Anastrepho - Help! Greek Scholars

but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth
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KJV "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God..."

the implication in the KJV is that Timothy is the object of this statement, when in fact, it should state that Timothy knows the way,as Paul indicates, and he can instruct others how they should behave in church.

At least that is the way I interpret it. One word does not a translation make. One must consider the whole statement in context to get at the full meaning.

Most modern translations have the correct meaning. The KJ is correct literally, but is slightly off interpretively.

Cheers,

Jim

 

I'm not exactly a scholar, but...

You've hit on all its meanings Pastor Bob.

Ana - "re" as in re-turn
strepho - "turn".

I believe its idiomatic, that is its pecular to koine greek.

The comings and goings of a person.

The closest we can come to it in English is a phrase we hear sometimes to "go about".

So that you will know how to go about the house of God (or conduct yourself in the house of God).

Don't know if that helps.

My opinion, of course.

HankD

 

This word is like many in English that have many meanings and do change their menaings over time. The definition can only be accurately obtained in light of its context.

Anastrephesthai is a present middle infinitive of anastrepho. The word anastrepho means to turn up and down. In A Patristic Greek Lexicon by G.W.H. Lampe he defines the word anastrepho as to turn over in the mind, and ponder.

The word has a wide range of meaning. It means to convert, to bring back, to come back, to gather. In the OT it means to convert, to come home, and to come back. In the NT it means to return (TDNT).

 

I realize that I'm no master of Greek, not even a novice of any significant ability, but here's my opinion in long form - you can skip to the end for the shorter form.

If you study the word and start working down through its roots - it goes to movement and twos/pairs or components

as this chapter starts off dealing with deacons and bishops, one could get the impression that perhaps the word behave might not be the best translation - I might use interact or (move together).

Of course there is also the component of errant behaviour on the part of the church past, present, future - and so returning or turning to the correct behaviour or again movement/interaction

The whole verse itself is leading to the establishment of a new theme - and that is the laying of a stable foundation - to resist the future attacks - all of this can be easily attached to the idea of motion and turning
Of course the interesting thing for me is the use of the word braduno for tarry long - its the conjunction of this - that perhaps leads me to think that it directly influences the meaning of anastrepho making rather not a correctional turning of behaviour, but rather establishing patterns for all aspects church life, and slowing them down to God's time and the eternal perspective rather then ours. Too often churches of that time were too eager to elect elders - and begin committees in order to start doing things in order to reach the community - not realizing that they needed to build themselves up first

Sounds like to many of the churches of today - eh?

--------------- SHORTER FORM ------------------
Well to sum it up

anastrepho - means the individual as the well as the entirety of interactions, or motions a church and its people must go through to grow and develop enough to produce elders and deacons - and beyond - to fend against false doctrines

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is the point of anastrepho and the verse

"...To turn, turn will be our delight, till by turning turning we come out right..."