2717

Lexical Summary

katargeō: To abolish, to nullify, to render inactive or ineffective

Original Word: καταργέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: katargeō
Pronunciation: kat-ar-GEH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ar-GEH-o)

Topical Lexicon

Overview and Scope

Strong’s Greek 2717 καταργέω expresses the decisive removal of efficacy, power, or standing. Though this exact form is absent from the Greek New Testament, cognate forms saturate apostolic teaching, presenting a rich biblical theology of “nullification” by the saving work of God in Christ. Scripture portrays the verb’s force as more than cancellation; it is the active rendering of something inoperative so that a new, superior reality may flourish.

Old Testament Anticipation

The Septuagint uses related verbs when God breaks the arm of the wicked (Psalm 10:15 LXX) or nullifies hostile counsel (Isaiah 8:10). Divine intervention does not merely restrain evil; it voids its authority. These anticipatory patterns prepare readers to expect that, in the fullness of time, God will abolish deeper enemies—sin, death, and the condemnation of the Law.

New Testament Development

Although 2717 itself is unlisted, its conceptual family appears prominently:

• Romans 6:6 – “Our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”
• 1 Corinthians 13:8 – “Love never fails; but where there are prophecies, they will pass away… knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.”
• 2 Corinthians 3:11 – “If what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!”
• Ephesians 2:15 – Christ “abolished in His flesh the law of commandments and regulations.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:8 – “The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the splendor of His coming.”

These passages depict a four-fold field of abolition: (1) the mastery of sin, (2) the curse and ceremonial burden of the Mosaic Law, (3) Satanic and worldly powers, and (4) temporal structures destined to give way to eternal realities.

Christological Center

The cross is the epicenter where καταργέω reaches its fullest force. In dying and rising, Jesus nullifies every claim hostile to God’s people (Colossians 2:14–15). What the Law could not do because of weakened flesh, God did by sending His Son, “so that the righteous standard of the Law might be fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:3–4). Thus abolition is never lawlessness; it is law fulfilled, judgment exhausted, and dominion transferred to the risen Lord.

Soteriological Implications

1. Justification: The believer’s guilt is abolished; condemnation no longer stands (Romans 8:1).
2. Sanctification: Sin’s enslaving power is annulled, enabling practical holiness (Romans 6:11–14).
3. Assurance: The certainty that death itself will be “the last enemy to be destroyed” (1 Corinthians 15:26) anchors hope.

Ecclesiological Application

In Ephesians 2:15 the abolition of ordinances removes the dividing wall between Jewish and Gentile believers, creating “one new man.” The church therefore embodies unity that law-keeping alone could never achieve. Ministry that clings to obsolete boundary markers undermines the very work Christ has rendered inoperative.

Eschatological Horizon

The verb’s future orientation culminates when every opposing rule and authority is abolished at Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15:24). Present experience of victory is real yet partial; final consummation awaits the visible subjugation of all things.

Pastoral and Practical Considerations

• Preaching should emphasize that believers fight from victory, not for it. Habits of sin are addressed by reckoning them already nullified.
• Legalism must be unmasked as a denial of what God has abolished.
• Spiritual warfare acknowledges that demonic claims are disarmed, though resistance persists until Christ’s appearing.
• Counseling finds power in reminding saints that shame and condemnation have been put out of operation.

Historical Theology

The Reformers leaned heavily on this concept in articulating sola gratia. Martin Luther spoke of the Law’s accusing voice as “silenced” by the cross, while John Calvin explained that Christ “took away its curse, abolished its condemnation, and fulfilled its righteousness.” Subsequent evangelical revivals echoed the same abolitionist theme, encouraging confident holiness grounded in accomplished redemption.

Conclusion

Strong’s 2717 καταργέω showcases the triumph of God’s redemptive plan: what once governed humanity—sin, death, the Law’s curse, satanic dominion—has been decisively set aside through Christ. Believers, therefore, live in the liberty of what has already been rendered powerless, awaiting the day when abolition becomes visible consummation.

Englishman's Concordance

κατειργάσθαι — 1 Occ.
κατειργάσθη — 1 Occ.
κατεργασάμενοι — 1 Occ.
κατεργασάμενον — 1 Occ.
κατεργασάμενος — 1 Occ.
κατεργάζεσθαι — 1 Occ.
κατεργάζεσθε — 1 Occ.
κατεργάζεται — 6 Occ.
κατεργάζομαι — 3 Occ.
κατεργαζομένη — 1 Occ.
κατεργαζομένου — 1 Occ.
κατῆλθεν — 2 Occ.
κατήλθομεν — 2 Occ.
κατῆλθον — 4 Occ.
κατελθεῖν — 2 Occ.
κατελθὼν — 3 Occ.
ΚΑΤΕΛΘΟΝΤΕΣ — 1 Occ.
κατελθόντων — 1 Occ.
κατερχομένη — 1 Occ.
κατάφαγε — 1 Occ.