Lexical Summary anaskeuazó: To upset, to unsettle, to subvert Original Word: ἀνασκευάζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance subvert. From ana (in the sense of reversal) and a derivative of skeuos; properly, to pack up (baggage), i.e. (by implication, and figuratively) to upset -- subvert. see GREEK ana see GREEK skeuos HELPS Word-studies 384 anaskeuázō (from 303 /aná, "up," which intensifies 4632 /skeúos, "a vessel for carrying") – properly, "pack up, to carry away or remove" (J. Thayer), i.e. move something out of its place; re-arrange to confuse (unsettle); "mix up" to subvert (destroy by unsettling). [In one papyrus, anaskeuazō means "go bankrupt " (P Oxy IV. 745.5, 384 /anaskeuázō ("subversively rearranging"), used only in Ac 15:24, refers to people with false (scrambled) theology trying to "re-arrange" the theology of others! NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ana and skeuazó (to prepare, make ready) Definition to pack up baggage, dismantle NASB Translation unsettling (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 384: ἀνασκευάζωἀνασκευάζω; (σκευάζω, from (σκεῦος a vessel, utensil); 1. to pack up baggage (Latinvasacolligere) in order to carry it away to another place: Xenophon, an. 5, 10 (6, 2) 8. Middle to move one's furniture (when setting out for some other place, Xenophon, Cyril 8, 5, 4 ὅταν δέ ἀνασκευαζωνται, συντιθησι μέν ἕκαστος τά σκεύη); hence, 2. of an enemy dismantling, plundering, a place (Thucydides 4, 116); to overthrow, ravage, destroy, towns, lands, etc.; tropically, ψυχάς, to turn away violently from a right state, to unsettle, subvert: Acts 15:24. The verb ἀνασκευάζω pictures the tearing-down or dismantling of something that has been carefully set in place. Applied to people, it evokes the idea of stripping away settled convictions so that the inner life is left in upheaval. Rather than a sudden outburst, the word suggests a systematic process that slowly unravels what was formerly secure. Biblical Occurrence and Context Acts 15:24 records the only New Testament use. In the letter drafted by the Jerusalem Council, the elders write, “Since we have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and troubled you with their words, unsettling your minds” (Berean Standard Bible). The participle “unsettling” translates ἀνασκευάζω. The men from Judea had insisted that Gentile believers be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses (Acts 15:1, 5). Their teaching did not merely annoy the congregations; it dismantled the confidence that salvation rests on the grace of God in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 15:11). Historical Setting The church at Antioch was flourishing with both Jewish and Gentile believers (Acts 11:20-26; 13:1-3). When the Judaizers arrived, they pressed for a return to pre-cross regulations. This crisis threatened to fracture fellowship and to place Gentile converts under burdens the Law itself could not remove (Galatians 2:4-5; 5:1). The Jerusalem Council’s decisive rejection of the legalistic demand secured the gospel’s liberty. Thus ἀνασκευάζω marks a pivotal moment when the church formally protected justification by faith against doctrinal erosion. Theological Significance 1. The nature of false teaching 2. The sufficiency of grace 3. The role of church authority Pastoral Ramifications • Shepherds must recognize that teaching which appears minor can dismantle core confidence in the gospel. Vigilance involves both refuting error and strengthening the flock (Titus 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). • True pastoral letters, like the Jerusalem decree, pair correction with encouragement: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28). While exposing the source of disturbance, they also affirm what is non-negotiable and what is unnecessary to impose (Acts 15:28-29). Safeguarding Gospel Purity • Test every message against apostolic doctrine (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11). Lessons for Contemporary Ministry 1. Clarity: Present the gospel without additions that might imply Christ’s work is incomplete. Summary ἀνασκευάζω spotlights the subtle but grave danger of doctrines that dismantle the settled assurance of salvation by grace through faith. Its lone appearance in Acts 15:24 captures a crisis that, once resolved, safeguarded the church’s proclamation for generations to come. Spiritual leaders today share the same charge: protect the flock from whatever would “unsettle” their minds and point them afresh to the finished work of Christ. |
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