rḗ - lij´un : "Religion" and "religious" in Elizabethan English were used frequently to denote the outward expression of worship. This is the force of φρησκεία , thrēskeia , translated "religion" in Acts 26:5; James 1:26 , James 1:27 (with adjective thrḗskos , "religious"), while the same noun in Colossians 2:18 is rendered "worshipping" ("cult" would give the exact meaning). And in the same external sense "religion" is used by the King James Version for λατρεία , latreı́a , "worship" (so the Revised Version (British and American)), in 1 Macc 1:43; 2:19, 22. Otherwise "Jews' religion" (or "religion of the Jews") appears in 2 Macc 8:1; 14:38 (the Revised Version (British and American) bis); Galatians 1:13 , Galatians 1:14 ( Ἰουδαΐσμός , Ioudaismós , "Judaism"); and "an alien religion" in 2 Macc 6:24 (ἀλλοφυλισμός , allophulismós , "that belonging to another tribe"). The neglect of the external force of "religion" has led to much reckless misquoting of James 1:26 , James 1:27 . Compare Acts 17:22 . See SUPERSTITION .
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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