a worthily-woven spiritual wreath

στέφανος, ου, ὁ (s. next entry; Hom.+)

① a wreath made of foliage or designed to resemble foliage and worn by one of high status or held in high regard, wreath, crown. Hs 8, 2, 1ab. Jesus’ ‘crown of thorns’ Mt 27:29; Mk 15:17; J 19:2, 5; GPt 3:8 (on the crowning w. thorns and mocking of Jesus s. FCumont, AnalBoll 16, 1897, 3ff; LParmentier, Le roi des Saturnales: RevPhilol, n.s. 21, 1897, 143ff; PWendland, Jesus als Saturnalienkönig: Her 33, 1898, 175–79; WPaton, ZNW 2, 1901, 339–41; SReinach, Le roi supplicié: L’Anthropologie 33, 1902, 621ff; HReich, D. König m. der Dornenkrone 1905 [=NJklA 13, 1904, 705–33]; HVollmer, ZNW 6, 1905, 194–98, 8, 1907, 320f, Jesus u. das Sacäenopfer 1905; KLübeck, Die Dornenkrönung Christi 1906; JGeffcken, Her 41, 1906, 220–29; KKastner, Christi Dornenkrönung u. Verspottung durch die röm. Soldateska: BZ 6, 1908, 378–92, ibid. 9, 1911, 56; TBirt, PJ 137,1909, 92–104; HAllroggen, Die Verspottung Christi: ThGl 1, 1909, 689–708; HZimmern, Zum Streit um die Christusmythe 1910, 38ff, Verh. d. Sächs. Ges. d. W., phil.-Hist. Kl. 70, 5, 1918, Pauly-W. second ser. II 1, 208; LRadermacher, ARW 28, 1930, 31–35; RDelbrueck, Antiquarisches zu den Verspottungen Jesu: ZNW 41, ’42, 124–45). On the wreath for the winner of an athletic contest (Aelian, VH 9, 31; TestJob 4:10; Tat. 11, 1; 23, 1; on the socio-cultural context s. APapathomas, NTS 43, ’97, 225–33), cp. the imagery relating to a heavenly reward 1 Cor 9:25; 2 Cl 7:3 (s. 3 below).—Apart from recognition of athletes and winners of various kinds of competitions, in the Gr-Rom. world the awarding of a crown or wreath signified appreciation for exceptional contributions to the state or groups within it (s. the indexes in ins corpora, and lit. cited at the end of this entry; cp. SEG XXXII, 809, 3f). The recipients were usually public officials or civic-minded pers. serving at their own expense (s. New Docs 7, 240 and the entries beginning λειτουργ-; s. MBlech below). In Rv the (golden) crown is worn by beings of high rank (divine beings w. a golden crown: PGM 4, 698; 1027; the high priest w. the στ. χρύσεος: Jos., Ant. 3, 172; the king 17, 197; MParca, ASP 31, ’91, 41–44 on the radiant crown in antiquity [cp. PKöln VI, 245, 14]): by the 24 elders 4:4, 10 (perh. the gold crowns or wreaths of the 24 elders simply belong to the usual equipment of those who accompany a divine figure. Cp. Athen. 5, 197f the triumphal procession of Dionysus with 40 σάτυροι wearing golden wreaths; also the whole fantastic procession here described; s. also MGuarducci, Epigraphica 35, ’73, 7–23; 39, ’77, 140–42); also by the Human One (Son of Man) 14:14 (who at 19:12 wears the real head-dress of the ruler [s. διάδημα]. But s. 2 Km 12:30; 1 Ch 20:2; SSol 3:11); s. also 6:2; 9:7; 12:1 (στεφ. ἀστέρων δώδεκα, s. Boll. 99). In 1 Cor 9:25 ς. does double duty, first in ref. to an earthly crown and then to a heavenly one (cp. 2 Cl 7:3 and s. 3 below).—Ign. refers metaph. to the presbytery as ἀξιόπλοκος πνευματικὸς στέφανος a worthily-woven spiritual wreath IMg 13:1, but this pass. belongs equally in 2.

② that which serves as adornment or source of pride, adornment, pride, fig. ext. of 1 (Lycurgus 50 of brave Hellenes who died in behalf of freedom and whose ‘souls are the ς. of the homeland’; Hom., Epigr. 13, 1 ἀνδρὸς μὲν στέφανος παῖδες; Eur., Iphig. Aul. 193 Αἴας τᾶς Σαλαμῖνος στέφ.; Pr 12:4; 17:6.—Expr. denoting tender love: HSwoboda et al., Denkmäler aus Lykaonien etc. 1935 p. 78, no. 168) of the Philippians χαρὰ καὶ στέφανός μου Phil 4:1. (χαρὰ ἢ) στέφανος καυχήσεως prize to be proud of (Goodsp.; cp. Pr 16:31) 1 Th 2:19. S. IMg 13:1 at 1 above, end.

③ award or prize for exceptional service or conduct, prize, reward fig. (LXX; ApcEsdr 6:17, 21 p. 31, 26 and 31 Tdf.; as symbol of victory ANock, ClR 38, 1924, 108 n. 11). In 1 Cor 9:25 (ref. to incorruptibility) and 2 Cl 7:3 (s. 1 above) the ref. to crown or wreath is strongly felt, but in the pass. that follow the imagery of the wreath becomes less and less distinct, yet without loss of its primary significance as a symbol of exceptional merit (Ael. Aristid. 27, 36 K.=16 p. 397 D.: τῶν ἀθανάτων στ.; PSI 405, 3 [III B.C.]; Danker, Benefactor 468–71). Obj. gen. τ. δικαιοσύνης for righteousness (recognition of uprightness is a common topic in Gr-Rom. decrees; s. δικαιοσύνη 3a; on the implied exceptional character of the wearer of a crown s. LDeubner, De incubatione capitula duo, 1899, 26) 2 Ti 4:8 (on posthumous award s. New Docs 2, 50; cp. Soph., Phil. 1421f of glory after suffering). W. epexegetical gen. (this is the sense of στ. δικαιοσύνης EpArist 280; TestLevi 8:2) ὁ στέφ. τῆς ζωῆς (s. ζωή 2bβ) Js 1:12; Rv 2:10; cp. 3:11; ὁ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας στ. MPol 17:1; 19:2; ὁ ἀμαράντινος τῆς δόξης στ. 1 Pt 5:4 (cp. Jer 13:18 στ. δόξης; La 2:15; cp. 1QS 4:7; 1QH 9:25; τῆς βασιλείας στ. Hippol., Ref. 9, 17, 4).—ἐλευθέριος στ. AcPl Ha 2, 31.—MBlech, Studien zum Kranz bei den Griechen 1982 (lit.).—Schürer III/1 103f, n. 60 (lit). Pauly-W. XI 1588–1607; Kl. Pauly III 324f; BHHW II 999f.—New Docs 2, 50. DELG s.v. στέφω. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.

πνευματικός, ή, όν (πνεῦμα; Pre-Socr. et al., mostly in the sense ‘pert. to wind or breath’; Strabo 1, 3, 5; Cleom. [II A.D.] 1, 8 p. 84, 22; Vett. Val. p. 1, 11; 231, 20; PLond I, 46, 25 p. 66 [IV A.D.?]; PGM 5, 25; GrBar 13:4 [π. πατέρας]; Philo; Just.; Tat. 15, 3) predom. in Paul in our lit. (elsewh. only 1 Pt, 2 Cl, B, Ign., D)

① pert. to spirit as inner life of a human being, spiritual (s. πνεῦμα 3.—Plut., Mor. 129c πν. stands in contrast to σωματικόν; Hierocles 27, 483 τὸ πνευματικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ὄχημα= the spiritual vehicle of the soul; cp. also Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 242); so perh. ἐπιμελείᾳ σαρκικῇ καὶ πνευματικῆ IPol 1:2 (s. ἐπιμέλεια); cp. 2:2; IMg 13:2; ISm 12:2; 13:2. But mng. 2a is not improb.

② In the great majority of cases in ref. to the divine πνεῦμα (s. πνεῦμα 5) having to do with the (divine) spirit, caused by or filled with the (divine) spirit, pert./corresponding to the (divine) spirit (Philo, Abr. 113; PGM 4, 1778; Zosimus [2aγ below, end]).

ⓐ adj.

α. of Jesus; in his preexistence 2 Cl 14:2. σαρκικός τε καὶ πνευματικός of flesh and (at the same time) of spirit IEph 7:2. Of the δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος 1 Cor 15:47 P⁴⁶ (s. also the addition ὁ κύριος).

β. as a rule it is used of impersonal things (πλήρωμα Iren. 1, 1, 3 [Harv. I 11, 11]; νόμος Orig., C. Cels. 4, 1, 28; βρῶμα 2, 2, 50; ἀρετή Did., Gen. 236, 6): the law given by God Ro 7:14. χάρισμα πν. 1:11. τῆς δωρεᾶς πνευματικῆς χάριν B 1:2 (s. δωρεά). εὐλογία πν. Eph 1:3 (s. εὐλογία 3bα). ᾠδαὶ πν. spiritual songs 5:19; Col 3:16 (cp. Just., D. 118, 2 πν. αἴνους). σύνεσις πν. understanding given by the Spirit 1:9. Christians are to let themselves be built up into an οἶκος πν. 1 Pt 2:5a and they are to bring πν. θυσίαι vs. 5b (ESelwyn, 1 Pt ’46, 281–85). Using the same figure, B 16:10 characterizes the believer as πν. ναός. Ign. calls his bonds πν. μαργαρῖται IEph 11:2; the fellowship that binds him to the Ephesian bishop is συνήθεια οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνη ἀλλὰ πνευματική 5:1; the presbytery he calls ἀξιόπλοκος πνευματικὸς στέφανος a worthily woven spiritual wreath IMg 13:1.—Of the Lord’s Supper and its OT counterpart: πνευματικὸν βρῶμα 1 Cor 10:3 and πν. πόμα vs. 4a, the former in the manna granted fr. heaven (s. βρῶμα 1), the latter in the water ἐκ πν. πέτρας vs. 4b (s. πέτρα 1a). πνευματικὴ τροφὴ καὶ (sc. πνευματικὸν) ποτόν D 10:3.—That which belongs to the transcendent order of being is described as πν.: accordingly, the resurrection body is a σῶμα πν. (the expr.: Cleopatra p. 24 ln. 24) 1 Cor 15:44a; cp. vs. 44b. Of the preexistent church 2 Cl 14:1, 2, 3.

γ. ὁ πνευματικὸς (w. ἄνθρωπος to be supplied) 1 Cor 2:15 stands in contrast to ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος of vs. 14. The latter is a person who has nothing more than an ordinary human soul; the former possesses the divine πνεῦμα, not beside his natural human soul, but in place of it; this enables the person to penetrate the divine mysteries. This treatment of ψυχή and πνεῦμα in contrast to each other is also found in Hellenistic mysticism (s. Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 70f; 325ff; 333ff; JWeiss, exc. on 1 Cor 15:44a. See also Zosimus in CALG pt. 2, 230 οὐ δεῖ τὸν πνευματικὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν ἐπιγνόντα ἑαυτὸν κτλ.=Hermetica IV p. 105, 25 Sc.; s. also p. 107, 7. Iren. 1, 8, 3 [Harv. I 72, 6].—HMüller, Plotinos u. der Ap. Pls: Her 54, 1919, 109f).

ⓑ subst.

α. neut. τὰ πνευματικά spiritual things or matters (in contrast to τὰ σαρκικά earthly things) Ro 15:27; 1 Cor 9:11; it is characteristic of adherents to sound tradition, as τὰ σαρκ. is of dissidents IEph 8:2 (s. β below).—τὰ πν. spiritual gifts 1 Cor 12:1 (the gen. here may also be masc. those who possess spiritual gifts); 14:1. In πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες 1 Cor 2:13 the dat. is either to be taken as a neut. (Lghtf., BWeiss, Bachmann, Ltzm., Rtzst. op. cit. 336, H-DWendland) or as a masc. (Schmiedel, Heinrici, JWeiss, Sickenberger); s. συγκρίνω and πνευματικῶς 2.—τὸ πνευματικόν (in contrast to τὸ ψυχικόν [s. 2aγ above]) 1 Cor 15:46.

β. masc. (ὁ) πνευματικός possessing the Spirit, the one who possesses the Spirit (w. προφήτης) 1 Cor 14:37. (οἱ) πνευματικοί (οὐδεὶς ἢ οἱ πν. μόνοι Hippol., Ref. 5, 9, 6) (the) spirit-filled people 3:1 (opp. σάρκινοι and νήπιοι ἐν Χριστῷ); Gal 6:1; B 4:11; IEph 8:2 (of adherents to sound tradition in contrast to σαρκικοί, dissidents; s. 2bα above). Perh. also 1 Cor 2:13 and 12:1 (2bα).

③ pert. to (evil) spirits (s. πνεῦμα 4c) subst. τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας the spirit-forces of evil Eph 6:12.—DELG s.v. πνέω. M-M. TW. Sv.