And In The Time of Harvest: A Word Study of ΚΑΙΡΌΣ

There are two words for time in the New Testament. There is a subtle nuance between them and shades of meaning can and do merge but typically, χρόνος is ticking time or chronological time, while καιρός is fixed time or seasonal time.

The Time is RiPE

Καιρός often bears the idea of the right, proper or favourable time for an event or occurrence.

This meaning is apparent in the quotation in the title of today’s post. In Matthew 13:30, the man who sowed good seed instructs his servants to “let the weeds and the wheat grow together ἕως τοῦ θερισμοῦ καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τοῦ θερισμοῦ (until the harvest and at the time of harvest) I will tell the reapers…”.

In Galatians 6:9, the Apostle Paul exhorts the Galatian church not to “grow weary of doing good, καιρῷ γὰρ ιδιῳ (for in due season) we will reap”.

In the very next sentence the word καιρός is used to mean “opportunity” when Paul says “as we have καιρὸν (opportunity), let us do good to everyone…”

Similarly again, in Acts 24:25, Felix, alarmed at Paul’s evangelising, orders him to depart to be summoned again when Felix has the opportunity (καιρὸν).

In 1 Peter 5:6, Peter exhorts his audience to “humble themselves…under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time (ἐν καιρῷ) he may exalt you”.

The angel tells Zechariah in Luke 1:20 that he “will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place…which will be fulfilled in their time (καιρὸν).

It Is The Season

Almost a subset of the meaning above is the use of the word καιρὸς to refer to the seasons of growth, harvest and quiescence.

In the parable of the evil tenants, the master of the house sends his servants to collect his fruit ὃτε δὲ ἤγγισεν ὁ καιρὸς (when the season drew near). Mat 21:34

In Mark 11:14, Jesus curses the fig tree when he found “nothing but leaves, ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς οὐκ ἦν σύκων (for it was not the season for figs).

In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas rebuke the heathen Greeks by reminding them the “living God…did not leave himself without witness” to them when he gave them “rains from heaven and καιροὺς καρποφόρους (fruitful seasons)”.

There Was A time

Καιρός can also refer to the time of a particular event, crisis or period of history, often redemption history.

Matthew commences the story of John the Baptist’s execution in Chapter 14 with “Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ (at that time) Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus.”

The Apostle Paul reminds the Gentiles that “at καιρῷ ᾽ἐκείνῳ (that time)” they were separated from Christ.

Jesus instructs his disciples in Matthew to “go onto the city to a certain man and say to him, `The Teacher says, ὁ καιρός μου ἐγγυς ἐστιν (my time is at hand)...”.

In Acts 7:20 Stephen recounts that “Ἐν ῷ καιρῷ (at this time) Moses was born…”

Ephesians 1:9-10 refers to the God who made “known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set in Christ as a plan for the πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν (fulness of times)”.

Cognate Words

Καιρός has no significant cognates in the New Testament to speak of, so the καιρός to conclude this post is upon us.