we commend ourselves to every human conscience

συνίστημι (Hom.+) Ro 3:5; 5:8; 16:1; 2 Cor 4:2 v.l.; 6:4 v.l.; 10:18b; Gal 2:18 v.l. Beside it συνιστάνω (Polyb. 4, 82, 5; 31, 29, 8; Jos., Bell. 1, 15, Ant. 6, 272.—Schweizer 177; Nachmanson 157; KDieterich, Untersuchungen 1898, 218; B-D-F §93; W-S. §14, 14; Rob. 315f) 2 Cor 3:1; 4:2; 6:4 v.l.; 10:12, 18a; Gal 2:18 and συνιστάω (Sb 4512, 77 [II B.C.] impf. συνίστων) 2 Cor 4:2 v.l.; 6:4 v.l.; 10:18a v.l.—1 aor. συνέστησα; 2 aor. συνέστην LXX; pf. συνέστηκα, ptc. συνεστηκώς (LXX) and συνεστώς; inf. συνεστάναι (Tat. 30, 1; Ath. 25, 3); 1 aor. mid. συνεστησάμην (s. Schwyzer I 758, 760); 1 aor. pass. ptc. συσταθείς. The basic semantic component refers to coherence or being in a state of close relationship.

A. transitive, act., pass., and mid.

① to bring together by gathering, unite, collect pass. of the water of the boundless sea συσταθὲν εἰς τὰς συναγωγάς collected in its gathering-places 1 Cl 20:6.

② to bring together as friends or in a trusting relationship by commending/recommending, present, introduce/recommend someone to someone else (X., Pla.; PHamb 27, 3; PHib 65, 3; POxy 292, 6; PGiss 71, 4 al.; 1 Macc 12:43; 2 Macc 4:24; 9:25; Jos., Ant. 16, 85; Just., D. 2, 1 θεῷ) τινά τινι (re)commend someone to someone (PSI 589, 14 [III B.C.] σύστησόν με Σώσῳ; PBrem 5, 7 [117–19 A.D.]) ὑμῖν Φοίβην Ro 16:1 (in a letter, as Chion, Ep. 8 ὅπως αὐτὸν συστήσαιμί σοι). Self-commendation (ἑαυτὸν/ἑαυτοὺς ς.) may be construed either as inappropriate 2 Cor 3:1; οὐ πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστάνομεν ὑμῖν 5:12; 10:12 (ἑαυτούς), 18a (ἑαυτόν); or as appropriate (ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι) 6:4 (but s. 3 below). συνιστάνοντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πᾶσαν συνείδησιν ἀνθρώπων we commend ourselves to every human conscience 4:2=to every person’s awareness of what is right (s. πρός w. acc. 3eβ as PMich 210, 4 [c. 200 A.D.]). (The juxtaposition of apparently contradictory approaches to self-commendation is true to Gr-Rom. perspectives: contrast Pind., O. 9, 38f ‘an untimely boast plays in tune with madness’ and O. 1, 115f in which the poet celebrates his own power of song. The subject of appropriate and inappropriate self-commendation is discussed at length by Plut., Mor. 539–47 [On Inoffensive Self-Praise]. τινά someone ὸ̔ν ὁ κύριος συνίστησιν 10:18b. Pass. συνίστασθαι ὑπό τινος be recommended by someone (Epict. 3, 23, 22; PPetr II 2, 4, 4 [III B.C.]) 12:11.

③ to provide evidence of a personal characteristic or claim through action, demonstrate, show, bring out τὶ someth. (Polyb. 4, 5, 6 εὔνοιαν) Ro 3:5. Cp. 2 Cor 6:4 (see comm. and 2 above). συνίστησιν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός 5:8. Difficult and perh. due to a damaged text (B-D-F §197) is the constr. w. acc. and inf. (cp. Diod S 14, 45, 4) συνεστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς ἁγνοὺς εἶναι τῷ πράγματι 2 Cor 7:11. W. a double acc. (Diod S 13, 91, 4; Sus 61 Theod.; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 258 συνίστησιν αὐτὸν προφήτην [so in the mss.]; Jos., Ant. 7, 49) παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνιστάνω I demonstrate that I am a wrongdoer Gal 2:18 (WMundle, ZNW 23, 1924, 152f).

④ to bring into existence in an organized manner, put together, constitute, establish, prepare, mid. τὶ someth. (Pla. et al.; Tat. 1, 2; pap) of God’s creative activity (Lucian, Hermot. 20 Ἥφαιστος ἄνθρωπον συνεστήσατο; En 101:6; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 10 θεὸν τὸν τὰ ὅλα συστησάμενον ἐκ μὴ ὄντων; Jos., Ant. 12, 22 τὸν ἅπαντα συστησάμενον θεόν) ἐν λόγῳ συνεστήσατο τὰ πάντα 1 Cl 27:4 (Herm. Wr. 1, 31 ἅγιος εἶ, ὁ λόγῳ συστησάμενος τὰ ὄντα).

B. intransitive, in our lit. the pres. mid. and pf. act.

① to stand in close association with, stand with/by (1 Km 17:26), perf. act. τινί someone Lk 9:32 (οἱ συνεστῶτες as Apollon. Paradox. 5).

② to be composed or compounded of various parts, consist, pres. mid., ἔκ τινος of someth. (Pla., X. et al.; Herm. Wr. 13, 2; Jos., Vi. 35; Ar. 4, 2; Ath. 8, 2, R. 25 p. 78, 9) ἡ μῆνις ἐκ τοσούτων κακῶν συνισταμένη Hm 5, 2, 4.

③ to come to be in a condition of coherence, continue, endure, exist, hold together, pres. mid. and perf. act. (EpArist 154 τὸ ζῆν διὰ τῆς τροφῆς συνεστάναι; Tat. 30, 1; Mel., P. 91, 681) γῆ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ διʼ ὕδατος συνεστῶσα 2 Pt 3:5 (mngs. 2 and 3 are prob. blended here and in the next pass.; s. also Philo, Plant. 6). τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν Col 1:17 (cp. Pla., Rep. 7, 530a, Tim. 61a; Ps.-Aristot. DeMundo 6, 2 ἐκ θεοῦ τὰ πάντα καὶ διὰ θεὸν συνέστηκεν; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 58; PGM 4, 1769 τὰ πάντα συνέστηκεν; Ar. 1, 5 διʼ αὐτοῦ δὲ τὰ πάντα συνέστηκεν). SHanson, The Unity of the Church in the NT ’46, 112.—RWard, Aristotelian Terms in the NT: Baptist Quarterly 11, ’45, 398–403 (συνίστημι).—M-M. EDNT. TW.