Corinth.
Utley comments that I delivered to you refers to...
This refers to (1) Christian witness that Paul received (from Stephen, Acts 7; from Ananias, Acts 5; and from persecuted Christians, Acts 9:1–2; I Cor. 15:9; (2) direct revelation from the Lord (cf. 1Cor 11:23; Gal. 1:12). Paul passed on the gospel truths he had received. Paul was not an innovator, but a faithful witness applying the gospel truths to new situations. (Utley, R. J. D. Volume 6: Paul's Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians. Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International)
Keener notes that delivered...
is the language of what scholars call “traditioning”: Jewish teachers (Rabbis) would pass on their teachings to their students, who would in turn pass them on to their own students. The students could take notes, but they delighted especially in oral memorization and became quite skilled at it; memorization was a central feature of ancient education. In the first generation, the tradition would be very accurate (Keener, C. S., The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press)
Synonyms used for paradidomi include surrender, yield up, entrust, deliver up, give over.
Paradidomi is variously translated as "betray(13), betrayed(9), betraying(9), betrays(3), commended(1), committed(3),deliver(10), deliver up(7), delivered(17), delivered over(2), delivered up(16), delivering(3), delivers up(1), entrusted(3),entrusting(1), gave over(3), gave up(3), given over(1), handed down(3), handed over(4), permits(1), put(1), putting(1),risked(m)(1), taken custody(2), turn over(1).
Paradidomi - 15.15" class="scriptRef">15.10" class="scriptRef">10.19" class="scriptRef">19x in 117v in NAS - Mt 4:12; 25" class="scriptRef">5:25; 10:4, 17, 19, 6" class="scriptRef">26.21" class="scriptRef">21" class="scriptRef">21" class="scriptRef">21" class="scriptRef">21; 11.27" class="scriptRef">11:27; 22" class="scriptRef">17:22; 18" class="scriptRef">18.34" class="scriptRef">18:34; 24.20" class="scriptRef">20" class="scriptRef">20.18-Matt.20.19" class="scriptRef">20:18, 19; 24:9, 10; 25:14, 20, 22; 26:2, 16" class="scriptRef">16" class="scriptRef">15, 16, 21, 23-Matt.26.25" class="scriptRef">23, 24, 25, 45, 46, 48" class="scriptRef">48; 27:2, 3, 4, 18, 26; Mark 1:14; 3:19; 4:29; 7:13; 9:31; 10:33; 13:9, 11, 12; 14:10,11, 18, 21, 41f, 44; 15:1, 10, 15; Luke 1:2; 4:6; 9:44; 10:22; 12:58; 18:32; 20:20; 21:12, 16; 22:4, 6, 21, 22, 48; 23:25; 24:7, 20; Jn 6:64, 71; 12:4; 13:2, 11, 21; 18:2, 5, 30" class="scriptRef">30, 35, 36; 19:11, 16, 30; 21:20; Acts 3:13; 6:14; 7:42; 8:3; 12:4; 14:26; 15:26, 40; 16:4; 21:11; 22:4; 27:1; 28.17" class="scriptRef">28:17; Ro 1:24, 26, 28; 4:25; 6:17; 8:32; 1Co 5:5; 11:2, 23; 13:3; 15:3, 24; 2Co 4:11; Gal 2:20; Ep 4:19; 5:2, 25; 1Ti 1:20; 1Pe 2:23; 2Pe 2:4, 21; Jude 1:3
NAS = betray(17), betrayed(10), betraying(9), betrays(3), commended(1), committed(3), deliver(6), delivered(21), delivered over(1), delivering(3), entrusted(3), entrusting(1), gave(4), gave...over(3), given...over(1), hand(6), handed(9), handed...over(1), handed down(4), handed over(4), hands(1), permits(1), put(1), putting(1), risked(1), surrender(1), taken into custody(2), turn...over(1).
Paradidomi - Some 111.8" class="scriptRef">80x times in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) -23" class="scriptRef">23.14" class="scriptRef">14" class="scriptRef">14.20.20" class="scriptRef">20" class="scriptRef">Ge 14:20; 7" class="scriptRef">27.20" class="scriptRef">27:20; 21" class="scriptRef">21.13" class="scriptRef">Exod. 21:13; 23.31" class="scriptRef">23:31; 6.25" class="scriptRef">Lev. 26:25; 10.35" class="scriptRef">35" class="scriptRef">Num. 21:2f, 34; 32" class="scriptRef">32.4" class="scriptRef">32:4; Deut. 1:8, 21, 27; 24" class="scriptRef">2:24, 30-Deut.2.37" class="scriptRef">30f, 33" class="scriptRef">33, 36" class="scriptRef">36; 28" class="scriptRef">28.9" class="scriptRef">9" class="scriptRef">9" class="scriptRef">3:2f; 7:2, 23f; 19.12" class="scriptRef">12" class="scriptRef">12" class="scriptRef">19:12; 20:13, 20; 21:10; 23:14f; 28.7" class="scriptRef">28:7; 31:5; 32:30; Jos. 2:14, 24; 6:2, 16" class="scriptRef">16; 7:7; 18" class="scriptRef">8:18; 10:8, 12, 19, 30, 32, 35; 11:6, 8; 21:44; 24:8, 10f, 33; Jdg. 1:4; 2:14, 23; 3:10, 28; 4:7, 14; 7:2, 9, 14f; 8:3; 11:9, 21, 32; 13:1; 15:13; 16:24; 1 Sam. 11:12; 14:10, 12, 37; 17:47; 23:4, 14; 24:4, 10; 26:23; 28:19; 30:15, 23; 2 Sam. 5:19; 1 Ki. 8:46; 2 Ki. 3:13, 18; 18:30; 19:10; 21:14; 1 Chr. 12:17; 2 Chr. 6:36; 13:16; 16:8; 24:24; 25:20; 28:5, 9; 30:7; 32:11; 35:12; 36:17; Ezra 7:19; 9:7; Est. 2:3, 13; 4:17; 8:12; Job 2:6; 9:24; 16:11; 24:14; Ps. 10:14; 27:12; 41:2; 63:10; 74:19; 78:48, 61; 88:8; 106:41; 118:18; 119:121; 140:8; Prov. 6:1; 11:8; 24:22; 27:24; 30:10; Isa. 19:4; 23:7; 25:5, 7; 33:1, 6, 23; 34:2; 36:15; 37:10; 38:12f; 47:3; 53:6, 12; 64:7; 65:12; Jer. 2:24; 15:4; 21:10; 22:25; 24:8; 26:24; 32:4, 28, 36, 43; 34:2; 37:17; 38:3, 20; 46:24; 50:2; Ezek. 7:21; 11:9; 16:27, 39; 21:15, 27, 29, 31; 23:9, 28; 25:4; 31:11; 39:23; Dan. 1:2; 2:38; 3:28; 4:17; 7:25; 11:6, 11; Hos. 8:10; Mic. 6:14, 16; Zech. 11:6
Note God's role in these representative OT Septuagint uses of paradidomi ...
Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered (Lxx = paradidomi) your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tenth of all.
Exodus 23:31 "And I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver (Lxx = paradidomi) the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
Numbers 21:3 And the LORD heard the voice of Israel, and delivered up (Lxx = paradidomi) the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called Hormah.
Numbers 21:34 But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him (Og the King of Bashan who had come out for battle against Israel as they traveled by way of Bashan), for I have given him into (Lxx = paradidomi) your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.
Psalm 27:12 Do not deliver me over (Lxx = paradidomi) to the desire of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
Psalm 106:41 Then He gave them into (Lxx = paradidomi) the hand of the nations; And those who hated them ruled over them (His people Israel who played the harlot with the pagan nations so that God abhorred His inheritance).
Isaiah 64:7 And there is no one who calls on Thy name, Who arouses himself to take hold of Thee; For Thou hast hidden Thy face from us, And hast delivered us into (Lxx = paradidomi) the power of our iniquities.
Daniel 7:25 'And he (Antichrist = Little Horn) will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he (Antichrist = the little horn) will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into (Lxx = paradidomi) his (Antichrist's) hand for a time, times, and half a time (3.5 years = Great Tribulation).
In the New Testament uses of paradidomi we find several different meanings as discussed below...
Paradidomi conveys the idea of handing over to or of conveying something to someone, particularly a right or an authority
Matthew 11:27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
Luke 4:6 And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Paradidomi can mean to entrust for care or preservation as when one gives over, commends or commits.
Acts 14:26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished.
Acts 15:40 But Paul chose Silas and departed, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.
Romans 6:17 (note) But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (entrusted, NIV, NET)
1 Peter 2:23 (note) and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting (present tense = His continual practice) Himself to Him who judges righteously; (Comment: Literally, Jesus kept handing Himself and the circumstance of every unjust suffering over to God. This pattern climaxed when Jesus was on the cross. What an example for believers to emulate when we are unjustly suffered. Christ gave Himself over to God, even in death, because He knew that the Father would evaluate fairly all His unjust suffering. Subsequently, when we are persecuted unjustly at our jobs, in our families, or in our social contacts, we need to follow His example and accept the persecution without retaliating. It is crucial that we resist [by God’s grace and power of His Spirit] the urge to strike back or seek revenge in the midst of unjust persecution [see notes Romans 12:17; 18; 19; 20; 21]. We need to entrust our souls continuously, by faith, to the care of the Holy One Who will pronounce a righteous verdict, Who will avenge unjust treatment now or later and Who will bring us to eternal glory.)
Paradidomi is used in legal parlance to describe handing someone into the custody of the police, authorities, etc. To deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death.
Matthew 10:17 "But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues... 10:19 "But when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak... 10:21 "And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mark 15:1 And early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away, and delivered Him up to Pilate.
2 Peter 2:4 (note) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed (paradidomi) them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
Moulton and Milligan have these similar secular uses
"but he was handed over to Paos the gaoler (British = jailer),” in connexion with the breaking into a house.
“and if you have arrested the slave, deliver him to Semphtheus to bring to me”;
“send to us under guard the woman who was delivered to you with the contraband oil in her possession, and send also the person who delivered her to you”
Paradidomi can describe the "illegal", treacherous or unjustified handing of someone over to someone as in a betrayal. Thus it describes the delivering over of an individual to an enemy who will presumably take undue advantage of the victim
Matthew 4:12 Now when He heard that John had been taken into custody (paradidomi), He withdrew into Galilee
Matthew 10:4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed (paradidomi) Him.
Matthew 20:18 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up. (Note the "Gospel" in this passage).
Matthew 26:16 And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.
Matthew 26:21 And as they were eating, He said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me...26:23 And He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 26:24 "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." 26:25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said it yourself
Mark 9:31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later."
Paradidomi is used in the context of dying, meaning to give up one’s life, to give up one’s spirit, i.e. to expire.
John 19:30 (see note) When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head, and gave up (paradidomi = active voice = His choice) His spirit.
Galatians 2:20 (see note) "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered (paradidomi in the active voice = His choice) Himself up for me. (Compare Ro 4:25-note, Ro 8:32-note, Eph 5:2-note, Ep 5:25-note)
Paradidomi was used as a military term to describe surrender.
Paul uses paradidomi in describe delivering over rebellious, God and truth rejecting individuals to suffer the consequences of their sins
Romans 1:24 {note} Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. (Comment: This person becomes enslaved to his or her own lusts. In other words, God allows the consequences of that person’s sin to run their catastrophic course. That course, driven by uncontrolled lust, inevitably reverts to the worst forms of sexual promiscuity. To have God let one go is the worst fate that can overtake any human being. Yet that is the inevitable result of stubborn refusal to let God have His way. A. T. Robertson writes: "The words sound to us like clods on the) coffin as God leaves men to work their own wicked will")
Romans 1:26 {note} For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
Romans 1:28 {note} And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
Ephesians 4:19 {note} and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
Paradidomi can speak of church discipline in which the guilty part is delivered over or given into the control of another so that they might be disciplined
1 Corinthians 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (Compare 1Ti 1:20)
Moulton and Milligan have an illustration from pagan execratory formulas, e.g. the great magical Paris papyrus...
“I shall give you over to black chaos in utter destruction,”
Paradidomi is used figuratively of a crop the ripeness of which "hands itself over" to be harvested.
Mark 4:29 "But when the crop permits (paradidomi), he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." (it is an idiomatic use in which fruit gives itself over. It is at that time one knows the fruit is ripe and ready to harvest.) (Comment: Vincent suggests “When the fruit shall have allowed, i. e., shall have admitted of being harvested.” Xenophon and Herodotus use the word in the sense of permit or allow. An exact parallel to this occurs in the historian Polybius, “When the season permitted.")
As used here in 1Corinthians 15:3 paradidomi means to pass on traditional instruction.
Mark 7:13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition (of the Pharisees and scribes - traditions not in accord with God's Holy Word) which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." (It refers to the oral laws of the Pharisees which are handed down from generation to generation to be kept. The Pharisees, to whom our Lord was speaking. were adding weight to these laws by themselves transmitting them to their posterity)
Luke 1:2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down (handed them over, turned them over, pass) to us,
Acts 6:14 for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.
Acts 16:4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees (dogmata or decisions), which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe.
1Peter 2:21 - see note - For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith (the teaching about the gospel) which was once for all delivered to the saints. (Comment: The point is that God committed the Christian doctrines to the saints as a deposit of truth to be guarded.)
NIDNTT writes that...
Paradidomi is found in Gk. from Plato onwards, meaning to hand down, pass on instruction from teacher to pupil. In the sense of handing down instruction paradidomi is also found in Aristotle, Polybius, Plutarch and others. In the Hellenistic mysteries the word is used in connexion with the delivery of a hieros logos (holy teaching)...There are, then, 3 types of tradition in the NT expressed by paradidomi; the following are said to be handed down: (i) the Jewish Halachah (rabbinic exposition of the law) (Mk. 7:13; Acts 6:14; cf. Acts 16:4); (ii) early Christian narratives about Jesus (Lk. 1:2); (iii) confessions of faith and rules for the conduct of the church’s life (1 Cor. 11:2, 23; 15:3ff.; 2 Pet. 2:21; Jude 3). (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
First importance (4413) (protos) in this context refers to first in prominence, most important or foremost. The truth that follows is among first things. In primis. Not to time, but to importance. It is notable that this section presents the only summary of the Gospel that is found in the NT.
The essential truths of the gospel are of first importance...
Christ died for our sins
He was dead and was buried
He was raised from the dead
He appeared to many witnesses
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Greek Word Studies ( - )
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