philippians-4:11

Moral excellence (virtue) (703) (arete) refers to any preeminence (moral, intellectual, military). Arete is a term denoting consummate ‘excellence’ or ‘merit’ within a social context. To the Greek philosophers, it meant “the fulfillment of a thing.” Arete came to mean quality of life which made some... Read More

Patient when wronged (420) (anexikakos from anécho = bear, put up with, holding back + kakós = bad, evil) is literally “holding back under bad or evil". It is tolerating difficulties without becoming out of control or enduring difficulties without becoming angry or upset. A good synonym is "longsuff... Read More

Press on (1377) (dioko from dío = pursue, prosecute, persecute) means to follow or press hard after, literally to pursue as one does a fleeing enemy. It means to chase, harass, vex and pressure and was used for chasing down criminals. Dioko speaks of an intensity of effort leading to a pursue with e... Read More

Persecutions (1375) (diogmos from dioko [word study] = to chase, to pursue) literally refers to a chase or pursuit and figuratively means to put to flight or to pursue with repeated acts of enmity. See Related Resources on Persecution: Persecution Predicted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount Persec... Read More

Disputing (1261) (dialogismos from diá = through or as a preposition to intensify meaning of + logizomai = reckon, take an inventory, conclude; source of our English dialogue) means literally reasoning through and so to think or reason with thoroughness and completeness, think out carefully, reason ... Read More

any mothers who punch the clock and then turn away from their crying babies because they refuse to work anymore? Maybe some mothers will work out some kind of union agreement like that, but I don’t think real mothers would want it. Mothers work a little differently—night and day. (McGee, J V: Thru t... Read More

Disputing (1261) (dialogismos from diá = through or as a preposition to intensify meaning of + logizomai = reckon, take an inventory, conclude; source of our English dialogue) means literally reasoning through and so to think or reason with thoroughness and completeness, think out carefully, reason ... Read More

Be strong (1743) (endunamoo from en = in + dunamóo = strengthen) in simple terms means to put power in (like a car needs gas for power) and thus to make strong or vigorous, to strengthen (active voice) or to be (passive voice) strengthened, enabled or empowered. This word is found only in biblical a... Read More

Sufficient (714) (arkeo) means to be enough, to be sufficient or to be adequate with the implication of leading to satisfaction. In the passive sense arkeo means to be satisfied or contented with something. Delivering saints from the self-sufficiency driven by our fallen flesh is a major function of... Read More

Character Reputation is what a man's neighbors and friends think of him. Character is what the man IS. Character is personal. It is not a possession we can share with someone else. We can give a hungry person part of our loaf of bread; we can divide our money with one who needs it; but character is ... Read More