Poikilos – diversified

A multi-colored word

In secular Greek poikilos (ποικίλος) basically means multi-colored. A leopard skin is poikilos. The feathers of birds are poikilos. Granite stone is said to be poikilos. But the word is not used just to describe natural things. It also means cunningly made in various colors. Cloth or carpet can be poikilos. Here we see the word take on the added meaning of anything which is complex or intricate.  The game of chess is complex or poikilos. A complicated law or a intricate puzzle would be poikilos.

Poikilos can also describe a person who is clever, or resourceful in any occasion or emergency.  A policeman or ambulance driver would be poikilos. But, it can slide down to a lower level describing one who is too clever, full of tricks, and using his abilities to further his own greed or wants.

In the New Testament, poikilos (ποικίλος) is used to describe Jesus healing many various (divers) diseases (ποικίλος νόσος).[ Mt.4:24, Mk. 1:34, Lk. 4:40] It is used to describe divers lusts and pleasures. [2 Tim. 3:6, Titus 3:3] Poikilos is used to describe various miracles, doctrines, and temptations. [Heb. 2:4, 13:9, James 1:2, 1 Pet. 1:6] But, one of the greatest uses of this word, poikilos, occurs in 1 Peter 4:10, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Here, poikilos is translated as the word “manifold.”  But notice, it is used to describe the grace of God.  It means God’s grace is marked by diversity or variety. It is multi-faceted with comprehensive and various features. God’s grace has many folds.  It is manifold or many-colored. Which means, there is no color in our human life that God’s grace cannot match. No matter how black your situation is, God’s grace can cover it. Grace surrounds it and encompasses it. Grace is multi-colored and diversified. It can meet every possible need or situation in our life. It is so diversified that there is nothing grace can’t cover.

Poikilos also means clever, or resourceful.  In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter was telling us that there is no possible problem that the grace of God cannot supply the solution. There is no possible set of circumstances, no possible crisis, emergency or demand that the grace of God can’t find a way to overcome or triumph. The many-colored grace of God is sufficient for all things!

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