castaway, rejected, reprobate.
, legg. see p. 742 a., others; hence, which does not prove itself to be such as it ought:
.
Topical Lexicon
Concept Overview“Adokimos” designates a person or thing that fails the test of divine scrutiny—found wanting, rejected, or rendered unfit for God’s purposes. The term evokes the image of metal that, once assayed, is discarded as impure. Scripture employs the word to expose moral corruption, doctrinal deceit, and spiritual barrenness, contrasting each with the “approved” life that bears evidence of grace.
Old Testament Foreshadowing
Jeremiah likens wayward Judah to “rejected silver” (Jeremiah 6:30), a picture of metal that refuses refinement and is thrown away. This metallurgical metaphor undergirds the New Testament’s use of “adokimos”: God’s people are continually tried; authentic faith endures the furnace, while hypocrisy is condemned as worthless slag.
New Testament Usage
1.Romans 1:28
When humanity spurns the knowledge of God, “He gave them over to a depraved mind”—a mind stamped “adokimos.” Moral inversion, therefore, is not merely human failure but divine verdict. The passage frames all subsequent occurrences: rejection results from persistent unbelief.
2.1 Corinthians 9:27
Paul disciplines his body “lest after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” The apostle’s vigilance exposes a sobering truth: gifted ministry does not immunize against disqualification; persevering obedience matters.
3.2 Corinthians 13:5-7
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves…unless indeed you fail the test” (verse 5). Paul re-applies the term three times, directing the church to spiritual self-audit. Authentic Christianity welcomes scrutiny because Christ dwells within; counterfeit faith fears exposure.
4.2 Timothy 3:8
Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, false teachers “are depraved in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.” Here “adokimos” indicts doctrinal corruption. Opposition to apostolic truth reveals hearts already judged unfit.
5.Titus 1:16
“They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.” Verbal orthodoxy cannot mask practical godlessness; fruitless lives face the label “adokimos.”
6.Hebrews 6:8
Land that drinks the rain but yields “thorns and thistles” is “worthless and near to being cursed, its end is to be burned.” The agricultural parable warns professing believers: long-term barrenness invites the verdict of rejection.
Theological Significance
Adokimos crystallizes the biblical tension between profession and possession. God’s judgment is not arbitrary; it is the righteous declaration that a life, doctrine, or ministry lacks the tested evidence of regeneration. The word affirms:
• Divine testing is inevitable (1 Peter 1:6-7).
• Assurance rests on Spirit-produced fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
• Perseverance is the God-ordained path to final approval (James 1:12).
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
Self-Examination: Regular, prayerful testing safeguards against presumption. The Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:28) and personal devotion provide arenas for honest appraisal.
Discipleship: Churches nurture believers toward “dokimos”—approved character—through sound teaching, accountable fellowship, and disciplined practice.
Leadership Qualification: Elders must exemplify lives proven genuine (1 Timothy 3:1-7). Teachers who contradict apostolic doctrine show themselves “adokimos” and must be silenced (Titus 1:10-11).
Evangelism: The gospel confronts the sinner’s “adokimos” state, offering in Christ the only righteousness that passes God’s test (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Historical Reflection
Early Christian writers—Ignatius, Polycarp, and later Chrysostom—cited Paul’s warnings to urge moral vigilance amid persecution and heresy. The Reformers, facing ecclesiastical corruption, likewise invoked “adokimos” to call for reformation by Scripture.
Conclusion
“Adokimos” stands as both caution and compass. It warns that untested or untrue faith ends in rejection, yet it points toward Christ, whose spotless obedience secures the believer’s acceptance. By abiding in Him, the church moves from the dread of disqualification to the joy of “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Forms and Transliterations
αδοκιμοι αδόκιμοι αδόκιμοί ἀδόκιμοι ἀδόκιμοί αδοκιμον αδόκιμον ἀδόκιμον αδοκιμος αδόκιμος ἀδόκιμος αδολεσχήσαι αδολεσχήσω αδολεσχία αδολεσχίαν αδολεσχίας ηδολέσχει ηδολέσχησα ηδολέσχουν adokimoi adókimoi adókimoí adokimon adókimon adokimos adókimosLinks
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