ἱκανόω

I make sufficient

Definition

The verb ἱκανόω means 'to make sufficient, to qualify, or to enable.' In its two New Testament occurrences, it carries the sense of God actively enabling or qualifying people for a specific role or inheritance. In 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul states that God 'has made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant,' emphasizing a divine enabling for apostolic service. In Colossians 1:12, it describes God the Father as the one who 'has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints,' highlighting how believers are made fit for a divine destiny not by their own merit.

Biblical Usage

This verb is used only twice in the New Testament, both in Pauline epistles. In both instances, the subject is God, and the action is directed toward believers. The context is consistently one of divine grace and empowerment for a spiritual reality: ministry (2 Corinthians 3:6) and inheritance (Colossians 1:12). The passive voice in Colossians 1:12 ('who has qualified you') underscores that this is something done for the believer by God.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective ἱκανός (hikanos, G2425), meaning 'sufficient, competent, or adequate.' The verb form ἱκανόω means 'to make sufficient' or 'to render fit.' It shares this root with words like ἱκανότης (hikanōtēs, G2426), meaning 'sufficiency' or 'competency.' The development is from a state of being adequate to the act of causing someone or something to become adequate.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it captures the core of the gospel's transformative power. It teaches that human sufficiency for ministry and fitness for heaven are not innate but are granted by God's grace. It directly opposes any notion of self-qualification, anchoring Christian identity and calling in God's sovereign action. Understanding this Greek term enriches reading by highlighting that our competence is always derived from God (2 Corinthians 3:5).

In the Greco-Roman world, qualifications for roles or inheritances were often based on social status, wealth, or personal achievement. Paul's use of this term subverts that cultural understanding by declaring that God qualifies people through Christ, irrespective of human standards. This redefines 'sufficiency' and 'fitness' in spiritual, rather than social or legal, terms.

δυναμόω (dynamoō, G1412) — to empower or strengthen, focusing on imparting power or ability. ἱκανός (hikanos, G2425) — the root adjective meaning 'sufficient' or 'competent,' describing a state rather than an action.

Word Details

Scripture References