Lexical Summary kautériazó: To sear, to brand, to cauterize Original Word: καυτηριάζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sear with a hot iron. From a derivative of kaio; to brand ("cauterize"), i.e. (by implication) to render unsensitive (figuratively) -- sear with a hot iron. see GREEK kaio HELPS Word-studies 2743 kautēriázō (from 2545 /kaíō, "burn") – properly, brand (sear) with a red-hot iron; (figuratively) cauterized, which destroys the "spiritual nerve-endings." 2743 /kautēriázō ("seared") is used only in 1 Tim 4:2: "By means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron (2743 /kautēriázō)" (NASU). [2743 (kautēriázō) literally referred to branding a person with a red-hot iron which sears the flesh and deadens (numbs) the nerves. After this, the person no longer feels obvious impulses (pleasure or pain).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originvariant reading for kaustériazó, q.v. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2743: καυστηριάζωκαυστηριάζω: perfect passive participle κεκαυστηριασμενος, to burn in with a branding iron (τά ἵππους λύκον, a figure of a wolf Strabo 5, 1, 9, p. 215): 1 Timothy 4:2, Lachmann's stereotyped edition, T Tr WH on which passage see καυτηριάζω. (Not found elsewhere.) STRONGS NT 2743: καυτηριάζωκαυτηριάζω: (καυτήριον ((cf. καίω)) a branding-iron); to mark by branding, to brand: (perfect passive participle) κεκαυτηριάσμενοι τήν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, i. e. κεκαυτηριασμενην ἔχοντες τήν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν (cf. Winers Grammar, 230 (216)) (cf. ἀκταφθείρω) (branded in their own conscience i. e.) whose souls are branded with the marks of sin, i. e. who carry about with them the perpetual consciousness of sin, 1 Timothy 4:2 R G L, the major edition, see καυστηριάζω; (some (cf. R. V. marginal reading) would give it here the sense of seared, cf. Ephesians 4:19). (In Hippocrates in a medical sense, to cauterize, remove by cautery).) In the Greco-Roman world a hot iron was used to brand slaves, mark criminals, and cauterize wounds. To be “seared” evoked a vivid picture: living tissue touched by a glowing iron loses feeling, forms scar tissue, and permanently bears the mark. Paul draws on that imagery to describe the state of certain consciences—once sensitive, now desensitized and branded with the emblem of deceit. Biblical Usage The term appears once, in 1 Timothy 4:2, where Paul warns that “the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron”, will characterize later-times apostasy. The perfect-passive form underscores an accomplished, ongoing condition: their inner moral compass has been permanently cauterized, no longer responsive to truth. Relationship to the Conscience Scripture portrays the conscience as an internal witness (Romans 2:15), yet one that can be: • Clean (2 Timothy 1:3) A seared conscience differs from a merely defiled conscience. Defilement indicates contamination that may yet be cleansed; searing implies loss of sensation, a deeper stage of moral paralysis. This mirrors Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness (Exodus 8:15) and the “callous” state described in Ephesians 4:19—“Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality”. False Teaching and Moral Insensitivity Paul links the seared conscience to “deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). False teachers are not merely mistaken; their moral faculty is branded by habitual hypocrisy. The external mask of piety hides an inward desensitization that permits them to propagate error without pangs of guilt. Historical Ministry Significance Early Christian writers echoed Paul’s warning. Ignatius urged believers to “avoid the poison of deceit,” noting that habitual falsehood deadens perception of truth. During the Reformation, theologians contrasted a seared conscience with the awakened conscience that trembles at God’s Word. Pastors across centuries have appealed to 1 Timothy 4:2 when confronting religious formalism that numbs conviction. Pastoral and Personal Application 1. Guarding Sensitivity: Regular self-examination under Scripture (Hebrews 4:12) prevents scar tissue from forming in the soul. Warnings for Contemporary Culture Modern media can normalize evil, silencing the inner alarm. Relativism applauds moral numbness as sophistication. The church must therefore cultivate biblically informed consciences, lest professing believers drift into the apathetic state Paul describes. Preaching and Teaching Tips • Illustrate with medical cauterization to convey permanence. Doctrinal Connections The Spirit’s convicting work (John 16:8) preserves sensitivity; persistent resistance blunts His voice. Thus 1 Timothy 4:2 intersects with doctrines of illumination, sanctification, and perseverance. While genuine believers may stumble, the Spirit renews their conscience; ongoing searing evidences the peril of professed faith divorced from regeneration. Summary Strong’s 2743 paints a solemn portrait of consciences scarred by habitual falsehood. The term’s solitary appearance is weighty, warning every generation that unrepented sin anesthetizes the soul, silences conviction, and brands the life with deception. Scripture’s answer is earnest adherence to truth, continual repentance, and reliance on the Holy Spirit to keep the conscience tender before God. Englishman's Concordance 1 Timothy 4:2 V-RPM/P-GMPGRK: ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν KJV: conscience seared with a hot iron; INT: hypocrisy of speakers of lies having been seared the own |
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