Lexical Summary prothumia: Eagerness, willingness, readiness, zeal Original Word: προθυμία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance readiness, eagernessFrom prothumos; predisposition, i.e. Alacrity -- forwardness of mind, readiness (of mind), ready (willing) mind. see GREEK prothumos HELPS Word-studies 4288 prothymía (from 4235 /práos, "before, in front of" and 2372 thymós, "passion") – properly, "before-passion" referring to someone who is already being willing, i.e. an eager disposition which is pre-inclined (already "ready and willing"). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom prothumos Definition eagerness NASB Translation eagerness (1), readiness (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4288: προθυμίαπροθυμία, προθυμίας, ἡ (πρόθυμος), from Homer down; 1. zeal, spirit, eagerness; 2. inclination; readiness of mind: so Acts 17:11; 2 Corinthians 8:11f, 19; 2 Corinthians 9:2. Strong’s Greek 4288, προθυμία, describes an inner inclination that gladly hastens to meet a need or fulfill a task. More than a mere mood, it is a Spirit-wrought disposition that unites desire with decisive action. While English versions render it “eagerness,” “willingness,” or “readiness,” each occurrence shows a heart already leaning forward, prepared to sacrifice convenience for Christ and His people. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. 2 Corinthians 8:11 – Paul urges the Corinthians to match their “eager willingness” with completed giving. Historical Setting In 2 Corinthians 8–9 Paul coordinates a relief offering for famine-stricken believers in Jerusalem. Economic disparity between Gentile churches and the Jewish mother church created both tension and opportunity. προθυμία becomes the touchstone of Gentile gratitude for the gospel they had received from Jerusalem (Romans 15:27). In Acts 17 Luke applies the same term to the Bereans, linking financial generosity in Corinth with intellectual receptivity in Berea: both are manifestations of a heart promptly responsive to God. Theological Significance 1. Fruit of Grace. Paul attributes προθυμία to “the grace of God” at work in Macedonian believers (2 Corinthians 8:1–5). Readiness, therefore, is not self-generated but evidence of divine enablement. Ministry Applications Giving. προθυμία guides stewardship: believers plan, pledge, and complete acts of mercy without coercion (2 Corinthians 8:3–4; 9:7). Churches today mirror apostolic practice when they cultivate willing, rather than pressured, generosity. Teaching. Preachers and teachers labor to elicit Berean-style eagerness—hearts that welcome the word and test it daily. Where such readiness thrives, doctrinal stability follows. Leadership Accountability. Paul assembles a team to transport the collection, “avoiding any criticism” (2 Corinthians 8:20). Their “readiness” is transparent, providing a model for financial integrity in modern missions and church administration. Missionary Initiative. The Macedonians implore Paul “for the privilege of sharing” (2 Corinthians 8:4). A willing spirit precedes and sustains missionary enterprise, whether across a sea or across the street. Related Old Testament Threads Hebrew נְדָבָה (nedabah, freewill offering) and a “heart stirred” for tabernacle construction (Exodus 35:21) foreshadow προθυμία. In both covenants God delights in volunteers, not reluctance. Illustrations from Church History • Early second-century believers in Lyons and Vienne sent alms to Jerusalem, imitating Corinthian readiness. Practical Counsel 1. Nurture gratitude; eagerness is gratitude in motion. Summary Strong’s 4288 marks a disposition indispensable to Christian life—voluntary, joyful, prompt obedience. Whether opening the purse, the schedule, or the Scriptures, προθυμία translates grace received into grace expressed, displaying the character of the Lord who “for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Englishman's Concordance Acts 17:11 N-GFSGRK: μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας τὸ καθ' NAS: with great eagerness, examining KJV: all readiness of mind, and searched INT: with all readiness on the every 2 Corinthians 8:11 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 8:12 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 8:19 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 9:2 N-AFS Strong's Greek 4288 |