Lexical Summary aganaktésis: Indignation, displeasure Original Word: ἀγανακτήσις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance indignation. From aganakteo; indignation -- indignation. see GREEK aganakteo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom aganakteó Definition indignation NASB Translation indignation (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 24: ἀγανάκτησιςἀγανάκτησις, (εως, ἡ, indignation: 2 Corinthians 7:11. (From Plato on.) Topical Lexicon Usage in the New Testament The noun ἀγανάκτησιν appears a single time, in 2 Corinthians 7:11. In Paul’s list of seven evidences of “godly sorrow,” indignation stands alongside earnestness, zeal, and readiness to see justice done. The rarity of the term underscores its precision: it is not a generalized anger but a focused moral revulsion that accompanies true repentance. Historical Background in the Corinthian Correspondence Paul’s “severe letter” (alluded to in 2 Corinthians 2:3–4 and 7:8) confronted the church over tolerated sin and a challenge to Paul’s apostolic authority. When Titus reported the Corinthians’ repentant response, Paul identified their ἀγανάκτησιν as part of a Spirit-worked transformation. The church moved from complacency to a corporate outrage toward the sin that had threatened its purity and witness. Theological Significance: Holy Displeasure Leading to Holiness Indignation can be either righteous or sinful; Scripture approves only the former. In 2 Corinthians 7:11 indignation is the fruit of “godly sorrow” (λύπη κατὰ Θεόν) contrasted with “worldly sorrow” that produces death (7:10). Holy displeasure: Distinction from Sinful Anger Whereas sinful wrath centers on self, godly indignation centers on God’s righteousness. James 1:20 warns that “man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God,” yet Mark 3:5 records Jesus looking “around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart.” The Corinthian example demonstrates that believers may—and at times must—share Christ’s holy resentment toward sin without crossing into fleshly hostility. Old Testament Parallels Hebrew narratives highlight moments of covenant-loyal indignation: These accounts mirror the Corinthian experience: righteous indignation acts as a catalyst for communal purification. Ministry Lessons 1. Discernment: Leaders must distinguish between godly indignation that restores and carnal anger that destroys (Proverbs 29:22). Practical Application for Discipleship • Examine motives when stirred to anger; ask whether the concern is God’s glory or personal offense. Summary Strong’s Greek 24 encapsulates a single yet potent New Testament instance where genuine repentance flowers into holy indignation. The Corinthian believers, once tolerant of sin, now loathed it. Their example calls the church in every age to embrace a sanctified resentment toward evil that honors Christ, safeguards the fellowship, and advances practical holiness. Forms and Transliterations αγανακτησιν αγανάκτησιν ἀγανάκτησιν αγανώθ aganaktesin aganaktēsin aganáktesin aganáktēsinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |