Lexical Summary ekstrephó: To pervert, to turn away, to distort Original Word: ἐκστρέφω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance subvert. From ek and strepho; to pervert (figuratively) -- subvert. see GREEK ek see GREEK strepho HELPS Word-studies 1612 ekstréphō (from 1537 /ek, "wholly out from," intensifying 4762 /stréphō, "turn") – properly, turn completely out of place, i.e. "turn inside out" (used only in Tit 3:11). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and strephó Definition to turn inside out, fig. to pervert NASB Translation perverted (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1612: ἐκστρέφωἐκστρέφω: perfect passive ἐξεστραμμαι; 1. to turn or twist out, tear up (Homer, Iliad 17, 58). 2. to turn inside out, invert; tropically, to change for the worse, pervert, corrupt (Aristophanes nub. 554; the Sept. Deuteronomy 32:20): Titus 3:11. STRONGS NT 1612a: ἐκσῴζω [ἐκσῴζω: 1 aorist ἐξεσωσα; to save from, either to keep or to rescue from danger (from Aeschylus and Herodotus down): εἰς αἰγιαλόν ἐκσωσαι τό πλοῖον, to bring the ship safe to shore, Acts 27:39 WH text; others ἐξῶσαι, see ἐξωθέω, and εἰ I. 7 c. Topical Lexicon Root IdeaStrong’s Greek 1612 expresses the violent action of turning something the wrong way around—twisting, warping, or turning inside-out. In moral and spiritual terms it pictures truth, conscience, or right conduct being so bent that the result is the very opposite of what God intends. New Testament Setting: Titus 3:11 Paul instructs Titus, “Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning; he stands self-condemned” (Titus 3:10-11). Here the perfect tense (“has been twisted”) shows a completed, settled condition. The divisive person has not merely stumbled; his inner orientation has been turned the wrong way, resulting in ongoing sin and self-condemnation. Pastoral Strategy Against Perversion 1. Patient Admonition (Titus 3:10). The goal is both the protection of the flock and the hopeful restoration of the offender (compare Galatians 6:1). Theology of Twisting Truth • Origin: The serpent “twisted” God’s word in Genesis 3:1-5, setting the prototype for all later perversion. Old Testament Parallels While the specific verb ἐξέστρεφον often appears in the Septuagint to describe cities overturned (e.g., Genesis 19:25) or hearts turned away (Psalm 101:3 LXX), the concept saturates Hebrew Scripture. “They have acted corruptly; their blemish is not His children’s…” (Deuteronomy 32:5) echoes the same moral overturning Paul identifies in Crete. Historical and Patristic Echoes Early Christian writers linked Titus 3:10-11 with Matthew 18:15-17 to form a two-step process: corrective instruction followed by separation when a heretic proved “turned inside-out.” Ignatius of Antioch warned the Smyrnaeans to avoid those “perverted by false doctrine,” using language reminiscent of 1612. Ministry Significance • Guarding Doctrine: Elders must detect when disagreements cross the line into doctrinal twisting. Practical Applications 1. Evaluate teachings by the straight-edge of Scripture (Acts 17:11). Summary Strong’s Greek 1612 provides a vivid picture: truth, once straight, can be bent beyond recognition. Titus 3:11 shows this condition is self-inflicted and spiritually fatal unless confronted. Faithful shepherds and discerning believers must recognize the signs, respond with grace and firmness, and cling to the unchanging word that alone can keep hearts from being “turned inside-out.” Forms and Transliterations εκστρέψει εξεστραμμένη εξεστραπται εξέστραπται ἐξέστραπται εξεστρέψατε exestraptai exéstraptaiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Titus 3:11 V-RIM/P-3SGRK: εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος NAS: that such a man is perverted and is sinning, KJV: he that is such is subverted, and INT: knowing that is perverted such a one |
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