5581. pseudónumos

Lexical Summary

pseudónumos: Falsely named, false

Original Word: ψευδώνυμος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pseudónumos
Pronunciation: psyoo-don'-oo-mos
Phonetic Spelling: (psyoo-do'-noo-mos)
KJV: falsely so called
NASB: falsely called
Word Origin: [from G5571 (ψευδής - false ) and G3686 (ὄνομα - name)]

1. untruly named

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

falsely called.

From pseudes and onoma; untruly named -- falsely so called.

see GREEK pseudes

see GREEK onoma

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from pseudés and onoma
Definition
under a false name, falsely called
NASB Translation
falsely called (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5581: ψευδώνυμος

ψευδώνυμος, ψευδωνυμον (ψεῦδος (ψευδής, rather) and ὄνομα), falsely named (A. V. falsely so called): 1 Timothy 6:20. (Aeschylus, Philo, Plutarch, Sextus Empiricus)

Topical Lexicon

Greek Term

ψευδώνυμος (pseudōnymos) ― “falsely named,” “so-called,” “bearing a false title”

Biblical Occurrence

1 Timothy 6:20

Immediate Context

Paul exhorts Timothy, “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called ‘knowledge,’” (1 Timothy 6:20). The apostle contrasts the sacred “deposit” (the apostolic gospel) with teachings that parade under an impressive label but are in fact counterfeit.

False Naming and the Battle for Truth

1. Scripture consistently contrasts truth with deception (John 8:44; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). ψευδώνυμος pinpoints a unique strategy of error: it assigns to falsehood a respectable name.
2. The term warns that error rarely announces itself honestly; it prefers the cloak of academic sophistication, religious authority, or moral progress (Colossians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
3. By labeling pseudo-teachings “knowledge,” opponents claimed intellectual prestige, a tactic still familiar wherever novel philosophies masquerade as enlightened Christianity.

Historical Setting in the Pastoral Epistles

Early congregations faced an amalgam of Jewish myths (1 Timothy 1:4), genealogical speculations, and nascent forms of what later matured into Gnosticism. These groups prized secret insight, presenting their ideas as a superior gnosis. Paul’s single use of ψευδώνυμος targets that climate, exposing the pretentious label without dignifying the content.

Theological Significance

• Truth is a matter of God’s self-revelation, not human invention (Deuteronomy 29:29; John 17:17).
• “Knowledge” severed from godliness proves empty (1 Timothy 6:3-5; James 3:13-17).
• Every counterfeit must be weighed against “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). ψευδώνυμος accents the moral character of doctrine: falsely labeled teaching is not neutral; it imperils souls (1 Timothy 6:21).

Guarding the Deposit

Timothy is commanded to:

1. Guard (φυλάσσω) ― active protection of the gospel’s purity.
2. Avoid (ἐκτρέπω) ― decisive separation from spurious debate.
3. Expose (cf. 2 Timothy 4:2-4) ― refute false labeling by accurate proclamation.

The task combines pastoral vigilance and doctrinal fidelity. Modern ministries likewise safeguard Scripture through careful exegesis, confessional clarity, and discipleship rooted in the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27-31).

Pastoral Warnings and Encouragements

• Do not be overawed by scholarly trends that question biblical authority. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).
• Cultivate communities where truth is loved, error is named, and questions are answered graciously (Ephesians 4:15).
• Recognize that genuine knowledge is relational—“this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).

Implications for Today

1. Christian educators must teach discernment, enabling believers to detect when “re-imagined Christianity,” progressive morality, or spiritual syncretism simply rebrand unbelief.
2. Apologists should expose misleading terminology—whether “science,” “freedom,” or “love”—when divorced from biblical definitions.
3. Church leaders must maintain transparent doctrinal standards, resisting the lure of ambiguous language that accommodates error for the sake of cultural acceptance.

Conclusion

ψευδώνυμος serves as a timeless caution: the most dangerous errors often wear respectable names. The church’s antidote remains the same—guard the apostolic deposit, proclaim the true gospel, and entrust all teaching to the authoritative Word of God.

Forms and Transliterations

ψευδωνυμου ψευδωνύμου pseudonumou pseudōnumou pseudonymou pseudonýmou pseudōnymou pseudōnýmou

Englishman's Concordance

1 Timothy 6:20 Adj-GFS
GRK: ἀντιθέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως
NAS: [and] the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge--
KJV: of science falsely so called:
INT: oppositions called knowledge

Strong's Greek 5581
1 Occurrence

ψευδωνύμου — 1 Occ.