Lexical Summary paralogizomai: To deceive, to delude, to mislead by false reasoning Original Word: παραλογίζομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beguile, deceive. From para and logizomai; to misreckon, i.e. Delude -- beguile, deceive. see GREEK para see GREEK logizomai HELPS Word-studies 3884 paralogízomai (from 3844 /pará, "contrary when compared side-by-side" and 3049 /logízomai, "to reason") – properly, to reason contrary to truth, in a misleading (erroneous) way. 3884 /paralogízomai ("deceive close-beside") operates by distorted reasoning – using what seems "plausible" but later lets the person down ("disappoints"). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom para and logizomai Definition to miscalculate, to reason falsely NASB Translation delude (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3884: παραλογίζομαιπαραλογίζομαι; (see παρά, IV. 2); a. to reckon wrong, miscount: Demosthenes, p. 822, 25; 1037, 15. b. to cheat by false reckoning (Aeschines, Aristotle); to deceive by false reasoning (joined to ἐξαπαταν, Epictetus diss. 2, 20, 7); hence, c. universally, to deceive, delude, circumvent: τινα, Colossians 2:4; James 1:22 (the Sept. several times for רִמָּה). Strong’s Greek 3884 describes the calculated act of leading someone into a false mental reckoning. It is not mere ignorance but deliberate mis-reasoning—logic twisted just enough to appear sound while aiming to displace trust in God’s revealed truth. The word therefore straddles both the intellectual and moral realms, exposing how error often arrives clothed in plausibility. Usage in the New Testament The verb surfaces only twice, yet in two strategic arenas of deception: Colossians 2:4 – The Danger of External Intellectual Seduction “I say this so that no one will deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.” Paul writes from prison to believers who are being courted by teachers mixing Christ with philosophy, ascetic ritual, and proto-gnostic speculations. By choosing the verb 3884, he highlights the subtlety of the threat: arguments that sound refined, culturally respectable, even spiritually impressive. The antidote he supplies in the surrounding verses is a fresh vision of Christ’s supremacy and the believer’s completeness in Him (Colossians 2:3, 2:9-10). Sound Christology, not anti-intellectualism, is Paul’s safeguard against intellectual deceit. James 1:22 – The Peril of Internal Spiritual Self-Deception “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James transfers the verb from false teachers to the false security lurking in the heart. A listener who nods at Scripture but postpones obedience performs a mental slight-of-hand on his own soul, congratulating himself for piety he has not practiced. Unlike Colossians, the threat is not outside rhetoric but inside rationalization. The remedy is immediate obedience that mirrors the implanted word (James 1:21, 1:25). Relationship to Old Testament Concepts The Old Testament repeatedly warns against “lying lips,” “smooth speech,” and the heart that “flatters itself” (Proverbs 6:12; Psalm 36:2). The New Testament verb gathers these strands into a focused warning: a mind can be swayed by the sweet talk of others or by the sweet talk of its own excuses. Both forms violate the first commandment by shifting confidence away from the Lord. Historical Background In the Greco-Roman world, rhetoric was prized as social capital. Philosophers such as the Sophists trained students to win crowds with polished reasoning regardless of truth. Early Christians therefore faced a culture where eloquence was admired more than accuracy. Against this backdrop, the apostolic writers employ 3884 to expose the currency of counterfeit logic and to elevate the Word of God as the ultimate criterion. Doctrinal Implications 1. The sufficiency of Scripture: every attempt to supplement or supplant biblical authority places believers at risk of intellectual deception. Practical Ministry Application • Preaching should unveil the beauty and fullness of Christ, the best preventative against alluring error. Connections with Other New Testament Terms 3884 sits alongside words like planē (“wandering,” Hebrews 3:13) and apataō (“to cheat,” Ephesians 5:6). Together they form a family of concepts depicting deception’s stages: attraction, persuasion, mis-reckoning, and moral drift. Recognizing the nuance of each term sharpens pastoral diagnosis and response. Exemplar Passages for Teaching and Preaching • Genesis 3:1-6—Eve’s dialogue with the serpent shows the first “fine-sounding argument.” Summary Strong’s 3884 spotlights the razor’s edge where thought and faith meet. Whether issuing from persuasive teachers or from the mirror of one’s own heart, deception gains ground when Christ’s supremacy is diminished and obedience is delayed. The church overcomes by enthroning the Lord Jesus in doctrine and in daily practice, refusing every argument—however eloquent—that would count less than everything in Him. Englishman's Concordance Colossians 2:4 V-PSM/P-3SGRK: μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς παραλογίζηται ἐν πιθανολογίᾳ NAS: that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. KJV: lest any man should beguile you with INT: no one you might delude by persuasive speech James 1:22 V-PPM/P-NMP Strong's Greek 3884 |
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