Perverse, pervert (1294) diastrepho

Perverse (1294) (diastrepho from dia = separation, in two, throughout + strépho = turn, English = diastrophism = the process of deformation that produces in the earth’s crust its continents and ocean basins) is literally to twist throughout or to distort. To turn different ways. To twist about. Diastrepho is used metaphorically in the NT meaning to pervert or to distort. The idea is to cause one to depart from an accepted standard of oral or spiritual values. In the perfect tense it describes a permanently distorted condition (literally the perfect tense pictures permanently "turned aside" and thus depraved) (see Mt 17:17; Lk 9:41; Acts 20:30; Php 2:15). In some of the NT uses diastrepho means to to turn aside from the right path and so to mislead as in Lk 23:2 where Jesus is falsely accused before Pilate of misleading the people, Luke recording And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading (diastrepho) our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." (Luke 23:2) Diastrepho conveys the basic idea of twisting or bending out of shape and was used in Paul's day in this literal sense to describe a piece of pottery that a careless craftsman had misshaped or that had somehow become distorted before being fired in the oven. Diastrepho is in the perfect tense which describes the permanence of the distorted moral condition of the unregenerate world (unless of course rectified by the gospel!) They were turned out of the way when they were born into the sin of Adam and they remain turned out of the way of truth unless the light in the life of a saint illumines their heart with the truth of the gospel. TDNT notes that diastrepho means in Gk. “to twist,” “to dislocate,” “to confuse.” In Hellenistic and especially Stoic ethics diastrophe (= twisting of a fractured limb, distortion) is a technical term for the moral corruption of the empirical man. The nature of man, which is originally good and oriented to the good, is “twisted” (diastrephetai) by bad teaching (Ed note: Genesis 3 teaches it was twisted by the entry of sin!) and example and by environmental influences of all kinds... (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans) Diastrepho -7 times 7v - Matt 17:17; Luke 9:41; 23:2; Acts 13:8, 10; 20:30; Phil 2:15 NAS = make crooked, 1; misleading, 1; perverse, 1; perverse things, 1; perverted, 2; turn...away, 1. Jesus used diastrepho to describe His disciples who were unable to cure a man's demon possessed son declaring... "O unbelieving and perverted (diastrepho = perfect tense) generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." (Mt 17:17) Paul on the island of Paphos used diastrepho twice in his encounter with Elymas, Luke recording that... Elymas the magician (for thus his name is translated) was opposing them (Paul and his associates), seeking to turn the proconsul away (diastrepho) from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze upon him, and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked (diastrepho) the straight ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:8-10) Paul used diastrepho again his meeting with the elders at Ephesus warning them that... from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse (diastrepho = perfect tense) things, to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:30) Diastrepho is found 25 times in the LXX (Exod. 5:4; 23:6; Num. 15:39; 32:7; Deut. 32:5; Jdg. 5:6; 1 Ki. 18:17f; Job 37:12; Ps. 18:26; Pr. 4:27; 6:14; 8:13; 10:9; 11:20; 16:30; Eccl. 1:15; 7:13; 12:3; Isa. 59:8; Ezek. 13:18, 22; 16:34; Mic. 3:9; Hab. 1:40) For example... (The prophet Micah declares to faithless Israel) Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and twist (LXX = diastrepho = present tense = continually) everything that is straight, (Micah 3:9) (Habakkuk records) Therefore, the law is ignored (paralyzed, stunned, incapable of functioning in its normal way) and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice comes out perverted (LXX = diastrepho in the perfect tense) (Hab 1:4) Generation (1074) (genea from gínomai = to become) originally meant a generation, i.e., a multitude of contemporaries and in this verse describes a descent or genealogical line of ancestors or descendants. In the present context genea refers to the populace in broad terms. AMONG WHOM YOU APPEAR AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD: en ois phainesthe (2PPMI) os phosteres en kosmo: (Isa 60:1; Mt 5:14, 15, 16; Jn 5:35; Eph 5:8) Paul is saying the saints at Philippi and by way of application believers of all ages are to shine out in stark contrast to the darkness of this this godless society shining forth as "heavenly bodies of light" (lights powered from heaven) stationed upon the earth enshrouded in the darkness of sin. We are now "light in the Lord" and are to reflect the glory of the Lord in the middle of this present darkness. The darker the night, the brighter the light appears. Christians are lights or light-bearers. They cannot create any light, but they can reflect the glory of the Lord so that others may see Jesus in them. Appear (5316) (phaino from phos = light) means to give light, illuminate, or shine forth as a luminous body. This refers not to the act of shining, but to the fact of appearing, being recognized as God’s children. The saints were to continually (present tense) be conspicuous, visible and "shining examples" of the transforming power of the gospel of God's grace. As someone has said we are not searchlights or spotlights but lights in the fog. Fog lights prevent tragic shipwreck and eternal loss! Searchlights blind our eyes. How's you're light shining? Saints are not here to adapt to or accommodate to the darkness but to shine as lights. Vine has an even more direct comment writing that... No true believer can fail to give a witness as to the difference between his manner of life and that of the world. If there is no difference it is questionable whether he has ever come out of darkness into light. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson ) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/philippians_214-16.htm#Perverse

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Perverse, pervert (1294) diastrepho

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