### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek verb κατεργάζομαι (transliteration: katergazomai, Strong's number: `{{G2717}}`) is a compound verb formed from κατά (kata, "down, according to, thoroughly") and ἐργάζομαι (ergazomai, "to work"). Its base definition encompasses the ideas of working out, accomplishing, performing, bringing about, producing, or effecting something.
The semantic range of katergazomai implies:
* **Completion and Thoroughness:** It often suggests bringing an action or process to its full conclusion, not merely starting it. There is a nuance of working something *out* to its end.
* **Production of a Result:** The verb emphasizes the outcome or effect of an action, whether good or bad. It denotes that something is made, produced, or brought into existence through effort.
* **Active Engagement:** It conveys a sense of diligent, often laborious, effort in achieving a goal or bringing about a state.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Katergazomai appears approximately 22 times in the New Testament, predominantly in the Pauline epistles, where it carries significant theological weight.
1. **Salvation and Sanctification:**
* Perhaps its most famous occurrence is in [[Philippians 2:12]]: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Here, "work out" (katergazomai) does not imply earning salvation, which is a gift of grace, but rather diligently living out, demonstrating, and bringing to full expression the salvation already received. It speaks to the ongoing process of sanctification, a life that reflects the transforming power of God. The "fear and trembling" underscore the reverence and seriousness due to this divine work.
* In [[Romans 7:18]] and [[Romans 7:20]], Paul uses katergazomai to describe his inability to perform the good he desires and the way sin works in him, highlighting the internal struggle of the believer.
2. **Sin and its Consequences:**
* Katergazomai frequently describes the outworking and destructive consequences of sin. In [[James 1:15]], it states, "Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." Here, "brings forth" (katergazomai) vividly portrays sin as actively producing its ultimate, fatal outcome.
* [[Romans 2:9]] speaks of "tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil," where "does" (katergazomai) signifies the active practice and production of wickedness.
* [[Romans 4:15]] notes that "the law brings about wrath," indicating the law's function in revealing sin, which in turn "produces" (katergazomai) divine wrath.
3. **Divine Work and Purpose:**
* The verb also describes God's active work and purposes. In [[2 Corinthians 4:17]], Paul declares, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." The word "preparing" or "working for" (katergazomai) indicates that even suffering is not random but is actively employed by God to produce a glorious, eternal result for believers.
* [[Romans 15:18]] refers to what Christ has "accomplished" through Paul's ministry, indicating the divine power at work in apostolic endeavors.
### Related Words & Concepts
* **ἔργον (ergon) `{{G2041}}`**: "work, deed." Katergazomai is built upon this root. While ergon is the general noun for a work, katergazomai is the verb that describes the *process of working* something out to its conclusion.
* **ἐργάζομαι (ergazomai) `{{G2038}}`**: "to work, toil, perform." This is the base verb from which katergazomai is formed. The prefix kata- intensifies ergazomai, adding the nuance of thoroughness, completion, or bringing something to a definitive state.
* **ποιέω (poieo) `{{G4160}}`**: "to do, make, produce." Poieo is a more general verb for action. Katergazomai often implies a more deliberate, thorough, or consequential "doing" that leads to a specific, often final, outcome.
* **τελέω (teleo) `{{G5055}}`**: "to finish, complete, bring to an end." While teleo emphasizes the *completion* of something, katergazomai focuses more on the *process of working it out* to that completion, or the *production* of the result itself. There is an overlap in meaning concerning the culmination of an action.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of katergazomai is profound, illuminating key aspects of Christian life and divine action:
1. **Synergy of Grace and Effort**: In [[Philippians 2:12-13]], katergazomai underscores the paradox of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Believers are commanded to "work out" their salvation, not as a means of earning it, but as an active, Spirit-empowered response to God's prior work "in" them. This highlights that genuine faith is never passive but is expressed through diligent obedience and a life that increasingly reflects Christ.
2. **The Active Nature of Sin**: The consistent use of katergazomai to describe the progression of sin (e.g., [[James 1:15]]) emphasizes that sin is not merely an absence of good but an active, productive force that inevitably brings forth destructive consequences, culminating in death. This reinforces the gravity and inherent danger of sin.
3. **Redemptive Purpose in Suffering**: The declaration in [[2 Corinthians 4:17]] that affliction "produces" (katergazomai) eternal glory offers a powerful theological perspective on suffering. It asserts that God is actively at work even in hardship, using trials as instruments to shape believers for a greater, eternal purpose, transforming temporal pain into everlasting glory.
4. **The Consequential Nature of Actions**: Whether in the realm of righteousness or unrighteousness, katergazomai highlights that actions have definite, often inevitable, outcomes. This reinforces the biblical principle of sowing and reaping, where choices lead to specific results, underscoring moral accountability before God.
### Summary
The Greek verb katergazomai (`{{G2717}}`) denotes the thorough and complete working out of something, leading to a definitive production or outcome. Its usage in the New Testament is rich and multifaceted, highlighting the diligent effort involved in bringing about a result. It is crucially employed to describe the believer's active participation in living out their salvation ([[Philippians 2:12]]), the destructive progression of sin to its ultimate end ([[James 1:15]]), and God's sovereign power to use even suffering to produce eternal glory ([[2 Corinthians 4:17]]). Katergazomai thus conveys a sense of thoroughness, completion, and the bringing forth of a tangible effect, underscoring both human responsibility and divine agency in the outworking of God's purposes and the consequences of human choices.
TRV