SPECIAL TOPIC: EDIFY

This term oikodomeō and its other forms are used often by Paul. Literally it means "to build a house" (cf. Matt. 7:24), but it came to be used metaphorically for:

1. Christ's body, the church, I Cor. 3:9; Eph. 2:21; 4:16

2. building up

a. weak brothers, Rom. 15:1

b. neighbors, Rom. 15:2

c. one another, Eph. 4:29; I Thess. 5:11

d. the saints for ministry, Eph. 4:11

3. we build up or edify by

a. love, I Cor. 8:1; Eph. 4:16

b. limiting personal freedoms, I Cor. 10:23-24

c. avoiding speculations, I Tim. 1:4

d. limiting speakers in worship services (singers, teachers, prophets, tongue speakers, and interpreters), I Cor. 14:3-4,12

4. all things should edify

a. Paul's authority, II Cor. 10:8; 12:19; 13:10

b. summary statements in Rom. 14:19 and I Cor. 14:26