ἑδραίωμα (hedraiōma)
hedraiōma
foundation
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun hedraiōma refers to a solid base, support, or foundation that provides stability. Derived from a root meaning "firm" or "settled," it describes something that holds things in place against movement or collapse. In the New Testament, this term appears only once, in 1 Timothy 3:15.
Paul uses it to describe the church as the "pillar and foundation of the truth." Here, the word emphasizes the church’s role in upholding and maintaining doctrinal integrity. It is not merely a passive structure but an active support system that keeps the truth secure. The imagery suggests a building’s essential framework, ensuring that what is taught remains firm and unshaken.
This single usage highlights the church’s responsibility to preserve apostolic teaching. By calling the community a hedraiōma, Paul assigns it a crucial function: to stand as a reliable anchor for Christian belief. The term underscores stability, continuity, and the protective role of the gathered believers in guarding the gospel message.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Paul wrote to Timothy about how people should live inside God’s household, he used a word that means a solid base or foundation. This term, hedraiōma, points to something that holds everything else in place so it does not collapse. It suggests stability and strength against the winds of changing opinions.
For your faith, this offers a gentle assurance. The church is not just a social club but a firm support for the truth you hold dear. When doubts rise or culture shifts, you can rest knowing that the community of believers stands as a reliable anchor. This stability helps keep the gospel message clear and secure for those who seek it.
This role invites us to care for one another with seriousness and love. We are part of a structure built to last, designed to uphold what is true. It is a comforting thought that we do not stand alone in our beliefs but are supported by a historic and living foundation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- base1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἑδραίωμα1×
Key Verses
-
I Timothy 3:15
but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
This verse uses the word to define the church's active role as the stable base that upholds and preserves the truth of the gospel.