Original Word: κριτήριον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: kritérion
Pronunciation: kree-tay'-ree-on
Phonetic Spelling: (kree-tay'-ree-on)
Definition: Criterion, tribunal, court of justice
Meaning: criterion; a law-court; a law-case before an arbiter; a cause, controversy.

a law court, tribunal

Neuter of a presumed derivative of krites; a rule of judging ("criterion"), i.e. (by implication) a tribunal -- to judge, judgment (seat).

see GREEK krites

Word Origin
from krités
Definition
a law court
NASB Translation
court (1), law courts (2).

STRONGS NT 2922: κριτήριον

κριτήριον, κριτηρίου, τό (from κριτηρ, equivalent to κριτής);

1. properly, the instrument or means of trying or judging anything; the rule by which one judges (Plato, Plutarch, others).

2. the place where judgment is given; the tribunal of a judge; a bench of judges: plural, 1 Corinthians 6:2; James 2:6 (the Sept.; Plato, Polybius, Plutarch, others).

3. in an exceptional usage, the matter judged, thing to be decided, suit, case: plural 1 Corinthians 6:4 (this sense is denied by many; cf. e. g. Meyer on 1 Corinthians 6:2).

Word Origin: Derived from κριτής (kritēs), meaning "judge."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for κριτήριον, related concepts of judgment and justice can be found in Hebrew terms such as מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, Strong's Hebrew 4941), meaning "judgment" or "justice," and דִּין (din, Strong's Hebrew 1779), meaning "to judge" or "to contend." These terms similarly convey the idea of legal and moral discernment within the context of God's covenant community.

Usage: The term κριτήριον is used in the New Testament to refer to a place or system of judgment, often in the context of legal or moral discernment.

Context: The Greek term κριτήριον appears in the New Testament primarily in contexts related to judgment and discernment. It is used to describe a tribunal or court where decisions are made, reflecting both legal and moral dimensions of judgment. The term underscores the importance of righteous judgment and the role of discernment in the life of believers.

In 1 Corinthians 6:2-4, the Apostle Paul uses κριτήριον to challenge the Corinthian church regarding their disputes. He questions why believers would take their grievances before secular courts (κριτήριον) rather than resolving them within the church community. Paul emphasizes that the saints will judge the world and even angels, suggesting that they should be competent to judge trivial matters among themselves: "Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church?" (1 Corinthians 6:2-4, BSB).

The use of κριτήριον in this passage highlights the expectation that believers exercise discernment and wisdom in their judgments, reflecting the justice and righteousness of God. It also points to the future role of believers in God's ultimate judgment, reinforcing the call to live according to divine principles in the present.

κριτηρια κριτήρια κριτήριον κριτηρίου κριτηριων κριτηρίων kriteria kritēria kritḗria kriterion kriteríon kritēriōn kritēríōnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts