Worthy, Worthily - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Worthy, Worthily

[ A-1,Adjective,G514, axios ]
of weight, worth, worthy," is said of persons and their deeds:
(a) in a good sense, e.g., Matthew 10:10-Matthew 10:11, Matthew 10:13 (twice), Matthew 10:37 (twice), Matthew 10:38; Matthew 22:8; Luke 7:4; Luke 10:7; Luke 15:19, Luke 15:21; John 1:27; Acts 13:25; 1 Timothy 5:18; 1 Timothy 6:1; Hebrews 11:38; Revelation 3:4; Revelation 4:11; Revelation 5:2, Revelation 5:4, Revelation 5:9, Revelation 5:12;
(b) in a bad sense, Luke 12:48; Luke 23:15; Acts 23:29; Acts 25:11, Acts 25:25; Acts 26:31; Romans 1:32; Revelation 16:6. See MEET, REWARD.

[ A-2,Adjective,G2425, hikanos ]
"sufficient," is translated "worthy" in this sense in Matthew 3:11 (marg., "sufficient"); so Matthew 8:8; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; Luke 7:6. See ABILITY, C, No. 2, etc.

[ A-3,Adjective,G1777, enochos ]
"held in, bound by," is translated "worthy (of death)" in Matthew 26:66; Mark 14:64, RV (marg., "liable to;" AV, "guilty"). See DANGER.

Notes:

(1) In James 2:7, AV, kalos, "good, fair," is translated "worthy" (RV, "honorable").

(2) For the AV of Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12, See C, below.

[ B-1,Verb,G515, axioo ]
"to think or count worthy," is used

(1) of the estimation formed by God
(a) favorably, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, "may count (you) worthy (of your calling)," suggestive of grace (it does not say "may make you worthy"); Hebrews 3:3, "of more glory," of Christ in comparison with Moses;
(b) unfavorably, Hebrews 10:29, "of how much sorer punishment;"

(2) by a centurion (negatively) concerning himself, Luke 7:7;

(3) by a church, regarding its elders, 1 Timothy 5:17, where "honor" stands probably for "honorarium," i.e., "material support." See also DESIRE, B, No. 1 (Acts 28:22), THINK (Acts 15:38).

[ B-2,Verb,G2661, kataxioo ]
a strengthened form of No. 1, occurs in Luke 20:35; Luke 21:36, in some texts; Acts 5:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:5. See ACCOUNT, A, No. 5.

[ C-1,Adverb,G516, axios ]
"worthily," so translated in the RV [with one exception, See
(c)], for AV, "worthy" and other renderings,
(a) "worthily of God," 1 Thessalonians 2:12, of the Christian walk as it should be; 3 John 1:6, RV, of assisting servants of God in a way which reflects God's character and thoughts;
(b) "worthily of the Lord," Colossians 1:10; of the calling of believers, Ephesians 4:1, in regard to their "walk" or manner of life;
(c) "worthy of the gospel of Christ," Philippians 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, Romans 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.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words