συνεργέω

συνεργέω impf. συνήργουν; 1 aor. συνήργησα (Eur., X.+; ins, pap, LXX, Test12Patr, Philo; Jos., Bell. 6, 38, Ant. 1, 156; Just., D. 142, 2; Orig.) to engage in cooperative endeavor, work together with, assist, help abs. τοῦ κυρίου συνεργοῦτος (PAmh 152, 5 τοῦ θεοῦ συνεργήσαντος; Did., Gen. 162, 10 συνεργῶν ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός) Mk 16:20. παντί τῷ συνεργοῦντι to everyone who helps (such people as Stephanas) in the work 1 Cor 16:16. With συνεργοῦντες 2 Cor 6:1 either θεῷ (Hofmann, Windisch, Sickenberger, NRSV) or ὑμῖν (Chrysost., Bengel, Schmiedel, Bachmann) can be supplied. ς. ἐν παντὶ πράγματι be helpful in every respect Hs 5, 6, 6. W. dat. of person or thing that is helped (X., Mem. 4, 3, 12; Diod S 4, 25, 4 ς. ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις=assist [him] in his wishes; OGI 45, 11 [III B.C.]; PSI 376, 4 [250 B.C.]; 1 Macc 12:1; TestReub 3:6; TestIss 3:7 ὁ θεός): βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ you see that faith worked with (and thereby aided) his good deeds Js 2:22. W. the goal indicated by εἰς (Epict. 1, 9, 26; Appian, Syr. 59 §309 ἐς τὸν θάνατον ς., Bell. Civ. 5, 90 §378; Philo, Agr. 13; TestGad 4:7 εἰς θάνατον, εἰς σωτηρίαν): in τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν τὸν θεὸν πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν Ro 8:28, ς. means assist (or work with) someone to obtain someth. or bring someth. about (IG², 654, 15f ς. εἰς τ. ἐλευθερίαν τῇ πόλει; Larfeld I 500; Plut., Mor. 769d οὕτως ἡ φύσις γυναικὶ … πρὸς εὔνοιαν ἀνδρὸς καὶ φιλίαν μεγάλα συνήργησεν ‘thus nature greatly assists a self-controlled woman in securing the goodwill and friendship of her husband’; cp. Polyb. 11, 9, 1). Then the subj. will be either πάντα everything helps (or works with or for) those who love God to obtain what is good (Vulg., Zahn, Sickenberger, Althaus, RSV mg.; NRSV), or ὁ θεός, which is actually read after συνεργεῖ in good and very ancient mss. (P⁴⁶ BA; Orig. For ἡμῖν συνεργεῖν of gods: X., Mem. 4, 3, 12; but s. MBlack, The Interpr. of Ro 8:28: OCullmann Festschr. ’62, 166–72); in the latter case πάντα is acc. of specification (πᾶς 1dβ) in everything God helps (or works for or with) those who love him to obtain what is good (so RSV; NRSV mg.; Syr., Copt., BWeiss, RLipsius, Jülicher, Kühl, Ltzm.; Goodsp., Probs. 148–50.—Cp. OGI 219, 10f on helpful deity. The prep. phrase ς. … εἰς would correspond exactly to Alex. Aphr., Fat. 31 p. 203, 8 Br. acc. to cod. H: εἰς ἀγαθὸν οὐδὲν ὁ Πύθιος τῷ Λαί̈ῳ συνεργεῖ=‘in no respect does Apollo work w. Laius for good’, or ‘help L. to obtain what is good’. For the idea cp. Herm. Wr. 9, 4b πάντα γὰρ τῷ τοιούτῳ [=θεοσεβεῖ], κἂν τοῖς ἄλλοις τὰ κακά, ἀγαθά ἐστι ‘everything is good for such a [god-fearing] person, even if bad for others’; Plotin. 4, 3, 16, 21. JBauer, ZNW 50, ’59, 106–12. Cp. Sext. Emp., Outlines of Pyrrhonism I, 207 ‘be to one’s advantage’ [communication fr. EKrentz]).—DELG s.v. ἔργον. EDNT. TW.