3810. paideutés

Lexical Summary

paideutés: Instructor, Trainer, Disciplinarian

Original Word: παιδευτής
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: paideutés
Pronunciation: pahee-dyoo-tace'
Phonetic Spelling: (pahee-dyoo-tace')
KJV: which corrected, instructor
NASB: corrector, discipline
Word Origin: [from G3811 (παιδεύω - discipline)]

1. a trainer, i.e. teacher or (by implication) discipliner

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

instructor.

From paideuo; a trainer, i.e. Teacher or (by implication) discipliner -- which corrected, instructor.

see GREEK paideuo

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 3810 paideutḗs – one who constructively corrects (disciplines) in order to train. See 3811 (paideuō).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from paideuó
Definition
a teacher, one who disciplines
NASB Translation
corrector (1), discipline (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3810: παιδευτής

παιδευτής, παιδευτου, ὁ (παιδεύω);

1. an instructor, preceptor, teacher: Romans 2:20 (Sir. 37:19; 4 Macc. 5:34; Plato, legg. 7, p. 811 d., etc.; Plutarch, Lycurgus,

c. 12, etc.; (Diogenes Laërtius 7, 7).

2. a chastiser: Hebrews 12:9 (Hosea 5:2; Psalt. Sal. 8, 35).

Topical Lexicon

Occurrences in Scripture

Strong’s Greek 3810 appears twice in the New Testament: Romans 2:20 and Hebrews 12:9. In both places the word stands at the intersection of training, correction, and responsible authority—whether misused by self-confident religious leaders or rightly exercised by loving fathers and, supremely, by God Himself.

Biblical Portrait of God-Honoring Instruction

Scripture consistently presents true instruction as relational, purposeful, and moral. It aims not merely at the transfer of information but at formation into righteousness. Proverbs 3:11-12 anticipates this dynamic: “My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD… for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights”. The New Testament extends the theme, grounding all legitimate training in the divine character revealed in Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29; John 13:13-15).

Romans 2:20: The Peril of Hollow Expertise

In Romans 2 Paul exposes the irony of those who possess the Torah yet fail to embody it. They claim to be “an instructor of the foolish” but lack inner obedience. Their failure warns every generation of teachers that knowledge divorced from humility becomes hypocrisy. Genuine spiritual trainers must therefore live what they teach (James 3:1; 1 Timothy 4:16).

Hebrews 12:9: Earthly Fathers and the Father of Spirits

Hebrews contrasts imperfect human fathers who “disciplined us” with “the Father of spirits.” Respect for earthly discipline logically leads to submissive reverence before God’s wiser, life-giving correction. The passage heightens the relational aspect of divine training: chastening is a mark of sonship, producing the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).

Old Testament Foundations

1. Covenant Instruction: Deuteronomy 4:9-10 and 6:6-9 mandate deliberate teaching within Israel’s households.
2. Wisdom Literature: Proverbs personifies wisdom as a mother and father molding character (Proverbs 4:1-4).
3. Prophetic Reproof: Isaiah and Jeremiah confront leaders who failed in their instructional duty, prefiguring Paul’s critique in Romans 2.

Historical Background in Second-Temple Judaism

Rabbinic schools prized rigorous catechesis. Scribes and Pharisees, conscious of their pedagogical calling, frequently addressed disciples as “children.” This environment sharpened Paul’s polemic: those entrusted with Torah must embody its ethical heart (Micah 6:8).

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus embodies perfect instruction:
• Model—He “began to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1).
• Message—His Sermon on the Mount internalizes law, converting external conformity into heart obedience.
• Means—Through the Spirit He guides believers “into all truth” (John 16:13).

Ministry Application

1. Shepherding the Flock: Elders bear responsibility to train through Word-centered correction (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Titus 1:9).
2. Parental Discipleship: Fathers are urged, “Bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
3. Corporate Accountability: Church discipline mirrors God’s loving reproof, aiming at restoration (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:5).

Practical Guidelines for Contemporary Instructors

• Integrity: Live transparently before those you teach.
• Scripture Saturation: Anchor every lesson in the whole counsel of God.
• Relational Investment: Instruction flourishes in genuine fellowship (1 Thessalonians 2:7-12).
• Goal Orientation: Aim for Christ-likeness, not mere information transfer (Colossians 1:28-29).
• Spirit Dependence: Effective training is empowered, not merely engineered (Galatians 5:22-25).

Eschatological Hope

Hebrews 12 ties present discipline to future life: “Should we not much more submit to the Father of spirits and live?” The ultimate Instructor prepares His children for glory, assuring that no corrective moment is wasted (Romans 8:28-30).

Summary

The rare New Testament term highlighted by Strong’s 3810 invites believers to cherish God’s fatherly discipline, practice authentic teaching, and resist the pretense of expertise without obedience. True instructors image the Father by shaping lives through truth, love, and holy example until every disciple is “complete in Christ.”

Forms and Transliterations

παιδευτας παιδευτάς παιδευτὰς παιδευτην παιδευτήν παιδευτὴν παιδευτής paideutas paideutàs paideuten paideutēn paideutḕn

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 2:20 N-AFS
GRK: παιδευτὴν ἀφρόνων διδάσκαλον
NAS: a corrector of the foolish, a teacher
KJV: An instructor of the foolish,
INT: an instructor of [the] foolish a teacher

Hebrews 12:9 N-AMP
GRK: πατέρας εἴχομεν παιδευτὰς καὶ ἐνετρεπόμεθα
NAS: fathers to discipline us, and we respected
KJV: flesh which corrected [us], and
INT: fathers we have had [as] those who discipline [us] and we respected [them]

Strong's Greek 3810
2 Occurrences

παιδευτὰς — 1 Occ.
παιδευτὴν — 1 Occ.