Dear one, as we say on our page About You & Us, we are not here to try to tell you what to think; but rather, to try to help you to better think for yourself.
In that vein we are providing for you a list of all the uses of ‘bless/blessing’ in the Renewed Covenant Scriptures, according to a Greek Concordance.
Please note – for convenience we have omitted the uses of blessing in the Gospel. Why? There is only one reference – one – in the entire Gospel – to the Universal Assembly (Mt. 16:18). There are two to the local assembly, both in Mt. 18:17.
The concordance shows no uses of the Greek words for blessing, used with those 3 uses of ekklesia ‘ assembly’, in the Gospel. As we repeatedly repeat and explain in our teaching; the Greek word ekklesia should be translated ‘Assembly/assembly’- not ‘Church/church’.
As we also explain in our teaching: it is frankly totally intellectually dishonest and an anachronism and revision, to translate ekklesia as ‘Church/church’, rather than as ‘Assembly/assembly’.
So then, as we did with the Greek words for obligation, we now do so for blessing. You are now able to see for yourself, from an original source, if the word blessing is used with the word assembly. Our companion list on Obligation is available to you in the 3rd of our 8 Windows, “The Hebrew and Jewish Basis of the Bible from A to Z”, under O Obligation.
Basic definitions below here are taken from a Greek Lexicon.
For the meaning of blessing in Hebrew, please be sure (!) to see our teaching on blessing in the 3rd of 8 Teaching Windows, under B Blessing.
Eulogeo – ‘bless one’, ‘celebrate with praise’, ‘invoke blessing’/’bestow blessing’
Acts 3:26 – be sure to see the context of whom Peter is speaking to here in Acts 3!
Rom. 12:14 – same form used twice
1 Cor. 4:1, 10:16, 14:16. 10:16 also includes a use of a form of eulogia ‘blessing’, ‘praise’, ‘celebrate with praises’. See listings of below.
Gal. 3:9, part of Paul’s critical chapter 3 in Galatians. This verse is on the blessing to Abraham on his, in Hebrew, steadfast trustworthiness in God, that comes to the Gentiles by means of Yeshua. Cf. Paul’s citation and interpretation of Gen. 12:3 there.
In Gal. 3 it should also be noted – Abraham – ‘the Hebrew’ cf. Gen. 14:13 – is the spiritual father of the Gentile followers of Yeshua.
Eph. 1:3. Classic Jewish and Pharisee beginning; to first bless God. Also uses eulogia ‘blessing, praise, celebrate with praises’.
Heb. 6:14. Though Hebrews ironically is both less Jewish and the most sophisticated Greek text of the Renewed Covenant Scriptures, the author (our guess based on the style and higher level of Greek, is Apollos; cf. Acts 18:24, Titus 3:13) uses Hebrew style here.
That is, repeating 2 forms of the same word back-to-back for emphasis. In Heb. 6:14. it is 2 forms of eulogeo, citing Gen. 22:17.
Heb. 7:1, vss.6-7,11 :20-21
Jacob (not ‘James’, as we explain in our teaching) 3:9
1 Pet. 3:9. Also Includes a form of eulogia
Eulogeto – ‘blessed’, ‘praised’
Rom. 1:25
Rom. 9:5
2 Cor. 1:3 – As with Eph.1:3 above, classic Jewish and Pharisee beginning, by praising God
2 Cor. 11:31
Eph. 1:3. See above
Eulogia – ‘blessing’, ‘praise’, ‘celebrate with praises’
No uses in the Gospel
Rom. 15:29, 16:18
1 Cor. 10:16 – Also uses a form of eulogeo, see above
2 Cor. 9:5 – Uses the same form of the word twice in this verse. This is a classic Hebraic type repetition for emphasis
2 Cor. 9:6 – Same as with verse 5
Gal. 3:14 – This is the real crux of the matter when it comes to blessing in the Renewed Covenant Scriptures for Gentiles. Blessing to the Gentiles comes through the blessing of Avraham that the LORD tells Avraham in Gen. 12:3.
Paul, in the context of the problem in Galatia of some of the Pharisees that were followers of Yeshua (Acts 15:5), trying to shove the Torah down the Gentiles throat – and especially saying that without circumcision Gentiles did not have salvation, Paul makes the following point.
That is, that the blessing of God through those who bless Avraham is realized through Yeshua. What is key – and typically unfortunately completely overlooked in discussions about Galatians 3, and overall, is that Yeshua as a Jew in the flesh, is also a physical descendant of Avraham Mt. 1:1!
Please see what we wrote above about Galatians 3. Regarding Galatians – it is extremely important to be aware of the fact that the Letter is not an abstract theological discourse. Paul nowhere writes anything like that.
The historical cultural motivation underlying Ruach Hakodesh (original Hebrew name of the Holy Spirit] inspiration, results in a polemical (emotionally argumentative) Letter, in the context of again, some of the Pharisees who were followers of Yeshua – cf. also esp. Acts 23:6; 21:20, trying to shove the Torah down the throat of the Gentiles.
When the Pharisees say that without circumcision the Gentiles are not saved, Paul loses it so to speak. Cf. Gal. 5:12!
To delve further into Gal. 3 is outside of our scope here
Eph. 3:1. Please also see eulogeo above
Heb. 6:7
Heb.12:17
Jacob – not ‘James’ 3:10
1 Pet. 3:9
Rev. 5:12 & 13 Both refer to the Lamb Yeshua. That Yeshua is referred to in terms of a physical metaphor – the Lamb – is a Hebrew idea.
Rev. 7:12. Here, specifically refers to God.
All 3 of these verses speak of honor and glory and praise to either Yeshua as the Lamb, or, to God.
Eveulogeo – ‘to act kindly’, ‘to bless’
Acts 3:25 – See Acts 3:26 above, under eulogeo. Again; please see the context of whom Peter is speaking to! Cf Peter’s Hebraic based reference to ‘seed’ (offspring) and, that Peter draws from what the LORD says in the Torah about each of the Patriarchs. Cf. Gen.12:3, 22:18, 26:4-5 etc.
Gal. 3:8. Please see above on eulogia and Gal. 3:14
Makarios – ‘happy’, ‘fortunate’, ‘blessed’, ‘privileged’
Please Note: The Greek word, though translated ‘blessed’ in the Beatitudes that open Mt. 5, is not eulogeo, ‘blessed’, or one of the related forms of it. Matityahu (‘gift of God’, ‘ Matthew’) uses a plural form of makarios ‘happy’ ‘fortunate’ ‘blessed’ to render Yeshua’s Hebrew or Aramaic (Hebrew’s very close sister language) ‘fortunate’, in the Beatitudes (something that needs a Hebrew or Jewish name to it)!
This word ‘fortunate’ is the first Hebrew word of Ps. 1:1 and though typically translated ‘blessed’ in Christian translations, it is not the typical Hebrew word ‘blessed’ used for example with the Patriarchs Abraham, Issac, and Jacob in Gen. Rather in Ps.1:1 and what Yeshua uses in the Beatitudes means ‘fortunate’. One is blessed in the sense of being ‘fortunate’, but ‘fortunate’ is really what is conveyed.
It should also be noted: Makarios is used in Rev.1:3. Though typically translated again as ‘blessed’, we believe it is the same idea of ‘fortunate’ conveyed in the opening word of the Hebrew Ps. 1:1 and Matityahu‘s KG (Koine Greek) rendering of Yeshua’s Hebraic original in the opening of Mt. 5, that is meant in Rev. 1:3.
Of the 50 uses of makarios, we found none used with ekklesia Assembly/assembly. Therefore, and as its primary meaning is not ‘blessed’, we are not here listing each verse that uses it.
As we mentioned above; there is only one use of ‘Assembly’ in the Gospel and only 2 of the local assembly by Yeshua. None of those three verses in Greek uses makarios.
Though typically translated blessed Matityahu does use makarios again, in Mt.16:17. We believe it is to convey the idea of ‘fortunate’ that must have been Yeshua’s Hebraic original. The context is Yeshua’s response to, Shimon Bar Yonah (‘dove’ ‘Jonah’) – Simon son (of) dove – Peter’s Aramaic name cf. v.16. (Matityahu‘s KG rendering ‘Simon Bariona’).
When Yeshua asked his beloved Taught Ones, as they were known in Hebrew, “Who do you (plural) say I am”, Shimon answered that Yeshua was the Mashiach, in the original, Son (of) the God (that) Lives 16:16. Yeshua then responds in verse 17 by telling Shimon that Shimon is ‘fortunate’.
We cover this extremely important question by Yeshua and Shimon’s answer, in the 1st of our 8 windows, our Window specifically dedicated to the teaching, words, and life of Yeshua!
We hope our teaching here, praise God without Whom we can do nothing, that completely (that we’re aware of) uniquely lists the uses of the Greek words for blessing in the Renewed Covenant Scriptures, will be helpful for you to better think for yourself – “Where does my source of blessing actually come from – and where, doesn’t it?”
Also then, to help you better think for yourself as to where the material resources our wonderful God blesses you with, should be shared with – based on what the Word actually teaches!