GODLINESS: The most usual translation in the English New Testament of the Greek eusebeia. This word and its adjective (evseUs), like the equivalent theosebeia and theosebes, are found a few times in the Old Testament Apocrypha (Wisd. of Sol. x. 12; Baruch v. 4), and in the New Testament first in the historical books with reference to pre-Christian piety (John ix. 31; Acts x. 2, 7) and then in the later epistles mainly of Christian piety (I Tim. ii. 2, 10, iii. 16, iv. 7, 8, vi. 3, 5, 6, 11; II Tim. iii. 5, 12; Tit. i. 1, ii. 12; II Pet. i. 6, 7, iii. 11). The reason for this infrequency of occurrence is evidently that the notion eusebeia, derived from the heathen religion and morals, denotes piety in its complete generality comprising all forms of religion, whereas in the Biblical writings the uniqueness of the Old Testament and Christian knowledge and worship of God is placed foremost in opposition to all other religious ideas. When once this uniqueness of Christian piety was firmly established, the general designation could be applied in the latest New Testament writings without running the risk of mis-

God Godliness understanding. The result was that this generic term actually received the more special meaning of Christian piety as the root of all Christian morality. To show godliness is to lead a Christian-moral life (I Tim. ii. 10, vi. 11; II Pet. i. 7); in this sense it is profitable unto all things (I Tim. iv. 8). See Piety.

F. Sieffert

In the modern acceptation of the word, godliness is the religious bearing of man, his disposition and his actions, in relation to God; or religiousness. Its forms are as varied as the differences in religions, yet heathen (Acts xvii. 22-23), Jewish (Luke xxiii. 50; Acts x. 2), Mohammedan, and Christian godliness are revelations of the same fundamental disposition of man toward the deity. It manifests itself by the same means with all: viz., by prayer and sacrifice; the first denoting reverence and reliance, the other the expression partly of gratitude, partly of the sense of guilt. Godliness, even where not inspired by Christianity, must not be underrated. It often supplies the want of right knowledge by warmth of feeling, by zealous deed, or by superior work. As long as, for an individual or a nation, the period of ignorance lasts, its devotion is agreeable (Gk. dektos) to the deity. Only when it is retained in conscious opposition to the proclaimed divine truth and the change of mind (Gk. metanoia)' is refused does it lose its religious value.

Christian godliness is founded on the pure knowledge of God. But this knowledge, if merely theoretical, can exist combined with actual ungodliness (James ii. 19). Therefore, as a second point, there must be the feeling of entire dependence on God, the holy fear of him, which, wherever it is not in the spirit of bondage, but of adoption (Rom. viii. 15), marks a sensation of bliss, of delight in God. Godliness is perfect if man retains the pure knowledge of God and the filial awe of him, with conscious will, as his most precious good and relies entirely on God; if he becomes a man of God (I Tim. vi. 11), if his heart is firmly established in its innermost direction toward God (Heb. xiii. 9). This godliness is the soul of personal religion, the root of all true virtue, the vigor of true morality. Its immediate expression is the offering incumbent upon the true Christian; unrestrained self-sacrifice to God (Rom. xii. 1), prayer and confession (Heb. xiii. 15), and brotherly love (Heb. xiii. 16). It must exercise a notable influence on all the doings of a Christian. The godly man walks before God (Gen. xvii.1), follows him with all his heart (I Kings xiv. 8), walks in his truth (Ps. lxxxvi. 11), in the spirit (Gal. v. 25), in Jesus Christ (Col. ii. 6), in the light (I John i. 7); he lives unto God (Gal. ii. 19), and unto Christ (Phil. i. 21).

Individually godliness expresses itself in many a way; it develops by degrees, in conformity with age, sex and temper. Mary and Martha show two types (Luke x. 38-42). The model of a child's devotion and godliness is Jesus in the temple when he was twelve years old; the godliness of old age is displayed in Simeon and Anna. Peter, John, Paul are godly men, yet very different from each other. Sound godliness exists where knowledge, feeling, and will are well balanced. But as the normal natural man is realized in one person only, so is the normal

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God-Parents godly man; all others, at the beat, are merely on the way of approximation to him. Truth and sin cerity are the criteria of godliness; where they are wanting, it becomes cant and hypocrisy, a mere semblance (II Tim. iii. 5) or gain-seeking (I Tim. vi. 5).

Carl Burger.

Bibliography: The lexicons upon the words, particularly that of Cremer and that of H. Greer, Gotha, 1902, Edinburgh, 1886. Also the works upon New Testament The ology, particularly that of Beysahlag, Edinburgh, 1896.