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The term ( ïἰêïäïìÞ ) means literally ‘building up.’ The figurative sense of building up spiritually has two applications in apostolic usage. (1) It signifies the spiritual advancement, in a general way, of the Church. (2) It is the special process or didactic means whereby the faith, knowledge, and experience of individuals were established and enlarged.
In Authorized Version ïἰêïäïìÞ and the cognate verb ïἰêïäïìÝù , in the figurative sense, are translated ‘edification’ or ‘edify’19 times. The two meanings indicated above are more apparent in Revised Version , where ‘building up’ is often employed to express the more general idea, especially where, as in Eph_4:12, ‘the picturesqueness of the metaphor must be preserved’ (Armitage Robinson, Ephesians, 1903, p. 182), while ‘edification’ or ‘edify’ occurs 14 times. Half of these are found in 1 Corinthians 14, where they bear the special meaning.
1. General.-The figurative use of the term ïἰêïäïìÞ for that which builds up generally the Church and the spiritual life of individuals within the Christian community is almost exclusively Pauline. The germ of the idea is probably to be found in the saying of Christ (Mat_16:18) concerning the building of His Church (Lightfoot, Notes on Epistles of St. Paul, 1895, p. 191). But St. Paul frequently applies the metaphor of building to the structure and growth of the Christian life (1Co_3:9 f., Eph_2:20 f., Col_2:7; cf. 1Pe_2:5). Edification is the promotion of this building up process by speech (Eph_4:29) or conduct (Rom_15:2). Three elements in the Church contribute to it-peace, both external (Act_9:31) and internal (Rom_14:19); love (Eph_4:15 f.), in contrast especially with boasted knowledge (1Co_8:1) or self-seeking (1Co_10:23 f.); and service ( äéáêïíßá ) wherein each may share in the ministering of all (Eph_4:11 f., 1Th_5:11).
2. Special.-In its specialized use, ïἰêïäïìÞ is a technical term for the exercise of ‘spiritual gifts’ ( ÷áñßóìáôá ) within the Christian congregation by its members, for the mutual ‘edification’ of individuals. St. Paul’s description of the variety and exercise of these endowments in Corinth (1 Corinthians 12, 14) is probably true of most places in which the Church was established. There were evidently meetings held almost exclusively for ‘edification,’ to which unbelievers were admitted (1Co_14:23 f.). It was not a formal service for Divine worship, but rather a fellowship meeting with the practical aim of affording members with a ‘gift’ an opportunity of using their supernaturally bestowed powers for the spiritual welfare of all present (1Co_12:6; cf. 1Pe_4:10 f.). At such times the most notable contributions would be: (a) teaching ( äéäá÷Þ ), which included the ‘word of wisdom’ and the ‘word of knowledge’ (1Co_12:8); (b) prophecy ( ðñïöçôåßá ) which dealt with future events (Act_11:28) or revealed an insight into the needs of those present (1Co_14:3; 1Co_14:24 f.); (c) glossolalia or tongues ( ãÝíç ãëùóóῶí ), which were probably incomprehensible utterances expressive of prayer or praise (1Co_14:13).
Closely connected with prophecy was ‘discerning of spirits,’ and with glossolalia ‘the interpretation of tongues’ (1Co_12:10; 1Co_14:27 ff.). In addition there would be prayer, the reciting or singing of hymns, the reading of Scripture, and the ‘word of exhortation’ (1Co_14:26, Eph_5:19, Col_3:16, Act_13:15).
In order that genuine edification might result from such a variety of gifts, exercised often under stress of great excitement, two rules were laid down for the Corinthian Church: (1) the comparative value of ÷áñßóìáôá must be recognized-e.g. prophecy is superior to ‘tongues’ for purposes of edification (1Co_14:1-25); (2) there must be an observance of due order in the meetings (1Co_14:26-40).
Literature.-Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) , articles ‘Church,’ ‘Edification’; H. Cremer, Bibl.-Theol. Lex. of NT Greek, s.vv. ïἰêïäïìÝù , ïἰêïäïìÞ ; O. Pfleiderer, paulinism, Eng. translation 2, 1891, i. 229-238; C. von Weizsacker, Apostolic Age, Eng. translation 2, ii. [1899] 246-279; A. C. McGiffert, History of Christianity in the Apostolic Age, 1897, pp. 520-535; E. von Dobschütz, Christian Life in the primitive Church, Eng. translation , 1904, pp. 16-20; T. M. Lindsay, The Church and the Ministry in the Early Centuries3, 1907, pp. 41-50, 69-109.
M. Scott Fletcher.