καταχράομαι (katachraomai)
katachraomai
to use up
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb katachraomai means to use something fully or to the point of exhaustion. It carries the sense of consuming a resource until it is spent, often implying an intensive or excessive application rather than simple, moderate use.
In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 7:31, Paul uses it to describe how those who "use the world" should live, noting that the present form of this world is passing away. The implication is that believers may engage with material things and social structures, but they must do so without treating them as permanent or ultimate.
The word combines a prefix suggesting intensity or completion with a root meaning "to use." This etymology highlights the thoroughness of the action. Paul’s instruction suggests a detached engagement: utilizing available resources while recognizing their temporary nature, thereby avoiding the idolatry that comes from clinging too tightly to what is meant to pass away.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word katachraomai describes using something until it is worn out or exhausted. In the New Testament, this intensive verb appears only twice, both in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. It suggests a thorough engagement with resources, but one that acknowledges their limits. When we apply this concept to our daily lives, it invites us to interact with the world and its offerings without treating them as permanent fixtures of our identity.
Paul uses this term in 1 Corinthians 7:31 to describe how believers should relate to material things. He notes that those who use the world should do so as if not using it fully, because the present form of this world is passing away. This does not mean we must reject all enjoyment or utility. Instead, it calls for a detached engagement where we utilize what is available without clinging to it as an ultimate source of security or joy.
This perspective offers freedom from the anxiety of preservation. When we recognize that our circumstances, possessions, and even our own strengths are temporary, we can use them with gratitude rather than fear. We are invited to live lightly, holding our resources loosely so that they do not become idols. This approach allows us to serve others more freely, knowing that our true hope rests in what is eternal, not in what fades.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- using [it] as their own.1×
- to use up1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- καταχρώμενοι.1×
- καταχρήσασθαι1×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 7:31
and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.
Paul uses this word to define the proper attitude toward material possessions and social structures, emphasizing their temporary nature.
-
I Corinthians 9:18
What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.
Here Paul speaks of not abusing his authority, using a related sense of exhausting or misusing a privilege given by God.