metastrepsai, μεταστρέψαι - Gal 1:6

  1.  — Edited

    From Study Assistant: https://app.logos.com/tools/study-assistant Meaning of metastrepsai > What does metastrepsai, μεταστρέψαι convey in Galatians 1:6? The Greek word metastrepsai conveys the sense of changing from one state to another, and in Paul’s context—where he regards his gospel as fundamentally good—the term carries the force of distortion or degradation[1]. The word captures something more dramatic than simple modification: Greek speakers typically employed this term to describe a radical transformation from something positive to its negative opposite, such as converting good into evil, water into blood, or light into darkness[2]. Paul uses metastrepsai to refer to twisting or perverting the gospel into something that bears a superficial resemblance to the authentic gospel but is fundamentally as different from it as night is from day[2]. This isn’t merely adding or subtracting elements—it’s a wholesale corruption that inverts the gospel’s essential character. The false teachers were taking the gospel of God’s love demonstrated in Christ and changing it, adding to and taking away from the gospel while twisting its meaning to say something entirely different from Scripture[3]. The term also carries a secondary sense of deliberate manipulation. The word could mean to “twist” or “pervert,” as when someone distorts the meaning of a word to create an insulting joke[2]. In Galatians 1:7, Paul applies this language to those who are actively attempting to distort the gospel—suggesting intentional deception rather than innocent error. The troublemakers aren’t simply offering an alternative interpretation; they’re fundamentally inverting the gospel’s substance while maintaining its appearance, which makes their teaching particularly dangerous to Paul’s audience. [1] L. Ann Jervis, Galatians, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book, 2011), 37. [2] Frank Thielman, “Galatians,” in Romans–Galatians, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 10:581. [3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The Outline Bible Five Translation: Practical Word Studies in the New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1998), 589.