Bible Encyclopedias
Edification; Edify

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ed -i -fi -kā´shun , ed´i -fı̄ : The Greek words οἰκοδομέω , oikodoméō , "to build," οἰκοδομή , oikodomḗ , "the act of building," are used both literally and figuratively in the New Testament; "edify," "edifying," "edification," are the translation of the King James Version in some 20 passages, all in the figurative sense of the promotion of growth in Christian character. the Revised Version (British and American) in 2 Corinthians 10:8; 2 Corinthians 13:10; Ephesians 4:12 , Ephesians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11 renders "build up," "building up," making the force of the figure clearer to the English reader. In 1 Timothy 1:4 the Greek text followed by the Revised Version (British and American) has οἰκονομία , oikonomı́a , "dispensation," instead of οἰκοδομία , oikodomı́a , "edifying" (the King James Version).