ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Lexicon

G3049 - logizomai

Strong's: G3049 · BLB lookup Pronunciation: log-id'-zom-ahee Part of speech: middle / passive deponent verb Root: from logos (word, account, reckoning) NT occurrences: 41

Semantic range

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  1. To reckon, count, calculate, compute, the basic accounting / arithmetic sense
  2. To consider, think, regard, the cognitive sense
  3. To credit / impute / put to one's account, the theologically loaded soteriological sense
  4. To deliberate, reason, conclude in some contexts

Theological force, imputation

The most theologically loaded use of logizomai is the Pauline doctrine of imputation (or "reckoning" / "crediting"). The pattern: God credits Christ's righteousness to the believer's account, not counting the believer's sin against them.

Romans 4, the imputation chapter

Romans 4 is the most concentrated logizomai text, 11 occurrences in one chapter. Paul cites Genesis 15:6 (LXX): Abraam episteusen tō Theō, kai elogisthē autō eis dikaiosynēn, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited (elogisthē) to him as righteousness."

The argument structure:

  • v. 3, Abraham's faith was credited (elogisthē) as righteousness
  • vv. 4-5, to one who works, wages are not credited as a favor but as what is due; but to one who believes, faith is credited as righteousness
  • vv. 6-8, David's testimony: makarios anēr hou ou mē logisētai Kyrios hamartian, "blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not count" (Ps 32:1-2)
  • vv. 9-12, was Abraham credited before or after circumcision? Before, therefore the imputation is grounded in faith, not Law-works
  • vv. 13-25, the promise comes by faith; God who gives life and "calls into being that which does not exist" (v. 17); Abraham's faith was credited (elogisthē) to him as righteousness

The Reformation extracts from Romans 4 the doctrine of imputed righteousness, believers' justification consists in God crediting Christ's righteousness to them.

2 Corinthians 5:19, not counting

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting (mē logizomenos) their trespasses against them."

The logizomai applies in both directions:

  • Not counting believers' sin
  • Counting Christ's righteousness to them

This is the double-imputation of Reformation theology: my sin imputed to Christ; Christ's righteousness imputed to me.

Romans 4:6, 8, 22-24, credit / not credit

The repeated pattern:

  • eis dikaiosynēn, "as righteousness", what gets credited
  • kata charin / kata opheilēma, "as a favor" / "as what is due", the manner

The "not counting" extends to the believer's sanctification

Beyond justification, logizomai describes the renewed thinking of the sanctified:

  • Romans 6:11, logizesthe heautous einai, "consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God"
  • Romans 8:18, "I logizomai that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory…"
  • Philippians 4:8, tauta logizesthe, "dwell on these things"

Patristic / scholarly note

The Reformation made logizomai central to its doctrine of justification:

  • Luther, imputed righteousness is the foundation of sola fide
  • Calvin (Institutes III.11.2-9), extensive treatment
  • The Westminster Confession ch. 11 ("Of Justification"), codifies the doctrine

Roman Catholic / Council of Trent (1547, Session VI), denied imputation; defined justification as infused righteousness through grace.

Modern Reformed: J. I. Packer; D. A. Carson; John Piper (Counted Righteous in Christ, 2002); Mark Seifrid (Christ, Our Righteousness, 2000). New Perspective: N. T. Wright (What Saint Paul Really Said, 1997), questions imputation while retaining covenant-faithfulness; J. D. G. Dunn.

Notable verses

See also

Notes

Lexical workspace for logizomai.