Lexical Summary melos: Member, part, limb Original Word: μέλος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance member. Of uncertain affinity; a limb or part of the body -- member. HELPS Word-studies 3196 mélos – properly, a member (part) belonging to the whole; (figuratively) any function of human personality, such as "sanctified imagination" (Ro 6:13; Col 3:5; Js 4:1). 3196 (mélos) also specifically refers to believers as part (members) of Christ's mystical body (Eph 5:30). [3196 (mélos) was used in antiquity of instruments of war and implements ("working parts") of a ship. Paul used it in relation to the various functions of human personality.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a member or limb (of the body) NASB Translation member (4), members (27), part (1), parts (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3196: μέλοςμέλος, μελους, τό (from Homer down), a member, limb: properly, a member of the human body, Romans 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 18-20, 25; James 3:5; τά μελα τοῦ σώματος, 1 Corinthians 12:12, 22; μου, σου, ἡμῶν, ὑμῶν, Matthew 5:29; Romans 6:13, 19; Romans 7:5, 23; Colossians 3:5; James 3:6; James 4:1; πόρνης μέλη is said of bodies given up to criminal intercourse, because they are as it were members belonging to the harlot's body, 1 Corinthians 6:15. Since Christians are closely united by the bond of one and the same spirit both among themselves and with Christ as the head, their fellowship is likened to the body, and individual Christians are metaphorically, styled μέλη — now one of another, ἀλλήλων: Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:25; Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 46, 7 [ET] (cf. Fritzsche, Commentary on Romans iii., p. 45) — now of the mystical body, i. e. the church: 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30 (cf. Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope of Use μέλος appears thirty-four times in the Greek New Testament, ranging from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:29–30) to the pastoral concerns voiced by James (James 3–4). The term always carries the idea of an organic part that belongs to a larger whole—either a literal body part or a figurative participant in a corporate body. The writers consistently employ the word to press home ethical and ecclesiological truths grounded in the believer’s union with Christ. Literal Anatomy and Radical Holiness Jesus’ warning in Matthew 5:29–30 places μέλος at the heart of personal holiness. “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out…for it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna.” The hyperbole underscores the decisive action required to deal with sin. By naming “eye” and “hand” as μέλη, Christ teaches that no physical attachment is worth the forfeiture of eternal life. Members as Instruments of Sin and Righteousness Paul develops the same theme in Romans 6. Believers who have died and risen with Christ must “not present the members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present…your members to God as instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13). Verse 19 repeats the contrast, linking sanctification to the daily yielding of every faculty—mind, emotions, sexuality, and labor—to the Lord. Sin once reigned in “our members,” but grace now calls those same faculties into holy service. The Inner Conflict of Romans 7 Romans 7:23 depicts the struggle of the regenerate man who finds “another law at work in my members, warring against the law of my mind.” The plural μέλεσιν exposes sin’s foothold in the physical sphere, reminding believers that indwelling sin operates through tangible appetites. The passage prepares the reader for the Spirit’s victory in Romans 8, yet it keeps the church realistic about the ongoing battle. Corporate Body Metaphor: Unity in Diversity From Romans 12 onward μέλος takes on rich ecclesiological significance. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body” (Romans 12:4–5). Paul will expand the illustration in 1 Corinthians 12, naming eye, ear, hand, and foot. The emphasis falls on diversity of gifts under one head, Jesus Christ. No member is self-sufficient; each supplies what the others lack. Mutual Care and Equality among Members 1 Corinthians 12:22–26 contains the most elaborate theology of μέλος: “The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for one another. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” This egalitarian vision dismantles status hierarchies and shapes Christian ethics of compassion, church discipline, and pastoral care. Identity in Christ: Members of His Body Ephesians 5:30 declares, “For we are members of His body.” Union with Christ elevates the concept beyond mere human fellowship; believers participate in the glorified humanity of the Son. Ephesians 4:25 adds a horizontal dimension: “We are members of one another,” grounding truth-telling in shared spiritual anatomy. The church’s integrity, therefore, is not optional; falsehood injures the whole organism. Mortification of Earthly Members Colossians 3:5 urges, “Put to death, therefore, the members of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed.” Here μέλη stands for the bodily capacities through which sinful desires express themselves. The aorist imperative calls for decisive action, echoing the radical amputation language of Matthew 5. Sanctification is both positional (in Christ) and practical (in our members). Ethical Speech: The Tongue as a Member James singles out the tongue: “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts great things” (James 3:5). Though diminutive, this μέλος wields destructive potential, “setting on fire the course of one’s life and itself set on fire by Hell” (James 3:6). James treats speech ethics as a barometer of authentic faith and as a critical area for sanctifying grace. Conflict Originating in the Members James 4:1 traces quarrels to “passions that war within your members.” The apostle locates interpersonal strife in disordered desires lodged in human faculties. The remedy is humble submission to God, who alone grants the grace necessary to reorient the inner war. Historical Reception in Early Church Early patristic writers such as Ignatius and Clement borrowed Paul’s body imagery to urge unity and obedience. For them, schism equated to mutilating Christ’s body. The concept of μέλος thus informed early ecclesial identity, liturgical roles, and even church discipline, where excommunication was viewed as removing a diseased member for the body’s health. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Gift Deployment: Leaders equip saints to operate in their Spirit-given function, honoring every member’s contribution. Related Terms and Concepts σῶμα (body), ἄρθρον (joint), μέτρον (measure), χαρίσματα (gifts), κοινωνία (fellowship), ἁγιασμός (sanctification). Scripture Index Matthew 5:29–30; Romans 6:13, 19; Romans 7:5, 23; Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 4:25; Ephesians 5:30; Colossians 3:5; James 3:5–6; James 4:1 Forms and Transliterations μέλει μέλεσί μελεσιν μέλεσιν μέλεσίν μελη μέλη μελος μέλος μελων μελών μελῶν mele melē méle mélē melesin mélesin mélesín melon melôn melōn melō̂n melos mélosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 5:29 N-GNPGRK: ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ NAS: one of the parts of your body, than KJV: one of thy members should perish, and INT: one of the members of you and Matthew 5:30 N-GNP Romans 6:13 N-ANP Romans 6:13 N-ANP Romans 6:19 N-ANP Romans 6:19 N-ANP Romans 7:5 N-DNP Romans 7:23 N-DNP Romans 7:23 N-DNP Romans 12:4 N-ANP Romans 12:4 N-NNP Romans 12:5 N-NNP 1 Corinthians 6:15 N-NNP 1 Corinthians 6:15 N-ANP 1 Corinthians 6:15 N-ANP 1 Corinthians 12:12 N-ANP 1 Corinthians 12:12 N-NNP 1 Corinthians 12:14 N-NNS 1 Corinthians 12:18 N-ANP 1 Corinthians 12:19 N-NNS 1 Corinthians 12:20 N-NNP 1 Corinthians 12:22 N-NNP 1 Corinthians 12:25 N-NNP 1 Corinthians 12:26 N-NNS 1 Corinthians 12:26 N-NNP Strong's Greek 3196 |
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