Strong's Greek: 3277 -- (Not Used)zzz

Lexical Summary

(Not Used): (Not Used)

(Not Used)
Part of Speech:
Transliteration: (Not Used)
(Not Used)

Topical Lexicon

General Concept

At its core the verb behind Strong’s 3277 speaks of pursuing a goal with orderly craft, a calculated “method.” Because the word never occurs in the inspired Greek New Testament, our understanding is drawn from its wider Greek usage and from the New Testament’s cognate noun (ἐν ταῖς μεθοδείαις, “schemes,” Ephesians 6:11), together with the broader biblical testimony about strategic good and strategic evil.

Strategic Evil in Scripture

• The serpent in Eden is introduced as “more crafty than any beast of the field” (Genesis 3:1), setting the biblical precedent for methodical deception.
• The same motif re-emerges in the devil’s designs against believers. Paul calls us to stand “against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11) and warns that “we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
• False teachers likewise traffic in systematized error, “deceitful scheming” that tosses immature believers to and fro (Ephesians 4:14).
• The prophets indict covenant-breakers whose planning is meticulous but godless: “Woe to those who devise iniquity and fabricate evil on their beds” (Micah 2:1).

Legitimate Planning in Scripture

Scripture never condemns planning itself—only planning divorced from truth and righteousness.
• Nehemiah “examined” the walls before rebuilding (Nehemiah 2:13-15).
• Luke “investigated everything carefully from the beginning” before composing his orderly Gospel narrative (Luke 1:3).
• Paul claims to have “laid a foundation as a wise master builder” (1 Corinthians 3:10).

In these instances planning is disciplined, transparent and submissive to God—precisely the opposite of the covert manipulation suggested by the term tied to Strong’s 3277.

Theological Significance

1. God’s people are called to recognize that evil rarely attacks haphazardly; it is structured and deliberate.
2. The believer’s defense is correspondingly deliberate: the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), alert prayer (1 Peter 5:8-9) and doctrinal maturity (Colossians 2:6-8).
3. The Church must guard both message and method. A gospel proclaimed with worldly tactics undercuts its own content (2 Corinthians 4:2).

Historical Reception

Early Christian writers quickly connected the biblical warnings about the devil’s “schemes” to the unseen strategy behind persecution and heresy. Chrysostom links Ephesians 6:11 to pastoral vigilance, urging shepherds to know both Scripture and “the methods of the evil one.” The Reformers echoed that concern, emphasizing catechesis so believers would not be “out-methoded” by error. Modern missions thinkers borrow the term positively—“methodology”—yet continually stress that means must be as biblically governed as ends.

Ministry Implications

• Preaching: expose the predictability of Satan’s patterns while exalting Christ’s victory.
• Counseling: help saints identify subtle lies that gained ground through incremental, methodical temptation.
• Leadership: adopt transparent, accountable strategies so that ministry planning itself models righteousness (2 Corinthians 1:12).
• Apologetics: answer sophisticated assaults on the faith with equally thoughtful, scripturally grounded responses (Jude 3).

Summary

Though Strong’s 3277 never appears in the New Testament text, the idea it conveys—methodical, often covert strategy—courses through Scripture. God reveals the existence of structured evil, supplies structured defenses, and commends structured obedience. Awareness of that pattern equips believers to reject hidden agendas of darkness while embracing open, orderly service to the Lord of light.

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts