### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek noun ergasia (`{{G2039}}`) is derived from ergatēs (`{{G2040}}`), meaning "worker" or "laborer," and is closely related to the verb ergazomai (`{{G2041}}`), "to work." At its core, ergasia signifies "occupation," "work," or "labor," denoting the active engagement in a task or profession. Its semantic range extends to encompass several related concepts:
* **The Act of Working:** The process or activity of performing labor.
* **The Result of Work:** This often implies "profit" or "gain," the beneficial outcome derived from one's efforts.
* **The Effort Involved:** It can refer to "pains," "diligence," or the exertion required to accomplish something.
* **A Business or Trade:** The specific enterprise or profession one is engaged in.
* **Practice or Pursuit:** The active engagement in a particular course of action, whether positive or negative.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The term ergasia appears several times in the New Testament, each instance illuminating its multifaceted meaning:
* **Gain/Profit:** In [[Acts 16:16]], ergasia refers to the "gain" or "profit" brought to the masters of a slave girl by her fortune-telling. Similarly, in [[Acts 19:24]], Demetrius, the silversmith, brings "no little gain" (ergasian) to the craftsmen through his idolatrous trade. This highlights the economic dimension of ergasia, often tied to the outcome of one's labor.
* **Business/Occupation:** Directly following the previous example, in [[Acts 19:25]], Demetrius addresses his fellow craftsmen, stating, "You know that from this business (ergasias) we have our wealth." Here, ergasia denotes their specific trade or occupation, emphasizing the vocational aspect of their work.
* **Diligence/Effort:** In [[Luke 12:58]], Jesus advises, "For as you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make an effort (ergasian) to settle with him on the way." Here, ergasia conveys the sense of diligent effort or earnest endeavor required to resolve a dispute before it escalates. It emphasizes the active, purposeful application of oneself to a task.
* **Active Pursuit/Practice (Negative Connotation):** A striking usage is found in [[Ephesians 4:19]], where Paul describes those who "have given themselves over to licentiousness, to work (ergasian) all uncleanness with greediness." In this context, ergasia denotes the active, persistent, and even diligent "practice" or "pursuit" of sinful acts. This demonstrates the word's capacity to describe intense engagement, even in morally reprehensible activities.
### Related Words & Concepts
Ergasia is part of a significant word family in the Greek New Testament:
* **Ergatēs (`{{G2040}}`):** The "worker" or "laborer," the one who performs the ergasia.
* **Ergazomai (`{{G2041}}`):** The verb "to work," "to labor," "to do," from which ergasia is directly derived. This verb is used extensively to describe various forms of work, both physical and spiritual.
* **Ergon (`{{G2042}}`):** "Work," "deed," "act." While ergasia often emphasizes the *process* or *activity* of working, ergon more frequently refers to the *result* or *product* of work, or a specific, completed deed. There is conceptual overlap, but ergasia tends to highlight the ongoing engagement.
* **Labor and Toil:** The concept of strenuous effort, often involving difficulty or hardship, inherent in many forms of ergasia.
* **Diligence and Industry:** The quality of being hardworking, careful, and persistent in one's efforts.
* **Profit and Gain:** The material or financial benefits derived from one's work, a key implication of ergasia in economic contexts.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of ergasia is found in its portrayal of human activity and its moral implications:
* **Human Agency and Purpose:** Ergasia underscores the inherent human capacity for purposeful action. Whether in daily labor, economic endeavors, or even sinful pursuits, humans are depicted as active agents who engage in various forms of "work."
* **Stewardship and Responsibility:** In contexts like [[Luke 12:58]], the call to "make an effort" reflects a broader biblical theme of responsible stewardship. It implies a moral imperative to engage diligently and wisely with the circumstances and relationships given by God.
* **Economic Ethics:** The use of ergasia to denote "gain" and "business" in Acts highlights the New Testament's engagement with economic life. The narrative implicitly critiques ergasia that is exploitative (e.g., the slave girl's masters in [[Acts 16:16]]) or rooted in idolatry (e.g., Demetrius's trade in [[Acts 19:24-25]]), contrasting such practices with the values of the burgeoning Christian community.
* **The Nature of Sin:** Perhaps most profoundly, the application of ergasia to the "work[ing] all uncleanness" in [[Ephesians 4:19]] reveals a sobering truth about sin. It is not merely passive omission but can be a deliberate, active, and even diligent pursuit. This usage demonstrates the depth of human depravity and the energetic commitment to evil that can characterize those who have become hardened to God.
* **Contrast with Divine Work:** While humans engage in ergasia, the New Testament often distinguishes human effort from God's sovereign ergazomai (`{{G2041}}`) or ergon (`{{G2042}}`). Salvation, for instance, is not achieved through human ergasia but through God's grace. However, genuine faith, though not an ergasia for salvation, invariably leads to good erga (deeds). Thus, ergasia can be a means through which God's purposes are fulfilled, or it can be an expression of human rebellion and self-will.
### Summary
The Greek term ergasia (`{{G2039}}`) is a rich and versatile word, primarily meaning "occupation," "work," or "labor." Its semantic range extends to include "profit" or "gain" (e.g., [[Acts 16:16]], [[Acts 19:24]]), the "pains" or "diligence" involved in a task (e.g., [[Luke 12:58]]), and even the active "practice" or "pursuit" of something, whether a legitimate business (e.g., [[Acts 19:25]]) or, strikingly, a sinful course of action (e.g., [[Ephesians 4:19]]). Ergasia thus encapsulates the dynamic and purposeful nature of human activity, highlighting aspects of economic endeavor, personal effort, and moral agency within the biblical narrative. It serves as a reminder that human beings are active participants in the world, whose "work" can manifest in both constructive and destructive ways, always subject to divine scrutiny.
TRV