building, edify(-ication, -ing)

“Edification” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

From οικοδομέω, “to build, to build up.” The same word is used for the building of the Temple at Jerusalem (John 2:20), and by the Lord when He said He would build His assembly (Matt. 16:18). Οἰκοδομή occurs often in the epistles with the exhortation that all things in the church should be done to edification (Rom. 14:19; Rom. 15:2; 1 Cor. 14:3-26; Eph. 4:16,29). The gifts in the church were also for the edifying of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12); and when things were at their worst Christians were exhorted to be building up themselves on their most holy faith (Jude 20). As a building is increased and strengthened, so the body of Christ is built up by the ministry of the Spirit through the word until all come “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).

“Builder” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

As early as Genesis 4:17 we read of Cain building a city and calling it after his son’s name; since which time building houses has become common; whereas Abraham looked for a city whose Builder is God. It is used as symbolical of raising up a spiritual edifice to God, of which Christ is the Builder (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:9; Eph. 2:21; 1 Pet. 2:5). As instruments, others also are builders—Paul calls himself “a wise master builder,” or rather “architect” as having well laid the foundation of the assembly, which is Christ (1 Cor. 3:10). The laborers are cautioned as to the material they use in building up a house for God: improper materials will not stand the test of the fire, and the builders will suffer loss by seeing their work burned up and by losing their reward (1 Cor. 3:10-14). Whereas all that Christ builds, though by the instrumentality of His servants, will surely stand forever. Under another similitude Christ is the chief corner stone, or head of the corner, which “the builders,” the heads of the Jewish nation, refused, but which God exalted (Psa. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:7).

Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Greek:
οἰκοδομή
Transliteration:
oikodome
Phonic:
oy-kod-om-ay’
Meaning:
feminine (abstract) of a compound of 3624 and the base of 1430; architecture, i.e. (concretely) a structure; figuratively, confirmation
KJV Usage:
building, edify(-ication, -ing)