Strong's Concordance
apologia: a speech in defense
Original Word: ἀπολογία, ας, ἡPart of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: apologia
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ol-og-ee'-ah)
Short Definition: a verbal defense
Definition: a verbal defense (particularly in a law court).
HELPS Word-studies
627 apología (from 575 /apó, "from" and 3056 /lógos, "intelligent reasoning") – properly, a well-reasoned reply; a thought-out response to adequately address the issue(s) that is raised.
627 /apología ("reasoned defense") is the term for making a legal defense in an ancient court. Today 627 /apología ("biblical apologetics") is used for supplying evidences for the Christian faith.
[An "apology" in classical times had nothing to do with saying, "I'm sorry," but rather was a reasoned argument (defense) that presented evidence (supplied compelling proof).]
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 627: ἀπολογίαἀπολογία,
ἀπολογίας,
ἡ (see
ἀπολογέομαι),
verbal defense, speech in defense:
Acts 25:16;
2 Corinthians 7:11;
Philippians 1:7, 17 (16);
2 Timothy 4:16; with a dative of the person who is to hear the defense, to whom one labors to excuse or to make good his cause:
1 Corinthians 9:3;
1 Peter 3:15; in the same sense,
ἡ ἀπολογία ἡ πρός τινα,
Acts 22:1 (
Xenophon, mem. 4, 8, 5).
