κατάσχεσις

a possession

Definition

Kataschesis refers to a possession, property, or holding that one has acquired and maintains. It specifically denotes something held as a secure, legal possession, often with the connotation of a permanent or inherited holding. In the New Testament, it is used exclusively in Stephen's speech in Acts 7 to describe the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants, which they did not yet physically possess (Acts 7:5), and later to refer to the land the Israelites did come to possess under Joshua (Acts 7:45). The word emphasizes the secure and settled nature of the possession.

Biblical Usage

This word appears only twice in the New Testament, both in Stephen's defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7. It is used in a historical-theological argument about God's promise of the land. In Acts 7:5, it refers to the promised land that Abraham did not yet physically possess. In Acts 7:45, it refers to the same land which the following generations, under Joshua, did enter and possess. The usage is specific to the theme of divine promise and fulfillment regarding territorial inheritance.

Etymology

Derived from the preposition κατά (kata), meaning 'down' or 'against,' and a root related to ἔχω (echō), meaning 'to have' or 'to hold.' The compound suggests the idea of holding something down, hence a secure possession or a holding fast. It is related to the verb κατέχω (katechō, G2722), meaning 'to hold back' or 'to possess.'

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it is tied directly to the Abrahamic covenant and the promise of the land. In Stephen's speech, it highlights the tension between divine promise and historical fulfillment—Abraham received the promise but not the physical 'kataschesis' (Acts 7:5), a condition that persisted for generations until Joshua. This frames the land possession not merely as a political event but as an act of God's faithfulness. For the Christian reader, it can point to the greater, spiritual inheritance found in Christ, beyond a physical territory.

In the Greco-Roman and Jewish context, a 'kataschesis' implied a secure, legal right to property, often land. For Stephen's Jewish audience, the promised land was the ultimate symbol of God's covenant and national identity. His use of the term to note Abraham's lack of physical possession would have underscored the patriarch's faith and the delayed nature of the fulfillment, contrasting with the audience's assumption of secure possession.

κληρονομία (klēronomia, G2817) — inheritance, often with a focus on receiving by lot or promise; κτῆμα (ktēma, G2933) — a possession or piece of property, more general and acquired; ὑπαρξις (hyparxis, G5223) — substance, property, or goods one possesses.

Word Details

Scripture References