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Bible Dictionaries
Foundation
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or In the NT, ‘foundation’ represents two different Greek words: (a) καταβολή (active, except in Hebrews 11:11, and always in the phrase καταβολή κόσμου); (b) θεμέλιος, -ον (pass.), with both a literal and a figurative meaning (Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) , article ‘Foundation’). Cheyne (Encyclopaedia Biblica , article ‘Foundations,’ 1558) says ‘ “corner-stone” and “foundation-stone” are synonymous terms in the Hebrew Scriptures.’ The metaphorical sense of the word chiefly has religious importance for students of the NT, and will be noted as it occurs in the apostolic writings. The figurative use of θεμέλιος goes back to our Lord’s Parable of the Wise Builder-ὅς ἕσκαψε καὶ ἐβάθυνε, καὶ ἕθηκε θεμέλιον ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν-‘who digged and went deep and laid a foundation upon the rock’ (Luke 6:48).
The significance of the word in the Epistles will be found in an exegesis of the passages, viz.: (1) in Romans 15:20 St. Paul espressos his determination not to build upon another man’s foundation: ἵνα μὴ ἐπʼ ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ. He covets the work of a pioneer on new ground, for in the wide field of evangelization (εὐαγγελίζεσθαι) with so much to do and so little done, all narrow jealousies are senseless and to be avoided. He is not desirous to preach in occupied fields; his ambition is to spread the gospel and not to make it the subject of rivalry. The rivalries of the Christian Church in heathen lands, while whole tracts are lying unevangelized, are a sad sight,
(2) To the Church of Christian Corinth, St. Paul writes: ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἕθηκα, ‘as a wise master-builder, I laid a foundation’ (1 Corinthians 3:10), and again: θεμέλιον γὰρ ἅλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ‘for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 3:11 Revised Version ). J. E. McFadyen (The Epistles to the Corinthians, London, 1911, p. 50) translates the phrase ‘alongside of (παρά with acc.) the one laid’ and comments: ‘Jesus is the foundation: the church is founded upon a Person, not upon a system of truths … so that this name is a confession,-the earliest, simplest, profoundest of the church.’ So F. W. Robertson (Expos. Lectures on St Paul’s Epp. to the Corinthians, London, 1873, pp. 48, 49): ‘Christianity is Christ.… Christianity is a Life, a Spirit’-‘ “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death”.’ Thus St. Paul lays down once for all ‘the absolute religious significance of Jesus, in all the relations of God and man’ (J. Denney, Jesus and the Gospel, London, 1908, p. 23). Denney (p. 380ff.), in the interests of faith and Christian unity, pleads for such a simplification of creeds as will bind men to Christ in the light of St. Paul’s declaration that the building is related to the foundation-stone alone, and not to anything laid alongside: ‘We remain loyal to our Lord and Saviour only because He has apprehended us, and His hand is strong’ (p. 411).
(3) In Ephesians 2:20 St. Paul describes believers as ἑποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ‘Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.’ The latter are of course NT teachers and exhorters (the omission of the article before prophets indicates members of the same class). They had a special message and function to the Church already gathered out of paganism, in contrast to the missionary and pioneer work of the apostles.
Considerable variety of opinion has been expressed as to the meaning of ‘the foundation of the apostles and prophets.’ A careful summary is given by Salmond (Expositor’s Greek Testament, ‘Ephes.,’ 1903, p. 299) of the possible interpretations of the article: (a) gen. of apposition = the foundation which consists of apostles and prophets; (b) gen. of originating cause = the foundation laid by them; (c) gen. of possession. = the apostles’ foundation on which they themselves were built, Ellicott (Ephesians3, 1864, in loc.) favours (a), so that St. Paul by a change of metaphor (1 Corinthians 3:11) presents the apostles and prophets as themselves the foundation, and Christ as the corner-stone ‘binding together both the walls and the foundations.’ But the consensus of interpretations tends to (b), the gospel of the apostles and prophets (Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) , ii.), the doctrines which they preached (H. C. G. Moule, Cambridge Bible, 1886, in loc., also Appendix F, 168f.). G. G. Findlay (Expositor’s Bible, ‘Ephes.,’ 1892, p. 152) combines (a) and (b)-‘These men have laid the foundation-Peter and Paul, John and James, Barnabas and Silas, and the rest. They are our spiritual progenitors, the fathers of our faith. We see Jesus Christ through their eyes; we read His teaching, and catch His Spirit in their wards.… Nor was it their word alone, but the men themselves-their character, their life and work-laid for the Church its historical foundation. This “glorious company of the apostles” formed the first course in the new building.… They have fixed the standard of Christian doctrine and the type of Christian character.’ In a lesser degree this is true of all religious founders and teachers. For generations the churches bear the impress of the men who gave them their beginning.
(4) The figure of ‘the foundation’ is used in an unusual form (condensed metaphor) in 1 Timothy 6:19 : ἀποθησαυρίζοντας ἑαυτοῖς θεμέλιον καλὸν εἰς τὸ μέλλον, ‘laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come’ (cf. Sirach 1:15 : καὶ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων θεμέλιον αἰῶνος ἐνόσσευσε, ‘and with men she [Wisdom] built a foundation of everlastingness’). The somewhat involved metaphor is perhaps due to a reminiscence of our Lord’s Parable (Luke 16:9), but specially of Matthew 6:20 where the verb is the same and also the duty enjoined: θησαυπρίζετε δὲ ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ, ‘lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.’ Bengel (Gnom., in loc.) with a happy illustration gives the sense ‘Mercator naufragio salvus, thesauros domum praemissos invenit.’ Cheyne (loc. cit.) favours the emendation κειμήλιον, ‘gift’ or ‘valued memorial,’ which straightens out the metaphor but at the expense of the text. If there were any authority for the reading, one might agree that this ‘must surely be right.’
(5) In 2 Timothy 2:19 ὁ μέντοι στερεὸς θεμέλιος τοῦ θεοῦ ἕστηκεν, ‘Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth’ (Revised Version ), the Church itself is described as the foundation of a still greater building-‘the holy temple in the Lord in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:21-22). ‘The term “foundation,” here used for the Church of God on earth, is remarkable, and points to a great truth: that, after all, this life is but a beginning, and that “His Church” here is but a foundation-is only the first and early storey of that glorious Church the Divine Architect has planned, and will complete is heaven’ (Ellicott, in loc.; cf. also Hebrews 11:10). This ‘foundation,’ in reminiscence of ancient custom as to foundation-stones, bears a two-fold inscription, expressing both its origin and purpose: ‘The Lord knoweth them that are his’ (‘the Lord will show who are his, and who is holy’ [Numbers 16:5]) and ‘let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.’
(6) In Hebrews 6:1 there occurs the warning μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον καταβαλλόμενοι, ‘not laying again (and again) a foundation.’ The meaning is apparent from the opening words of the chapter: ‘wherefore let us cease to speak of the first principles of Christ, and press on unto perfection (full growth).’ ‘Let us be borne on to perfection’ in ‘personal surrender to an active influence’ (Westcott, Hebrews, 1892, p. 143). The subject is the duty of progress, and the contrast is between the elementary (νήπιος [Hebrews 5:13]) and the full grown (τέλειος) in the Christian life. The different elements that constitute the foundation, which is not to be laid again, are three, taken in pairs: (i) personal attitudes of heart and mind: repentance from dead works and faith toward God; (ii) church ordinances: baptism and laying on of lands; (iii) leading beliefs: resurrection and judgment. These are to be accepted once for all-they are the foundation. In the subjects alluded to as foundation facts there is perhaps a reference to some well-known formula for the instruction of the catechumen; perhaps the allusion is to the usual evangelistic presentation of the gospel. ‘The phrase implies that certain things have been done and certain teaching has been given to the readers at the outset of their Christian life as a basis on which more advanced teaching may be built’ (A. S. Peake, ‘Hebrews’ in Century Bible, 1902, p. 141). But such a foundation needs to be laid only once, and the use of it is for subsequent building; therefore progress not only in knowledge, but towards the full maturity of Christian character, is incumbent on all believers.
Hebrews 6:1 has, it may be feared, been but a counsel of perfection in certain church circles, while ‘to preach the gospel’ has often meant a formal and dry presentation of a few elementary truths, that by wearisome repetition have had all their freshness rubbed away. Yet this has been called ‘dwelling on fundamentals.’ But we do not dwell on a foundation; we build upon it. Many modern evangelistic efforts split upon this rock, and the falling away of professed converts has often arisen from the refusal of them or their spiritual guides ‘to have done with the elementary doctrines and to go on towards full growth.’ The complaint is sometimes heard that the first fresh and joyful emotions are so soon lost; and to revive and recover these, men are tempted, or invited, to go back in thought and desire to some former visitation of the Spirit. But the remedy is not back, but forward. We cannot recover the emotions that are behind, but we can have other emotions and more joyful experiences new-born, by going forward to explore more deeply the great things of God. Therefore the Apostle says: let us surrender ourselves to the influence which will carry us on. ‘The influence and the surrender are continuous (φερὠμεθα) and not concentrated in one momentary crisis’ (Westcott, op. cit. p. 143).
Literature.-In addition to the works cited throughout the article, reference may be made to W. N. Clarke. What shall we think of Christianity? 1899, pp. 56-105; Phillips Brooks, The Candle of the Lord, 1892, pp. 68, 69; S. A. Cook, The Foundations of Religion, in The People’s Books; J. Alcorn, The Sure Foundation, 1893, p. 3: W. E. Chadwick, Social Relationships in the Light of Christianity, 1910, p. 154.
W. M. Grant.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Foundation'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/f/foundation.html. 1906-1918.
