ἐθελοθρησκεία
Self-made religion
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What does ἐθελοθρησκεία (ethelothrēskeía) mean in the Bible?
ἐθελοθρησκεία (ethelothrēskeía) is a Greek word meaning "self-made religion". ἐθελο-θρησκία (Rec. Exposes man-made ascetic devotion as spiritually ineffective.
Full entry for ἐθελοθρησκεία (G1479) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Voluntary religious practice chosen by human preference rather than divine command or established church authority.
self-imposed worship: Col.2:23 (eccl.; cf. DB, iv, 923a; Cremer, 733).
Why This Word Matters
Exposes man-made ascetic devotion as spiritually ineffective. Colossians 2:16–23
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain