The Philotimo Project

Elder Paisiou aptly defined philotimo as “that deep-seated awareness in the heart that motivates the good that a person does. A philotimos person is one who conceives and enacts eagerly those things good."

1st Thessalonians 4:11 he uses it to describe the sort of ambition believers should have to conduct their lives with philotimo: - a life above reproach, well regarded by their community for their kindness.

2nd Corinthians 5:9, he uses it to describe his "labour" in the sense of his life's work and strivings.

Romans 15:20 he makes it his philotimo (he uses the verb φιλοτιμέομαι, [philotiméome][5] to preach the good news of the Gospel to people who have not heard it.

Philotimo is a Greek word that is without definition but impacts the world beyond imagination. The word philotimo comes from the Greek root words “filos,” meaning friend, and “timi,” meaning honor. The meaning of philotimo extends far beyond the words friend and honor. Philotimo encompasses the concepts of pride in self, pride in family, pride in community, and doing the right thing.