The Greek New Testament translates two very different words as Foundation. These are:
- Themelios, which always refers to the foundation of a building, whether it is a home, a public building or a city wall. This is a foundation laid out by men, square, rectangular, round or any other shape. The sturdiness of the structure depends on the quality of this foundation. Themelios is used seven times in the New Testament referring to the foundation of a structure. Themelios is used other times in speaking of the foundation of biblical principles.
- Katabole, always refers to the foundation of the world, being used ten times in the New Testament referring to the foundation of the world. Katabole speaks of the foundation of the Earth as something cast down forcefully, with God raising His arm then dropping it quickly, like FOOMF! And there is the foundation of our world! A typical verse is Matthew 25: Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, the blessed of My Father, you must now inherit what has been prepared for you in the kingdom from the foundation of the world.
It is fascinating that every time a New Testament author refers to the foundation of the world, he uses Katabole. Now look at Genesis 1:1 in a slightly different way: In the beginning God created the heavens, then He raised His arm and cast down the foundation of the Earth!