ethnikos identifies Gentile people as a group, whether named for their conduct or contrasted with the assembly.

The attested uses identify Gentile people as a recognized group: their conduct supplies comparisons in Matthew 5:47 and Matthew 6:7, a non-listening person is treated as outside the assembly in Matthew 18:17, and 3 John 1:7 refers to receiving nothing from them.

1. Gentile people as a contrasted group · dominant

   The nominative plural forms name the people whose greeting and prayer are used for comparison: in Matthew 5:47 the APB renders, “Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” and in Matthew 6:7 it warns against praying as “the Gentile-like do.” The singular nominative in Matthew 18:17 places “the Gentile” beside “the tax collector” as the comparison for someone refusing the assembly, while the genitive plural in 3 John 1:7 occurs in the clause rendered “receiving nothing from the Gentiles.”

   Matthew 5:47Matthew 6:7Matthew 18:173 John 1:7

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB generally presents the group with “Gentiles,” while Matthew 6:7 uses “Gentile-like.” This variation does not establish separate lexical uses.