Lexical Summary proslambanó: To receive, to take aside, to welcome, to accept. Original Word: προσλαμβάνω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance receive, take unto. From pros and lambano; to take to oneself, i.e. Use (food), lead (aside), admit (to friendship or hospitality) -- receive, take (unto). see GREEK pros see GREEK lambano HELPS Word-studies 4355 proslambánō (from 4314 /prós, "towards, interactively with," intensifying 2983 /lambánō, "lay hold of with initiative") – properly, aggressively receive, with strong personal interest. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pros and lambanó Definition to take in addition NASB Translation accept (3), accepted (2), received (1), taken (1), taking along (1), took (1), took...aside (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4355: προσλαμβάνωπροσλαμβάνω: 2 aorist infinitive προσλαβεῖν (Acts 27:34 Rec. see below); middle, present προσλαμβάνομαι; 2 aorist προσελαβομην; from Aeschylus and Herodotus down; to take to, take in addition (cf. πρός, IV. 2); in the N. T. found only in the middle, to take to oneself (cf. Buttmann, § 135, 4): τινα (cf. Buttmann, 160f (140)); a. to take as one's companion (A. V. take one unto one): Acts 17:5; Revelation 18 b. to take by the hand in order to lead aside (A. V. (simply) take): Matthew 16:22; Mark 8:32. c. to take or (so A. V.) receive into one's home, with the collateral idea of kindness: Philemon 1:12. R G, Philemon 1:17; into shelter, Acts 28:2. d. to receive, i. e. grant one access to one's heart; to take into friendship and contact: Romans 14:1; Romans 15:7; God and Christ are said προσλάβεσθαι (to have received) those whom, formerly estranged from them, they have reunited to themselves by the blessings of the gospel, Romans 14:3; Romans 15:7; Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 49, 6 [ET],(cf. Psalm 26:10 e. to take to oneself, to take: μηδέν (A. V. hating taken nothing) i. e. no food, Acts 27:33; τροφῆς (a portion of (A. V. (not R. V.) 'some')) food, cf. Buttmann, 160f (140), Acts 27:36 (in Acts 27:34 G L T Tr WH have restored μεταλαβεῖν (so R. V. (`to take some food')) for προσλαβεῖν). Strong’s Greek 4355 portrays an intentional “taking to oneself.” Whether the subject is Christ, an apostle, a local church, or hostile agitators, the action always carries personal involvement, responsibility, and some level of intimacy. Occurrences in the New Testament The verb appears twelve times: • Romans 14:1; 14:3; 15:7 (twice) In every setting, it expresses either gracious welcome, private instruction, or strategic enlistment. Pauline Emphasis on Mutual Welcome Romans 14–15 is the theological centerpiece. Paul instructs, “Accept the one whose faith is weak…” (Romans 14:1) and concludes, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God” (Romans 15:7). The double use—command to believers and declaration of Christ’s own action—anchors unity in the finished work of Christ. Because God “has accepted” the believer (Romans 14:3), Christians are obliged to extend the same welcome across ethnic, cultural, and scruple differences. Christological Connections Romans 15:7 explicitly says, “Christ accepted you.” His initiative creates the pattern and power for ecclesial harmony. The Church’s reception of repentant sinners mirrors the Lord’s reception of every believer, safeguarding the gospel of grace. Narrative Usage in Acts and the Gospels Luke employs the verb to depict purposeful draws: • Acts 18:26 – Priscilla and Aquila “took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately” to Apollos. Discipleship is personal, respectful, and corrective. In Matthew 16:22 and Mark 8:32 Peter “took Jesus aside” to rebuke Him; the intimacy of true fellowship can be misdirected when human concerns overshadow divine purposes. Philemon and the Power of Reconciliation Paul’s personal appeal, “So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me” (Philemon 1:17), elevates the verb to a redemptive climax. Onesimus is no longer a fugitive slave but a beloved brother. Acceptance here dismantles social barriers and anticipates the New Creation community. Historical Context In Greco-Roman culture, patronage and household codes governed status. The early Church’s use of this verb subverted those norms: Jews accept Gentiles; a master receives a servant as an equal; strangers are welcomed amid shipwrecks. Such acts testified publicly that the gospel births a new family shaped by sacrificial love. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Congregational life: Welcome differing convictions without quarrels. Theological Implications The verb weaves together justification, sanctification, and ecclesiology. God’s acceptance in Christ (justification) becomes the ground for mutual acceptance (sanctification) and shapes the visible Church (ecclesiology). Rejecting a fellow believer calls into question the reception already granted by God Himself. Conclusion Strong’s 4355 traces a gospel trajectory—from Christ’s welcoming embrace through apostolic teaching to practical acts of hospitality and reconciliation. Believers who grasp how completely they have been “taken in” by the Lord will take others in with equal warmth, thereby displaying the Kingdom’s countercultural unity and love. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 16:22 V-APM-NMSGRK: καὶ προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν ὁ NAS: Peter took Him aside and began KJV: Then Peter took him, and began INT: And having taken to him Mark 8:32 V-APM-NMS Acts 17:5 V-APM-NMP Acts 18:26 V-AIM-3P Acts 27:33 V-APM-NMP Acts 27:36 V-AIM-3P Acts 28:2 V-AIM-3P Romans 14:1 V-PMM-2P Romans 14:3 V-AIM-3S Romans 15:7 V-PMM-2P Romans 15:7 V-AIM-3S Philemon 1:17 V-AMM-2S Strong's Greek 4355 |
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