pvj-04: Greek Terms Baseline — Word Study¶
Study Question¶
Do Paul and Jesus use the same Greek vocabulary for key theological concepts? Use word studies on: nomos/law (G3551), pistis/faith (G4102), dikaiosyne/righteousness (G1343), ergon/work (G2041), charis/grace (G5485), entole/commandment (G1785), agape/love (G26). For each word: (a) how does Jesus use it in the Gospels, (b) how does Paul use it in his epistles, (c) do they use it with the same semantic range or different meanings? This is the vocabulary baseline for all later contradiction studies. If Paul and Jesus use the same word to mean different things, that changes whether a "contradiction" is real or merely verbal.
Scope Discovered¶
Nave's Topics¶
- FAITH (score: 0.62) — 636+ references across OT/NT
- RIGHTEOUSNESS (score: 0.60) — includes "by faith" (Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3,5,9,11,13,20,22,24)
- OBEDIENCE (score: 0.77) — commandment/love/obedience cluster
- COMMANDMENTS (score: 0.58) — Exo 20:3-17 and parallels
- GRACE OF GOD (score: 0.52) — Gen 15:6; Rom 3:22-24; Eph 2:8
Strong's Numbers (Primary)¶
| Word | Strong's | Occurrences | Primary KJV Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| nomos | G3551 | 169 | "law" (95x), "the law" (49x) |
| pistis | G4102 | 222 | "faith" (153x), "of faith" (22x) |
| dikaiosyne | G1343 | 80 | "righteousness" (42x), "of righteousness" (18x) |
| ergon | G2041 | 126 | "works" (60x), "work" (32x) |
| charis | G5485 | 146 | "grace" (82x), "Grace" (21x), "favour" (5x) |
| entole | G1785 | 43 | "commandment" (23x), "commandments" (12x) |
| agape | G26 | 84 | "love" (45x), "charity" (21x) |
Related Strong's Numbers¶
- G4100 pisteuo (believe) — verb form of pistis
- G25 agapao (love) — verb form of agape
- G1344 dikaioo (justify) — verb from dikaiosyne root
- G1342 dikaios (just/righteous) — adjective
- G5487 charitoo (to grace) — verb form
- G3548 nomothesia (giving of the law)
Related Studies Found¶
- pvj-01-paul-knows-jesus (score: 0.585)
- law-16-paul-and-law-in-romans (score: 0.459)
- romans-10-4-telos (score: 0.441)
Methodology¶
This is a FOUNDATIONAL study (Phase 1 of the pvj series). No prior conclusions exist.
The study follows the investigative methodology defined in D:/bible/bible-studies/pvj-series-methodology.md.
Key Verses to Examine¶
Jesus (Gospels)¶
- Mat 5:17-19 — nomos (law: "I came not to destroy but to fulfill")
- Mat 5:20 — dikaiosyne (righteousness exceeding scribes/Pharisees)
- Mat 5:6 — dikaiosyne (hunger and thirst after righteousness)
- Mat 8:10 — pistis (great faith of centurion)
- Mat 17:20 — pistis (faith as a grain of mustard seed)
- Mat 22:36-40 — entole/agape (greatest commandment: love God, love neighbor)
- Mat 19:17 — entole (keep the commandments)
- Mat 24:12 — agape (love shall wax cold)
- Jhn 13:34 — entole/agape (new commandment: love one another)
Paul (Epistles)¶
- Rom 3:20-28 — nomos/pistis/ergon (justified by faith without deeds of law)
- Rom 3:21 — dikaiosyne (righteousness of God without law)
- Rom 7:12 — nomos (the law is holy, just, good)
- Rom 13:8-10 — agape/nomos/entole (love fulfills the law)
- Eph 2:8-9 — charis/pistis/ergon (by grace through faith, not of works)
- Gal 2:16 — nomos/pistis/ergon (not justified by works of law)
- Gal 5:6 — pistis/agape (faith working through love)
- Gal 5:14 — agape/nomos (all law fulfilled in love thy neighbor)
- 1 Cor 13:13 — agape/pistis (faith, hope, charity)