Brief Overview of πᾶς (Strong’s G3956: pas)

Strong’s G3956: An adjective meaning “all, every, whole, entire,” appearing over 1200 times in the New Testament. Used to express both totality (“all”) and individuality (“every”). Crucial in theological statements about God’s sovereignty, Christ’s universal lordship, and the scope of redemption.

U- Unveiling the Word

πᾶς carries fundamental significance in expressing completeness and universality. It appears in key theological declarations about God’s authority over all creation, Christ’s supremacy over all things, and the gospel’s universal scope. Early church fathers extensively used this term in formulating doctrines about God’s sovereignty and salvation’s extent. Today, it remains central to understanding biblical teachings about God’s comprehensive rule and Christ’s complete redemption.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: πᾶς, pas, /pass/
• Detailed pronunciation: pass (as in ‘pass’)
• Part of Speech: Adjective

Etymology:

• Root word from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (all)
• No prefixes or suffixes
• Basic term for totality

D – Defining Meanings

• All
• Every
• Whole
• Entire

Translation Options:

• “All” – emphasizes totality
• “Every” – stresses individual inclusion
• “Whole” – captures completeness

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ὅλος (holos) /HOL-os/ – whole, complete
• σύμπας (sympas) /SYM-pas/ – all together
• ἕκαστος (hekastos) /HEK-as-tos/ – each one

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As an adjective, πᾶς exhibits:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter

Examples:
πᾶς (masc. nom. sing.)
πᾶσα (fem. nom. sing.)
πάντα (neut. nom/acc. pl.)
πάντων (gen. pl.)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its comprehensive scope. Thayer’s notes its flexibility in expressing both collective and individual totality. LSJ documents extensive classical usage. Vine’s highlights its theological significance. Moulton and Milligan note its common usage in legal formulas expressing completeness.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“So [πᾶς] all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations” (Matthew 1:17)

Additional References:
[Due to over 1200 occurrences, listing key theological uses:]
John 1:3, Colossians 1:15-17, Ephesians 1:21-23, Philippians 2:9-11

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

πᾶς proclaims the glorious truth that Christ’s lordship extends over all creation and His redemption is sufficient for all who believe. It reminds us that God’s sovereign rule encompasses everything, and through Christ, He is reconciling all things to Himself. This word beautifully expresses the universal scope of God’s love and Christ’s redemptive work.

D – Did You Know?

• It’s one of the most frequently used words in the New Testament
• It appears in nearly every major theological statement about Christ’s supremacy
• The word influenced early Christian understanding of universal salvation versus particular redemption

Strong’s G3956: An adjective meaning “all, every, whole, entire,” appearing over 1200 times in the New Testament. Used to express both totality (“all”) and individuality (“every”). Crucial in theological statements about God’s sovereignty, Christ’s universal lordship, and the scope of redemption.

Part of speech: Adjective

Tags: #adjective #totality #sovereignty #christ #redemption #universality #biblical_greek #new_testament #theology #salvation​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​