In Reply to: Re: Men??? posted by Sam Ajemian on August 01, 2003 at 07:53:51:
Hi Sam, I did a bit of a preliminary search on the Koine Greek use of Man and Bretheren. This what I came up with.
A preliminary study of the word anthrops
as used in the koine Greek.
Thayer's Greek -English Lexicon of the New Tesament, Joseph Thayer, says it appears to come from aner & ops i.e. a mans face. It's primary use is is universal, with reference to the genus or nature without distinction of sex, a human being neither male nor female. In many cases it is defining a difference between human kind and plants and animals. In the case of Lu 1: 15, Thayer says the distinction is humans as opposed to angels.
Young's Anylitical Concordance to the Bible, Robert Youn: anthropios - having to do with man or humanity. (man's wisdom, judgement - I Cor. 2:4,13, 4:3, 1 Pet 2:13)
anthropos - a man, a human being.
Young relates it to adám - which is often used to specify the human race rather than just the man Adam.
Also anthropinos - common to mankind, after the manner of men.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Geoffrey W. Bromiley;
Anthropos; Man as species, as distinct from animals, angels, Christ and God; as subject to weakness, death, sin, evil, flattery. Man - anthropou is also a messianic term for Jesus in some of Paul's letters. first and second man. Adam vs Jesus.
Concerning bretheren (adelpos)
Thayer's - from the same womb
Matt 4:26 -adelphoi ( masculine plural), the brothers of christ
Mark specifies adelpho - brother & sister adelphai - sister
but in Matt 23:8, Jn 21: 23, Acts 6:3, 9:30, 11:1, Gal 1:2, 1Cor 5:5, Ph 1:14, and often elewhere, Thayer says a fellow-believer united to one another by the bond of affection, most frequently Christians; and often in John it has reference to the new life unto which men are begotten again by the efficiency of a common father, even God. In Matt 25:40 he indicates that adlphon (the least of my brothers) refers to all men (humanity).