Lexical Summary paroikia: Sojourning, temporary residence, foreign residence Original Word: παροικία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sojourning, as strangers. From paroikos; foreign residence -- sojourning, X as strangers. see GREEK paroikos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom paroikos Definition a sojourning NASB Translation stay (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3940: παροικίαπαροικία, παροικίας, ἡ (παροικέω, which see), a Biblical and ecclesiastical word a dwelling near or with one; hence, a sojourning, dwelling in a strange land: properly, Acts 13:17 (2 Esdr. 8:35; Psalm 119:5 Topical Lexicon Paroikia (Strong’s Greek 3940): The Spiritual Significance of SojourningOld Testament Foundations From Abraham’s call to “Go from your country” in Genesis 12 to Israel’s long residence in Egypt, the idea of living as resident aliens threads through Scripture. These narratives do more than record geography; they cultivate expectancy for a homeland supplied by God alone (Hebrews 11:10). Paroikia in the New Testament reaches back to this memory bank, reminding readers that God’s people have always been formed in transit and tested away from home. Acts 13:17 — Collective Sojourn and Covenant Faithfulness Paul’s synagogue sermon at Pisidian Antioch recounts Israel’s history: “He made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt” (Acts 13:17). Paroikia frames the Egyptian period not merely as oppression but as purposeful residency under God’s sovereign care. The Exodus emerges as a model of divine redemption: a covenant people, temporarily lodged in a foreign land, are delivered by God’s mighty hand for worship and witness. In ministry terms, the verse underscores that apparent detours can be ordained stages in salvation history, forging identity and dependence upon God. 1 Peter 1:17 — Personal Pilgrimage and Reverent Living Peter exhorts scattered believers: “Conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners” (1 Peter 1:17). Here paroikia individualizes the theme. The believer’s present address—whatever city, province, or empire—is ultimately provisional. The Father “judges impartially,” so the pilgrim lifestyle is characterized by holiness, not cultural assimilation. Peter links the sojourn to redemption “with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19). Thus, Christian exile is not aimless wandering; it is a redemptive interval defined by accountability to the coming judgment and the hope of an imperishable inheritance (1 Peter 1:4). The Pilgrimage Motif in the New Covenant Community 1. Identity: The church is a “holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9) already set apart yet not yet home. Practical Ministry Implications • Discipleship: Teach new believers to expect cultural dissonance; it affirms, rather than negates, their belonging to Christ. Application for the Contemporary Church Modern mobility—migration, refugee crises, globalized work—places the theme of paroikia on the front line of ministry. Congregations that embrace a pilgrim identity extend hospitality to literal foreigners, model counter-cultural holiness, and anchor hope in the return of Christ rather than societal stability. By living as faithful sojourners, believers reenact the Exodus account and bear prophetic witness to the coming kingdom in every generation. Forms and Transliterations παροικι παροικια παροικία παροικίᾳ παροικίαις παροικιας παροικίας paroikia paroikíāi paroikias paroikíasLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 13:17 N-DFSGRK: ἐν τῇ παροικίᾳ ἐν γῇ NAS: during their stay in the land KJV: when they dwelt as strangers in INT: in the visiting in [the] land 1 Peter 1:17 N-GFS Strong's Greek 3940 |
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