Lexical Summary hupakoé: Obedience Original Word: ὑπακοή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance obedienceFrom hupakouo; attentive hearkening, i.e. (by implication) compliance or submission -- obedience, (make) obedient, obey(-ing). see GREEK hupakouo HELPS Word-studies 5218 hypakoḗ (from191 /akoúō, "to hear" and 5259 /hypó, "beneath") – i.e. obedience – literally, "submission to what is heard" (WS, 695), i.e. obedience as the response to someone speaking. This refers both to an earthly voice and the Lord's voice (see 2 Cor 10:5; 1 Pet 1:2). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom hupakouó Definition obedience NASB Translation obedience (13), obedient (1), obey (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5218: ὑπακοήὑπακοή; ὑπακοῆς, ἡ (from ὑπακούω, which see), obedience, compliance, submission (opposed to παρακοή): absolutely, εἰς ὑπακοήν, unto obedience i. e. to obey, Romans 6:16 (cf. Winers Grammar, 612 (569); Buttmann, § 151, 28 d.); obedience rendered to anyone's counsels: with a subject. genitive, 2 Corinthians 7:15; 2 Corinthians 10:6; Philemon 1:21; with a genitive of the object, — of the thing to which one submits himself, τῆς πίστεως (see πίστις, 1 b. α., p. 513b), Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26; τῆς ἀληθείας, 1 Peter 1:22; of the person, τοῦ Χριστοῦ, 2 Corinthians 10:5; the obedience of one who conforms his conduct to God's commands, absolutely, 1 Peter 1:2; opposed to ἁμαρτία, Romans 6:16; τέκνα ὑπακοῆς, i. e. ὑπηκωι, 1 Peter 1:14; with a subjective genitive Romans 15:18; an obedience shown in observing the requirements of Christianity, ὑπακοή ὑμῶν, i. e. contextually, the report concerning your obedience, Romans 16:19; the obedience with which Christ followed out the saving purpose of God, especially by his sufferings and death: absolutely, Hebrews 5:8; with a genitive of the subject, Romans 5:19. (The word is not found in secular authors; nor in the Sept., except in 2 Samuel 22:36 with the sense of favorable hearing; in 2 Samuel 23:23 Aq. we find ὁ ἐπί ὑπακοήν τίνος, Vulg.qui alicui est a secretis, where it bears its primary and proper signification of listening; see ὑπακούω.) Topical Lexicon Conceptual ScopeThe noun ὑπακοή consistently denotes a conscious, willing submission to an established authority after hearing its word. In the New Testament that authority is ultimately God in Christ; therefore the term gathers together listening, assent, and active compliance. Old Testament Background The Septuagint often links ὑπακοή with Israel’s covenant duty to “hear” (shema) and keep the Lord’s commandments (for example Deuteronomy 11:27). New-covenant usage presupposes this backdrop: obedience is the fitting response to divine self-revelation. Christ’s Paradigmatic Obedience Hebrews 5:8 declares, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered.” Romans 5:19 contrasts Adam’s rebellion with “the obedience of the One Man” through whom “the many will be made righteous.” The incarnate Son fulfills perfect filial obedience, becoming the representative ground of justification and the pattern for redeemed humanity. The Obedience of Faith Romans opens and closes with the identical purpose clause: “to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5; cf. 16:26). Faith that does not submit is not biblical faith. Evangelism, therefore, is not merely information transfer but a summons to surrendered loyalty to Jesus Christ. Obedience and Sanctification Romans 6:16 locates obedience at the crossroads of moral transformation: believers once “slaves to sin” now present themselves “to obedience, leading to righteousness.” Peter applies the same dynamic pastorally: “As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14); “Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth… love one another deeply” (1 Peter 1:22). Obedience is both the evidence and the instrument of progressive holiness. Obedience in Apostolic Mission Paul measures missionary fruit in terms of obedience. “I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed” (Romans 15:18). The churches’ reputation—“The report of your obedience has reached everyone” (Romans 16:19)—magnifies the gospel before the watching world. Ecclesial Order and Spiritual Warfare In corporate life obedience stabilizes fellowship and undergirds discipline. Titus’s reception at Corinth moved him because of “your obedience” (2 Corinthians 7:15). The same letter frames mental strongholds as targets: “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), and apostolic authority stands “ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete” (10:6). The battle for doctrinal purity and moral integrity is waged on the level of obedient allegiance. Personal Pastoral Appeals Paul could appeal to Philemon on the basis of love, yet he wrote “Confident of your obedience” (Philemon 1:21). True gospel ministry expects a yielded response, not as coercion but as the outworking of regenerate hearts. Trinitarian Frame 1 Peter 1:2 situates obedience within the triune economy: elected by the Father, sanctified by the Spirit “for obedience to Jesus Christ.” Obedience is thus covenantal, Spirit-empowered, and Christ-directed. Historical Reception Early Christian writers (Ignatius, Polycarp) echoed the New Testament by urging “obedience to the bishop as to Christ.” Throughout church history, monastic vows, Reformation calls to sola Scriptura, and modern missionary movements have regarded obedience as non-negotiable discipleship. Pastoral and Missional Significance Today • Preaching: stress the inseparability of faith and obedience. Warnings and Promises Romans 6 warns that obedience is never neutral: one either obeys sin unto death or God unto righteousness. Conversely, obedient hearers enjoy purified souls (1 Peter 1:22), righteous status (Romans 5:19), and participate in Christ’s cosmic reign, when every thought and nation will bow in glad submission. Summary ὑπακοή weaves together hearing, believing, and doing. Grounded in Christ’s perfect obedience, wrought in the believer by the Holy Spirit, and manifested in personal, congregational, and missional life, it is the hall-mark of authentic discipleship and the ordained avenue through which God advances His redemptive purposes in history. Forms and Transliterations υπακοη υπακοή ὑπακοή ὑπακοὴ ὑπακοῇ υπακοην υπακοήν ὑπακοήν ὑπακοὴν υπακοης υπακοής ὑπακοῆς hypakoe hypakoē hypakoḗ hypakoḕ hypakoêi hypakoē̂i hypakoen hypakoēn hypakoḗn hypakoḕn hypakoes hypakoês hypakoēs hypakoē̂s upakoe upakoē upakoen upakoēn upakoes upakoēsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 1:5 N-AFSGRK: ἀποστολὴν εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως ἐν NAS: to bring about [the] obedience of faith KJV: for obedience to the faith INT: apostleship unto obedience of faith among Romans 5:19 N-GFS Romans 6:16 N-AFS Romans 6:16 N-GFS Romans 15:18 N-AFS Romans 16:19 N-NFS Romans 16:26 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 7:15 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 10:5 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 10:6 N-NFS Philemon 1:21 N-DFS Hebrews 5:8 N-AFS 1 Peter 1:2 N-AFS 1 Peter 1:14 N-GFS 1 Peter 1:22 N-DFS Strong's Greek 5218 |
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