[B-Greek] KAQOLIKOS = "complete" (versus "universal")?

Eric Weiss papaweiss1 at yahoo.com
Tue Nov 29 09:12:55 EST 2005


I have read that "catholic" can mean both "universal"/"general" and KATA + hOLOS or 
  hOLIKOS = "according to the whole" = "complete." I.e., when Ignatius and later the 
  Nicene Creed used the term "catholic church," they could have been referring to it 
  being the completeness/fullness of the Gospel/Christ, and not necessarily meaning 
  that it was geographically everywhere.
   
  Ignatius wrote: "Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as 
  wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church" (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, and 
  the first use of the term, apparently). To me, the meaning "whole/complete," as 
  opposed to "geographically everywhere," seems more fitting in this instance, but I do 
  not recall finding much support in LSJ or BDAG for it meaning "whole/complete." 
  Perhaps KAQOLOS (i.e., KATA + hOLOS, but this is a non-existent word) might 
  mean "complete," but it doesn't seem to be a definition for KAQOLIKOS. Any 
  thoughts?


Eric S. Weiss


		
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