Worthy, Worthily
“of weight, worth, worthy,” is said of persons and their deeds: (a) in a good sense, e.g., Mat 10:10-11, Mat 10:13 (twice), Mat 10:37 (twice), Mat 10:38; Mat 22:8; Luk 7:4; Luk 10:7; Luk 15:19, Luk 15:21; Joh 1:27; Act 13:25; 1Ti 5:18; 1Ti 6:1; Heb 11:38; Rev 3:4; Rev 4:11; Rev 5:2, Rev 5:4, Rev 5:9, Rev 5:12; (b) in a bad sense, Luk 12:48; Luk 23:15; Act 23:29; Act 25:11, Act 25:25; Act 26:31; Rom 1:32; Rev 16:6. See MEET, REWARD.
“sufficient,” is translated “worthy” in this sense in Mat 3:11 (marg., “sufficient”); so Mat 8:8; Mar 1:7; Luk 3:16; Luk 7:6. See ABILITY, C, No. 2, etc.
“held in, bound by,” is translated “worthy (of death)” in Mat 26:66; Mar 14:64, RV (marg., “liable to;” AV, “guilty”). See DANGER.
Notes: (1) In Jam 2:7, AV, kalos, “good, fair,” is translated “worthy” (RV, “honorable”). (2) For the AV of Eph 4:1; Col 1:10; 1Th 2:12, see C, below.
“to think or count worthy,” is used (1) of the estimation formed by God (a) favorably, 2Th 1:11, “may count (you) worthy (of your calling),” suggestive of grace (it does not say “may make you worthy”); Heb 3:3, “of more glory,” of Christ in comparison with Moses; (b) unfavorably, Heb 10:29, “of how much sorer punishment;” (2) by a centurion (negatively) concerning himself, Luk 7:7; (3) by a church, regarding its elders, 1Ti 5:17, where “honor” stands probably for “honorarium,” i.e., “material support.” See also DESIRE, B, No. 1 (Act 28:22), THINK (Act 15:38).
a strengthened form of No. 1, occurs in Luk 20:35; Luk 21:36, in some texts; Act 5:41; 2Th 1:5. See ACCOUNT, A, No. 5.
“worthily,” so translated in the RV [with one exception, see (c)], for AV, “worthy” and other renderings, (a) “worthily of God,” 1Th 2:12, of the Christian walk as it should be; 3Jo 1:6, RV, of assisting servants of God in a way which reflects God’s character and thoughts; (b) “worthily of the Lord,” Col 1:10; of the calling of believers, Eph 4:1, in regard to their “walk” or manner of life; (c) “worthy of the gospel of Christ,” Phi 1:27, of a manner of life in accordance with what the gospel declares; (d) “worthily of the saints,” RV, of receiving a fellow believer, Rom 16:2, in such a manner as befits those who bear the name of “saints.” Deissmann (Bible Studies, pp. 248ff.) shows from various inscriptions that the phrase “worthily of the god” was very popular at Pergamum.