πρᾶξις G4234
A deed, action, or practice; also a function or role within a larger whole (as in the body metaphor of Romans 12:4).
In the New Testament, praxis carries the weight of moral conduct — the sum of what a person does, for good or ill. Jesus declares that each will be repaid according to their deeds (Matt 16:27), and Paul urges believers to put to death the sinful practices of the body (Rom 8:13). Yet the word also has a quieter sense: in Romans 12:4, Paul borrows it to describe the distinct function each member serves within the body of Christ, much the way Greek civic life used praxis for a person's appointed office or business.
Senses
1. deed, action, practice — A deed, action, or pattern of conduct viewed in its moral dimension. Multilingual translations converge on 'deed/obra/action/Taten,' underscoring concrete behavior rather than abstract theory. In Matt 16:27 it denotes the totality of one's actions at the final judgment; in Rom 8:13 and Col 3:9 it narrows to sinful practices that must be mortally renounced; in Acts 19:18 new converts confess their former magical practices. Luke 23:51 uses it of the council's collective decision, showing that praxis can refer to a single corporate action as well as a pattern of behavior. 5×
AR["أَعمالِهِ", "أَعْمَالَ", "عَمَلِهِ", "ـأَفْعَالِهِمْ", "فِعْلِ"]·ben["πράξει-কাজে", "কাজ", "কাজসমূহ", "কাজসমূহে", "কাজের"]·DE["Taten", "πράξει", "πράξεις", "πρᾶξιν"]·EN["action", "deed", "deeds", "practices"]·FR["action", "pratique"]·heb["מַעֲשִׂים", "מַעֲשֵׂהוּ", "מַעֲשֵׂי", "מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם", "מַעֲשֶׂה"]·HI["कअरयोन", "करम", "कामों-को", "कार्य"]·ID["perbuatan", "perbuatan-perbuatan", "tindakan"]·IT["pratica", "praxesin", "servizio"]·jav["tumindak"]·KO["행위들과", "행위들을", "행위에", "행위에-따라"]·PT["ação", "práticas"]·RU["действием", "дела", "делами", "делу", "умерщвляете"]·ES["acción", "obra", "obras", "prácticas"]·SW["fanya", "matendo"]·TR["eylemini", "işine", "işlerini", "pratikleriyle"]·urd["اعمال", "عمل", "کام", "کاموں"]
2. function, role — The specific function, office, or role that a part plays within an organized whole. In Romans 12:4 Paul writes that all members of the body do not share the same praxis — here Spanish 'funcion' and English 'function' capture what 'deed' cannot: the appointed purpose of a component. This sense draws on the classical Greek usage of praxis as one's business or assigned task, transplanted by Paul into his ecclesiological body metaphor. 1×
AR["عَمَلٌ"]·ben["কাজ;"]·DE["Taten"]·EN["function"]·FR["pratique"]·heb["פְּעֻלָּה"]·HI["कार्य"]·ID["fungsi"]·IT["pratica"]·jav["pandamel;"]·KO["기능을"]·PT["função;"]·ES["función"]·SW["kazi;"]·TR["işlev"]·urd["کام"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πρᾶξις, εως, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect πρῆξις, ιος, ἡ: (πράσσω):— doing, transaction, business, [πλεῖν] κατὰ πρῆξιν on a trading voyage, Refs 8th c.BC+; π. δ᾽ ἥδ᾽ ἰδίη, οὐ δήμιος a private, not a public affair, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἡ περί τινος π. the transaction respecting.., Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 result or issue of a business, especially good result, success, οὐ γάρ τις πρῆξις πέλεται.. γόοιο no…