διακατελέγχομαι (diakatelegchomai)
diakatelegchomai
to refute
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb diakatelegchomai means to refute or confute someone completely, often in a competitive or argumentative context. It is an intensive form that suggests a thorough and decisive victory in debate, leaving no room for the opponent’s counterargument.
This word appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts 18:28, where it describes how Paul vigorously refuted the Jews in public discussion. The prefix dia- implies thoroughness or completion, while katelegchomai relates to exposing or convicting. Together, they convey a sense of overwhelming logical or rhetorical success.
Its rarity makes its single occurrence particularly significant. In Acts, it highlights Paul’s skill and determination in defending the faith against opposition, showing that his arguments were not just persuasive but conclusive.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word diakatelegchomai describes a thorough and decisive refutation, leaving no room for counterargument. In Acts 18:28, Paul uses this intense engagement to show that Jesus is the Christ, grounding his defense in Scripture. This reminds us that faith involves honest, rigorous dialogue with opposing views.
When challenges arise, we are not called to avoid debate but to engage with clarity and truth. Paul’s example shows that refuting error is an act of love when it points others to Christ. We can trust that God equips us to speak with confidence, even in difficult conversations.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he was refuting1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- διακατηλέγχετο1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 18:28
for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
This verse uniquely demonstrates the word's intensity as Paul decisively refutes Jewish opponents by proving Jesus is the Christ through Scripture.