Lexical Summary chreia: Need, necessity, lack, requirement Original Word: χρεία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance need, wantFrom the base of chraomai or chre; employment, i.e. An affair; also (by implication) occasion, demand, requirement or destitution -- business, lack, necessary(-ity), need(-ful), use, want. see GREEK chre see GREEK chraomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originakin to chraomai Definition need, business NASB Translation necessary (1), need (40), needed (1), needs (6), task (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5532: χρείαχρεία, χρείας, ἡ (χρή), from Aeschylus and Sophocles down; 1. necessity, need: τά πρός τήν χρείαν (L T Tr WH πρός τάς χρείας (cf. below)), such things as suited the exigency, such things as we needed for sustenance and the journey, Acts 28:10; εἰς τάς ἀναγκαίας χρείας (A. V. for necessary uses), i. e. to supply what is absolutely necessary for life ((cf. Babrius fab. 136, 9); others understand the 'wants' here as comprising those of charity or of worship), Titus 3:14; πρός οἰκοδομήν τῆς χρείας, for the edification of souls, of which there is now special need, Ephesians 4:29 (cf. R. V. and marginal reading); ἐστι χρεία, there is need, followed by an accusative with infinitive Hebrews 7:11; ἐστι χρεία τίνος, there is need of something, Revelation 22:5 Griesbach; Luke 10:42 ((but not WH marginal reading)); ἔχω χρείαν τίνος, to have need of (be in want of) something (often in the Greek writings from Aeschylus down, cf. Passow, under the word, 1; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 1)), Matthew 6:8; Matthew 21:3; Mark 11:3; Luke ( 2. duty, business (so especially from Polybius down (cf. Judith 12:10; 1 Macc. 12:45 1 Macc. 13:37; 2 Macc. 7:24, etc.)): Acts 6:3. The noun χρεία appears forty-nine times across every major section of the New Testament. It ranges from literal necessities such as food (Mark 2:25) and financial support (Acts 20:34) to moral obligations (Hebrews 7:11) and spiritual requirements (Hebrews 10:36). The word therefore becomes a theological lens through which Scripture portrays human dependence, communal responsibility, and the ultimate sufficiency of God. Need as Recognition of Dependence on God • Christ affirms a single overriding necessity: intimate, listening fellowship with Him. “Only one thing is necessary” (Luke 10:42). Need in the Ministry of Jesus • Physical needs prompt miracles of compassion (Matthew 14:16; Luke 9:11). Need and the Early Church’s Mutual Support • Acts records a community in which “they shared with anyone who had need” (Acts 2:45; 4:35); deacons are appointed “to this need” (Acts 6:3), establishing an enduring model of diaconal ministry. Need in Instruction and Discernment • Apostolic teaching answers the church’s intellectual need: “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles” (Hebrews 5:12). Need in Eschatological Fulfillment • Present necessities will vanish in the consummation: “The city has no need of sun or moon… the glory of God gives it light” (Revelation 21:23); similarly, “They will have no need of lamplight or sunlight” (Revelation 22:5). Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Reliance: God alone satisfies ultimate need; ministries anchor people in this trust. Summary Χρεία exposes the breadth of human lack—physical, relational, intellectual, and spiritual—while simultaneously magnifying divine sufficiency. From the Lord’s requisition of a colt to the blazing city that needs no sun, Scripture traces a redemptive arc: present needs drive believers to Christ, knit them together in mutual service, and keep their eyes fixed on the day when need itself will be no more. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 3:14 N-AFSGRK: λέγων Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ NAS: I have need to be baptized KJV: I have need to be baptized of INT: saying I need have by Matthew 6:8 N-AFS Matthew 9:12 N-AFS Matthew 14:16 N-AFS Matthew 21:3 N-AFS Matthew 26:65 N-AFS Mark 2:17 N-AFS Mark 2:25 N-AFS Mark 11:3 N-AFS Mark 14:63 N-AFS Luke 5:31 N-AFS Luke 9:11 N-AFS Luke 10:42 N-NFS Luke 15:7 N-AFS Luke 19:31 N-AFS Luke 19:34 N-AFS Luke 22:71 N-AFS John 2:25 N-AFS John 13:10 N-AFS John 13:29 N-AFS John 16:30 N-AFS Acts 2:45 N-AFS Acts 4:35 N-AFS Acts 6:3 N-GFS Acts 20:34 N-DFP Strong's Greek 5532 |