blamelessly

ἀμέμπτως adv. fr. ἄμεμπτος (Aeschyl. et al.; ins, pap; Esth 3:13d; Philo, Migr. Abr. 129; Just., D. 8, 3) used esp. in the Gr-Rom. world of people of extraordinary civic consciousness blamelessly (w. ὁσίως and δικαίως) γενηθῆναι comport oneself blamelessly 1 Th 2:10; ἀ. τηρεῖσθαι be kept blameless 5:23; ἀναστρέφεσθαι ἀ. conduct oneself blamelessly 1 Cl 63:3; δουλεύειν τῷ κυρίῳ ἀ. Hv 4, 2, 5; δουλεύειν τῷ πνεύματι ἀ. Hs 5, 6, 7 (text restored). λειτουργεῖν ἀ. (UPZ 20, 62 [163 B.C.]) 1 Cl 44:3; προσφέρειν ἀ. 44:4; μετάγειν ἐκ τῆς ἀ. αὐτοῖς τετιμημένης λειτουργίας remove them from the office which they filled blamelessly 44:6 (on the text see Knopf, Hdb.). 1 Th 3:13 v.l.—Danker, Benefactor 354f; New Docs 4, 141 (ins and pap).—DELG s.v. μέμφομαι.

⁺ D0-0-0-1-0=1 Est 3,13

Cf. HORSLEY 1987, 141; →NIDNTT

λειτουργέω impf. ἐλειτούργουν; fut. λειτουργήσω LXX; 1 aor. ἐλειτούργησα (cp. Att. λεώς = λαός, q.v. + ἐργον; X.+; ins, pap, LXX; TestSol 12:6 v.l.; TestLevi 3:5, TestAsh 2:2; EpArist, Philo, Joseph.; on the spelling s. Mayser 127; Mlt-H. 76f) gener. ‘perform a public service, serve in a public office’ (in the Gr-Rom. world distinguished citizens were expected to serve in a variety of offices, including esp. as high priests, with all costs that such service involved, or to assume the costs of construction or maintenance of public buildings and production of dramas and games; for their services they would be recognized as people of exceptional merit [s. ἀρετή] or benefactors [s. εὐεργέτης]; but the word is also used of less prestigious activity SEG XXVI, 1392, 31 supply carts and mules; New Docs 1, 42–44) in our lit. almost exclusively of religious and ritual services both in a wider and a more restricted sense (SIG 717, 23f [100 B.C.] ἐλειτούργησαν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ εὐτάκτως; 736, 73; 74f λειτουργούντω τοῖς θεοῖς; 97f [92 B.C.]; PLond I, 33a, 3 p. 19 [II B.C.]; 41 B, 1; UPZ 42, 2 [162 B.C.]; 47, 3; BGU 1006, 10; LXX; EpArist 87; Dssm., B 137 [BS 140f]; Anz 346f; Danker, Benefactor [lit.]). Through the use of this term NT writers suggest an aura of high status for those who render any type of service.

① to render special formal service, serve, render service, of cultic or ritual responsibilities

ⓐ of priests and Levites in God’s temple (cp. Ex 28:35, 43; 29:30; Num 18:2; Sir 4:14; 45:15; Jdth 4:14; 1 Macc 10:42; Philo, Mos. 2, 152; Jos., Bell. 2, 409, Ant. 20, 218) abs. Hb 10:11. λ. τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ τοῦ θεοῦ perform services at the altar of God 1 Cl 32:2 (cp. Jo 1:9, 13); (w. ἱερατεύειν as Sir 45:15) λ. τῷ θεῷ 43:4; GJs 4:1 (1 Km 3:1).—Of Christian services ἐν τ. θυσιαστηρίῳ λ. τὸ θεῖον perform service to God at the altar Tit 1:9 v.l.—Of officials of Christian congregations: λ. ἁμέμπτως τῷ ποιμνίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ serve Christ’s flock blamelessly 1 Cl 44:3. Of supervisors Hs 9, 27, 3. Of supervisors and servers λ. τὴν λειτουργίαν τῶν προφητῶν καὶ διδασκάλων perform the service of prophets and teachers D 15:1 (s. b, below on Ac 13:2.—λειτ. λ. Demosth. 21, 154; oft. in LXX; also Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 82; SIG 409, 61).—Of angels (TestLevi 3:5) τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ (sc. θεοῦ) λειτουργοῦσιν παρεστῶτες they stand at (God’s) side and serve (God’s) will 1 Cl 34:5; cp. vs. 6 (Da 7:10 Theod.).

ⓑ of other expression of religious devotion (Dionys. Hal. 2, 22, 2 ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερῶν of the wives of priests and their children who perform certain rites that would not be approved for males) including prayer (w. νηστεύειν, and of the prophets and teachers) τ. κυρίῳ Ac 13:2. λ. τῷ θεῷ (cp. Jo 1:13b) Hm 5, 1, 2; cp. 3; Hs 7:6. Of OT worthies οἱ τελείως λειτουργήσαντες those who have rendered superb service to God 1 Cl 9:2.

② to confer a special material benefit, serve (X., Mem. 2, 7, 6; Chares Hist.: 125 Fgm. 4 p. 659, 28 Jac. [in Athen. 12, 54, 538e]; τῷ βίῳ λ. Orig., C. Cels. 8, 57, 1 and 6) ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λ. do a service in material things Ro 15:27—On this entry and the foll. one s. Elbogen 5; 511; FOertel, D. Liturgie, 1917; NLewis, Inventory of Compulsory Services in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt ’68; WBrandt, D. Wortgruppe λειτουργεῖν im Hb u. 1 Kl: Jahrb. d. Theol. Schule Bethel 1, 1930, 145–76; OCasel, λειτουργία—munus: Oriens Christ. III 7, ’32, 289–302; EPeterson, Nuntius 2, ’49, 10f; ARomeo, Miscellanea Liturgica (LMohlberg Festschr.), vol. 2, ’49, 467–519; FDanker, Gingrich Festschr. ’72, 108ff.—S. λειτουργία, λειτουργικός, λειτουργός.—DELG s.v. λαός. M-M. TW. Spicq. Sv.

ἀμώμως adv. fr. ἄμωμος blamelessly, without blame χαίρειν IRo ins.

ἀπροσκόπως adv. fr. ἀπρόσκοπος (PGiss 79 IV, 8 ἀπροσκόπως ἐξέλθωμεν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν) without stumbling (w. ὁμαλῶς) περιπατεῖν Hm 6, 1, 4; without disturbance λειτουργίαν ἐπιτελεῖν 1 Cl 20:10; blamelessly διέπειν τ. ἡγεμονίαν 61:1.