Sacred Choice: στασιαστής (Strong’s G4955: stasiastēs) Reveals Kingdom’s True King

Strong’s G4955: A noun derived from στάσις (uprising), meaning “insurrectionist” or “rebel.” Used in Mark’s Gospel describing Barabbas, contrasting earthly rebellion against Roman rule with the Messiah’s spiritual kingdom.

U- Unveiling the Word

στασιαστής captures the essence of political insurgency against established authority. Derived from στάσις (uprising, rebellion), it describes one who actively participates in insurrection. In Mark’s Gospel, it appears in the crucial scene where the crowd chooses Barabbas, an insurrectionist, over Jesus, highlighting the contrast between earthly and spiritual kingdoms. The early church saw this word as symbolic of humanity’s rejection of divine authority. Today, it reminds us of the choice between worldly power and the Messiah’s kingdom.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: στασιαστής, stasiastēs, sta-see-as-TACE
• Pronunciation Guide: ‘sta’ as in ‘star’, ‘see’ as in ‘see’, ‘as’ as in ‘us’, ‘tace’ as in ‘face’
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• στάσις (stasis) – root noun meaning “uprising”
• -της (-tēs) – agent noun suffix
• The root indicates rebellion or uprising
• The suffix denotes one who performs the action

D – Defining Meanings

• Insurrectionist
• Rebel
• Revolutionary
• One who stirs up rebellion
• Political insurgent

For compound words:
Not a compound word, but formed from στάσις with an agent suffix -της indicating the person performing the action

Translation Options:

1. “Insurrectionist” – Best captures the political nature
2. “Rebel” – Emphasizes opposition to authority
3. “Revolutionary” – Highlights active participation in uprising

E – Exploring Similar Words

• στάσις (stasis, STA-sis) – uprising, dissension – See G4714
• λῃστής (lēstēs, lays-TACE) – robber, bandit – See G3027
• ἀποστάτης (apostatēs, ap-os-TA-tace) – rebel, apostate – See G646

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a noun, στασιαστής exhibits these features:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Masculine
• Declension: First

Examples of morphological changes:

• Nominative singular: στασιαστής
• Genitive singular: στασιαστοῦ
• Dative singular: στασιαστῇ
• Accusative singular: στασιαστήν

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes στασιαστής’s political implications. Thayer’s notes its connection to violent uprising. LSJ documents extensive usage in political contexts. Vine’s connects it to opposition against authority. Strong’s highlights its root in civil discord. LEH traces similar concepts in political resistance. Moulton and Milligan find it common in legal documents describing insurgents.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the [στασιαστής] insurrection. Mark 15:7

Additional References:
None – This is the only occurrence in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

στασιαστής powerfully illustrates the human tendency to choose political revolution over spiritual transformation. The crowd’s preference for Barabbas over Jesus reveals how people often reject the Messiah’s peaceful kingdom for violent rebellion. Yet this word reminds us that true freedom comes through submission to King Jesus.

D – Did You Know?

1. The term was commonly used in Roman legal documents for political criminals
2. Early church writers used it to contrast earthly and heavenly kingdoms
3. It appears in ancient graffiti describing popular resistance leaders

Strong’s G4955: A noun derived from στάσις (uprising), meaning “insurrectionist” or “rebel.” Used in Mark’s Gospel describing Barabbas, contrasting earthly rebellion against Roman rule with the Messiah’s spiritual kingdom.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: rebellion, insurrection, Barabbas, Jesus, kingdoms, authority, revolution, politics, choice, rejection​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​