To build up/upon
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20, where the local argument determines whether the emphasis is doctrinal, ethical, pastoral, or ministry-related. The companion therefore treats To Build Up/Upon as a passage-governed word study rather than a detached lexical slogan.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐποικοδομέω (G2026) · Open the biblical lexicon
20, where the local argument determines whether the emphasis is doctrinal, ethical, pastoral, or ministry-related. The companion therefore treats To Build Up/Upon as a passage-governed word study rather than a detached lexical slogan.
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include builds (1), built (1), built up (1), by building (1), he builds (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Corinthians 3:10. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (4), Colossians (1), Ephesians (1), Jude (1).
G2026 is represented in this Pauline-focused companion by the reviewed display gloss "to build up/upon." In Paul's letters, the term appears in passages such as 1Cor. 3. 10, Col. 2. 7, Eph. 2. 20, where the local argument determines whether the emphasis is doctrinal, ethical, pastoral, or ministry-related. The companion therefore treats To Build Up/Upon as a passage-governed word study rather than a detached lexical slogan.
It gives teachers a compact way to notice the term, compare several Pauline settings, and move toward application only after the immediate context has set the boundary. The aim is disciplined clarity: the Greek term can sharpen reading, but it does not replace the grammar, flow, and theological burden of the passage itself.
G2026 appears in Pauline contexts that require close attention to the passage. This companion uses three local anchors to keep the word to build up/upon tied to Paul's argument and pastoral aim.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.
1Cor.3.10 anchors G2026 in a local Pauline context where to build up/upon must be read from the argument of the passage rather than from a bare word list.
Rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Col.2.7 shows another Pauline setting for the same term, helping teachers compare usage without forcing every occurrence to carry the same emphasis.
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
Eph.2.20 gives a further control text so doctrine and application remain passage-governed and not driven by the gloss alone.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Spiritual growth metaphorically portrayed as construction: building upon foundation or building up believers into God's temple.
Spiritual growth metaphorically portrayed as construction: building upon foundation or building up believers into God's temple.
in NT, always metaphorically, of the spiritual life regarded as a building (Cremer, 449);
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I build upon a foundation
Read verseI build upon a foundation
Read verseI build upon a foundation
Read verseI build upon a foundation
Read verseI build upon a foundation
Read verseI build upon a foundation
Read verseI build upon a foundation
Read verseI build upon a foundation
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
How this verb appears across 6 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 7 lexical occurrence verses.
ἐποικοδομέω is built from these roots:
G2026 helps teachers slow down where English readers may move too quickly. The word can illuminate Paul's reasoning, but only when it is held inside the sentence, paragraph, and letter. Across 1Cor.3.10, Col.2.7, Eph.2.20, the pastoral value is not novelty. It is the steady discipline of asking how the word serves Paul's gospel logic, church instruction, moral warning, or ministry encouragement in context.
1Cor.3.10
To build up/upon is the reviewed display gloss for G2026. In this Pauline-focused companion, local STEP TAGNT evidence shows about 6 Pauline use(s), with common forms including V-PAI-3S 3, V-AAI-3S 1, V-APP-NPM 1. Treat these form signals as support for reading the passage, not as a replacement for context.
The Pauline use of G2026 should be joined to larger biblical theology only through the cited passages and their own contexts. This keeps to build up/upon from becoming a free-floating doctrinal shortcut.
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain