γνήσιος, γνησια, γνήσιον (by syncope for γενησιος from γίνομαι, γένομαι (cf. Curtius, § 128)), legitimately born, not spurious; genuine, true, sincere: Php_4:3; 1Ti_1:2; Tit_1:4; τό τῆς ἀγάπης γνήσιον equivalent to τήν γνησιοτητα (A. V. (the sincerity), 2Co_8:8. (From Homer down.)

γνήσιος gnēsios 4x lawful, legitimate, as children; genuine, in faith, etc.; 1Ti_1:2 ; Tit_1:4 ; true, sincere, 2Co_8:8 ; Php_4:3

** γνήσιος , -α , -ον ( < γίγνομαι ), [in LXX : Sir_7:18 , 3Ma_3:19 * ;] 1. prop ., lawfully begotten, born in wedlock (in Papyri, γυνὴ γ ., a lawful wife; MM , s.v. ). 2. true, genuine, sincere: Php_4:3 , 1Ti_1:2 , Tit_1:4 ; as subst ., τὸ γ . = ἡ γνησιότης , sincerity, 2Co_8:8 .†

γνήσιος [page 128] The primary sense, born in wedlock, is overshadowed by derived applications, but it survives in occasional formulae : thus even P Flor III. 294 .12 (iv/A.D.) (see p. ix.) has καὶ γνησίων τέκνων σπο [ρᾷ in a marriage contract. In the earliest dated Greek papyrus, P Eleph 1 .3 (B.C. 311 10) (= Selections , p. 2), a marriage contract begins λαμβάνει Ἡρακλείδης Δημητρίαν Κώιαν γυναῖκα γνησίαν , as his lawful wedded wife : cf. PSI I. 64 .4 (? i/B.C.) where a woman promises a man to live with him as long as he lives, ὡ ]ς γνησ̣[ία ] γαμετή , and P Oxy X. 1267 .15 (A.D. 209) τοῦ Ζωίλου γνήσιον υἱὸν Ὡρ̣είωνα , Zoοlus legitimate son Horion. In P Amh II. 86 .15 (A.D. 78) we have χωρὶς γνησίων δημοσίων , apart from the legal public charges : cf. P. Oxy VII. 1031 .21 (A.D. 228) γνη [σ ]ίοις τελέσμασι , P Lond 1157 .4 (? A.D. 197 8) (= III. p. 62) ἐστὶ δὲ ἀριθμήσεως Φαῶφι εἰς Ἀθὺρ γνησ (ίων ), P Strass I. 2 .13 (A.D. 217) ἐ̣κ̣τὸς τῶν σιτικῶν γνησίων . From this it is an easy transition to the sense of suitable, fitting, as in P Giss I. 47 .4 (Hadrian) ἐπὶ τῶι κατὰ τὰς [ε ]ὐ̣χὰς̣ γνη̣σία καὶ λείαν ἄξια εὑρῆσθαι and .15 παραζώ [ν ]ιον γὰρ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν γνήσιον οὐχ εὑρέθη . Close to this lies its use for genuine as an epithet of φίλος or the like, as in Php_4:3 : so BGU I. 86 .19 (A.D. 155) τὸν γνήσιον αὑτοῦ φίλον . Thus it becomes an epithet of affectionate appreciation : so P Oxy I. 48 .12 (A.D. 86) τοῦ μετηλλαχότος αὐτῆς γνησίου ἀδελφοῦ . Cf. 1Ti_1:2 Τιμοθέῳ γνησίῳ τέκνῳ ἐν πίστει : in 2Ti_1:2 ἀγαπητῷ is substituted for γνησίῳ Cf. the use of the adverb, as in Php_2:20 , = honestly, sincerely : so P Lond 130 .3 (i/ii A.D.) (= I. p. 133) γ ]νησίως τε περ [ὶ ] τὰ οὐράνια φιλοπονήσαντες , P Tebt II. 326 .11 ( c. A.D. 266) προ [στ ]ήσεσθαι γνησίως τοῦ παιδίου , will honourably protect the child (Edd.), BGU I. 248 .21 (ii/A.D.) τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀμπέλων ἰδίων γνησίως γενέσθωι . Add from the inscriptions Syll 722 .41 (ii/B.C.) φανερὰ ἦι ἁ εὔνοια τοῖς γνησίως καὶ ἐνδόξως τῶν καλλίστων ἐπιταδουμάτων προεστακόσι , Michel 544 .28 (B.C. 114) γνησίως στοιχῶν ἐν πᾶσιν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κα [λοκ ]ἀγαθίαι , and for the adj. OGIS 339 .7 (Sestos, c. B.C. 120) πρὸ πλείστου θέμενος τὸ πρὸς τὴν πατρίδα γνήσιον καὶ ἐκτενές , which is a good illustration of 2Co_8:8 . Note also Michel 394 .48 (middle i/B.C.) γ ]νησ [ί ]αν ἔχοντι πρὸς πάντας φιλοστοργίαν , and Syll 365 .13 (A.D. 37) οὐχ ὡς εἰς φίλην μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς εἰς γνησίαν πατρίδα . It seems from the record that Lightfoot rather overdoes the consciousness of the word s ultimate origin when he paraphrases (on Php_2:20 ) i.e. as a birth-right, as an instinct derived from his spiritual parentage. It is by no means clear that γνήσιος was still felt to be normally the antithesis of νόθος , and most of its usages are wide of this.

γνήσιος [Etym: γένος] "of or belonging to the race", i. e. "lawfully begotten, legitimate", opp. to νόθος, Hom. ; φρονεῖν γνήσια to have a "noble" mind, Eur. ; γν. γυναῖκες "lawful" wives, opp. to παλλακίδες, Xen. ; γν. τῆς Ἑλλάδος "true sons" of Greece, Dem. :—adv. -ίως, "lawfully, really, truly", Eur.

γνήσιος, -α, -ον (γίγνομαι), [in LXX: Sir.7:18, 3Ma.3:19 * ;] __1. prop., lawfully begotten, born in wedlock (in π., γυνὴ γ., a lawful wife; MM, see word). __2. true, genuine, sincere: Php.4:3, 1Ti.1:2, Tit.1:4; as subst., τὸ γ. = ἡ γνησιότης, sincerity, 2Co.8:8. † (AS)