Lexical Summary hémeteros: our, ours Original Word: ἡμέτερος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance our, your.From thnetos; our -- our, your (by a different reading). see GREEK thnetos HELPS Word-studies 2251 hēméteros (an emphatic possessive pronoun) – the emphatic form of "our," i.e. the marked (emphatic) way of saying "our" (first person, possessive plural). [Also see 2249 /hēmeís ("we"), the unemphatic form (root) of the emphatic term 2251 /hēméteros ("our").] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originposs. pronoun from hémeis Definition our NASB Translation ours (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2251: ἡμέτεροςἡμέτερος, ἡμετέρα, ἡμέτερον (ἡμεῖς), possessive pronoun of the 1 person plural (from Homer down), our: with a substantive, Acts 2:11; Acts 24:6 (Rec.); Topical Lexicon Covenantal Fellowship in Christ The first appearance of ἡμέτερος (1 John 1:3) underscores that the shared life of believers is grounded in a common relationship with the Triune God: “and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ”. Here “our” unites apostolic eyewitnesses and later readers in one covenant community. Ministry implication: evangelism invites hearers not merely into individual salvation but into a corporate participation in God’s family. A Multilingual Witness to God’s Mighty Works At Pentecost the word is used of the disciples’ “own tongues” (Acts 2:11). The Spirit validates the gospel in languages native to every listener, signaling that the faith is simultaneously personal (“our”) and universal. Historically, this verse has encouraged missions to value indigenous cultures while proclaiming a single, authoritative message. Scripture Written for Our Instruction and Hope Romans 15:4 positions the Old Testament as “written for our instruction.” The possessive stresses that the sacred writings belong to the New-Covenant church as surely as they did to ancient Israel. The verse anchors Christian perseverance and hope in the reliability of all Scripture, reinforcing the continuity of God’s redemptive plan. Identity and Continuity of Religious Heritage When Paul testifies before Agrippa he appeals to “the strictest sect of our religion” (Acts 26:5), and his accusers later invoke “our law” (Acts 24:6). In both cases ἡμέτερος marks Judaism as a shared inheritance. Paul’s use affirms his Jewish roots while demonstrating how the gospel fulfills that heritage; Tertullus’ use reveals how unbelief can cling to tradition without recognizing its fulfillment in Christ. Atonement Applied Personally and Offered Universally 1 John 2:2 declares Jesus Christ “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” The first “our” personalizes atonement for the church, while the second clause extends it universally. Ministry significance: believers testify to a salvation that is both individually possessed and globally proclaimed. Community Stewardship and Good Works Titus 3:14 directs, “And our people must learn to devote themselves to good works, in order to meet pressing needs.” The pronoun binds practical service to corporate identity; generosity and diligence are hallmarks of a people who know to whom they belong. Guarding the Apostolic Message Paul warns Timothy about Alexander: “for he has strongly opposed our message” (2 Timothy 4:15). “Our” identifies the gospel as a trust shared by all who preach it. The verse exhorts church leaders to vigilance in protecting sound doctrine from persistent opposition. Summary Across its eight New-Testament occurrences, ἡμέτερος accentuates collective possession—of fellowship, revelation, heritage, salvation, mission, and doctrine. The term continually reminds believers that grace received personally is never isolated from communal responsibility, and that the faith entrusted to “us” must be proclaimed, practiced, and protected until Christ returns. Forms and Transliterations ημετερα ημετέρα ἡμετέρα ημετεραις ημετέραις ἡμετέραις ημετεραν ημετέραν ἡμετέραν ημετερας ημετέρας ἡμετέρας ημετεροι ημέτεροι ἡμέτεροι ημετεροις ημετέροις ἡμετέροις ημετερον ημέτερον ἡμέτερον ημέτερος ημετέρους ημετέρω ημετερων ημετέρων ἡμετέρων ὑμέτερον emetera ēmetera emeterais ēmeterais emeteran ēmeteran emeteras ēmeteras emeteroi ēmeteroi emeterois ēmeterois emeteron ēmeteron ēmeterōn hemetera hemetéra hēmetera hēmetéra hemeterais hemetérais hēmeterais hēmetérais hemeteran hemetéran hēmeteran hēmetéran hemeteras hemetéras hēmeteras hēmetéras hemeteroi heméteroi hēmeteroi hēméteroi hemeterois hemetérois hēmeterois hēmetérois hemeteron hemetéron heméteron hēmeteron hēmeterōn hēmetérōn hēméteron hymeteron hyméteron umeteronLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 2:11 PPro-DF1PGRK: αὐτῶν ταῖς ἡμετέραις γλώσσαις τὰ KJV: speak in our tongues INT: them [in] our tongues the Acts 24:6 PPro-AMS Acts 26:5 PPro-GF1P Romans 15:4 PPro-AF1P 2 Timothy 4:15 PPro-DM1P Titus 3:14 PPro-NM1P 1 John 1:3 PPro-NF1P 1 John 2:2 PPro-GF1P Strong's Greek 2251 |
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