Today we understand that the word “edify” or “edification” means the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness and this is the way that Paul uses it in 1 st Corinthians 10:23 where Paul wrote, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify,” so he acknowledges that some things don’t edify or build up and if they...

The Greek words oikodomeo, "to build," oikodome, "the act of building," are used both literally and figuratively in the New Testament; "edify," "edifying," "edification," are the translation of the King James Version in some 20 passages, all in the figurative sense of the promotion of growth in Christian character. the Revised Version (British and American) in 2 Corinthians 10:8; 13:10; Ephesians 4:12,16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11...

A building up, in a moral and religious sense; instruction; improvement and progress of the mind, in knowledge, in morals, or in faith and holiness. He that prophesieth, speaketh to men to edification. 1 Cor.14. 2. Instruction; improvement of the mind in any species of useful knowledge.