The Inscrutable Question: Glory in the New Testament: Etymology of Doxa
	VIII.		Glory in the New Testament:
		A.		Etymology of dÒxa, doxa
	1-	The New Testament words for the concept of glory are the noun, dÒxa, doxa, the verb, dox£zw, doxazo, and the adjective, œndoxoj, endoxos.
	2-	This word group has a depth of meaning that cannot be expressed by a simple translation; however we will attempt to do so at first with the concept of “manifestation.”
	3-	The English word “manifest” has two basic meanings: (1) readily perceived by the senses and especially by sight, and (2) easily understood or recognized by the mind.  “Manifestation” refers to the forms in which an individual is made obvious.
	4-	In our study we are going to develop the concept of God being made manifest to man, first of all by means of Christ and then by means of those who believe in Christ.
	5-	In order to achieve this end we will consult the etymology of the word dÒxa, doxa as it is developed by:
Spicq, Ceslas.  Theological Lexicon of the New Testament.  Vol. 1.  Translated by James D. Ernest. (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994), 362-378.
6-	The noun dÒxa, doxa is derived from the verb dokšw, dokeo, which means “to think, to form an opinion” (which may be either right or wrong).
7-	This opinion could be held by others concerning a person and took on definitions such as “renown” and reputation.”  This is usually favorable and especially when it is assigned to God and Christ.
8-	In the New Testament dÒxa, doxa is often linked with tim», time: honor; ¢ret», arete: virtue, and œpainoj, epainos: praise.
9-	It must be noted that throughout the Greek translation of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint, and the entire New Testament, the noun dÒxa, doxa never means “opinion.”
10-	DÒxa, doxa most often translates the Hebrew word dobK / kavoth /: “to be heavy,” and came to mean “esteem” or “respect.”  It also is evident throughout the Old Testament that this esteem and respect is acquired by one’s understanding of God’s presence.
11-	And an understanding of God comes about because He makes Himself manifest, first of all by His visible presence revealed through physical phenomena associated with light and then later by the manifestation of His thought through divine revelation in Scripture.
12-	Therefore, both dÒxa, doxa and dobK / kavoth / refer to the manifestation of deity through some visible means, some action that He produces, or through His divine revelation to the human writers of Scripture.
13-	We will discover that when the thinking of God is manifest by others that this brings glory to Him.  This is accomplished by the true humanity of Christ during the Incarnation and by positive believers in the Church Age.
14-	The latter occurs through continual illumination by means of the Grace Apparatus for Perception.  The more we think as the true humanity of Christ during the Incarnation the more we think as God.
15-	We will note a passage of Scripture that metaphorically compares spiritual growth with the unveiling of the face.
16-	The more we develop an understanding of God by means of Bible study the more we come to appreciate His grace to us.  We respond to His undiminished love for us by means of gratitude, adoration, and reciprocity.
17-	Jesus Christ glorified God during His earthly ministry.  In turn, God glorified Christ.  Divine glory was made manifest in Christ through miracles which enabled others to identify Him as Messiah.
18-	An example is the wedding at Cana where He transformed water into wine:
John 2:11 - This beginning of His miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
19-	The glory manifested at Cana has three elements: (1) manifestation through miracle, (2) observation by the disciples, and (3) their affirmation through faith alone in Christ alone.
20-	Jesus manifested God’s glory in Him.  This was observed and affirmed by the faith of the disciples who recognized by means of the miracle that Jesus was Messiah.
21-	We recognize His glory by means of the Scripture and respond through faith.  At salvation we are immediately indwelt by Jesus Christ as the Shekinah Glory.  We acquire the glory of His thinking by Bible study and the advance to spiritual maturity.
22-	All believers in Jesus Christ receive the glory associated with being made a child of God at salvation.
23-	However, only believers who advance to spiritual maturity may partake of a second type of glory which is described in Romans as that associated with being “fellow heirs with Christ.”