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What is the meaning of the Greek word kairos?



    
    

Clarify Share Report Asked August 10 2015 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

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Shea S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries
The word kairos was an ancient Greek word meaning "opportunity," "season," or "fitting time." Another Greek word for "time" was chronos. A sequence of moments was expressed as chronos, emphasizing ...

August 10 2015 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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My picture Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church
Kairos is a masculine noun and is pronounced thusly: kai·ros | \ (ˈ)kī¦räs\ and the plural kairoi\ -rȯi \ 

The definition of kairos is that it is a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action : the opportune and decisive moment (according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary).


Another definition includes:
1.	due measure
2.	a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time, hence: 
a.	a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for 
b.	opportune or seasonable time 
c.	the right time 
d.	a limited period of time 
e.	to what time brings, the state of the times, the things and events of time

In Christian theology in the New Testament, "kairos" means "the appointed time in the purpose of God," the time when God acts (e.g. Mark 1:15: the kairos is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand). "Kairos" (used 86 times in the New Testament, according to Strong's Greek Concordance) and refers to an opportune time, a "moment" or a "season" such as "harvest time," –Matthew 21:34 a. universally, a fixed and definite time: Romans 13:11; 2 Corinthians 6:2; ὕστεροι καιροί, 1 Timothy 4:1; ἄχρι καιροῦ, up to a certain time, for a season, Luke 4:13 (but in ἄχρι, 1 b. referred apparently to b. below; cf. Fritzsche, Romans, i., p. 309f); Acts 13:11; πρός καιρόν, for a certain time only, for a season, τῶν καρπῶν, when the fruits ripen, Matthew 21:34, 41 (-- whereas "chronos" (used 54 times)—also, Strong’s Greek Condordance -- refers to a specific amount of time, such as a day or an hour (e.g. Acts 13:18 and Acts 27:9). Jesus makes a distinction in John 7:6 between "His" time and "His brothers'" time: paradoxically, it is "always" (Greek: πάντοτε) his brothers' time. In the context, they can go to Jerusalem any time they wish. Another comment on this verse is “ὁ ἐμός, ὁ ὑμέτερος, the time for appearing in public, appointed (by God) for me, for you, John 7:6, 8 

Here is what John 7:6 looks like in the Greek:
λέγει οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ὁ καιρὸς ὁ ἐμὸς οὔπω πάρεστιν, ὁ δὲ καιρὸς ὁ ὑμέτερος πάντοτέ ἐστιν ἕτοιμος.

Translated it goes, “WEB
Jesus therefore said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.
WE
Jesus said to them, `It is not yet the time for me to go. But you may go any time you want to.
WYC
Therefore Jesus saith to them, My time came not yet, but your time is evermore ready.”

"Your time is always ready. means 'it doesn't make any difference when you go.' (RSB)

June 06 2019 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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