Lexical Summary ophelos: Profit, advantage, benefit Original Word: ὄφελος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance advantage, profit. From ophello (to heap up, i.e. Accumulate or benefit); gain -- advantageth, profit. HELPS Word-studies 3786 óphelos (from ophellō, "heap together") – properly, "something heaped up," i.e. the advantage (profit) a believer accumulates in life by living in faith. This gives the "edge," i.e. the preferred position that also brings "cumulative advantage." NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ophelló (to increase) Definition advantage, help NASB Translation profit (1), use (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3786: ὄφελοςὄφελος, ὀφελους, τό (ὀφέλλω to increase), advantage, profit: 1 Corinthians 15:32; James 2:14, 16. (From Homer down; the Sept. Job 15:3.) Topical Lexicon Concept of Benefit and ProfitStrong’s 3786 speaks of that which yields real advantage—spiritual, moral, or practical. The term always appears in interrogative form in the New Testament, challenging readers to weigh what truly counts before God. Use in Paul: Resurrection-Centered Motivation In 1 Corinthians 15:32 Paul asks, “If with wild beasts I fought in Ephesus for human motives, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” Here ὄφελος frames a stark contrast: either the coming resurrection renders costly discipleship eternally profitable, or life dissolves into hedonism. The verse functions as an apologetic for bodily resurrection and an exhortation to persevere under persecution. Paul’s use links “profit” not to temporal reward but to eschatological certainty (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). Use in James: Tangible Faith That Helps James twice employs the word to expose empty profession: James 2:14—“What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but does not have deeds? Can such faith save him?” James 2:16—“If one of you tells him, ‘Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about the needs of the body, what good is it?” For James, ὄφελος measures the concrete usefulness of one’s confession. Faith that fails to meet physical and social needs is declared unprofitable. The inquiry is pastoral, not philosophical; it presses believers toward works that display authentic trust in Christ (compare Matthew 7:21; Galatians 5:6). Old Testament Echoes Though the noun itself is Greek, its idea resonates with Hebrew wisdom literature, where “profit” (yithron) is weighed against transience (Ecclesiastes 1:3) and against injustice (Jeremiah 16:19). The Septuagint often renders such verses with terms that share the ophele- root, preparing Jewish readers to grasp James’s argument. Historical and Cultural Background In Greco-Roman rhetoric, ophelos regularly appeared in deliberative speeches that assessed civic advantage. Paul adapts this cultural vocabulary to kingdom ethics: the only lasting civic good is resurrection life. James, addressing diaspora assemblies, weds marketplace language to synagogue realities—calling scattered believers to active mercy amid socioeconomic disparity. Doctrinal Implications 1. Resurrection validates sacrifice. Apart from it, Christian suffering has “no profit.” Pastoral and Ministry Application • Discipleship: Encourage believers to evaluate ambitions through the lens of eternal profit. Questions for Reflection 1. Where might I be seeking profit apart from resurrection hope? Forms and Transliterations οφελος όφελος ὄφελος ophelos óphelosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Corinthians 15:32 N-NNSGRK: μοι τὸ ὄφελος εἰ νεκροὶ NAS: what does it profit me? If KJV: Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if INT: to me the profit if [the] dead James 2:14 N-NNS James 2:16 N-NNS |
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