“Brephos” Affirms All Life is Valuable
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby (brephos) leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Luke 1:41
“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby (brephos) wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12
“One day some parents brought their little children (brephos) to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.” Luke 18:15-16
What is Brephos?
A word that ties all three of these verses together is the Greek word, brephos.
It is interesting that Luke, a medical doctor, used the word brephos to describe the baby in the womb in Luke 1:41 – an unborn John the Baptist leaps in his mother Elizabeth’s womb as he recognizes the deity of Jesus. He then uses that same word to describe life outside the womb in Luke 2:12 (referring to baby Jesus) and later in Luke 18:15 (referring to children being brought to Jesus).
Brephos is a word that means “child,” “baby,” or “infant.” It is used interchangeably throughout Scripture to refer to the life of children, regardless of whether they are born or unborn.
Here are the three distinct life stages Luke refers to using the word, brephos:
It is no accident by Luke that he used the same word in all of these scenarios. From a divine perspective, each of these stages of life are to be valued and affirmed, whether inside the womb or outside the womb. Both Jesus and John the Baptist were identifiable, distinct persons, with value and with roles that were prepared ahead of time. Brephos is therefore a perfect word to support the sanctity of life. Brephos is also mentioned outside of the book of Luke. Paul uses brephos in 2 Timothy 3:15, “and how from childhood (brephos) you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
We can confidently say that brephos refers to all children, from every stage, including the fetal stage through adolescence. It is important to note that there is no distinction between life inside or outside the womb. The children greeting Jesus in the gospels, as well as the unborn Jesus and John the Baptist all have the same status as humans in the eyes of God. The New Testament authors were clearly inspired by the Holy Spirit not to distinguish.
• Brephos is an unborn child.
• Brephos is a newborn child.
• Brephos is an infant child, as well as an older child.
Children are children – born or unborn, and bréphos refers to the life of any human child, whether prenatal, infant, newborn, toddler, or adolescent.
Consider This…
How does this learning impact your worldview? How might you use brephos to explain a pro-life stance? Practice what this conversation might be like with a friend or family member. Click here to listen to our President/CEO Charles DiMarco and Associate Pastor of Church By The Seas, Jonny Grubbs, discuss this word as it relates to the pro-life movement.
Take Action!
Choose Brephos.
Communicate with others that you value life at every stage by remembering bréphos. The Bible clearly affirms all life to be valuable, no matter whether it is unborn or born. Encourage other believers to recognize this truth given to us in God’s Word. Partner with us at New Life Solutions by furthering our mission to protect the unborn, share the Gospel, and transform our communities – one life at a time.
Click here to learn how you can get involved.
For more resources concerning the Greek word Brephos, click here.