3054. logomacheó
Lexical Summary
logomacheó: To argue about words, to wrangle over words

Original Word: λογομαχέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: logomacheó
Pronunciation: lo-go-ma-KHEH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (log-om-akh-eh'-o)
KJV: strive about words
NASB: wrangle about words
Word Origin: [from a compound of G3056 (λόγος - word) and G3164 (μάχομαι - argue)]

1. to be disputatious (on trifles)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
to dispute about words

From a compound of logos and machomai; to be disputatious (on trifles) -- strive about words.

see GREEK logos

see GREEK machomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from logos and machomai
Definition
to strive with words
NASB Translation
wrangle about words (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3054: λογομαχέω

λογομαχέω, λογομάχω; (from λγομαχος, and this from λόγος and μάχομαι); to contend about words; contextually, to wrangle about empty and trifling matters: 2 Timothy 2:14. (Not found in secular authors.)

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Conceptual Overview

Stripped of lexical detail, λογομαχεῖν describes the practice of battling with words—verbal sparring that majors on semantics while neglecting substance. Paul treats this propensity as spiritually corrosive, a misuse of speech that undermines the edification and unity Scripture commands.

Biblical Usage

The sole New Testament appearance lies in Paul’s charge to Timothy:

“Remind them of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words; this is in no way beneficial and leads to the ruin of the hearers.” (2 Timothy 2:14)

Here the apostle places λογομαχεῖν in stark contrast to “the word of truth” that Timothy must “rightly divide” (2 Timothy 2:15). The verse functions as a hinge: positive exhortation to faithful exposition is followed immediately by negative prohibition of vain disputation.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century Greco-Roman society prized rhetorical prowess. Sophists earned reputations by dazzling crowds with dialectical skill, often delighting in technicalities and paradoxes. Into this context the gospel arrived, not as another cerebral contest but as “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). Paul, familiar with both rabbinic debates and Hellenistic rhetoric, refuses to let gospel heralds be reduced to verbal gladiators.

Theological Emphases

1. Edification over Destruction: Verbal warfare “leads to the ruin of the hearers,” while sound doctrine “builds up” (Ephesians 4:29; 1 Corinthians 8:1).
2. Truth in Love: Believers must “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), distinguishing earnest contending for the faith (Jude 3) from fruitless bickering.
3. Stewardship of Speech: Words have creative and destructive capacity (Proverbs 18:21; James 3:5-10). λογομαχεῖν exemplifies the latter when speech is divorced from charity and purpose.

Relation to Other Pauline Warnings

1 Timothy 1:3-7 links “endless genealogies” and “fruitless discussion” to deviation from “love that comes from a pure heart.”
1 Timothy 6:3-5 portrays those “obsessed with arguments and disputes” as producing “envy, strife, slander.”
Titus 3:9 urges avoidance of “foolish controversies… because they are unprofitable and worthless.”

Together these passages form a pastoral theology: shepherds guard the flock by shutting down verbal quarrels that erode faith and fellowship.

Ministry Applications

• Preaching and Teaching: Expositors must clarify essentials, refuse distractions, and model gracious dialogue.
• Church Discipline: Persistent word-fighters may require admonition or, if unrepentant, removal from teaching influence (Titus 3:10-11).
• Apologetics: Defending truth involves reasoned argument (2 Corinthians 10:5) without descending into pedantic sparring.
• Counseling and Small Groups: Leaders steer conversations toward obedience and worship, away from combative conjecture.

Warnings and Illustrations

Negative examples span Scripture: the Pharisees’ captious questions (Matthew 22:15), the Corinthians’ party slogans (1 Corinthians 1:12), and Hymenaeus and Philetus who “deviated from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:17-18). Each instance shows how word-centrism, severed from gospel content, yields doctrinal decay and fractured relationships.

Echoes in Early Church History

Post-apostolic writers lamented “empty talkers” (Ignatius, To the Trallians 9) and combated Gnostic speculations. Irenaeus described heretics who “force a diversity of meanings from the same words,” warning that such verbal acrobatics shipwreck faith, echoing Paul’s concern in 2 Timothy 2:14.

Practical Implications for Today

Digital platforms magnify opportunities for λογομαχεῖν. Christians must:
• Check motives before engaging online.
• Prioritize clarity on the gospel and essential doctrine.
• Cultivate humility, listening before speaking (James 1:19).
• Withdraw from fruitless exchanges that neither persuade nor edify.

Passages for Further Study

Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 17:14; Ecclesiastes 12:11; Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:19; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Colossians 4:6; 2 Timothy 2:23-26; James 3:13-18.

Forms and Transliterations
λογομαχειν λογομαχείν λογομαχεῖν logomachein logomacheîn
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Timothy 2:14 V-PNA
GRK: θεοῦ μὴ λογομαχεῖν ἐπ' οὐδὲν
NAS: of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless
KJV: that they strive not about words to no
INT: God not to dispute about words for nothing

Strong's Greek 3054
1 Occurrence


λογομαχεῖν — 1 Occ.

3053
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