συμμέτοχος (summetochos)
summetochos
sharer
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective summetochos describes a person who is a joint participant or sharer in something with another. Derived from the prefix syn ("together") and metochos ("partaker"), it emphasizes a shared experience rather than mere proximity. In the New Testament, this term appears only twice, both within Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, highlighting its specific theological application to Christian community.
In Ephesians 3:6, Paul uses the word to explain that Gentile believers are fellow heirs with Jewish Christians in God’s promises. This usage underscores a radical equality in spiritual inheritance, breaking down traditional barriers. Similarly, in Ephesians 5:7, he warns against being a sharer in the disobedience of the world, contrasting the believer’s new identity with their former life.
The word functions grammatically as a substantive noun, referring to the person who shares. It requires a clear object of what is shared and often specifies the person with whom one shares. This precise language helps readers understand that Christian fellowship involves active participation in both the blessings and the responsibilities of faith.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word summetochos reminds us that faith is never a solitary journey. It describes being a sharer or joint participant in something significant with others. In Ephesians, Paul uses this term to show that Gentile believers are fellow heirs with Jewish Christians, sharing equally in God’s promises. This breaks down old barriers and creates a new family united by grace.
Yet this shared life also carries responsibility. The same word appears in a warning against being partakers in the world’s disobedience. Your choices determine who you stand with. You are invited to share in the light of Christ, finding strength in community rather than isolation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- partakers1×
- joint-partakers1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- συμμέτοχοι1×
- συμμέτοχα1×